Facts in News

Facts in News

I-STEM Web Portal

• Recently, the I-STEM project has been accorded an extension for five years, until 2026.
• The I-STEM National Web Portal was launched formally in January 2020 by Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• It began as an initiative to “Link Researchers and Resources” by creating a database of Research & Development resources in various institutions across the country. 
• It is an initiative of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (PSA, GOI) under the aegis of Prime Minister Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) mission. 
• Aims and Objectives 
  • To strengthen the R&D ecosystem of the country by connecting researchers with resources and providing necessary supplies and support to researchers by enabling them access to existing publicly funded R&D facilities in the country through the I-STEM web portal.

Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation

• India has scored 90.32% in United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific’s (UNESCAP) latest Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation.
• The Survey hailed this as a remarkable jump from 78.49% in 2019.

About

• The Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation is conducted every two years by UNESCAP. 
• The 2021 Survey includes an assessment of 58 trade facilitation measures covered by the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. 
• The Survey is keenly awaited globally as it evidences whether or not the trade facilitation measures being taken have the desired impact and helps draw comparison amongst countries.
• A higher score for a country also helps businesses in their investment decisions.

Assessment in India

• Transparency:100% in 2021 (from 93.33% in 2019)
• Formalities: 95.83% in 2021 (from 87.5% in 2019)
• Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation: 88.89% in 2021 (from 66.67% in 2019)
• Paperless Trade: 96.3% in 2021 (from 81.48% in 2019)
• Cross-Border Paperless Trade: 66.67% in 2021 (from 55.56% in 2019)

Comparison with other nations

• India is the best-performing country when compared to the South and South-West Asia region (63.12%) and the Asia Pacific region (65.85%). 
• The overall score of India has also been found to be greater than many OECD countries including France, UK, Canada, Norway, Finland etc. and the overall score is greater than the average score of the EU.

Reason for Improvement in ranking

• CBIC has been at forefront of path-breaking reforms under the umbrella of ‘Turant’ Customs to usher in a Faceless, Paperless and Contactless Customs by way of a series of reforms. 
• This has had a direct impact in terms of the improvement in the UNESCAP rankings on digital and sustainable trade facilitation.
• During the Covid19 pandemic, Customs formations have made all efforts to expedite Covid related imports such as Oxygen related equipment, life-saving medicines, vaccines etc. 
• A dedicated single window COVID-19 24*7 helpdesk for EXIM trade was created on the CBIC website to facilitate quick resolution of issue(s) faced by importers. 

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

• It is a regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region.
• HQ & Establishment: Bangkok, Thailand & 1947.
• Objective: To develop the institutional capacities of member and associate member governments in delivering effective policies for inclusive and sustainable development with special attention to least developed and landlocked developing countries as well as small island developing states.
• Members: 53 Member States and 9 Associate Members from Asia-Pacific Region including India.

Amateur Radio Technology

Recently, it has been suggested to deploy HAM radio (also known as amateur radio) technology in cyclone prone coastal areas in Odisha and West Bengal.

• It is the use of radio frequency spectrum for non-commercial two-way radio communications including exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting and emergency communication.
• It is a real-time communication network similar to wireless communication and is quick and transparent.
• An amateur radio operators (also known as radio amateurs or hams) are individuals who typically use equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in communications with other similar individuals.
  • They set up and operate organized communication networks locally for governmental and emergency officials, as well as non-commercial communication for private citizens affected by the disaster.
• Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Amendment Rules, 1984, describes amateur service as a service of self training intercommunications and technical investigation carried on by Amateurs that is, by persons duly authorized under these rules interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
  • Any citizen of India who is above 12 years of age can become a ham by qualifying in the Amateurs Station Operators (ASO) examination and obtaining a valid Amateur wireless telegraph station license.
• The HAM operators employ high frequency signals to connect with other operators and it comes handy when mobile connectivity is down as it can be set up anywhere.
  • Communication turns out to be a major challenge during the cyclones and particularly in the Sunderbans with more than 50 inhabited islands located in remote areas, which remain cut off often for days.
• The empowerment of local youth to operate the technology will help the State’s disaster preparedness and management.

