1. ICAR Launches ‘One Scientist-One Product’ Program to Revolutionize Agricultural Research
ICAR’s ‘One Scientist-One Product’ program, launched on its 96th Foundation Day, aims to revolutionize agricultural research with new crop varieties and technologies.
Project Highlights:
- ๐ฑ New initiative: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched the ‘One Scientist-One Product’ program on 16 July 2024, aimed at transforming agricultural and animal husbandry research in India.
- ๐ Coinciding event: The launch aligns with ICAR’s 96th Foundation Day celebration.
- ๐๏ธ Inauguration: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the program, highlighting government support for agricultural research and innovation.
- ๐พ Variety release: ICAR released 323 varieties of 56 crops, including cereals, oilseeds, fodder crops, and sugarcane, with 289 climate-resilient and 27 bio-fortified varieties.
- ๐ก Future plans: ICAR aims to develop 100 new seed varieties and 100 agricultural technologies in 100 days, intending to launch these programs by mid-September with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s involvement.
- ๐พ Bio-fortified crops: In 2023-24, about 16 million hectares were under bio-fortified crop varieties, including wheat, rice, millet, lentil, and mustard.
- ๐ High-yielding varieties: From 2014-15 to 2023-24, ICAR released 2,593 high-yielding varieties, with 83% being climate-resilient and 150 being bio-fortified.
- ๐ข ICAR overview: ICAR, an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, was established on 16 July 1929. Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
2. NASA’s CHAPEA Project Simulates Mars Missions to Study Human Adaptability
NASA’s CHAPEA Project simulates Mars missions to study human adaptability, with volunteers living in a Mars-like habitat for over a year.
Mission Details:
- ๐ช Mars simulation mission: NASA developed a Mars simulation mission at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA, under the ‘Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) Project.’
- ๐ฉโ๐ CHAPEA Crew 1: Four volunteers, Dr. Kelly Heston, Dr. Anca Celariu, Ross Brockwell, and Dr. Nathan Jones, lived in a Mars-like habitat for over a year to study human adaptability for future Mars missions.
- ๐ Mars Dune Alpha Habitat: The 1,700 square foot 3D-printed habitat included four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a work area, a robot station, a gym, common sandy areas, and a vertical farm.
- ๐ฑ Mission objectives: The crew simulated Marswalks, maintained equipment, and grew their own vegetables. The mission lasted 378 days, with future missions planned for 2025 and 2027.
- ๐ Future plans: NASA intends to send humans to Mars in the 2030s, making these simulation missions crucial for understanding the challenges of living on Mars.
- ๐ Simulated environment: The habitat provided an immersive experience with simulated Martian soil and red, rocky cliffs.
- ๐ Significance: Johnson Space Center Deputy Director Steve Koerner highlighted the project’s importance for America’s Mars exploration efforts.
- ๐ฎ๐ณ India’s achievement: In 2014, India became the first country to reach Mars orbit on its first attempt with the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).
- ๐ก๏ธ Mars facts: Mars has temperatures ranging from 20ยฐC to -153ยฐC, a rocky surface with valleys, volcanoes, dry lakes, and craters, and a thin atmosphere mostly composed of carbon dioxide. A day on Mars is 24.6 hours, and a year is 687 Earth days.
3. 45th COSPAR Conference Begins in Busan, South Korea; Philippines to Host UN’s “Loss and Damage” Fund Board
The 45th COSPAR conference started in Busan, South Korea, marking the first time the event is hosted in Korea, while the Philippines will host the UN’s “Loss and Damage” Fund board to support climate recovery efforts.
Key Details:
- ๐ COSPAR Conference in Korea: The 45th Global Conference of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) began in Busan, South Korea, on 13 July 2024, promoting international space research until 21 July.
- ๐ Global participation: About 3,000 space scientists and industry officials from 60 countries are attending the event, according to the Korea Aero Space Administration (KASA).
- ๐ฐ๐ท First-time host: This is the first time Korea is hosting the COSPAR General Assembly, which occurs biennially. The last assembly was in Athens, Greece, in 2022, and the next will be in Florence, Italy, in 2026.
- ๐ Historical background: COSPAR was established by the International Council of Scientific Unions (now the International Council of Sciences, ISC) in 1958. The first Space Science Symposium was held in Nice, France, in January 1960.
- ๐ฑ Philippines and the Loss and Damage Fund: The Philippines will host the board of the โLoss and Damageโ Fund, created by UN negotiations to assist countries in recovering from climate change effects.
- ๐ก World Bank’s role: The World Bank’s board approved a plan for the bank to act as interim host of the fund for four years. The fund was established at COP27 in Egypt in 2022 to address climate-induced damage from drought, floods, and rising sea levels.
4. Minister Jayant Chaudhary Launches SIDH Portal for Skill Development Schemes
Minister Jayant Chaudhary launched the SIDH portal to provide comprehensive information on skill development schemes, emphasizing beneficiary awareness and mandatory registration. The e-Health Dham Portal in Uttarakhand helps Char Dham Yatra pilgrims monitor health parameters and create ABHA numbers for a safe journey.
Project Highlights:
- ๐ป SIDH Portal Launch: Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary launched the Skilling India Digital Hub (SIDH) portal.
- ๐ Mandatory Registration: Beneficiaries must register on the online portal to access complete information about all running schemes.
- ๐ฃ๏ธ Awareness Emphasis: Chaudhary emphasized the importance of vigilance and awareness among beneficiaries to ensure the effective implementation of government schemes.
- ๐ Skill Development: The portal aims to provide quality skill development, relevant opportunities, and entrepreneurship support to every Indian.
- ๐ Skill India Digital Launch: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Skill India Digital (SID) on September 13, 2023, to transform India’s skills, education, employment, and entrepreneurship landscape.
- ๐ฅ e-Health Dham Portal: The e-Health Dham Portal, integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), was launched by the Uttarakhand Government to monitor health parameters of Char Dham Yatra pilgrims.
- ๐งณ Health Monitoring: The portal helps create Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers quickly, ensuring health priority for pilgrims, especially senior citizens, during their journey.
5. USA to Deploy Long-Range Tomahawk Missiles in Germany by 2026
The USA plans to deploy long-range Tomahawk missiles in Germany by 2026, reflecting renewed NATO defense strategies amid escalating tensions with Russia.
Mission Details:
- ๐ Deployment announcement: The USA announced plans to deploy long-range missiles in Germany starting in 2026, a move not seen since the 1990s.
- ๐ NATO agreement: This decision was made at the latest NATO summit in Washington, reflecting a shift in defense strategy.๐ช
- Tomahawk missiles: The planned weapons include Tomahawk cruise missiles, known for their effectiveness, such as against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
- ๐ฃ๏ธ Chancellor’s statement: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the threat posed by Russia’s arms build-up, justifying the deployment.
- โ INF Treaty history: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed in 1987, banned ground-based missiles with a range of more than 500 km until its collapse in 2019 due to alleged violations by Russia.
- ๐ Global implications: The USA’s withdrawal from the INF Treaty cited Russia’s development of the 9M729 missile, prompting renewed tensions and arms production rhetoric from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- ๐ก๏ธ Missile capabilities: Tomahawk missiles have a range of over 2,750 km, significantly exceeding Germany’s Taurus cruise missiles, which have a 500 km range.
- ๐ Strategic range: Tomahawk missiles can be launched from land or ships, with a range that covers major strategic distances, such as from Berlin to Moscow (~1,600 km).
