Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire Current Affairs
- 11 Jul 2023
- 4 min read
The Solomon Islands and China Strengthen Relations
The Solomon Islands and China have reinforced their ties through agreements on police, economic, and technical cooperation. This comes after the Solomon Islands switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China in 2019. China aims to further expand relations and trade through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, fostering economic and geopolitical interests in the South Pacific. The growing partnership between the Solomon Islands and China draws attention to regional dynamics and raises implications for international relations.
The Solomon Islands is a Melanesian nation in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, with over 990 islands. Its capital is Honiara on Guadalcanal, and it has a rich history of Melanesian habitation for 30,000 years.
Read more: Solomon Islands
Supreme Court Upholds Rights of Non-Notified Forest Inhabitants
The Supreme Court of India, in a recent hearing, has acknowledged that forest inhabitants beyond Adivasi or backward communities have the right to be heard before eviction from forest lands they occupy. The court's decision, based on the Forest Rights Act of 2006, recognizes that non-notified forest dwellers are integral to forest communities, even if they lack official recognition due to socio-political and economic factors.
The Forest Rights Act of 2006 recognizes and grants legal rights to forest-dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers, enabling them to access and manage forest resources. It aims to protect the rights of these communities, promote sustainable forest management, and ensure their socio-economic well-being.
Read more: Forest Rights Act of 2006
Product Design Centre and Grain-Ex System
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) , Government of India has inaugurated the Product Design Centre (PDC) at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata, provides state-of-the-art facilities for system designing, prototyping, ideation, and fabrication. This center is poised to benefit startups, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs in the region by offering them access to cutting-edge software and printing technologies.
In addition to the PDC launch, a revolutionary appearance-based detection system, known as Grain-Ex, was also unveiled during the event. Developed in collaboration with ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, as part of the 'National programme on Electronics and ICT applications in Agriculture and Environment (AgriEnIcs),' Grain-Ex employs machine vision technology to detect the quality of pulses accurately. This system promises to bring about a transformative change in the e-NAM markets, enabling quality-based pricing and benefiting over 1,200 e-NAM connected markets.
Read more: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, e-NAM markets.
World Population Day
World Population Day is observed on July 11th every year to raise awareness about global population issues and the importance of reproductive health and rights. It was established by the United Nations in 1989.
The history of World Population Day dates back to July 11, 1987, when the global population reached a significant milestone of five billion people. This event served as a catalyst for recognising the need to address population-related concerns such as poverty, health, education, and sustainability.
Theme for World Population Day 2023 is "Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities."
Read more: World Population Day, United Nations.
