• 18 Jul 2024

Jharkhand Workers Stranded in Cameroon

Why in News?

Twenty-seven workers from Jharkhand, currently stranded in Cameroon, have urgently appealed to the Indian government for assistance in evacuating them from the Central African country.

Key Points

• According to the sources, the workers were brought to Cameroon on 31 March, 2024 by a private company.
  • However, the workers have not received wages for the past four months from the company. They reported facing severe shortages of food and water and are unable to afford basic necessities.
• The Ministry of External Affairs is requested to assist in ensuring safe return of the 27 stranded workers.

Cameroon

• It is located at the junction of western and central Africa.
• It is the 24^th largest country in Africa and 54th largest in the world.
• The capital is Yaoundé, located in the south-central part of the country.
• Bordering countries:
  • It is bordered by Nigeria and Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, the Republic of the Congo to the southeast, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.
• Relief:
  • Cameroon's diverse geography comprises northern savanna, central highlands, southern coastal plains, and western volcanic mountains, including Mount Cameroon.

Haryana Increases Agniveer Quota

Why in News?

Recently, the Haryana government announced a 10% horizontal reservation to Agniveers in recruitment for the posts of constable and forest guard, among others.

Key Points

• Agniveers will receive 5% horizontal reservation in Group-C direct recruitments and 1% in Group-B direct recruitments for civil posts.
• Private establishments that pay Agniveers a monthly salary of 30,000 or more will receive an annual subsidy of 60,000 from the state government.
• An Agniveer starting a business will receive interest benefits on loans up to 5 lakh.
• Agniveers will be prioritized for arms licenses and employment in government departments/boards/corporations.

Agnipath Scheme

• About:
  • It allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years.
  • Under this scheme, the youth joining the army will be called Agniveer. Youth will be able to be recruited into the army for a short duration.
  • Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and most will leave the service in just four years.
  • However, after four years, only 25% of the batch will be recruited back into their respective services, for a period of 15 years.
• Eligibility Criteria:
  • It is only for personnel below officer ranks (those who do not join the forces as commissioned officers).
    • Commissioned officers are the army's highest ranked officers.
    • Commissioned officers hold an exclusive rank in the Indian armed forces. They often hold a commission under the president's sovereign power and are officially instructed to protect the country.
• Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 23 years will be eligible to apply.

Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations

Why in News?

Recently, Asia’s first pre-clinical network facility for health research was established at the Regional Centre of Biotechnology.

• It is under the Translational Health Science & Technology Institute (THSTI) in Faridabad, as part of the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Key Points

• CEPI has selected BRIC-THSTI as a pre-clinical network laboratory based on its capability to handle BSL3 pathogens.
• It is the 9^th network laboratory and will be the first in Asia, joining others in the USA, Europe, and Australia.
• The Animal Facility is one of the largest in the country, housing about 75,000 mice as well as immune compromised mice, rats, rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs.
• The "Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection (Ge-HuMic) Facility" was also inaugurated to act as a "repository" for providing microbial cultures to research institutes, universities, and industries for research and development.
  • The facility will function as a Nodal Resource Center to facilitate collaborations between academic institutions, hospitals, and industry at national and international levels.
  • It will also store genetically characterized specific pathogen-free animals, including cryopreserved embryos and sperm, for researchers in the country.

Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness for Innovation (CEPI)

• CEPI is a global partnership launched in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics.
• CEPI was founded in Davos (Switzerland) by the governments of Norway and India, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and the World Economic Forum.
• The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, and Government of India has been implementing the IndCEPI mission ‘India Centric Epidemic Preparedness through Rapid Vaccine Development: Supporting Indian Vaccine Development’.
  • The objectives of this mission are aligned with that of CEPI and aims to strengthen the development of vaccines and associated competencies/technologies for the diseases of epidemic potential in India.

Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI)

• It is an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• It is located in Faridabad (Haryana).

Biosafety Levels (BSL)

• BSL is used to identify the protective measures needed in a laboratory setting to protect workers, the environment, and the public.
• Activities and projects conducted in biological laboratories are categorized by biosafety level.
• The four biosafety levels are BSL-1, BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4, with BSL-4 being the highest (maximum) level of containment.

Custodial Death in Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

Recently, the Pardhi tribal community in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district protested against the alleged death, in police custody, of a tribal man.

Key Points

• Custodial death is a death that occurs while a person is in the custody of law enforcement officials or in a correctional facility.
• It can occur due to various causes such as use of excessive force, neglect, or abuse by the authorities.
• According to the Law commission of India, the crime by a public servant against the arrested or the detained person who is in custody amounts to custodial violence.

Pardhi Tribe

• It is found mostly in Maharashtra and parts of Madhya Pradesh.
• The word Pardhi is derived from the Marathi word ‘Paradh’ meaning hunting and the Sanskrit word ‘papardhi’ meaning the game to be hunted.
• They speak mixed dialects of Rajasthani and Gujarati, mainly Wagdi and Pardhi languages.
  • These languages are grouped in the Bhil languages of the western Indo-Aryan language group.

Pradhan Mantri Colleges of Excellence

Why in News?

Recently, the Pradhan Mantri Colleges of Excellence was inaugurated by the Union Home Minister in all 55 districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to implement the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
  • These colleges are started by the state government, to offer courses aligned with the New Education Policy 2020.
  • NEP was introduced to focus on holistic development of youth rather than just awarding degrees.
• It includes teaching both academic subjects and life skills. The emphasis is on encouraging out-of-the-box thinking instead of traditional thinking in students.

National Education Policy 2020

• The National Education Policy 2020 seeks to tackle the evolving development needs of India.
  • It calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the education system, including its regulations and management, to establish a modern system that aligns with 21st-century educational goals, including Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), while respecting India's cultural heritage and values.
• It replaces the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education, 1986, modified in 1992 (NPE 1986/92).

Encroachment on Glacier

Why in News?

Recently, Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash, a self-proclaimed godman, constructed an unauthorized shrine at 5,000 meters on Uttarakhand's Sunderdhunga glacier.

• A joint team from revenue, forest, and police departments will investigate after local villagers expressed anger over encroachment.

Key Points

• The self-proclaimed godman claimed that he was instructed by a divine power to build a temple on the mountain.
• The location is an ecologically sensitive spot, with a sacred kund for pilgrims and locals.
• People visit the Kund during the Nanda Raj Yatra every twelve years.
  • It is a well-known cultural and religious event in Uttarakhand, famous for the pilgrims covering an extremely long distance on foot. The most recent Nanda Raj Yatra took place in 2014.
• An unauthorized temple built in an ecologically sensitive and religiously significant area has raised concerns about the local authorities and the Uttarakhand government's anti-encroachment efforts in sensitive zones.

Sunderdhunga Glacier

• The Sunderdhunga Glacier is situated on the right side of the Pindar Valley, approximately 24 kilometers beyond the village of Khati.
• It is considered a more challenging trek compared to the hikes to Pindari and Kafni Glaciers.
• It is located in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district.