Why in the News?

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar recently hosted a lunch for heads of parliamentary delegations attending the G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) and also interacted with Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) President Duarte Pacheco.

About the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU):

• Established in 1889 in Paris, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the international organization of Parliaments, dedicated to promoting representative democracy and world peace.
• It serves as the first multilateral political organization globally, fostering cooperation and dialogue among all nations.
• Mission and Slogan: The IPU's mission revolves around parliamentary diplomacy, empowering parliaments, and parliamentarians to advance peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide.
• Its slogan, "For democracy. For everyone," encapsulates its commitment to democratic values.
• Membership and Promotion of Democracy: Currently comprising 179 member parliaments and 13 associate members, the IPU actively promotes democracy by strengthening parliaments, and fostering youth inclusion, gender balance, and diversity.
• A dedicated committee defends the human rights of parliamentarians globally.
• Headquarters and Funding: The IPU relocated its headquarters to Geneva in 1921.
• Financed primarily by its members using public funds, the organization sustains its operations and initiatives.

Organizational Structure:

• IPU Assembly: Principal statutory body expressing IPU views on political issues.
• Gathers parliamentarians to study international problems and make actionable recommendations.
• Governing Council: Plenary policymaking body composed of three representatives from each member parliament.
• Establishes the IPU's annual program, and budget, and considers substantive issues.
• Executive Committees: A 17-member body overseeing IPU administration and advising the Governing Council.
• Fifteen members elected by the Council for a four-year term.
• Standing Committees: Three committees set up by the Governing Council to assist the Assembly in its work.
• Meeting of Women Parliamentarians: A separate organ meeting during the first round of Statutory Meetings, reporting to the Governing Council.
• Attended by parliamentarians of both sexes, focusing on specific substantive items for debate within the Assembly's competence.

Why in the News?

An international, high-speed passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in the northern province of Sri Lanka, has resumed as of Saturday, October 14, 2023, after a gap of nearly four decades.

About the Palk Strait:

• Palk Strait, situated between the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the island nation of Sri Lanka, derives its name from Robert Palk, the governor of Madras Presidency (1755-1763) during the British Raj.
• Bounded by Pamban Island (India), Adam's (Rama's) Bridge, the Gulf of Mannar, and Mannar Island (Sri Lanka) to the south, the strait serves as a crucial link connecting the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest.
• The southwestern segment of the strait is referred to as Palk Bay.
• Spanning 40 to 85 miles (64 to 137 km) in width, 85 miles in length, and with a depth of less than 330 feet (100 meters), it features the inflow of several rivers, including Tamil Nadu's Vaigai River.
• The port of Jaffna, serving as the commercial hub for northern Sri Lanka, is situated along this significant waterway.

Facts About Adam's Bridge:

• Adam's Bridge, also recognized as Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu, constitutes a series of limestone shoals situated between Pamban Island (Rameswaram Island) off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.
• Geological evidence supports the idea that this bridge once formed a land connection between India and Sri Lanka.
• Extending over 50 km, it delineates the separation between the Gulf of Mannar to the southwest and the Palk Strait to the northeast.
• Featuring dry sandbanks and shallow waters ranging from 1 to 10 meters in depth, hindering navigation, scientists posit that Ram Setu is a natural formation resulting from tectonic movements and the entrapment of sand in corals.
• Significantly, this structure holds cultural significance in Hindu and Muslim mythology.
• Hindus believe it to be the bridge constructed by Lord Ram and his army for their journey to Lanka to confront Ravan.
• According to Islamic legend, Adam traversed this bridge to reach Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka, where he purportedly stood on one foot in repentance for 1,000 years.

Why in the News?

The Manipur Forest Department will conduct the first-ever Amur falcon census. This initiative in India is one of the several programs the agency is running to safeguard migrating birds.

About Amur Falcon:

• The Amur Falcon, a diminutive member of the falcon family locally known as Akhuipuina, predominantly frequents Manipur and Nagaland.
• Originating from southeastern Siberia and northern China, these birds embark on extensive migrations in vast formations to winter in Southern and East Africa, covering a one-way journey of approximately 20,000 km through India twice a year.
• In terms of conservation, the Amur Falcon is safeguarded by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, listed under Schedule IV.
• Hunting or possession of its meat is subject to legal repercussions, including imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to 25,000, or bonds.
• Initiating a conservation effort in 2018, the forest department employed radio tagging to study the birds' migratory routes.
• As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Amur Falcon is categorized as "Least Concern."
• Despite this, the species faces threats such as illegal trapping and killing during migration, along with habitat loss due to agricultural practices and land reclamation.

