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International Relations

India hands over 100 nautical charts to Kenya

India has handed over to Kenya 100 nautical charts covering the general coastal area around the Lamu Archipelago, following a joint survey of the area by the Navies of the two countries.

About:

• A joint survey of the coastal area around the Lamu Archipelago near Northern Kenya.
• The survey was carried out under the aegis of the National Hydrography Office that functions under the Indian Navy at a total cost of about US$ 1.8 Million.
• India has also been providing capacity building assistance to the hydrographers from Kenya.

What are nautical charts?

• A nautical chart is a map that depicts the configuration of the shoreline and seafloor.
• It provides water depths, locations of dangers to navigation, locations and characteristics of aids to navigation, anchorages, and other features.

International Relations

G20 Education Working Group meeting

The first G20 Education Working Group meeting concluded in India, with the member countries resolving to collaborate with universities across the globe to enhance technology-enabled learning.

About the meeting:

• It was a two-day conclave presided by India in Chennai.
• There would be 3 supplementary meetings of the education group before arriving at a broad consensus in June this year.
• It saw participation of 80 delegates from 30 countries, representatives from international organisations from member nations besides special invitees.
• The member nations expressed willingness to promote lifelong learning process in the context of the future of working atmospheres, and also find long-term sustainable solution to similar educational challenges faced by the member countries in different geographies.
• The meet also discussed on areas for an inclusive, equitable, relevant and quality education.

Science and Technology

Old coronavirus variants found in Deer

According to new research, Delta became the dominant variant in humans, Alpha and Gamma continued to circulate in white-tailed deer.

About the study:

• The findings, which are based on samples collected through December 2021, provide more evidence that deer could be a reservoir of the virus and a potential source of future variants, which could spill back into human populations.
• The scale of the risk that infected deer pose to humans remains unclear.
• Genetic sequencing revealed that three different variants of concern — Alpha, Gamma and Delta — were all present in deer during the 2021 season.