Chandra Shekhar Azad Jayanti

Recently, the Prime Minister of India has paid tributes to Chandra Shekhar Azad on his Jayanti.

• Birth: On 23^rd July 1906 in Bhavra village of Alirajpur princely state, which currently falls under the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. 
• Contributions
  • He was drawn into the Indian national movement at a young age and participated in Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-cooperation Movement (1920–22).
    • When caught by the police, he gave his name as Azad (Free or Liberated).
  • However, the suspension of Non-cooperation in February 1922 disappointed him and he joined the radical Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).
  • He participated in several crimes, notably the Kakori train robbery (1925) and the revenge killing of a British police officer John Saunders (1928).
  • Known for his organizational skills, he played a key role in reorganizing the HRA as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
  • He was given the nickname ‘quicksilver’ by Ramprasad Bismil for his ability to move undetected between party hideouts.
• Death: On 27^th February 1931 in Allahabad.
  • He arranged to meet a revolutionary at Allahabad’s Alfred Park (now Azad Park) but was betrayed to the police, who surrounded him and he was fatally shot.

(Image Courtesy: TP)

Maguri-Motapung Wetland

Recently, casualties have been reported after clashes on the issue of compensation for damages to Maguri-Motapung wetland (or beel).

• The wetland derives its name from ‘Magur’, local word for the catfish Clarius batrachus, once found here in abundance. The second half of the name comes from a village nearby and Beel is the Assamese word for wetland.
• It is located close to the Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.
  • The Dibru river flows from east to west through the wetland. To the north-west of the wetland is a river, which was once called Dangori. It has been captured by the bigger river Lohit.
• The wetland regime is a critical part of the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve, an ecological corridor to Namdapha National Park and sustains the ecological integrity of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot.
• This landscape is mostly water and comprises wetlands, swamp forests and grasslands.
  • It has a grassland adjacent to it and the entire ecosystem (grassland and wetland) is very important as it is home to at least 304 bird species, including a number of endemic ones like Black-breasted parrotbill and Marsh babbler.
• It is home to 37 species of mammals, 503 species of birds, 42 species of reptiles, 17 species of amphibia, 104 species of fish and 105 species of butterflies, according to one 2016 survey.
  • It has over 110 bird species, of which eight are regarded as threatened by the IUCN, which include the Falcated duck, Ferruginous duck and Swamp Prinia.
  • The Lesser Adjutant, Baikal Teal, Swamp Francolin and Marsh Babbler are classified as less threatened.
• It was declared an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) in 1996 by the Bombay Natural History Society.
• In May 2020, it was adversely affected by a blowout and fire at an Oil India Limited-owned gas well.
  • The resulting oil spill killed a number of fish, snakes as well as an endangered Gangetic dolphin, and the fire had burnt a large portion of the grassland.

(Image Courtesy: SNF)

India Among Top 10 Agricultural Produce Exporters In World: WTO

• As per a report from WTO on the trends in world agricultural trade in the past 25 years, India broke into the list of top 10 agricultural produce exporters in 2019.

Key Points

• India commanded a 3.1 per cent share in the global agricultural produce exports. 
• Mexico commanded a share of 3.4 per cent, Brazil 7.8 per cent, China 5.4 per cent and the United States (US) 13.8 per cent.
• India is also the third-largest cotton exporter (7.6%), and the fourth-largest importer (10%) in 2019.
• The US, which topped the list in 1995 (22.2%), was overtaken by the European Union in 2019 (16.1%).
• China climbed from the sixth spot in 1995 (4%) to fourth in 2019 (5.4%).
• The top 10 exporters accounted for more than 96% of exports in both 1995 and 2019.