NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE FUND (NDRF)

The National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is used by the Union government to provide funding for disaster assistance in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Context:

• The two State governments contacted the Supreme Court a few weeks ago, requesting relief funding for 2023 natural disasters such Cyclone Michaung, floods, and drought.

About NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE FUND (NDRF)

• An essential part of disaster management in India is the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
• It is a fund that the Central Government oversees to cover costs for emergency response, relief, and rehabilitation in the event of a real or imminent disaster.
• When natural or man-made disasters happen, the fund seeks to offer prompt help.
• The National Disaster Management Authority’s National Executive Committee (NEC) makes decisions regarding NDRF spending.
• The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) conducts a yearly audit of the NDRF accounts.

Supplementing State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF):

• In tandem with the State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF), the NDRF functions.
• It offers extra financial support in the event of catastrophic natural disasters.
• The NDRF intervenes to provide assistance when a state experiences a disaster that surpasses the finances in its own SDRF.

Eligibility and Coverage – NDRF guidelines cover a range of disasters:

• Natural disasters include hailstorms, avalanches, landslides, cloud bursts, pest attacks, cold waves, cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, fires, floods, and tsunamis.
• Disasters Caused by Humans: As announced by the Central Government, these include acts of terrorism, chemical or biological accidents, and nuclear catastrophes.
• States requesting financing from the NDRF are required to submit a memorandum outlining the damage and the amount needed.
• The NDRF offers emergency aid; it does not pay for lost crops or property.

Sources of Financing:

• The NDRF is funded by an annual finance bill-approved cess on specific goods that are subject to excise and customs duties.
• In the event that more money is required than the NDRF offers, it comes from general budgetary sources.

WTO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS AGREEMENT (ITA)

Together, China Taipei and India have asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to postpone making a decision until July 26 on New Delhi’s import taxes on a range of information and communication technology (ICT) items.

Context:

• The Information Technology Products Agreement (ITA) of the WTO applies to ICT products. India’s participation in the ITA has resulted in disagreements since some ICT items are subject to customs charges.

Agreement on Information Technology Products (ITA):

• Adopted in 1996, the Information Technology deal (ITA) is a major trade deal within the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• The goal of the ITA is to get rid of all import taxes and other fees on certain IT goods.
• Only when the ITA’s obligations are included in the Goods Schedule do they become legally enforceable against a nation under Article II of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

Key aspects of the ITA include:

• Trade Liberalization: By removing tariffs on IT goods between participating WTO member nations, the ITA encourages trade liberalization.
• Product Coverage: A vast array of IT products, such as computers, semiconductors, software, telecommunications equipment, and scientific instruments, are covered by the agreement.
• Expansion: Since its founding, the ITA has grown to embrace a wider range of goods and users, reflecting the rapidly changing landscape of international trade and technology.

National Research Foundation

On February 5, 2024, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act went into effect, fulfilling the government’s pledge to advance research and innovation as the engine of the nation’s growth and development.

Context:

• Establishing the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF) is made possible by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act of 2023.

National Research Foundation (NRF):

• It is an elite body that will be built between 2023 and 2028 at a cost of 50,000 crore and will give high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the nation in line with the National Education Policy’s (NEP) recommendations.
• It seeks to guarantee that a greater share of government funding goes to state universities and colleges and to boost private sector contributions to research in India.
• The NRF will have the Department of Science and Technology (DST) as its administrative division.

Functions of the National Research Foundation:

• creating the research and development roadmap for the short, medium, and long terms.
• assisting and providing funds for universities, colleges, and research institutes to expand their R&D programs and associated infrastructure.
• providing funding to qualified applicants for competitive, peer-reviewed grant proposals.
• helping to translate knowledge into technology that requires a lot of resources.
• extending India’s influence and participation in important domestic and international arenas.

Significance of the National Research Foundation:

• Projects in underserved, rural, and semi-urban areas—which hardly ever receive funding for science projects—will be given priority by NRF when it comes to funding.
• In addition to the natural sciences and engineering, the NRF would fund research in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.
• for the execution of initiatives like the quantum or supercomputer missions.
• In order to guarantee a financially sustainable research ecosystem, the NRF will forge partnerships between industry, academia, government organizations, and research institutions. It will also tap into the financial resources of the private sector.

CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY CENTRE AND NETWORK (CTCN)

In celebration of ten years as a major force in the advancement of climate technology and innovation, the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is celebrating.

Context:

• As it continues to push technology innovations for a sustainable future, the CTCN’s dedication to climate resilience and emissions reduction doesn’t waver.

About:

• One important project that links nations to climate solutions is the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).
• The UN Environment Programme and UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) host the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), which is the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism’s operational arm.
• Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it was created to make it easier for poor nations to acquire environmentally friendly technologies for low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
• Encouraging the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies to underdeveloped nations is the main objective.

Key Functions:

• Technology Transfer: By responding to requests from individual countries, the CTCN expedites the adoption of climate-friendly technologies.
• Building Capacity: It offers knowledge, policy recommendations, and assistance with capacity-building that is customized for each nation.
• Worldwide Network: The CTCN works with a worldwide network of institutions and technological businesses.

Chithirai festival

• Thousands of worshippers gathered to watch Lord Kallazhagar’s ceremonial immersion into the Vaigai river as part of his yearly ritual at the Alagar Temple in Madurai during the Chithirai festival.
• The celebration, which combines the stories of the marriage of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Kallazhagar, is historically significant and fosters unity.

About Alagar Temple:

• It is one of Lord Vishnu’s 108 dwellings, known as Kallazhagar, and is located near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, at the foot of the Alagar hills. It has six passageways, is surrounded by stronghold walls, and is referenced in both the hymns of Alvars and the Tamil epic Silappadikaram. Adding to the temple’s historical and architectural value are the mandapam pillars, which display Nayaka’s artistic flair.

About Vaigai River:

• It starts in the Varishanad Hills, or Western Ghats, and runs through Tamil Nadu’s Pandya Nadu region. It finally reaches the Palk Strait near the Pamban Bridge in the Ramanathapuram district after a 258-kilometer journey. Vaigai is significant historically because it passed past Madurai, the ancient Pandya kingdom’s capital, and because it is mentioned in Sangam literature.

Antihistamines

• Over-the-counter medications called antihistamines are used to treat allergic reactions that are transient, such as sneezing or itching.
• They function by obstructing the body’s histamine receptors.

Histamine: What Is It?

• It plays involvement in hematopoiesis, autoimmune diseases, and gastric acid secretion. It is a major mediator of allergies and inflammation. It can be released in reaction to a number of things, such as physical harm and allergies. Mast cells and basophils store the majority of histamine.
• Allergy reactions are caused by histamine binding to various receptors (H1, H2, H3, and H4) in various places. Antihistamines reduce allergy symptoms by acting on these receptors. Specialized medications that target H3 and H4 receptors are the subject of ongoing research to treat immune and neurological conditions.