4 May 2024, The Hindu
Swell waves likely to strike coastal areas over weekend: INCOIS
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Prelims syllabus: General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
- Coastal communities have been advised to remain vigilant with Kerala being put on red alert for high-energy swell waves along the coast over the weekend.
- According to an Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) forecast, the sea is likely to be “dominated” by high-energy swell waves in the nearshore region starting 5.30 a.m. on Saturday.
- The phenomenon, known locally as ‘Kallakadal’ (literally ‘rogue sea’), is likely to last till 11.30 p.m. on Sunday.
This is the year to get the SDG goals back on track
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
- The United Nations summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), that was held in New York (September 18-19), assessed progress towards achieving the SDGs.
- The Agenda-2030, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, identified 17 SDGs with 169 specific targets to be achieved by 2030.
- The programme is internationally non-binding, but all countries have committed to work towards these goals as transiting to sustainable development is a common global endeavour.
India press freedom score fell over the last year: RSF
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Prelims syllabus: Current events of national and international importance
- India’s score in the World Press Freedom Index fell over the last year, from 36.62 to 31.28, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF for Reporters sans Frontières), which puts together an annual index of freedom enjoyed by journalists in 180 jurisdictions.
- India’s rank improved from 161 in 2023 to 159 in 2024, but this was because other countries had slipped in their rankings.
- The government has in the past dismissed international rankings of freedoms in India as propaganda.
Organ donation hit by poor identification of brain death cases
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GS 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
- Poor identification and certification of brain stem death or brain death cases is keeping the rate of organ donations at low levels in India, despite the availability of many potential cases, the Union Health Ministry has said.
- Expressing concern over the rate of organ donations in the country remaining at less than one donor per million population in a year, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) asked health authorities in States/Union Territories to identify each potential brain death case admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and inquire whether the potential donor had pledged for organ donation.
- If not, hospital authorities should make family members aware of the opportunity to donate organs before the heart stops.
India, Indonesia agree to enhance defence industry collaboration
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GS 2: International Relations- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting the Indian interests
- India and Indonesia on Friday agreed to enhance collaboration in areas of defence industry, maritime security and multilateral cooperation at the seventh India-Indonesia Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting held in New Delhi.
- It was chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Secretary-General of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto.
March mining output growth slows to 1.2% in signal for IIP
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
- India’s mining output growth slid to a 19-month low of 1.2% in March, from February’s 8% pace, hinting at a possible slowing in the month’s overall industrial output, the data for which is due to be released by the National Statistical Office on May 10.
- Mining constitutes 14.3% of the Index of Industrial Production, or IIP. Industrial output growth had hit a four-month high of 5.7% in February with mining (8%) and electricity growth (7.5%) lifting the growth rate. Manufacturing constitutes 77.6% of the IIP and grew 5% in February.
