Rapid Fire Current Affairs | 27 Mar 2023

State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022

According to the World Food Programme’s (WFP) report the State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022, the number of children fed by school meals has fallen by approximately 4% in low-income countries, with the most significant declines observed in Africa. The analysis is based on a sample of 176 countries, up from 163 countries in 2020.

As per the study, high-income, upper-middle-income and lower-middle-income countries showed a consistent, modest increase of 4%, 4% and 12%, respectively. It highlighted the need for external development partners to target support in low-income countries particularly.

Despite other post-pandemic demands and cash constraints, low-income countries have increased their domestic funding for school meals from 30% in 2020 to 45% in 2022.

Of the 30 million increases in the number of children receiving school meals between 2020 and 2022, the five countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa accounted for 19 million of the increase in the number of children fed.

First Cable-Stayed Railway Bridge of India

The first cable-stayed railway bridge of India on the Anji river (a tributary of the Chenab River) in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to be ready by May 2023.

Anji bridge between Katra and Reasi stations falls in the Reasi district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The upcoming structure is part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Rail Link (USBRL) project. The project was declared a National Importance Project in March 2002. It is also the biggest mountain railway project since independence.

The bridge will also have an integrated monitoring system with numerous sensors installed at various locations.

Read More: Jammu & Kashmir

Sacred Hopi Site in Arizona

A site located in Arizona, United States and sacred to the Hopi Native American Nation has been awarded a ‘Water and Heritage Shield’ by the International Committee on Monuments and Sites International Science Committee (ICOMOS ISC). The Shield was awarded to the Black Mesa Trust (BMT), a Hopi grassroots organisation.

The purpose of the Shield is to help the public become aware of the significance of water and indigenous sacred sites all over the world and the right to cultural and historical memory.

The Hopi have been known for their unique reverence to the environment. The Hopi consider the Sípaapu to be the place from where their ancestors emerged from another world into this one.

The Sípaapu is a rocky dome made of limestone as well as a spring located on the Little Colorado river, a tributary of Colorado. Little Colorado joins the main stem of the river within the Grand Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

ICOMOS ISC is a non-governmental international organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world’s monuments and sites. It helps the United Nations to recognise heritage globally.

Women’s World Boxing Championship

Recently, Nikhat Zareen (2^nd world title) and Lovlina Borgohain (1^st world title) won two gold medals for India in the Women’s World Boxing Championship.

The Women's World Boxing Championship was organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA). The mission of IBA is to promote, support and govern the sport of boxing worldwide in accordance with the requirements and spirit of the Olympic Charter.

The Olympic Charter is the codification of the fundamental principles of Olympism, and the rules and bye-laws (a set of rules or laws established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself) adopted by the International Olympic Committee.