Prelims Focus 17th July 2024

World Youth Skills Day 2024

In News: The World Youth Skills Day is observed on July 15 annually.

• The initiative changed into unique through the United Nations General Assembly in November 2014, emphasizes the importance of equipping children with important capabilities to address unemployment and underemployment.
• This year’s World Youth Skills Day theme, “Youth Skills for Peace and Development,” highlights the function of youth in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
• The day also marks the 5th anniversary of the release of Skill India Mission.
• Skill India Mission
  • It has been released to empower the children of the country with skill sets which lead them to be more employable and extra efficient in their work environment. 
  • Skill India gives courses throughout numerous sectors which might be aligned to the requirements recognized by both, the industry and the government under the National Skill Qualification Framework. 
  • The guides assist a person’s recognition on practical shipping of work and assist him signify his technical knowledge so that businesses don’t have to make investments to educate him for his activity profile.

Wolbachia Bacteria

In News: Recently a study reports that Wolbachia bacteria had manipulated the wasp Encarsia formosa to entirely get rid of its males.

• • Wolbachia are the not unusual bacteria that arise evidently in 50 percent of insect species, along with some mosquitoes, fruit flies, moths, dragonflies and butterflies.
  • Wolbachia live internal insect cells and are exceeded from one technology to the subsequent by an insect’s eggs.

• Use for mosquito control

• • Mosquitoes with Wolbachia can be used to lessen numbers of target mosquito species, for instance, Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. 
  • Mosquito manipulate specialists release male Aedes Aegypti with Wolbachia into a place with wild Aedes Aegypti.
  • When male Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes with Wolbachia mate with wild female mosquitoes that don’t have Wolbachia, the eggs will not hatch.
  • Because the eggs don’t hatch, the quantity of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes decreases.

Vishalgad Fort

In News: The controversy surrounding the encroachment at Vishalgad Fort has caused tensions in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district, with Maratha royal Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati leading a march to the fort. A viral video showing vandalism at a mosque in the district, claiming it was part of an “encroachment-free” campaign at the fort, escalated the situation. This resulted in violence and arson on July 15, including attacks on police officers.

• Vishalgad Fort is a historic fort located in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, India. Built in 1058 CE by the Shilahara ruler Marsinh, the fort has a rich history, passing through the hands of various rulers over the centuries.
• In 1659, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj captured the fort and renamed it Vishalgad, meaning “grand fort” in Marathi. The fort played a significant role during Shivaji’s reign, serving as a refuge for him after being besieged at Panhala Fort in 1660.
• During the Maratha Empire, Vishalgad was a jagir (feudal land grant) governed by Deshastha Brahmins who were feudatories of Kolhapur State. In 1844, the fort was one of the forts in Kolhapur State that initiated a rebellion against the British-installed regent.
• The fort is built on a hilltop and is accessible by crossing a valley. It features a palace, a dargah (shrine), and other structures, many of which are currently in ruins and require restoration.
• Vishalgad Fort is significant for its historical importance, particularly during the Maratha Empire under Shivaji Maharaj. It is also known for the Battle of Pavan Khind, where Maratha soldiers sacrificed their lives to protect Shivaji Maharaj while he escaped to Vishalgad from the siege of Panhala Fort in 1660. 

FishMIP Initiative

In News: According to the FishMIP report, there will be a significant decrease in exploitable fish biomass – especially in regions around the world – by the middle of the century, with the decline being more than 10% in some cases, particularly under high-emissions conditions.

• • FishMIP (Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project) is a collaborative initiative that aims to improve understanding and projection of climate change impacts on fisheries and marine ecosystems. It brings together diverse marine ecosystem models to provide more robust and reliable predictions for the seafood sector and policymakers.
  • FishMIP uses an ensemble modeling approach, combining results from multiple models forced by standardized inputs and scenarios. The models vary in scale and how they represent food-web or ecosystem components and linkages.

• Objectives
  • Understanding and Projecting Climate Change Impacts: Examining the relative influence of temperature and productivity on future projections.
  • Model Evaluation and Uncertainty Reduction: Assessing models against historical data to understand and reduce uncertainty.
  • Policy Support: Providing robust uncertainty assessments to support initiatives like IPCC and IPBES.

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