1.INDIA – UAE relations serve as a model for the world
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the India-UAE partnership as a model for the world, showcasing a strong bilateral relationship
- PM Modi is on his seventh visit to the UAE
- He underlined – The strategic partners’ shared interests in talent, innovation, and culture
- Both nations are scripting a new history in the third decade of the 21st century
- First visit to the UAE in 2015, was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the UAE in three decades
- Modi was awarded the Order of Zayed in 2019, the highest civilian award of the UAE Thousands of Indian nationals attended the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event, signifying the strong community and connection between the two countries
- Mr. Modi is on a two-day visit to the UAE
- He will inaugurate the largest Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi
2. FOREST DWELLERS – RIGHTS
- Earlier this month, the notification of the Thanthai Periyar Sanctuary in Erode district of Tamil Nadu triggered consternation among forest-dwellers around it
- They expressed fear that this is a prelude to their rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 (FRA) being denied
- Cattle-grazers can no longer graze in the Thanthai Periyar Sanctuary.
- Bargur cattle, a traditional breed native to the Bargur forest hills, may now be prevented from accessing their traditional grazing grounds
- According to the 2011 Census, there were 1,808 revenue villages in Tamil Nadu with numerous habitations in them accessing 15,826.9 sq. km of forests within revenue boundaries
- But as of September 2023, the State had recognised and issued individual titles to an extent of just 38.96 sq. km – a paltry coverage of 0.25%
- Reportedly, the State has issued 531 community titles but the extent of the area thus titled remains a mystery
- Tamil Nadu is not an exception
- The same pattern, more or less, runs across the country: the Environment Ministry and the forest bureaucracy continue to defy the laws, Parliament, and the will of the people, leaving forests, forest-dwellers, and wildlife in peril
3. POLICE USED DRONES TO DROP TEAR GAS SHELLS IN PROTESTERS
- The Haryana State government used drones made by Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Limited (DRIISHYA), a public limited company incorporated in 2021 The Haryana Police dropped tear gas shells on the protesting farmers from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at the Shambhu Barrier on the Punjab-Haryana boundary
- This is the first time drones have been used to launch tear gas grenades by any police force in the country
- The drone-based tear smoke launcher to control riots and other crowd control situations was developed by the Tear Smoke Unit (TSU) of the Border Security Force (BSF) in 2022 but it has yet not been sold to any State Police force
4. Karnataka tables Bill making 60% Kannada mandatory on name boards
The Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled in the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, making it mandatory for all business establishments in Karnataka to display name boards with 60% of text in Kannada in the upper half of the boards
5. STEM CELLS
- Basic Building Blocks: Undifferentiated cells in the body with remarkable abilities.
- Two Key Properties:
- Self-renewal: They can divide and create more stem cells.
- Differentiation: They can develop into different specialized cell types (e.g., muscle cells, blood cells, brain cells).
- Types of Stem Cells
- Embryonic Stem Cells o Source: Early-stage embryos o Potency: Pluripotent – can become any cell type in the body.
- Adult Stem Cells o Source: Found in specific tissues in the body (e.g., bone marrow, skin).
- Potency: More limited – tend to develop into cell types within their tissue of origin.
- Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)
- Source: Created in the lab by reprogramming adult cells (e.g., skin cells) back to an embryonic-like state. o Potency: Pluripotent, offering great potential.
6. Centre rules out MSP law, offers talks with farmers. What is Minimum Support Price (MSP)?
- Price Safety Net: A price floor set by the government to protect farmers from price crashes, primarily when market prices go too low.
- Incentive: Encourages the production of specific crops to maintain national food security.
- Affected Crops: Currently covers 23 different crops.
- Why is MSP Important?
- Income Stability: Supports farmers, who are among India’s lowest-income groups, ensuring they get at least a minimum return on their crops.
- Food Security: Prevents farmers from abandoning farming due to low prices, safeguarding the country’s food supply.
- How is the MSP Decided?
- Commission Role: The government sets MSPs based on recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
- Factors Considered: Recommendations account for crop production costs, supply, international prices, demand, and other factors to balance fairness for both farmers and consumers