Why in the News?

Recently the WHO announced that Egypt had made “unprecedented progress” towards eliminating hepatitis C.

Context:

• As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Egypt has attained a significant milestone by becoming the inaugural country to reach the "gold tier" status in its pursuit of eliminating hepatitis C, meeting the criteria established by the global health organization.
• Egypt has successfully identified 87% of individuals with hepatitis C and has administered curative treatment to 93% of those diagnosed, surpassing the WHO's gold-tier benchmarks.
• These targets include diagnosing a minimum of 80% of individuals with hepatitis C and offering treatment to at least 70% of those identified, marking a commendable achievement for Egypt in the global effort against the disease.

What is Hepatitis C?

• Hepatitis C is a viral infection impacting the liver, causing both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) illnesses that can be life-threatening.
• Transmission occurs through contact with infected blood, such as sharing needles, unsafe medical procedures like unscreened blood transfusions, and vertical transmission from an infected mother to her baby.
• It can also be transmitted through certain sexual practices involving blood exposure.
• Contrary to misconceptions, Hepatitis C is not spread through breast milk, food, water, or casual contact like hugging, kissing, or sharing food/drinks with an infected person.
• Symptoms encompass fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
• Geographically, this viral infection is present in all WHO regions, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region and European Region bearing the highest disease burden.
• New infections often lack symptoms, making diagnosis challenging, and chronic infections may remain asymptomatic for decades until severe liver damage prompts noticeable symptoms.
• While no vaccine exists for Hepatitis C, antiviral medications offer effective treatment options.

What is Gold Tier Status?

• Gold tier status involves fulfilling distinct criteria, which encompass:
• Guaranteeing 100% blood and injection safety, with a commitment to maintaining a minimum of 150 needles/syringes annually for individuals who inject drugs (PWID).
• Achieving a diagnosis rate of over 80% for individuals living with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV).
• Providing treatment to over 70% of individuals diagnosed with HCV.
• Instituting a sentinel surveillance program for hepatitis sequelae, with a focus on conditions such as liver cancer.

Why in the News?

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on October 13, 2023, notified the ‘green credit’ programme, a first-of-a-kind market-based instrument designed to incentivise individuals, industries and local bodies for their voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors.

About Green Credit Programme (GCP):

• Green Credit Program (GCP ) is an innovative market-based mechanism designed to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors, by various stakeholders like individuals, communities, private sector industries, and companies.
• The GCP's governance framework is supported by an inter-ministerial Steering Committee and The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) serves as the GCP Administrator, responsible for program implementation, management, monitoring, and operation.
• In its initial phase, the GCP focuses on two key activities: water conservation and afforestation.
• A user-friendly digital platform will streamline the processes for registration of projects, verification, and issuance of Green Credits.
• The Green Credit Registry and trading platform, being developed by ICFRE along with experts, would facilitate the registration and thereafter, the buying and selling of Green Credits.
• To obtain Green Credits, individuals and entities must register their activities through the central government's dedicated app/website www.moefcc-gcp.in.
• The Administrator will verify the activity through a designated agency, with self-verification for small projects.
• Once verification is complete, the Administrator will grant a Green Credit certificate which will be tradable on the Green Credit platform.

What is the Ecomark Scheme?

• The Ecomark Scheme provides accreditation and labelling for household and consumer products that meet specific environmental criteria while maintaining quality standards as per Indian norms.
• Products accredited under the Ecomark Scheme will adhere to specific environmental criteria, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
• It will build consumer awareness of environmental issues and encourage eco-conscious choices.
• It will also motivate manufacturers to shift towards environmentally friendly production. The scheme seeks to ensure accurate labelling and prevent misleading information about products.
• The Central Pollution Control Board administers the Ecomark Scheme in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is the national body for standards and certification.

Both initiatives mark significant steps in promoting sustainable living, and environmental conservation, and, through individual and collective choice, embody eco-friendly practices in India. They align with global sustainability goals and reflect the government's commitment to conservation and protection of the environment.