Daily Current Capsules

22 23 and 24 July 2023

India’s first Cannabis Medicine Project

• Jammu is going to pioneer India’s first Cannabis Medicine Project.
• ‘Cannabis Research Project’ of CSIR-IIIM Jammu is a first of its kind in India initiated under Private Public Partnership with a Canadian firm
• It has a great potential to put substance of abuse for the good of mankind especially for patients suffering from neuropathies, cancer and epilepsy.
• This project of CSIR-IIIM will be able to produce export quality drugs meant for different kinds of neuropathies, diabetic pains etc.
• CSIR-IIIM is the oldest scientific research institute in India with the history of discovering mint way back in 1960s, the centre of purple revolution and now the Cannabis Research Project of CSIR-IIIM is going to make it more prestigious in terms of scientific research in India.

Know! about Cannabis

• CSIR-IIIM is exploring the therapeutic properties of Cannabis, a plant which is otherwise prohibited and known for abuse.
• Cannabis is a wonder plant from which FDA has approved the drugs such as Marilnol/nabilone and Cesamet for treatment of nausea and vomiting, Sativex for neuropathic pain and spasticity, Epidiolex, Cannabidiol for epilepsy and being used elsewhere in countries.
• In J&K, the license was granted to CSIR-IIIM, Jammu for research and protected cultivation and upon permission of GMP manufacturing, the rest of pre-clinical and clinical studies would be completed.

Know! about CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine

• Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine is a premier institute located in Jammu under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Government of India and dedicated to the research of drug discovery.
• It is pioneer in the Cannabis research and obtained the first license for cultivation in the country.
• Following this, many other states like Uttrakhand, Utter Pradesh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have started making the policy and rules for use of Cannabis for scientific purpose.

National Tele Mental Health Programme

• The National Tele Mental Health Programme (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States: Tele MANAS, the digital arm of the ‘District Mental Health Programme’) – launched by the Government of India in October 2022, to strengthen mental health service delivery in the country – has reached a significant milestone.
• The toll-free service has received over 2,00,000 calls from various parts of the nation since the launch, portraying a consistently progressive trend.

Know! about Tele MANAS

• With 42 functioning Tele MANAS cells in 31 States and UT’s, the service is currently catering to 1,300+ calls per day in 20 languages.
• Tele MANAS will continue to provide callers with basic counselling and
• mental health services, with linkages to existing vital services and resources including integration with e Sanjeevani in the coming days.
• Tele MANAS initiative which was announced by Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in the Union budget 2022-23 as an acknowledgement to the mental health crisis in the country
• It is a novel initiative to enable people to seek support for their mental health issues while maintaining anonymity of the callers, thereby reducing the stigma generally surrounding mental health issues.

Global Biofuels Alliance

• Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting has highlighted Fuels for Future (3F) as one of the priority areas.
• In this context, on the sideline of the Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting a standalone event on Consultations and Recommendations for the Global Biofuels Alliance was organized on 22^nd July’23 in Goa.
• This GBA event witnessed participation from the Energy Ministers of thirteen countries and Heads of nine international organizations.
• India, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Kenya, Mauritius, Paraguay, Seychelles, the United States, UAE and Uganda, and international organisations such as the Biofuture Platform, International Civil Aviation Organisation, International Energy Agency, International Energy Forum, International Renewable Energy Agency, World Bank, World Biogas Association, and World Economic Forum who were part of the event welcomed the initiative.
• The forum recognized that overcoming challenges such as feedstock management, standards development, and technological innovations requires a collaborative approach and welcomed the initiative by Indian Presidency to create the global alliance.

Global Biofuels Alliance

• Brazil, India, and the United States, as leading biofuel producers and consumers, working towards the development of a Global Biofuels Alliance along with other interested countries.
• This Alliance aimed at facilitating cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, including in the transportation sector.
• It emphasises on strengthening markets, facilitating global biofuels trade, development of concrete policy lesson-sharing and provision of technical support for national biofuels programs worldwide.
• The Alliance work in collaboration with and complement the relevant existing regional and international agencies as well as initiatives in the bioenergy, bioeconomy, and energy transition fields more broadly, including the Clean Energy Ministerial Biofuture Platform, the Mission Innovation Bioenergy initiatives, and the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP).
• The Global Biofuel Alliance is one of the priorities under India’s G20 Presidency

Know! about Biofuel

• Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricultural, domestic or industrial biowaste.
• Unlike other renewable energy sources, biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels, called “biofuels,” to help meet transportation fuel needs.
• The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel, both of which represent the first generation of biofuel technology.

