Closure of FRA Cells in Odisha Triggers Central Scrutiny
Syllabus: GS2/ Governance
Context
- The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has initiated inquiries into the directives given by the State government of Odisha to shutdown of Forest Rights Act (FRA) Cells at multiple administrative levels.
Forest Rights Act, 2006
- The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, popularly known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
- It legally recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers over forest land and resources they have traditionally used for generations.
VoicERA Launched on BHASHINI National Infrastructure
Governance
In News
- The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under the Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched VoicERA.
India’s National Voice AI Stack (VoicERA)
- It is an open-source, end-to-end technology framework designed as DigitalDigital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
- Public Platform: Deployed on the BHASHINI National Language Infrastructure to provide a national execution layer for multilingual voice services.
- Purpose: To enable government departments and innovators to build voice-based citizen services—such as agricultural advice, education support, and grievance redressal—in local Indian languages.
Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the World Food Programme (WFP)
Economy
In News
- The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the supply of rice in support of global humanitarian operations aimed at combating hunger.
World Food Programme
- It was established in 1961.
- Mandate – It serves as the United Nations’ primary food-assistance branch and the world’s largest humanitarian organization focused on combating hunger and enhancing global food security.
Food Corporation of India (FCI)
- It is a statutory body established under the Food Corporations Act, 1964.
- It functions under India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
- Objective – It ensures national food security via procurement, storage, distribution under the Public Distribution System (PDS), and buffer stock management for contingencies like droughts or floods.
- Headquartered in New Delhi.
Municipal Bonds
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
In News
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) recently organized a high-level consultation to deepen India’s municipal bond market, aligning with efforts to boost urban infrastructure financing.
Municipal Bonds
- Municipal bonds are marketable debt instruments issued by ULBs, either directly or via intermediaries like corporate municipal entities or special purpose vehicles.
- First issued by Bengaluru in 1997, they finance capital projects (e.g., water supply, sewerage), refinance loans, and cover working capital needs.
Project Vault
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
Context
- The United States unveiled Project Vault, an independently governed and operated public-private partnership.
Project Vault
- It is aimed at establishing a strategic domestic reserve of critical minerals in the United States.
- Significance – to reduce dependence on foreign-controlled supply chains.
Additional Information – Critical Minerals
- These are minerals that are essential for economic development and national security.
- The lack of availability of these minerals could potentially lead to “supply chain vulnerabilities and even disruption of supplies”.
List of Critical Minerals
- A total of 30 minerals were found to be most critical for India : Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorous, Potash, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Rhenium, Silicon, Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.
India’s Policy Push for Mineral Exploration
- Domestic Reserves: India has vast untapped mineral potential, with lithium in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Rajasthan, and REEs in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- Policy Initiatives: National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP), 2016 and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2021 have accelerated exploration through private participation and advanced surveys.
- KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd) is acquiring overseas mineral assets to ensure supply security.
- National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) – It aims to strengthen the value chain from exploration to recovery.
Google’s America-India Connect Initiative
Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology
Context
- Google announced the collaborative infrastructure initiative named America-India Connect.
America-India Connect Initiative
- A new international subsea gateway will be established in Vizag.
- Three new subsea paths connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia.
- Significance – The new infrastructure is expected to support rising demand for cloud computing and AI services in India, while also strengthening connections with Africa, Australia and parts of Southeast Asia.
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