National Makhana Board Holds First Meeting | CoalSETU Policy | International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) | Project Suncatcher | SC widens ambit of POSH

National Makhana Board Holds First Meeting

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

In News

• A ₹476.03 crore Central Sector Scheme for holistic makhana development was rolled out during the National Makhana Board’s first meeting.

National Makhana Board

• Objective – to strengthen and modernize India’s Makhana sector.
• It is headquartered in Purnea, Bihar.

Makhana (Euryale ferox)

• It is a flowering plant classified in the water lily family (Nymphaeaceae).
• Climatic condition: Requires a temperature range of 20-35°C, and annual rainfall between 100- 250 cm.
• It is a fully organic non-cereal food found principally in India but also in Korea, Japan, as well as parts of eastern Russia.
• Bihar accounts for ~90% of India’s makhana production.
• GI Tag: In 2022, ‘Mithila Makhana’ was conferred a GI tag.

CoalSETU Policy

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

In News

• The Union Cabinet has approved the CoalSETU Policy.

CoalSETU Policy

• Objective – It introduces a new system for coal linkage auctions aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and flexibility in coal allocation for industrial use

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture

In News

• India showcased its achievements in rural development, women’s empowerment and climate-resilient agriculture at the IFAD–India Day event held in Rome.

International Fund for Agricultural Development

• Headquartered in Rome, Italy,
• It functions as a UN specialized agency established in 1977
• Objective – to combat rural poverty in developing nations through targeted financing.
• Significance – provides concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance primarily to smallholder farmers, pastoralists, and rural entrepreneurs, emphasizing agriculture, climate resilience, value-chain development, and livelihood diversification.

Project Suncatcher

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology

Context

• Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced Project Suncatcher, a long-term research initiative to deploy solar-powered data centres in space by 2027.

Project Suncatcher

• It is Google’s ambitious initiative to build solar-powered, AI-focused data centers in space using satellite constellations

Benefits        

• Environmental advantage: Eliminates the need for terrestrial land, water, and cooling systems required by traditional data centers.
• Continuous energy: Access to uninterrupted solar power for consistent operation.
• Resilience: Avoids risks from power outages, natural disasters, and undersea cable failures.

Challenges    

• Technical difficulties: Maintaining a tight satellite formation (within 1 km) for high-speed laser communication is complex.
• Operational hurdles: The high cost of building and maintaining space infrastructure and the difficulty of in-orbit repairs are major concerns.
• Environmental conditions: The hardware must be radiation-resistant and manage heat dissipation effectively in a vacuum.

SC widens ambit of POSH

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity & Governance

In News

• The Supreme Court has expanded the jurisdiction of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act),
• SC said that the complaints should be filed not just at the accused’s workplace but also at the complainant’s workplace or any employment-related site.

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH)

• Sexual harassment defined – Sexual harassment includes “any one or more” of the following “unwelcome acts or behaviour” committed directly or by implication: Physical contact and advances, a demand or request for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, any other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature.
• Obligation – Every employer is required to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each office or branch with 10 or more employees.
• Complaint Committees – ICC has powers similar to those of a civil court in respect of summoning and examining any person on oath and requiring the discovery and production of documents.
• Time – The complaint must be made “within three months from the date of the incident”.
• Conciliation – The ICC may (at the request of the aggrieved woman) allow the matter to be settled through conciliation (but no monetary settlement allowed)
• Punishment – Non-compliance with the provisions of the Act shall be punishable with a fine of up to Rs 50,000.