Facts in News

                               Facts in News

World Cities Cultural Forum (WCCF)

• It is organised by the BOP Consultancy, which is an international consultancy specialising in culture and the creative economy.
• Comprises 40 world cities including London, Tokyo and New York, all of which recognise the impact and importance of culture and creativity in public policy and city planning.
• It enables the policy makers of member cities to share research and intelligence, while exploring the vital role of culture in prosperity.
• Members collaborate via a programme of events including themed symposia, regional summits and workshops, that feed into the annual World Cities Culture Summit.
  • Theme for 2021: The Future of Culture.
  • Host: Member cities on a rotating basis.
  • Attended by: Deputy Mayors for Culture and Heads of Culture from the member cities.
  • Delhi’s Chief Minister has been invited for the 2021 Summit and will represent the Capital and India.
• It also releases the World Cities Culture Report, the most comprehensive global dataset on culture in cities.

Vaccine Maitri

• It is an initiative by the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Aim: To supply Covid-19 vaccines to different nations across the globe.
• Following requests from for the supply of Indian-manufactured vaccines, the government started supplying in January.
• Over 64 million doses supplied to more than 80 countries till now as grant assistance, under commercial basis and through the COVAX initiative.
• Significance
  • It has strengthened India’s image as the first responder in emergency situations.
  • It is all the more commendable when there are only five countries in the world that have thus far been able to successfully manufacture Covid-19 vaccines.

Hamja Folk Dance

• It is a traditional folk dance by the Rabha tribe of Assam.
• The Rabhas have an agrarian culture and in shifting cultivation they work together sharing a common song and music.
• It helps them to finish the work easily, hence in this folk dance, they take agricultural implements.
• Rabha Tribe
  • It is a prominent tribe in Assam and is recognized as Scheduled Tribe (ST) by Indian Constitution.
  • It is an indigenous Tibeto-Burman community of Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
  • In India, it is present in Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal.
  • Language: Rabha (Tibeto-Burman language) and Assamese.
  • Occupation: Agriculture and day-labourers.
  • Festival: The Baikho is the principal deity associated with the crops and is worshipped only once in a year in April/May.

First Farm-Based Solar Power Plant

• The first farm-based solar power plant under the Prime Minister’s Kisan Urja Suraksha Evum Utthan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme has come up in Jaipur with a provision for the production of 17 lakh units of electricity every year.

PM-KUSUM scheme

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched this scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid-connected solar and other renewable power plants in the country.

• It is aimed at ensuring energy security for farmers in India, along with honouring India’s commitment to increase the share of installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil-fuel sources to 40% by 2030 as part of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).

Significance

• The scheme will open a stable and continuous source of income to the rural landowners by utilisation of their dry/uncultivable land.
•  It would also help increase clean green energy and generate employment in rural areas.

Jal Jeevan Mission

• It is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti which aims to provide tap water connection to every rural household by 2024.
• It was announced by the Prime Minister in  2019.
• It will be based on a community approach to water and will include extensive Information, Education and communication as a key component of the mission
• The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation, rainwater harvesting.

ACT-Accelerator

• The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is a groundbreaking global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.
• It was launched at the end of April 2020.
• It brings together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, philanthropists and global health organizations.
• The ACT-Accelerator is organized into four pillars of work: diagnostics, treatment, vaccines and health system strengthening.