Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 21 November 2024 | Download PDF

• The government is set to extend the UDAN scheme for an additional 10 years.

Key Points:

• • It is a regional airport development and “Regional Connectivity Scheme” (RCS) of the Union Government of India.
  • It was initially launched on October 21, 2016, for a 10-year period.
  • The primary objective of the scheme is to provide affordable and efficient air travel options to residents of tier-2 and tier-3 cities, remote areas, and regions with limited or no air connectivity. 
  • The scheme envisages providing connectivity to unserved and underserved airports of the country through the revival of existing airstrips and airports.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation

• Under the UDAN Scheme, the government works in partnership with airlines to provide subsidies and incentives to operate flights on underserved and unserved routes. 
• The government provides financial support to airlines through a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) model, which covers the difference between the cost of operations and the expected revenue on the identified routes.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has offered its technical expertise and knowledge to address the impact of climate change on the country’s aquaculture and the fishing community involved in it.

Key Points:

• • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
  • It is the oldest permanent specialized agency of the UN, established in October 1945.
  • Mandate: To improve nutrition, increase agricultural productivity, raise the standard of living in rural populations, and contribute to global economic growth.
  • The FAO coordinates the efforts of governments and technical agencies in programs for developing agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and land and water resources.
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy.

• Members: It currently has 194 Member States plus the European Union (member organization).
• Funding: FAO receives 100 percent of its funding from its member countries.
• Reports published by the FAO: The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO), The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA), The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO), The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).

• According to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2024, nearly one billion children, or half of the world’s children, live in countries at high risk of climate and environmental hazards.

Key Points:

• The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established in 1946, in the aftermath of World War II.
• Mandate: To help children and young people whose lives and futures were at risk – no matter what role their country had played in the war.
• It works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child.
• Funding: UNICEF’s work is funded entirely through the voluntary support of millions of people around the world and our partners in government, civil society and the private sector.
• Awards: It has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965, the Indira Gandhi Prize in 1989, and the Princess of Asturias Award in 2006.
• It publishes important Reports: The State of the World’s Children, The State of the World’s Children reports.
• Headquarters: It is headquartered in New York City.

• A total of 228 major infrastructure projects across various ministries, including roads and railways, have been proposed for approval under the PM GatiShakti initiative.

Key Points:

• • Aim: To ensure integrated planning and implementation of infrastructure projects in the next four years, with focus on expediting works on the ground, saving costs and creating jobs.
  • Besides cutting logistics costs, the scheme is also aimed at increasing cargo handling capacity and reducing the turnaround time at ports to boost trade.
  • It also aims to have 11 industrial corridors and two new defense corridors – one in Tamil Nadu and other in Uttar Pradesh. 
  • Extending 4G connectivity to all villages is another aim. Adding 17,000 kms to the gas pipeline network is being planned.
  • It will help in fulfilling the ambitious targets set by the government for 2024-25, including expanding the length of the national highway network to 2 lakh kms, creation of more than 200 new airports, heliports and water aerodromes.
  • Integrated Approach: It intends to bring together 16 infrastructure related Ministries.
• Gati Shakti Digital Platform: 

• • It involves the creation of a common umbrella platform through which infrastructure projects can be planned and implemented in an efficacious manner by way of coordination between various ministries/departments on a real-time basis.

• The Prime Minister has proposed seven key pillars to enhance the relationship between India and CARICOM.

Key Points:

• • The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) is a group of 20 developing countries in the Caribbean, that have come together to form an economic and political community that works together to shape policies for the region and encourages economic growth and trade
• Its major activities involve

• • • coordinating economic policies and development planning
    • devising and instituting special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction
    • operating as a regional single market for many of its members (Caricom Single Market); and
    • handling regional trade disputes
  • The secretariat headquarters is in Georgetown, Guyana.
  • CARICOM is an official United Nations Observer beneficiary
• The 15 full-time countries are as follows:

• • Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Kits and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.
  • The associate members are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos.

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