Rapid Fire Current Affairs | 01 Jul 2023

World Mining Congress

The India pavilion at the World Mining Congress, held recently in Brisbane, Australia, showcased the country's technological prowess in the mining, energy sector and its commitment to sustainable development practices. practices.

The World Mining Congress (WMC) is the leading international forum for the global mining and resource industries. It promotes and supports scientific and technical cooperation in the sustainable development of natural mineral and energy resources and showcases the latest innovations and best practices in the sector.

The WMC was inaugurated in 1958 by Prof. Bolesław Krupiński, a prominent Polish scientist and mining engineer. It is run by a permanent secretariat seated in Katowice, Poland and is affiliated with the United Nations. The WMC is held triennially across the world.

Read More: Mining Sector in India

‘Report Fish Disease’ App

The Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Dairying has unveiled a new mobile app called 'Report Fish Disease' to help fish farmers and improve disease management in the aquaculture sector. sector.

Fish Diseases are the major constraint to the growth of the aquaculture industry. Surveillance for aquatic animal diseases is essential for early detection of diseases, thereby minimizing their impacts. Early detection of diseases is important for eradication and containment. Many cases of diseases in aquaculture go unreported due to unavailability of the field-level disease reporting mechanism.

The RFD app will help farmers report incidences of diseases in finfish, shrimps, and molluscs on their farms to field-level officers and fish health experts.

Read More: India's Fisheries Sector

Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Route

India and Russia are keen to make the Chennai – Vladivostok maritime route operational. The Vladivostok – Chennai route passes through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea and Malacca Strait. During the 2019 visit, the PM of India signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) on the ‘Development of Maritime Communications between the Port of Vladivostok and the Port of Chennai’ with the Russian President.

The route will bring down transport time to 10-12 days, almost a third of what is taken under the existing popular route that covers from St Petersburg to Mumbai. At the same time, costs are expected to come down significantly by 30%.

It would also give India access to the Far East, including countries like Mongolia, and a significant presence in the Southeast Asian region.

Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary

Debrigarh, a wildlife sanctuary in Odisha’s Bargarh district, has been made completely free from any human settlement. As per the State Forest and Environment department, Debrigarh Sanctuary, which is proposed to be a tiger reserve, has high prey base.

The sanctuary is habitat of animals such as Indian Bison’s, Wild Boars, Sambhar and Peacocks. The four-horned antelope (Chousingha) which is listed as vulnerable in IUCN red list also inhabits this sanctuary.

The Hirakud Reservoir, which is a Ramsar Site and International Bird Area, is also located next to the sanctuary.

The sanctuary also finds a special mention because of noted freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai who made his base at ‘Barapathara’ located within the sanctuary during his rebellion against the British.