Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 24 June 2021

::NATIONAL::

Food Processing Industries Minister inaugurated Indus Best Mega Food Park at Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Key objectives:

The scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition.
To minimizing wastage.
To increasing farmers income.
It is a “Cluster” based approach under which the govt provides financial assistance up to Rs. 50 Crore perMega Food Park project.

Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated, A Model Panchayat Citizens Charter/ framework for delivery of the services across the 29 sectors.

About:

The Citizen Charter would ensure transparent and effective delivery of public services for sustainable development and enhanced citizen service experiences; deepening inclusive and accountable Local Self Governments by incorporating diverse views while designing and delivering services.
The aim of establishing a Citizen charter is to provide services to the people in a time bound manner, redressing their grievances and improving their lives.
This will help in making the citizens aware of their rights on the one hand, and to make the Panchayats and their elected representatives directly accountable to the people, on the other hand.

Background:

Panchayats constitute the third tier of government in the rural areas and represents the first level of Government interaction for over 60 per cent of the Indian populace.
Panchayats are responsible for delivery of basic services as enshrined under article 243G of the Constitution of India, specifically in the areas of Health & Sanitation, Education, Nutrition, Drinking Water.

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2021, WHO has joined the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration program.

Key objectives:

It aimed at preventing, halting and reversing the degradation of our ecosystems and the diversity of life they sustain.
Ecosystem restoration can significantly contribute to supporting health and well-being by helping to regulate infectious diseases, supporting food and nutrition security, and contributing to climate mitigation and adaptation.
Restoration also reduces the risk of disasters, while supporting livelihoods and healthy societies.
Safeguarding and restoring ecosystems globally will contribute to long-term social wellbeing and ecological resilience, while boosting green recovery efforts from the pandemic.

About:

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is part of a series of collaborative efforts led by WHO that seek to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration and engagement at the human, animal, plant and ecosystem interface, also known as One Health.
WHO will host an online #GenerationRestoration event in July 2021, in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders.
The event will provide insights in how to mainstream health in Nature-based Solutions, with a focus on the numerous co-benefits ecosystem restoration can provide in our journey toward a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Recently, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found 17 instances of use of Chemical weapons in Syria based on the investigations.

About:

OPCW is an inter-governmental organisation with 193 members (seat in Hague) established on 29 April1997- with the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
CWC is the world’s first multilateral disarmament agreement to provide for the elimination of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction within a fixed time frame.
It received Nobel Peace prize in 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.

The Union Government has written to all Ministries relaxing the norms for disbursing pension to families of deceased employees considering their urgent need of funds for livelihood.
The authorities have been told to disburse the provisional family pension immediately after receiving the claim with a death certificate.
‘Sole bread-winners’
Stating that the completion of the process for sanction of family pension and its disbursement through the bank could take some time, the department cited provisions under Rule 80-A of the Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 1972.
The rule provided for payment of provisional family pension and also provisional death gratuity, without waiting for forwarding of the family pension case to Pay & Accounts Office (PAO).

According to the researchers, Variant Delta (B.1.617.2), the most pervasive variant of the coronavirus in India, constituted nearly three in four breakthrough infections in Delhi.

About:

Breakthrough infections are instances of people testing positive for the virus after getting vaccinated.
The study also reports a new mutation in Delta called T478K that the scientists believe has a role to play in allowing the coronavirus to better infiltrate human cells.

Alpha variant:

However international variant Alpha, that in previous studies has been associated with a spike in cases in Delhi in February and March was absent in vaccination breakthrough-cases analysed.