“Bhu-Neer” Portal

Context:

Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, digitally launched the “Bhu-Neer” portal during the concluding ceremony of India 8th Water Week 2024.

“Bhu-Neer” Portal

• This portal will serve as a one-stop platform for managing and regulating groundwater resources, and it will ensure transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in groundwater usage. 
• Developed By: Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Features of the Portal

Comprehensive Groundwater Resource Management: The portal provides a centralized database offering access to legal frameworks governing groundwater extraction.

User-Friendly Design: It was designed in a simplified and intuitive manner that ensures a seamless user interface experience.

Innovative Functionalities: The “Bhu-Neer” portal features advanced capabilities, such as a PAN-based single ID system for simplified user identification.

• It also generates No Objection Certificates (NOCs) integrated with QR codes, enhancing both convenience and traceability.

Enhanced Accessibility: The portal allows users to track application status, make statutory payments, and seek clarifications or assistance related to groundwater withdrawal, ensuring greater accessibility and support.

Significant System Improvement: The “Bhu-Neer” portal represents a substantial advancement over the previous NOCAP system.

Nafithromycin

Context:

Recently, the Union Ministry of Science & Technology launched India’s first Indigenous antibiotic "Nafithromycin" to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Nafithromycin

Development: Nafithromycin was developed with support from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and is marketed by Wockhardt under the brand name ‘Miqnaf’. 

• Nafithromycin is specifically designed to treat Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP) caused by drug-resistant bacteria, targeting vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. 

Effectiveness: The antibiotic is ten times more effective than azithromycin and features a three-day treatment regimen that is safer, faster, and better tolerated.

• It has minimal side effects and no significant drug interactions, making it a versatile and patient-friendly solution.

Importance: Nafithromycin is the first antibiotic in its class to be developed globally in over 30 years, marking a major milestone in addressing the global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) crisis.

Approval Status: The drug is currently awaiting final approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) for public use.

African Penguins

Context:

Recently, the African Penguin became the first penguin species to be listed as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

African Penguins

• It is one of the smallest penguin species.
• The African penguin is commonly known as the "jackass penguin" due to its distinctive donkey-like braying calls. These penguins are monogamous, forming lifelong partnerships.
• Characteristics: African penguins are easily identified by the pink patches of skin above their eyes, which help them regulate their body temperature.  
• Habitat: These penguins are found exclusively in Namibia and South Africa. However, their population has been in decline since the 1800s, with fewer than 20,000 individuals remaining in the wild today.  
• Threats: Their survival is threatened by predators such as Cape fur seals and kelp gulls, rising ocean temperatures, and a scarcity of prey like sardines and anchovies.  
• Protection: African penguins have been protected under South Africa’s Sea Birds and Seals Protection Act since 1973 and more recently under the Marine Threatened or Protected Species Regulations since 2017.