Common Service Centres
An MoU was signed between CSC Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare to convert 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) into CSCs.
- Aim – To provide citizezen access to Government-to-Citizen e-services by creating physical service delivery ICT (Information and Communication Technology) infrastructure.
- Implemented under – Digital India Mission.
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Liquid Nitrogen
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued advisory on unauthorized use of liquid nitrogen in food by food serving establishments.
- Colourless, odourless gas or liquid (cooled to liquid at very low temperature).
- Applications – As freezing agent, propellant, packaging gas & foaming agent
- Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations – Nitrogen is considered a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) additive.
- Allowed in dairy-based ice cream desserts at GMP levels solely for contact-freezing and cooling purposes.
- Health Effects – Frostbite, burns, asphyxiation and damage to internal organs
Antlions
Researchers have found two antlion species for first time in India, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Belong to – Family of insects.
- Behaviour – Known by their pit-building habit as part of their predation strategy.
- Ecological Significance – Being carnivorous, they serve as biological agents to destroy the harmful pests.
Orchids
New research has revealed that Orchid plants nurture their seedlings via an underground fungal network.
- Can be terrestrial, epiphytes (grow on trees), lithophytes (grow on rocks), saprophytes (grow on decaying matter) or semi-aquatic.
- Grown by – Seeds, tissue culture and vegetative propagation.
- Production in India – Home to about 1256 orchid species, of which only 11 are protected under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
- Arunachal Pradesh – “Orchid Paradise of India” as it harbors 40% of country’s orchid species.
White Phosphorus
Israel is accused of using white phosphorus munitions in southern Lebanon.
- Toxic substance produced from phosphate-containing rocks.
- Reacts and burns in air at temperatures above 30 °C until deprived of oxygen
- Not considered a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)