We Rise Initiatives | UPOV Convention | Rotavirus Vaccine Effective Against Gastroenteritis in Children | State Mining Readiness Index | State of Finance for Forests (SFF) Report | REDD+ Programme | BrahMos

We Rise Initiatives

Syllabus: GS2/ Women Empowerment

In News

• ‘We Rise (Women Entrepreneurs Reimagining Inclusive and Sustainable Enterprises) initiative was launched recently.

We Rise Initiatives

• Objective – to empower women entrepreneurs to expand globally through trade facilitation, mentorship, and strategic partnerships.
• Launched by – by NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) under its Award to Reward (ATR) initiative

Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)

• Launched in NITI Aayog in 2018
• It serves as a national aggregator to strengthen India’s women entrepreneurship

Award to Reward (ATR) initiative

• It was launched in 2023
• Objective – to institutionalize WEP’s partnership framework by bringing together ecosystem stakeholders to address specific needs of women entrepreneurs while celebrating their success stories.

UPOV Convention

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• A new report by GRAIN warns of growing corporate control over seeds via free trade agreements.
• Powerful economies — including the US, EU, Japan and the UAE — are pushing harsh IP rules on plant varieties.

Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Convention 1991

• Mandate – It is an international treaty that provides a framework for intellectual property rights for plant breeders.
• Adoption and Enforcement- The 1991 Act, which entered into force in 1998
• Significance – It strengthens breeders’ rights compared to earlier versions of the convention and has significant implications for farmers and the seed industry.

Rotavirus Vaccine Effective Against Gastroenteritis in Children

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

Context

• According to a recent study India’s indigenous rotavirus vaccine, Rotavac, has significantly reduced rotavirus-related gastroenteritis cases among children since its introduction in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

Rotavac

• Introduction: India introduced Rotavac, an indigenous oral rotavirus vaccine, in 2016 under the Universal Immunisation Programme, administered at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age.

Rotavirus

• Responsible pathogen – A highly contagious, double-stranded RNA virus from the Reoviridae family.
• Target population: Primarily affects infants and young children under the age of five. Adults can also be infected, but symptoms are typically mild.
• Symptoms: Fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and severe, watery diarrhea. The biggest concern is severe dehydration, which can be life-threatening if untreated.
• Transmission: Occurs primarily through the fecal-oral route—by contact with contaminated hands, surfaces, or objects. It can also spread through contaminated food and water.

State Mining Readiness Index

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

Context

• The Ministry of Mines has released the State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI) and corresponding State rankings.

State Mining Readiness Index (SMRI)

• Mandate – This index is designed to benchmark State performance in facilitating and reforming the mining sector.
• The index aims to promote transparency, efficiency, and sustainable mining by encouraging competition among States.
• Indicators-

1. Auction performance,
2. Early mine operationalization,
3. Thrust on exploration
4. Sustainable mining pertaining
5. Non-coal minerals.

Categorisation of States

• States have been divided into three categories based on their mineral endowment;
• The top three ranked States in Category A (Mineral-rich States): Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
• The top three ranked States in Category B (Moderately endowed States): Uttar Pradesh, and Assam.
• The top three ranked States in Category C (Lesser-endowed States): Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Tripura.

State of Finance for Forests (SFF) Report

Syllabus :GS3/Environment

In News

• The first State of Finance for Forests (SFF) report was recently released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

State of Finance for Forests (SFF)

• It provides a global overview of public and private forest finance in 2023,
• It compares current flows with the investments needed to realize forests’ potential to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.

Key Findings

• In 2023, global forest finance stood at US$84 billion, far below the US$300 billion needed annually by 2030 and US$498 billion by 2050, leaving a US$216 billion yearly gap.

REDD+ Programme

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• According to a study, only a small number of tropical forests have achieved significant cuts in deforestation, with just 19% meeting their reported targets.
• These offset projects are a part of the REDD+ programme.

REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Plus)

• It is a climate change initiative under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• It offers financial incentives for developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
• The “plus” in REDD+ includes additional activities like the conservation and sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
• The goal is to provide a financial value for forests that encourages developing countries to protect them

BrahMos

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath flagged off the first batch of BrahMos missiles manufactured at the BrahMos Aerospace unit in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

BrahMos Missile

• Joint Venture: Between DRDO (India) and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Russia).
• Name Origin: Derived from the Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia)
• First Test: Conducted on June 12, 2
• Type: “Fire and forget” supersonic cruise missile — can be launched from land, sea, or air in all-weather conditions, and is nearly impossible to intercept.
• Combat Use: Reportedly used for the first time during Operation Sindoor.

Speed:

• Current: Mach 2.8 (Supersonic)
• Future: Mach 5+ (Hypersonic version under development)

Range:

• Initially 290 km (under MTCR limit)
• Extended to 400 km, with a 600+ km variant under development.

Additional information – Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)

• Objective – The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a group of 35 member states that seeks to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology.
• Established in – The group was formed in 1987.
• India became a member of the MTCR in 2016