The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has recently arrested a Bolivian woman for allegedly carrying black cocaine

• Black cocaine is rare drug, which is typically white in colour but it is the additional substance that makes it black in colour.
• It is a designer drug wherein cocaine is mixed with charcoal and other chemicals to give it black rubbery appearance.
• It cannot be even detected by sniffer dogs.
• The pure cocaine base is then recovered from the mixture by extraction using common organic solvents such as methylene chloride or acetone.
• South American countries where coca plants grow are major suppliers of cocaine to India.
• Amongst narcotics, Cocaine is one of the most expensive ones and is primarily used by the upper classes of society.

Recently St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) was concluded in kremlin, Russia which was attended by 130 countries

• SPIEF is one of the biggest and most important business events in the world.
• The SPIEF used to be called “Russian Davos” as it was probably the only such elite gathering of global business community leaders in this part of the world.
• The event focuses on key issues of global economic agenda.
• The 26th edition of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) took place recently in Kremlin, Russia.
• SPIEF has been held annually since 1997.
• Since 2005, the Forum has been held under the auspices and with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation.
• The event was participated by 130 countries, including UAE, Algeria, Armenia, Cuba and delegations from China, India and Brazil.

The 17th edition of the Global Gender Gap Index was released by the World Economic Forum.

• The Global Gender Index, also known as Global Gender Gap Index was first introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006.
• The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions.
• The four key dimensions include:
  • Economic Participation and Opportunity,
  • Educational Attainment,
  • Health and Survival, and
  • Political Empowerment.
• The Global Gender Gap Index measures scores on a 0 to 100 scale.
• Scores can be interpreted as the distance covered towards parity (i.e., the percentage of the gender gap that has been closed).

Key findings of Global Gender Gap Report 2023

• India has closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap, ranking 127th on the global index.
• It has improved by 1.4 percentage points and eight positions since the last edition, marking a partial recovery towards its 2020 (66.8%) parity level.
• India was ranked 135 in the report’s 2022 edition.

India’s ranking on four dimensions

• Educational Attainment - The country has attained parity in enrolment across all levels of education.
• Economic Participation & Opportunity - It has reached only 36.7% parity on Economic Participation and Opportunity.
• On the one hand, there are upticks in parity in wages and income; on the other hand, the shares of women in senior positions and technical roles have dropped slightly since the last edition.
• Political Empowerment - India has registered 25.3% parity, with women representing 15.1% of parliamentarians, the highest for India since the inaugural 2006 edition.
• Health and Survival - 95%. The improvement in sex ratio at birth by 1.9% points to 92.7% has driven up parity after more than a decade of slow progress.
• The Southern Asian region has achieved 63.4% gender parity, the second lowest of the eight regions.
• celand is the most gender-equal country in the world for the 14th consecutive year and the only one to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap.

The 9th edition of International Yoga Day was celebrated on June 21, 2023.

• In 2014, Indian Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi proposed the idea of observing International Yoga day on June 21 during his address to UN General Assembly.
• International Day of Yoga was first observed in 2015 and is being celebrated in full swing every year since then.
• International Day of Yoga is observed on June 21 every year.
• The date (June 21) was chosen since it is the summer solstice, longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere which is observed as a day of cultural significance in different parts of the world.
• The benefits of the yoga includes
  • Improved breathing
  • Reduced stress
  • Improved sleep
  • Better heart health
  • Higher levels of energy
  • Prevents aches and pains
  • Strengthens bones and joints
• Theme for International Yoga Day 2023 - 'Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or 'Yoga for the Welfare of All as One World-One Family’.

In recent times large amount of pathogenic waste gets generated from NDV outbreaks in the form of carcasses is on the rise which needs to be addressed.

• Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a highly contagious virus that can infect birds including domestic poultry.  
• It is a member of the genus Avulavirus, which is part of the family Paramyxoviridae.
• NDV is spread through direct contact with infected birds or their secretions.
• The virus can also be spread through contaminated water, food, and fomites.
• There is no specific treatment for NDV, however vaccination can help to prevent the disease.
• NDV is not a significant threat to humans. But in rare cases, it can cause mild flu-like symptoms in humans.
• Compacted clays like bentonite and kaolin can be used to reduce viral contamination.