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Posted 29 Mar 2024

9 min read

Core Sector

Combined ICI increased by 6.7% (provisional) in February 2024 as compared to the Index of February 2023.
The ICI measures the combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries.
- Eight core industries are Fertilizers, Cement, Natural Gas, Crude Oil, Coal, Electricity, Steel, and Petroleum Refinery Products.
  - They comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
- ICI is released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

ISARC will develop rice varieties with low methane emissions and enhance productivity of premium quality nutritious rice.
- To achieve this, ISARC is promoting adoption of best agronomic and management practices like Dry Seeded Rice and Alternate Wet and Drying.

About ISARC
- Established in 2018 through MoU between India’s Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and IRRI.
- Located at Varanasi, Utter Pradesh.
- Dedicated to strengthening rice-based agri-food system in South Asia region by developing climate-resilient, bio-fortified rice varieties for farmers and consumers.

About IRRI (HQ: Philippines)
- Dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; etc.

Harbour Phase of the exercise Tiger Triumph is being conducted at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh.
Tiger Triumph is a Bilateral Tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Amphibious Exercise between India and the US.

Moyar valley located in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is the only region with largest nesting colony of Gyps vultures in wild.

About Gyps Indicus
- Characteristics
  - Possess whitish feathers on a dark head and neck, and a pale collar.
  - Colonial nesters and often seen in flocks.
  - Population is declining.
- Habitat
  - Habitat Specialization: Open Grassland.
  - Found in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan.
- Protection Status
  - IUCN: Critically Endangered
  - Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
- Conservation Measures
  - Banning of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like diclofenac, Ketoprofen for veterinary use.
  - Vulture Action Plan 2020-25.