IMPORTANT DAYS
World Blood Donor Day 2024 celebrated on 14 June
• World Blood Donor Day is commemorated annually on June 14th to emphasize the critical role of blood and blood products, advocate for blood donation, and ensure the safety of blood transfusions.``````
• The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2024 is "20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors!", marking two decades of honoring blood donors worldwide for their life-saving contributions.
• This date coincides with the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, credited with the discovery and classification of the ABO blood groups.
• In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) established World Blood Donor Day, officially recognizing it as an annual event the following year during the World Health Assembly.
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, founded in 1919, plays a pivotal role in promoting global awareness of the importance of safe blood donations for maintaining public health.
STATE NEWS
‘Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina’ Scheme has been launched by the Assam government
• The Assam government has introduced the ‘Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina’ (MMNM) Scheme to tackle child marriage and empower young girls.
• Approximately 1 million girl students are expected to benefit from this initiative, which primarily aims to curb child marriage.
• Under the MMNM scheme, girls in their first year of higher secondary education will receive Rs. 1,000 on the 11th of each month.
• Girls pursuing three-year or four-year degree courses will be provided with Rs. 1,200 per month.
• Post-degree and B.Ed. students will receive Rs. 2,500 per month.
• The scheme excludes students attending private colleges and universities and does not apply to married girls up to the degree level.
• The Assam government has allocated Rs. 300 crore for the successful execution of this scheme.
Joshimath has been renamed as Jyotirmath and Kosiyakutoli as Kainchi Dham.
• The Central government has approved the Uttarakhand government's proposal to rename Joshimath tehsil in Chamoli district to Jyotirmath and Kosiyakutoli tehsil in Nainital district to Pargana Shri Kainchi Dham.
• Joshimath, historically known as Jyotirmath after Adi Guru Shankaracharya's 8th-century visit, serves as the gateway to Badrinath Dham.
• Kosiyakutoli in Nainital has been renamed Pargana Shri Kainchi Dham tehsil in honor of Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj’s ashram.
• The renowned Kainchi Dham has also been integrated into the Manaskhand Mandirmala Mission.
Tamil Nadu government launched the ‘Chief Minister’s Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom’ scheme.
• The Tamil Nadu government has introduced the ‘Chief Minister’s Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom’ scheme, initiated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to enhance soil health.
• The scheme will allocate ₹20 crore towards preserving soil fertility through the use of green manure, with a total expenditure of ₹206 crore planned for the scheme.
• In the first phase, starting in 2024-25, green manure seeds will be distributed.
• By protecting the soil and preserving its microorganisms, the nutrient content in the soil will be enhanced.
• Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also launched a program to rent tractors and agricultural equipment to farmers at nominal fees, as announced in the 2023-24 state budget.
• The agricultural engineering department has procured machinery, including 90 tractors, 90 rotavators, and harvesters, at a cost of ₹10.25 crore for this rental scheme.
• Skill development training workshops for operating tractors and harvesters will be set up in Vellore, Coimbatore, Trichy, Tiruvarur, Madurai, and Thirunelveli.
SCHEMES
A mobile App ‘NCRB Sankalan of Criminal Laws’ launched by NCRB.
• The NCRB has launched a mobile app called ‘NCRB Sankalan of Criminal Laws.’
• This app serves as a comprehensive resource, offering complete information about the new criminal laws in one place.
• The new criminal laws will be effective starting from July 1st.
• The app includes a compilation of new criminal laws such as the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
• Additionally, the app features a corresponding chart for section-wise comparison between the old and new laws, equipped with a search and linking facility for quick access to information.
• This app is beneficial for the general public, court officials, advocates, law students, and police officers, enhancing their understanding of the new criminal laws.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India is the second largest emitter of nitrous oxide in the world.
• India is the second-largest emitter of nitrous oxide (N2O) globally, a potent greenhouse gas that has a greater warming effect on the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
• In 2020, India was responsible for about 11% of global man-made N2O emissions, second only to China, which accounted for 16%.
• A global assessment published in the journal Earth System Science Data on June 12 attributes the primary source of these emissions to fertilizer use.
• The study reports that atmospheric N2O concentrations reached 336 parts per billion in 2022, a 25% increase from pre-industrial levels.
• For comparison, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 417 parts per million in 2022, making CO2 levels a thousand times greater than those of N2O, thus highlighting the priority of CO2 reduction in climate change efforts.
• Over the past four decades, N2O emissions from human activities have surged by 40%, equating to an additional three million metric tonnes of N2O annually.
• Between 2020 and 2022, the growth rate of N2O emissions was the highest since reliable measurements began in 1980.
• In 2020, the top five countries by volume of anthropogenic N2O emissions were China (16.7%), India (10.9%), the United States (5.7%), Brazil (5.3%), and Russia (4.6%).
