Varaha

• Varaha is ocean mining vehicle which is a part of Deep Ocean Mission which is also called as Samudrayaan Mission.
• MATSYA-6000 is also a part of the Deep Ocean Mission.
• It is a self-propelled track-based seabed mining system and operates on the flexible riser technique.
• Flexible riser is a class of flexible pipes which is used to connect subsea pipelines to floating offshore installations.
• Varaha is lowered to the ocean bed from a surface ship using a high-strength flexible cord system.
• Once the vehicle reaches the ocean bed, it will be able to move around while the surface ship moves in tandem.
• It uses a high-power pressure pump system to facilitate the extraction of precious polymetallic nodules. These nodules are pumped from the ocean bed to the surface ship.
• Last year (2022) National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) successfully conducted deep-sea locomotion trials of ‘Varaha’ at a depth of 5,270 m in the central Indian Ocean.
• Over a span of 2.5 hours, the surface ship covered a distance of 120 m with Varaha.
• This achievement marked the world’s deepest dive for an underwater mining machine.

Road Accidents in India Report, 2022

The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways recently released the Road Accidents in India Report, 2022 which indicate that the number of accidents in 2022 have increased by 11.9% compared to 2021.

• Road Accidents in India Report is released annually by the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
• This report is based on the data/information received from police departments of States/UTs on calendar year basis.
• The data provided are in conducive with standardized formats provided in Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project.
• Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project is under United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
• As per the report, a total of 4,61,312 road accidents have been reported by States and Union Territories (UTs) during the calendar year 2022.
• The most number of accidents were recorded on the Other Roads, 32.9 % was recorded in National Highways (NH) including Expressways and 43.9 % on state highways.
• The number of road accidents in 2022 increased by 11.9 % compared to previous year 2021.
• Key highlights of the report – Over speeding is a major killer, accounting for 71.2 % of the persons killed followed by driving on the wrong side which amounts to 5.4 %.
• Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of road accidents on National Highways in 2022, whereas, the number of persons killed in road accident was the highest in Uttar Pradesh.
• 67 %of accidents took place on straight roads, whereas accidents on curved roads, pothole roads and steep grade together accounted for only 13.8 %.
• Young adults in the age group of 18 - 45 years accounted for 66.5 % of accident victims.
• People in working age group of 18 – 60 years share 83.4 % of total road accident fatalities.
• Both road accidents and accident-related killings are more of a rural phenomenon than an urban phenomenon.
• In 2022, about 68% of road accidents death took place in rural area where as urban area accounted for 32% of total accidents death in the country.
• Among vehicle categories involved in road accidents, two-wheelers for the second consecutive year, accounted for the highest share in total accidents and fatalities during 2022.
• In terms of road-user categories, the share of two-wheeler riders in total fatality has been the highest (44.5%).
• The Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR) is a portal developed by the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
• The project will enable capture of road accidents and geo-tagging of the same through app on mobile/ tablet by first responder, which is the police.
• e-DAR project is aided by World Bank Assistance to provide an integrated and systemic solution to problem of accidents in line with international practice.

Three Basins Summit

Recently Brazzaville Summit of the Three Basins ended with a declaration that did not result in an Alliance of the three basins.

• The three global ecosystems account for 80% of the world's tropical forests and 2/3rd of the earth's biodiversity.
• The central vision of the Summit for the preservation and restoration of the planet’s three ecological lungs.
• The objectives of the summit include:
  • To promote scientific and technical cooperation, strengthen capacities and increase influence in multilateral forums for environmental advocacy.
  • To establish effective global governance to manage environmental and climate challenges on a planetary scale.
  • To develop a common strategy to stimulate investment projects aimed at combating climate change and preserving biodiversity.
• The three basins include Amazon, Congo and Borneo-Mekong-Southeast Asia.
• The Summit of the Three Basins, 2023 concluded with the declaration by the Heads of State and Government of the States.
• Three Basins Summit, 2023 was held at Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo.
• The 7 point declaration includes:
  1. Recognise the value of enhanced cooperation between the three basins.
  2. Recognise that sovereign management of biodiversity, forests and associated resources of the three basins is essential.
  3. Develop solutions together.
  4. Pool and capitalise on existing knowledge, experience, resources and achievements.
  5. Involve all states and national authorities, including indigenous peoples, youth, women, civil society, academia and the private sector.
  6. Encourage financial mobilisation and the development of traditional and innovative financing mechanisms.
  7. Establish a sustainable system of remuneration for the ecosystem services provided by the three basins.
• The summit provided a good start on important discussions about the future of these forests and the solutions that are needed to address the challenges they face.

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)

Kozhikode and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh were recently included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field ‘Literature’ and ‘music’ respectively.

• The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
• It aims to strengthen cultural activities, goods, services and international cooperation for sustainable development.
• Almost 300 cities around the world which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective.
• By joining the Network, cities commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society.
• The Creative Cities Network is a privileged partner of UNESCO.
• The Network covers 7 creative fields that includes:
  1. Crafts and Folk Art
  2. Media Arts
  3. Film
  4. Design
  5. Gastronomy
  6. Literature
  7. Music
• The Indian cities which are part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) are:
  • Jaipur (2015) and Srinagar (2021) for Crafts and Folk Arts.
  • Mumbai (2019) under music category.
  • Hyderabad (2019) for Gastronomy.
  • Chennai (2017), Varanasi (2015) and Gwalior (2023) under music category.
• Bengaluru is not part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
• There are no Indian cities under the Design and Media Arts field.
• Kozhikode is the 1st Indian city to be recognized under the Literature category.

Commodity Markets Outlook Report

• Commodity Markets Outlook Report is a Bi-annual (April and October) report released by the World Bank.
• Commodity markets is a place which involves trading, where buying and selling of various commodities and their derivative products take place.
• The report emphasizes the importance of avoiding trade restrictions such as food and fertilizer.
• It discourages the implementation of price controls and subsidies in response to elevated food and oil prices.
• The suggested approach is to enhance social safety nets, diversify food sources, and increase efficiency in food production and trade.
• Key highlights of the report – Overall commodity prices are projected to fall by 4.1 % in 2024, primarily attributed to increasing supplies.
• The report predicts that commodity prices will stabilize in 2025.
• Agricultural commodities prices are also expected to decline and metal prices could decline by 5 %.
• Food prices are expected to fall by 8 % in 2023 and 3 % in 2024.