Minerals in India

• Aluminium – It is a lightweight silvery white metal of main Group 13 (IIIa, or boron group) of the periodic table.
• It is the most abundant metallic element in Earth’s crust and the most widely used nonferrous metal.
• India is the 2nd Largest Aluminium Producer in the world.
• China is the largest aluminium producer in the world.
• Odisha is the largest producer of aluminium in India.
• Limestone – Is a sedimentary rock that is primarily made up of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral’s calcite and aragonite.
• It forms when these minerals precipitate out of water that contains dissolved calcium.
• In 2023, China was the world's top producer of lime.
• India is the 3rd largest lime producer in the world and Rajasthan is the largest producer of limestone in India.
• Iron Ore – The mining of iron ore is an essential raw material for Iron & Steel Industry is arguably of prime importance among all mining activities undertaken by any country.
• Haematite and magnetite are the most important iron ores in India.
• About 79% haematite ore deposits are found in the Eastern Sector (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh).
• About 93% magnetite ore deposits occur in Southern Sector (Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu).
• Karnataka alone contributes 72% of magnetite deposit in India.
• Indian deposits of haematite belong to the Precambrian Iron Ore Series and the ore is within banded iron ore formations occurring as massive, laminated, friable and in powdery form.
• India is the 4th largest iron ore producer in the world.
• The largest iron ore-producing country is Australia.

Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA)

• Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) is an autonomous institute that works under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• It provides induction and training to the central civil servants of the Indian Corporate Law Service Cadre.
• It is a unique world-class institution functioning as a think tank, action research, policy advocacy, service delivery, and capacity-building support to the Ministry, corporate sector.
• It is a holistic think-tank and service delivery institute to help corporate growth, reforms, and regulation through synergized knowledge management, global partnerships and real-time solutions.
• School of Business Environment (SBE) is a specialised vertical within IICA promoting responsible business conduct focusing on the forward-looking areas such as:
  • Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),
  • Sustainable Finance, Business & Biodiversity Conservation, Business and
  • Human Rights, Responsible Trade, Non-Financial Reporting & auditing; Audit, and other aligned areas.
• The school has been providing technical expertise to various Ministries and Agencies of the Govt. of India, State Governments, Corporates, Board Members, professionals and other stakeholders.

Self-Reliant India (SRI) Fund

• Self-Reliant India (SRI) Fund aids to channelize diverse variety of funds into underserved Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and address the growth needs of viable and high growth MSMEs.
• Objectives – It provide funding support to Daughter Funds for onward provision to MSMEs as growth capital.
• Enhance equity financing and listing of MSMEs on stock exchanges.
• Support faster growth of MSME businesses and job creation.
• It is an investment strategy of holding a portfolio of other investment funds, rather than investing directly.
• Help MSMEs become national/international champions and contribute to India's self-reliance.
• Structure – The SRI Fund will be a Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).
• It will consist of a Mother Fund and multiple Daughter Funds.
• The Mother Fund will provide funds to Daughter Funds, which will then invest in MSMEs.
• Fund Corpus – The Government of India will provide Rs. 10,000 crore as initial support to the Mother Fund.
• Daughter Funds will raise 80% of funds from outside sources and receive 20% from the Mother Fund.
• The total leveraged amount is expected to reach Rs. 50,000 crores.
• Key Features – 15-year fund life with a 6-year commitment period.
• Fund managers should have at least 5 years of experience in growth funding.
• The fund aims to create an MSME investment ecosystem involving various financial institutions.
• Governance – A SPV with 100% equity from NSIC will anchor the Mother Fund.
• An Advisory Board chaired by the Secretary (MSME) will oversee the fund.
• A professional Investment Committee will make investment decisions.
• Investment Strategy – The Mother Fund will invest only through approved Daughter Funds.
• Daughter Funds must be registered as Category I or II AIFs with SEBI.
• Focus on traditional manufacturing and service MSMEs.
• Commercials – Management fee of 1% for the SPV and up to 0.50% for the Fund Manager.
• Risk Management – Both Mother and Daughter Funds must have financial risk management and environmental/social safeguard systems in place.

Coastal Sea Wolves

• The Vancouver Island wolf, also known as the coastal wolf or sea wolf is a subspecies of grey wolf, endemic to the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
• They are fast, powerful and distance swimmers.
• Features – They move stealthily in the water, with their backs and bodies submerged and only their ears, eyes and snouts break through to the surface.
• They are genetically distinct from mainland wolves, even though geographically the two are close neighbours.
• Many of these wolves migrate through the archipelago, swimming from island to island throughout the year.
• Distribution – At present, they have an extensive range, from southern Alaska, USA to south to Vancouver Island, Canada.
• Diet – The coastal wolves eat shellfish and use their paws to dig in the sand for clams and use their powerful jaws to crack open the shells of mussels.
• They have also been known to snack on sea otters along with terrestrial animals.
• Threats – Climate change, industrial logging and trophy hunting.

Mud Flow

The recent Kerala’s Wayanad landslide can be classified as Mud Flow.

• Mudflow is a flow of water that contains large amounts of suspended particles and silt.
• It is flow of water that is made up of a lot of rain water flowing fast and transporting earth particles, rocks, trees and anything in its path.
• It has a higher density and viscosity than a streamflow and can deposit only the coarsest part of its load.
• It occurs on steep slopes where vegetation is not sufficient to prevent rapid erosion but can occur on gentle slopes if other conditions are met.
• Other factors are heavy precipitation in short periods and an easily erodible source material.
• The occurrence of mud flows is directly related to extreme rain events.
• Mudflows can be generated in any climatic regime but are most common in arid and semiarid areas.
• Mudflow deposits are poorly sorted mixtures of silt, boulders, organic materials, and other debris.
• Pierre Rognon, Associate Professor has classified the recent waayand landslide as mud flow.