United Nations Road Safety Financing Initiative
- Context: The United Nations has initiated a road safety financing initiative in collaboration with four Indian states. Funding support for the project will come from the UN Road Safety Fund.
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- The programme will be carried out in Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam under the supervision of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office.
- Its primary aim is to strengthen both national and state-level capabilities to effectively implement road safety action plans.
- The initiative also seeks to lower the number of road crash fatalities and serious injuries that often result in long-term disabilities.
- India records the highest number of road accident deaths globally, with approximately 153,972 fatalities each year and a mortality rate of 15.4 per 100,000 people, as reported by the World Health Organization.
- Families often lose primary earners, while the country as a whole suffers economic losses estimated to exceed 3% of GDP each year.
SUJVIKA
- Context: On the occasion of its 40th Foundation Day, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) introduced SUJVIKA.
About SUJVIKA
- SUJVIKA is an AI-powered biotechnology product data portal created by DBT in partnership with Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE).
- It functions as a digital trade statistics and intelligence platform, offering verified and well-organized data on biotechnology product imports.
- The portal presents detailed, sector-specific information covering biochemical products, industrial enzymes, and various other biotech-related imports.
- By delivering structured and reliable insights, SUJVIKA helps researchers and startups pinpoint high-value imported products, evaluate import dependence, and focus on strengthening domestic research and development efforts.
MeitY Launches Blockchain India Challenge
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- Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has introduced the Blockchain India Challenge, a nationwide programme designed to promote blockchain-driven digital governance solutions.
- The Blockchain India Challenge seeks to motivate Indian startups to design permissioned blockchain solutions tailored for government applications.
- Its broader goal is to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public service delivery systems.
- The programme is being executed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) with backing from MeitY.
- Startups recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), working in collaboration with government departments, will be eligible for phased financial assistance to develop ten high-impact blockchain use cases across ten categories.
The initiative emphasizes
- Strong regulatory oversight
- Enhanced security and reliability
- Transparent audit mechanisms
- Tamper-resistant record-keeping
- A unified and consistent data source across platform
Rare Earth Minerals from Mine Waste
- Context: South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of ‘Coal India’, has started studying the possibility of extracting rare earth minerals from coal mine waste.
- The aim of this initiative is to reduce dependence on China, which is the leader in the global supply of rare earth minerals.
- 7 old mine waste dumps in the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have been selected for the study.
Sectors where rare earth minerals are used:
- Electric vehicle batteries
- Solar and wind power generation
- Military equipment
- Mobile phone and electronic device manufacturing
