Current Affair 1:

Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP)

 

Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, following focus areas of interventions have been identified for comprehensive development of villages-

1. Economic Growth – Livelihood generation
2. Road Connectivity
3. Housing & Village Infrastructure
4. Energy including renewable energy through Solar and Wind power
5. Television & Telecom Connectivity including setting up of IT enabled Common Service Centre in the village
6. Regeneration of eco-system
7. Promotion of tourism & culture
8. Financial inclusion
9. Skill development & entrepreneurship
10. Development of co-operative societies for managing livelihood opportunities including agriculture/horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants/herbs etc.

Current Affair 2:

What is a blue bond?

 

A blue bond is a relatively new form of a sustainability bond, which is a debt instrument that is issued to support investments in healthy oceans and blue economies.

Like in the case of conventional bonds, investors lend money to a bond issuer, who agrees to repay the interest every year for the term of the bond plus the capital on a certain day.

In a blue bond, earnings are generated from the investments in sustainable blue economy projects. Furthermore, the issuance of a blue bond enables investors to fulfil their corporate social responsibilities and generate benefit for the ocean and humankind.

Blue bonds can be issued by governments, banks, or corporations. This quick start guide focuses on sovereign blue bonds, which can be issued by governments or affiliated institutions.

The Republic of Seychelles last year, launched the world’s first sovereign blue bond raising a total of $15 million to advance the small island state’s blue economy.

With respect to India:

 

Current Affair 3:

Maritime State Development Council (MSDC)

 

News:

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways held 9th Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) at Kevadia, Gujarat.

About:

MSDC is an apex advisory body for the development of the Maritime sector and aims to ensure integrated development of Major and non-Major Ports.

The MSDC was constituted in May 1997 to assess in consultation with State Governments, the future development of existing and new Minor Ports by the respective Maritime States either directly or through captive users and private participation.

Further, MSDC also monitors the development of minor ports, captive ports and private ports in the Maritime States with a view to ensure their integrated development with Major Ports and to assess the requirements of other infrastructure requirements like roads/rail/IWT and make suitable recommendations to the concerned Ministers.

Not more than this is required.

Current Affair 4:

Dinosaur Fossil In Thar Desert

 

The fossil remains of 167-million-years-old long-necked, plant-eating dicraeosaurid dinosaur have been discovered in the western Indian city of Jaisalmer, located in the state of Rajasthan. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) managed to unearth the prehistoric findings.

The scientists have named the dinosaur fossil ‘Tharosaurus indicus’, referring to the Thar desert and the country of origin where the remains were found.

According to the study published in ‘Scientific Reports’, scientists are of the view that the fossils belong to a new species of dinosaurs, unknown to man.

The discovery of the fossils, of all the places in India, suggests that the country also played a small yet unexpected part in the dinosaur evolution cycle.

Previously, dicraeosaurid dinosaurs fossils have been discovered in North and South America, Africa and China but never in India.

 

<< Previous Next >>