Current Affair 1:

Buddhist circuits under the Swadesh Darshan scheme

 

The article has been taken from NITI Aayog website:

With a global populace of nearly 500 million, Buddhism is the 4th largest religion in the world. Majority of the Buddhists live in China (50%), Thailand (13%), Japan (9%), Myanmar (8%), Sri Lanka (3%), Vietnam (3%), Cambodia (3%), South Korea (2%), India (2%) and Malaysia (1%).

A number of efforts have been made to develop and promote Buddhist tourism in the recent past. One of these is the Swadesh Darshan Scheme introduced in year 2014 to develop theme-based tourist circuits across the country. The Buddhist Circuit program was initiated under this scheme to promote integrated development of holy Buddhist sites across the country.

The following Buddhist circuits have been identified in five Indian states under the Swadesh Darshan scheme:

 

Current Affair 2:

Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIC)

 

Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India Ltd. (CCIC), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Textiles is engaged in the promotion and retail marketing of best of authentic Indian Handloom and Handicraft products.

Current Affair 3:

How do we know if the water is polluted?

 

Important points. Read everything mentioned below.

Water pollution or water quality can be measured across an extensive range of parameters. The five basic water quality parameters are dissolved oxygen, temperature, electrical conductivity or salinity, pH and turbidity.

Dissolved oxygen is the amount of oxygen dissolved in water – essential for the survival and growth of most aquatic organisms. This is a key indicator of water quality and the potential of the water body to support aquatic life and ecosystems.

The temperature of the water affects water chemistry and functions of aquatic organisms, such as metabolic rates of organisms, timing of reproduction, migration etc.

Conductivity is the ability of the water to conduct electricity – an outcome of dissolved salts in the water that break into positively and negatively charged ions.

Salinity is a measure of the amount of salts in water; dissolved salts increase both salinity and conductivity, hence, the two are related. Salts and other dissolved substances have a critical influence on aquatic biota. Every kind of organism has a typical salinity range that it can tolerate.

The pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the water is. Several chemical reactions that are necessary for aquatic organisms to survive and grow, require a very narrow pH range. At extreme ends of the pH scale (highly acidic or highly alkaline), physical damage to the organisms’ gills, exoskeletons and fins can occur. Changes in the pH also affect a water body’s toxicity.

Turbidity is a measure of the amount of suspended particles in the water. Algae, suspended sediment, and organic matter particles all contribute to turbidity. Suspended particles diffuse sunlight and absorb heat. The effects of this include increased temperature of the water body, reduced light available for algal photosynthesis and the clogging of fish gills. Moreover, once the sediment settles, it can foul gravel beds and smother fish eggs and benthic insects.

Other parameters of concern are nitrogen and total coliform.

Nitrogen is a nutrient that occurs naturally in both fresh and salt water. It is essential for plant growth in an aquatic ecosystem. However, when large amounts of nitrogen are introduced into an aquatic ecosystem (e.g.: due to fertiliser runoff), it can cause excessive algal growth. In a process known as ‘eutrophication’, the algae use up the oxygen for photosynthesis, depleting the oxygen available to aquatic organisms. This reduces the dissolved oxygen in the water body and can suffocate and kill the organisms within.

The presence of total coliform bacteria, faecal coliform bacteria and E. coli suggests that a water body has been contaminated by faecal matter (e.g.: through untreated sewage discharge). They are also called ‘indicator bacteria’ because they are easier to test for compared to other pathogens and can therefore reveal the extent of contamination of a water body.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India measures the quality of lakes and ponds across the aforementioned parameters and some others: temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, biological oxygen demand, nitrates and nitrites, faecal coliform and total coliform.

For example:

The parameter recorded the most extensively with minimal gaps in the 2019 CPCB data on ponds and lakes was that of ‘dissolved oxygen’.

Current Affair 4:

Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)

 

The CTCN is the implementation arm of the Technology Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is hosted by the UN Environment Programme.

The CTCN promotes the accelerated transfer of environmentally sound technologies for low carbon and climate resilient development at the request of developing countries.

The CTCN consists of two parts: a centre—a coordinating entity located in UN City Copenhagen—and a worldwide network of organizations that delivers CTCN services—both virtually and actually.

India is part of it.

The CTCN is guided by an advisory board, which meets at least twice each year.

 

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