Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 2nd October 2024

1. 8 products used by Assam tribe, including traditional food items, granted GI tag 

• The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai has granted the GI tag to eight products from Assam, including traditional food items and several unique varieties of rice beer. 
• The application for Geographical Indication tags for three variants of rice beer was filed by the Bodo Traditional Association. 
• The first variant, 'Bodo Jou Gwran', has the highest percentage of alcohol (about 16.11%) compared with other varieties of rice beer made by the Bodo community. 
• The second variant, 'Maibra Jou Bidwi', known locally as 'Maibra Jwu Bidwi' or 'Maibra Zwu Bidwi', is revered and served as a welcome drink by most Bo- do tribes. It's prepared by 
• A GI tag has been secured by 'Bodo Napham', a dish prepared with fermented fish fermenting half-cooked rice (mairong) with less water, and adding a little 'amao' (a potential source of yeast) to it. 
• The third variant, called 'Bodo Jou Gishi', is also a traditionally fermented rice-based alcoholic beverage. 
• The GI filing states Bodoland has had a tradition of consuming rice beer since times immemorial. The Bodo people believe the drink originated from Lord Shiva, and it's taken as a medicine. 
• The Association of Traditional Food Products applied for four GI tags and obtained them successfully. A GI tag has been secured by 'Bodo Napham', a dish prepared with fermented fish. 
• A GI tag has also been secured by 'Bodo Ondla', a rice powder curry fla- voured with garlic, ginger, salt, and alkali. 
• The 'Bodo Gwkha' has also received the GI tag. Locally also known as 'Gwka Gwkhi', it's pre- pared during the Bwisagu festival. 
• The fourth speciality given the GI tag is 'Bodo Narzi', a semi-fermented food prepared with jute leaves (Corchorus capsularis), a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and essential minerals, including calcium and magnesium. 
• The 'Bodo Aronai', a small, beautiful cloth, also has the GI tag following the application by the Association of Traditional Bodo Weavers. 

2. India and France discuss defence cooperation and efforts to advance peace 

• France appreciates Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives to advance peace, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, while meeting National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who was in Paris for the India-France Strategic Dialogue. 
• Mr. Doval also discussed India's plans to procure French planes and submarines for the Navy during talks with his counterpart, the French President's Diplomatic Adviser Emmanuel Bonne, as well as French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Sources have confirmed that France had agreed to a "significant reduction" in the cost of 26 Rafale-M fighters. 
• "[Mr. Doval] reiterated the commitment to implement the Horizon 2047," the Indian Embassy in France said in a post, adding that Mr. Macron had "stressed the value of India and France's efforts to advance peace and address global challenges; appreciated Mr. Modi's initiatives". While the reference to the peace initiatives is mainly in relation to the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. 
• The doctors, who sought safety and an end to the "threat culture", had returned to work following assurances from the West Russia-Ukraine conflict, and New Delhi's efforts to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow, the NSA's visit came even as Israel announced its ground invasion of Lebanon. 
• In the past few days, Mr. Macron has spoken to the U.S. President Joe Biden, asking him to put pressure on Israel to stop its advances into Lebanon.

3. ISRO plans to launch 112-day mission to the planet Venus in March 2028 

• India's maiden mission to Venus, which is scheduled for launch in March 2028, will embark on a 112-day journey to reach the planet. The ₹1,236-crore Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) was recently approved by the Union Cabinet and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday revealed the targeted launch window for the mission. 
• According to the targeted launch window for VOM, the Earth departure date is scheduled on March 29, 2028, and the arrival date on Venus is July 19, 2028. VOM will be launched by the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3). 
• "LVM-3 has been identified as the candidate launch vehicle which will place the spacecraft in an Elliptical Parking Orbit (EPO) of 170 km x 36,000 km, 21.5 degrees inclination and Argument of Perigee (AOP) of 178 degrees. Minimum energy requirement (expressed as incremental velocity, V) for the launch opportunity that exists in 2028 for placing a spacecraft in an elliptical orbit of 500 x 60,000 km around Venus," ISRO said. The agency said that after the cruise phase, Venus Orbit Injection (VOI) will be at 500 km x 60,000 km. "Aerobraking will be employed for over a period of six to eight months from VOI to achieve the desired low altitude Science Orbit of 200 X600 km with an inclination of around 90 degrees, to carry out proposed science studies for a period of five years," it said. 
• ISRO said that 19 payloads will be onboard VOM, of which 16 are Indian payloads, two are Indian and international collaborative payloads, and there would be one international payload. ISRO added that VOM will explore the planet's atmosphere, surface and its interaction with the sun. 
• "Key objectives include examining dust in the Venusian atmosphere, mapping its topography in high resolution, studying the solar X-ray spectrum near Venus, analysing Venusian airglow, and investigating subsurface characteristics.," it added.