Solution (b)

The Sojat Mehndi which recently got GI tag is from Rajsthan

• Sojat tehsil of the Pali district in Rajasthan has several natural factors such as geological structure, topography and drainage system, climate and soil that make it suitable for the crop.
• Sojat Mehndi as its herbal cosmetic and medicinal uses. 
• By drying mehndi leaves, fragrant oil is also extracted. The leaves of the mehndi plant, bark, seeds and root are taken for medicinal use
• Sojat Mehndi gets its special colour due to the soil and rain conditions of the region. The mehndi leaves have 2% more of the pigment lawsone than leaves grown elsewhere.”

About GI Tag

• A GI tag is used for an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicraft and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
• Darjeeling Tea, Tirupathi Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange and Kashmir Pashmina are among the registered GIs in India.
• According to experts, the tag gives protection to the producer of those genuine products which command premium pricing in domestic as well as international markets.

Article Link:

https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/sojat-mehndi-from-rajasthan-gets-gi-tag-from-government

https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/sojat-mehndi-gi-tag-india-2021-farming-manufacturing-medicinal-art-uses-and-adulteration/article36878705.ece

Solution (b)

It is a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme 

It has a special focus on the North east region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

It will involve raising the area under oil palm cultivation to 10 lakh hectares by 2025-26 and 16.7 lakh hectares by 2029-30.

A financial outlay of Rs.11,040 crore out of which Rs.8,844 crore is the share of Government of India and Rs.2,196 crore is State share

Focus on increasing area and productivity of oilseeds and Oil Palm

Assistance to seed gardens specially for North-East and Andaman regions

Price Assurance to Oil Palm farmers for Fresh Fruit Bunches

The production of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) is expected to go upto 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26 and upto 28 lakh tonnes by 2029-30.

There are two major focus areas of the Scheme. 

First – The oil palm farmers produce Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs) from which oil is extracted by the industry.

Second major focus of the scheme is to substantially increase the assistance of inputs/interventions.

Article Link:

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1746942

Solution (b)

International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, to become its full-time member 

In March 2017, India joined the IEA as an association country

It is a Paris-based body which advises industrialized nations on energy policies.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.

It publishes World Energy Outlook. 

https://www.thehindu.com/business/india-invited-to-become-full-time-iea-member/article36951552.ece

Solution (d)

In 2015, ahead of the United Nations’ significant climate conference in Paris, India announced three major voluntary commitments called the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC):

1. improving the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels; 
2. increasing the share of non-fossil fuels-based electricity to 40 per cent by 2030, 
3. enhancing its forest cover, thereby absorbing 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

India was the only major G20 country that was on track towards keeping to its nationally determined commitments to halt runaway global warming.

It had achieved 21% of its emissions intensity as a proportion of its GDP in line with its commitment to a 33-35% reduction by 2030

UK has urged India to announce a “more ambitious” Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ahead of a United Nations climate change summit in the U.K. in a few weeks.

What is a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)?

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) or Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) are non-binding national plans highlighting climate actions that governments aim to implement in response to climate change and as a contribution to achieve the global targets set out in the Paris Agreement.

Article Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-has-achieved-21-of-emissions-intensity-target-claims-javadekar/article33307259.ece

Solution (c)

A key UN summit tasked with protecting biodiversity opened in China and online, as countries meet to protect ecosystems and prevent mass extinction weeks before the COP26 climate conference.

Up for debate is the “30 by 30” plan to give 30% of land and oceans protected status by 2030 through “area-based conservation measures” like protected national parks. — a measure supported by a broad coalition of nations, as well as a goal to halve the use of chemicals in agriculture and stop creating plastic waste.

Article Link:

https://epaper.thehindu.com/Home/ArticleView