e-Jagriti

The Department of Consumer Affairs has recently conducted a One Day Capacity Building Workshop for all the stakeholders to make them familiar with features of “e-Jagriti”.

• e-Jagriti stands for Electronic Justice And Grievance Redressal Information Technology and Innovation.
• e-Jagriti portal provides simple, fast and a more cost-effective consumer disputes redressal software solution at all levels.
• e-Jagriti serves as a unified platform catering to a diverse range of stakeholders, including:
  • consumers, lawyers, judges, officials from state commissions, circuit benches, and district commissions,
  • Industry representatives, mediation partners, service providers and
  • Other individuals involved in the complaint, its resolution and case management processes.
• The platform streamlines and enhances various stages of case management, spanning from initial filing to redressal, evaluation, judgment, and settlement.
• It is designed to optimize existing procedures by minimizing redundancy, reducing human interventions, and automating end-to-end workflows.
• Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the platform also facilitates predictive judgments, fostering efficiency and innovation in the dispute resolution landscape.
• It is developed, designed and maintained by National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
• It is envisaged to integrate consumer grievance platforms into a single platform. The consumer grievance platforms includes:
  1. Online Case Monitoring System (OCMS)
  2. E-Daakhil
  3. NCDRC Case Monitoring System
  4. CONFONET website
  5. Mediation application
• The platform has case filing, online fee payment, case monitoring modules for seamless disposal of cases by all the Commissions.
• The portal will integrate Virtual court facility for a convenient and accessible resolution of consumer complaints, reducing the time of disposal.

Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate BAPS, the first Hindu temple in the UAE.

• The temple has been built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a denomination of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, a Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.
• The external facade of the temple uses pink sandstone from Rajasthan and the interior uses Italian marbles.
• It is a traditional stone Hindu temple with 7 shikhars (spires) that represents the 7 Emirates of the UAE.
• Built in the traditional Nagar style, the temple’s front panel depicts universal values, stories of harmony from different cultures, Hindu spiritual leaders and avatars.
• Features - The temple has two central domes, Dome of Harmony and Dome of Peace, emphasising human coexistence through the carvings of earth, water, fire, air, and plants.
• A Wall of Harmony, one of the largest 3D-printed walls in the UAE, features a video showcasing key milestones of the temple’s construction.
• The word ‘harmony’ has been written in 30 different ancient and modern languages.
• No ferrous material (which is more vulnerable to corrosion) has been used in the temple.
• While many different types of pillars can be seen in the temple, such as circular and hexagonal, there is a special pillar, called the ‘Pillar of pillars’, which has around 1,400 small pillars carved into it.

World Restoration Flagships

Recently the UN has announced 7 World Restoration Flagships which will awarded during the 6th UN Environment Assembly.

• World Restoration Flagships is an initiative under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
• The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a global movement coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• The winning initiatives were announced ahead of the 6th session of the UN Environment Assembly, which is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment.
• The award conferred by the UNEP and FAO of the UN makes the initiatives eligible for technical and financial support from the organisation
• The awards serve as a part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, led by the two agencies.
• The campaign aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.
• The projects/ initiatives of the World Restoration Flagships that are honoured are:
  1. The Restoring Mediterranean Forests Initiative
  2. The Living Indus initiative
  3. The Accion Andina social movement
  4. The Sri Lanka Mangrove Regeneration initiative
  5. The Terai Arc Landscape initiative 
  6. Regreening Africa’s agriculture
  7. Growing forests in Africa's drylands initiative

Baltic Sea

Scientists have recently found a mysterious Stone Age wall one-km-long wall in Baltic Sea.

• Baltic Sea is the arm of the North Atlantic Ocean.
• It extends northward from the latitude of southern Denmark almost to the Arctic Circle and separates the Scandinavian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe.
• It is the largest expanse of brackish water in the world.
• Bordering countries – Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany.
• It has two large arms, the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland.
• The scientists have recently found a mysterious Stone Age wall one-km-long wall in Baltic Sea.
• Stone Age wall discovered beneath Baltic Sea in Germany, believed to be oldest megastructure in Europe.

Kaji Nemu

The Assam state government has recently decided to declare Kaji Nemu as the State Fruit.

• Kaji Nemu (Citrus Limon) is popular for its unique aroma and health benefits.
• It has been traditionally associated with the Assamese cuisines.
• It was recently accorded state fruit status by the Assam state government.
• The fruit is a powerhouse of nutrients, boosting health benefits.
• It is mainly grown at Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Cachar, Chirang, Nalbari and Dima Hasao districts of Assam.
• It was granted Geographical Indications (GI) tag in 2019.
• Mizoram – Passion fruit is the state fruit of Mizoram.
• It looks like a small mauve brinjal from the outside.
• Mizoram is the largest producer of passion fruit in India, with over 980 hectares of land used to cultivate it.