CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• The Prime Minister was warmly greeted during his recent visit to Kavaratti, Lakshadweep, where he arrived to inaugurate several development projects and lay foundations for others.
• About Kavaratti Island:
  • Kavaratti, the capital of Lakshadweep, India's smallest Union Territory, is its most developed island.
  • Situated 360 km off the coast of Kerala, it lies centrally within the Lakshadweep archipelago, between Agatti Island to the west and Andrott Island to the east.
  • Covering an area of 4.22 sq km, Kavaratti stretches 5.8 km in length and 1.6 km in width.
  • Elevations range from 2 to 5 m above sea level on the west and 2 to 3 m on the east, featuring a shallow lagoon on its western side and coconut palms on the northern end.
  • Home to 12 atolls, five submerged banks, and three coral reefs, Kavaratti is distinct for its small inland lake at the northern tip.
  • The town is renowned for its mosques with carved wooden pillars and roofs, as well as intricately carved stones in its graveyards.
  • Kavaratti boasts the highest percentage of non-islander residents among the Lakshadweep islands.
  • Languages spoken include Malayalam and Mahl.
  • Selected as one of India's hundred cities under the Smart Cities Mission, Kavaratti aims to evolve into a smart city.

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• The Quality Council of India (QCI) and the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) have recently entered into an initial agreement aimed at elevating the quality of KVIC's products, providing training to artisans, and introducing a 'Made in India' label for Khadi.
• About Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC):
  • Established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956, KVIC is a statutory body and apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises dedicated to promoting and developing khadi and village industries across India.
  • KVIC's responsibilities include planning, promoting, organizing, and implementing programs for the growth of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas, often in collaboration with other rural development agencies.
  • Key functions of KVIC encompass maintaining strategic reserves of raw materials, establishing common service facilities for processing and marketing Khadi and village industry products, and fostering research in production techniques and equipment.
  • The commission also extends financial aid to institutions and individuals, supports quality assurance measures, and sets standards for Khadi and village industry products.
  • At the state level, Khadi & Village Industries Boards facilitate the implementation of KVIC's initiatives within their respective regions.
  • KVIC administers various schemes such as the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Market Promotion Development Assistance (MPDA), and schemes aimed at infrastructure development and artisan support.
  • Moreover, KVIC is actively engaged in initiatives like the Honey Mission to further enhance the reach and impact of Khadi and village industries in India's rural landscape.

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• The Swadesh Darshan Scheme, initiated in 2015 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, resembles international waters in its lack of specific national demarcation.
• About Swadesh Darshan Scheme:
  • Launched to foster sustainable and responsible tourism destinations across India, this centrally funded scheme operates without a specific national boundary akin to the Kármán line.
  • Under Swadesh Darshan, the Ministry of Tourism provides financial support to State governments, Union Territory Administrations, or Central Agencies for developing tourism infrastructure nationwide.
  • The responsibility for Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of projects funded under the scheme rests with the respective State Government or UT Administration.
  • Recently revamped as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0), the scheme aims to enhance sustainable tourism development by focusing on infrastructure, services, human resource capacity building, and destination management.
  • Swadesh Darshan 2.0 also seeks to attract private sector investments in tourism and foster Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for the operation and maintenance of tourism assets created under the scheme.

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• The Government of India has granted approval for India’s involvement in the international mega science endeavor, the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), with an estimated investment of 1250 crore rupees.
• About Square Kilometer Array (SKA):
  • The SKA represents a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art international facility aimed at constructing the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope, enabling exploration of a wide range of pioneering scientific objectives.
  • The SKA Observatory (SKAO) will be situated across two locations: SKA-Low in Australia and SKA-Mid in South Africa, with its operational headquarters based in the UK. This ambitious project is poised to revolutionize radio astronomy and drive advancements in several new state-of-the-art technologies.
  • In addition to India, the SKA project involves collaboration from ten other countries: Australia, Canada, China, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
• India and SKA:
  • Following this endorsement, India will formalize its participation by signing the SKAO treaty, thereby becoming a full member of the SKA Observatory alongside other participating nations.
  • This approval encompasses financial backing for the construction phase of the international SKA Observatory (SKAO) over the course of the next seven years. The funding will be jointly provided by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), with DAE leading the initiative.
  • India’s involvement in the SKA project is a comprehensive nationwide initiative led by a consortium comprising over 20 academic and research institutes, with the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) serving as the nodal institute.