Report was released by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). 

• Internally displaced people (IDPs) refers to people forced to flee their homes, however, unlike refugees, they remain within their own country

Key findings:

• 75.9 million people were IDPs globally as of the end of 2023 (71.1 million in 2022).
• 68.3 million people were IDP due to conflict and violence. 
  • Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Colombia and Yemen host nearly half of such IDPs. 
  • in South Asia, Manipur has major contribution to such IDPs
• Most of the disasters linked to internal displacement happened in China and Türkiye due to severe weather and high-magnitude earthquakes.

Tamil Nadu is using Soil Nailing to ensure the stabilization of slopes around the Nilgiris’ major roads 

Soil Nailing 

• It is a geotechnical engineering technique that involves the insertion of reinforcing elements into the soil in a specified area to strengthen it.
• This is followed by ‘hydroseeding’ – a process of applying a mixture of seeds, fertilizer, organic materials and water onto the soil. 
  • It facilitates the growth of grass and plant life, that will help hold the topsoil together and prevent erosion.

Condition of the Kanwar Lake has been deteriorating. 

About Kanwar Lake (also known as Kabartal Wetland or Jheel)

• Located in Begusarai district, Bihar, it is a freshwater natural wetland.
• Draws water from confluence of Gandak, Bia and Kareh river.
• Bihar’s first Ramsar site recognised as wetland of international importance in 2020.
• Important stopover along Central Asian Flyway. 
• Important species: Red-headed vulture, white-rumped vulture and Indian vulture.
• Importance: Acts as a sink for sediments, Habitat for several migratory species, provide livelihood opportunities, Supports lifecycle of fish or amphibians etc.
• Threat: Water management activities like drainage, water abstraction, damming and canalization.

Supreme Court has halted all mining activities within a 1-Km radius of the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan enforcing its 2023 order. 

2023 order of SC on ESZ: 

• SC revised its 2022 directive that directed states to establish a mandatory 1 Km ESZ around protected forests. 
• SC said that ESZs cannot be the same for all the protected forests and may vary case by case. However, it prohibited any mining activities within a 1-Km radius of such protected areas. 

ESZ

• ESZs are ecologically fragile areas around protected areas (PAs) designated so under the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986. 
• They are created to minimize the negative impact of development activities on the fragile ecosystem of PAs.

Ministry of Communications has unveiled Stage-I Participants for “Sangam Initiative: A Leap Towards AI-Driven Infrastructure Transformation”.

About Sangam: Digital Twin  Initiative

• It is a Proof of Concept focused on revolutionizing the planning & design of infrastructure by leveraging digital twin technology to create precise, dynamic models of physical environments.
• It combines the ability of 5G, IoT, AI, Digital Twin and next-generation computational technologies.
  • Digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system designed to reflect a physical object accurately.
• It enhances the efficiency and accuracy of infrastructure projects.

Indian Air Force tested BHISHM portable cubes, a state-of the-art indigenous mobile hospital, at Agra for airdrops.

About BHISHM Portable Cubes

• These are a part of initiative named Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita and Maitri), designed to treat up to 200 casualties.
• Consists of 72 small cubes equipped with advanced medical equipment which are Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagged.
• Integrates Artificial Intelligence and data analytics to facilitate effective coordination, real-time monitoring of medical services in field.
• These cubes are robust, waterproof, and light, designed for various configurations, making them ideal for diverse emergency scenarios. 

IN-SPACe has been honoured with the Leadership Award for “Public Policy: Enabling Industry Development” by the Geospatial World Forum (GWF).  

• GWF is an interactive platform of the global geospatial community.

IN-SPACe 

• Headquarters: Ahmedabad(Gujarat)
• Genesis: Establishment in 2020 as a part of space sector reform. 
• Nodal department: An autonomous agency in the Department of Space (DOS).
• Aim: To facilitate the participation of private players in India’s space sector. 
• Key roles: 
  • Enable and nurture non-government entities (NGEs) to accomplish their ventures in space sector and supervise their activities. 
  • Authorize space operations and services in the country through well-defined framework.

Scientists have developed an affordable sensor for detecting and measuring lead concentrations in water.

About Lead 

• It is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in Earth’s crust.
• Lead in the body is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones, where it can accumulate over time.
• It is poor conductor of heat and do not react with water. 
• Sources of lead exposure: Mining and smelting, recycling of electronic waste and lead-acid batteries, plumbing, toys, lead paint etc.
• Lead exposure causes damage to child’s brain and nervous system, anaemia, hypertension, toxicity to reproductive organs etc.