ISRO’s GSLV-F12 successfully places navigation satellite NVS-01 into intended orbit.

NVS-01 Mission

• It is indigenously designed and developed by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
• Weight - 2232 kg
• Position - Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
• It is the first of the 2nd generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services.
• For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01.
• The satellite would provide real-time positioning and timing services over India and a region approximately 1,500 km around the mainland.
• This mission is the 6th operational flight of the GSLV with indigenous cryogenic stage.
• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) or GSLV Mk-II is designed to carry the navigation satellite.
• Advantages – Terrestrial, aerial and maritime navigation, precision agriculture, location-based services in mobile devices and marine fisheries.

A United Nations committee (INC) is meeting on May 29 in Paris, France to work on a landmark treaty to end global plastic pollution.

Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for Plastics (INC)

• In 2022, at the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), a resolution was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment with the ambition to complete the negotiations by end of 2024.

• The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was charged with developing the treaty on plastic pollution.
• The current meeting is the 2nd of five meetings due to take place to complete the negotiations by the end of 2024.
• First meeting being held in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
• It starts to begin its work in the 2nd half of 2022 with the ambition of completing its work by the end of 2024.
• It needs to include marine, land and water plastic pollution, promote sustainable production and consumption of plastics through, among other things.
• IUCN has played a key role globally in helping identify, raise awareness, and provide tools to assess the impacts and sources of plastic pollution.

India sees reduction in stunting but wasting, obesity are concerns.

Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) 2023

• It is jointly released by UNICEF, WHO and World Bank.

Global Scenario

• Obesity - The prevalence of obesity marginally increased in a decade in 2022 compared to 2012.
• But the overall classification for obesity is low and much lower than the global prevalence.
• Stunting - It is declined from a prevalence rate of 26.3% in 2012 to 22.3% in 2022.
• In South Asia, the decline was much sharper as it dropped from 40.3% to 30.5%.
• Wasting - It is probably more complex in South Asia and India.
• While in Africa it starts from 4-6 months.

In India

• Obesity - Prevalence of overweight children increased in India in 2022 compared to 2012.
• Stunting - India continues to show a reduction in stunted children under 5 years in 2022 compared to 2012.
• Wasting - In India 2/3rds of children at 12 or 24 months had wasting at birth or at one month of age.
• It is caused by maternal malnutrition.

• Stunting - It is when a child has a low height for their age.
• Wasting - It is when a child is too thin for their height.

Targets for 2030

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das warned about the banks adopting innovative methods for evergreening of loans.

Zombie Lending

• Zombie lending refers to the practice of providing credit to entities that do not have the capability to repay.
• Evergreening - If an account turns into a non-performing asset (NPA), banks are required to make higher provisions which will impact their profitability.
• A loan turns into a nonperforming asset, if the interest or instalment remains unpaid for more than 90 days.
• So, to avoid classifying a loan as an NPA, banks adopt the evergreening of loans.
• In the past, many banks had indulged in dressing up bad loans and given additional funds to companies who didn’t have the capacity to repay.
• An increase in lending to unproductive firms, popularly referred to as zombies will inflates credit growth and the resultant loan defaults haunt financial institutions at a later stage.

Black-winged stilts use platforms rising out of water to build their nests

Black-winged Stilts

• These black-winged stilt species do not normally occur in forests.
• It is found in wetlands with open shallow water, often in brackish habitats.
• The black-winged stilt species are partially migrant birds.
• IUCN status - Least Concern (LC).
• The CITES status - Not Evaluated.
• It is closely related to the black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae).
• It is distributed in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
• The black-winged stilt populations in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical ranges are usually sedentary and resident.
• They use platforms rising out of water to build their nests.