ETHANOL

• Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be made from various plant materials, collectively known as “biomass.”
• Ethanol is an alcohol used as a blending agent with gasoline to increase octane and cut down carbon monoxide and other smog-causing emissions.
• The most common blend of ethanol is E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) and is approved for use in most conventional gasoline-powered vehicles up to E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline).
• Most ethanol is made from plant starches and sugars—particularly corn starch in the United States—but scientists are continuing to develop technologies that would allow for the use of cellulose and hemicellulose, the non-edible fibrous material that constitutes the bulk of plant matter.
• The common method for converting biomass into ethanol is called fermentation. During fermentation, microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and yeast) metabolize plant sugars and produce ethanol.

BIODIESEL

• Biodiesel is a liquid fuel produced from renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats and is a cleaner-burning replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuel.
• Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable and is produced by combining alcohol with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled cooking grease.
• Biodiesel can be blended with petroleum diesel in any percentage, including B100 (pure biodiesel) and, the most common blend, B20 (a blend containing 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel).

G20 THINQ

• The Indian Navy has launched the second edition of The Indian Navy Quiz “G20 THINQ” which is being hosted under the aegis of the G20 Secretariat, the Indian Navy and the Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA).
• The Quiz has been conceptualised as a national and international quiz competition that brings together youth from different regions and geographies, and enables them build lasting friendships in the spirit of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ – World is One Family.
• It promises to be a unique and enriching experience for school children studying in Classes IX to XII and their equivalent.
• The G20 THINQ comprises two levels: the National Round and the International Round.
• The National Round is expected to see participation of over 10,000 schools from all parts of the nation.
• The International Round will feature invitees from G20 (+09) nations, with each country nominating a team of two students from Classes IX to XII and their equivalent.

Lokmanya Tilak

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Lokmanya Tilak on his Jayanti and said that the story of his courage, struggle and dedication in the freedom movement will always inspire the countrymen.

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

• Bal Gangadhar Tilak ( 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), endeared as Lokmanya (Lokmānya), was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence activist.
• He was one third of the Lal Bal Pal triumvirate.
• Tilak was the first leader of the Indian independence movement. The British colonial authorities called him “The father of the Indian unrest”.
• He was also conferred with the title of “Lokmanya”, which means “accepted by the people as their leader”.
• Mahatma Gandhi called him “The Maker of Modern India”.
• Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj (‘self-rule’) and a strong radical in Indian consciousness.
• He is known for his quote in Marathi: “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!”.
• He formed a close alliance with many Indian National Congress leaders including Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghose, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Chandra Shekhar Azad on his Jayanti

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to freedom fighter, Chandra Shekhar Azad on his Jayanti.

Chandra Shekhar Tiwari (23 July 1906 – 27 February 1931)

• Popularly known as Chandra Shekhar Azad
• He was an Indian revolutionary who reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) under its new name of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) after the death of its founder, Ram Prasad Bismil, and three other prominent party leaders, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and Ashfaqulla Khan.
• He hailed from Bardarka village in Unnao district of United Provinces
• He often used the pseudonym “Balraj” while signing pamphlets issued as the commander-in-chief of the HSRA.
• In 1921, when the Non-Cooperation Movement was at its height, Chandra Shekhar, then a 15-year-old student, joined.
• After the suspension of the non-cooperation movement in 1922 by Mahatma Gandhi, Azad became disappointed.
• He met a young revolutionary, Manmath Nath Gupta, who introduced him to Ram Prasad Bismil who had formed the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a revolutionary organization.
• He then became an active member of the HRA and started to collect funds for HRA.
• He was involved in the Kakori Train Robbery of 1925, the shooting of John P. Saunders at Lahore in 1928 to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai, and at last, in the attempt to blow up the Viceroy of India’s train in 1929.

5th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit

• The 5^th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit is to be jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Pawan Hans Ltd. and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on 25^th July 2023 in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.
• The event’s theme is “Reaching the Last Mile: Regional Connectivity through Helicopters & Small Aircraft”.

The broad objectives of the Summit are:

• Provide a common platform for all industry stakeholders, and policymakers to discuss the growth story of the Indian Helicopter and Small Aircraft industry.
• Enhance the scope of the UDAN Scheme in remote and hilly terrains and expand the country’s rural to urban connectivity.
• Boost Helicopter & Small Aircraft connectivity to places with existing and potential tourism hotspots by providing uninterrupted services.
• The 5th Heli Summit will bring industry stakeholders together to engage and collaborate with policymakers to implement efficient and rational decisions that would boost India’s civil aviation industry further.

Critical minerals for India

• Government has released a list of 30 critical minerals for India.
• These minerals are Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, REE,Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium,Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.
• Ministry of Mines has increased focus on exploration of these minerals in the country through Geological Survey of India (GSI) and other agencies.
• A joint venture company namely Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) has been incorporated with the equity contribution from three Central Public Sector Enterprises namely, National Aluminium Company Ltd, Hindustan Copper Ltd and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd with the objective to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets of critical & strategic nature such as Lithium, Cobalt & others so as to ensure supply side assurance.
• KABIL has engagements with countries like Argentina, Australia etc. to acquire critical & strategic minerals assets.

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TEAM CL/GKP