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International Relations
India and Australia sign audio-visual co-production agreement
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India and Australia have signed an audio-visual co-production agreement.
About
- Under the agreement, private, quasi-government or governmental agencies of the two countries enter into contracts to produce films together.
- The agreement seeks to offer filmmakers financial incentives amounting to up to 30 per cent of the expenditure incurred in the respective countries.
- Producers’ contributions: The respective contributions of the producers of the two countries may vary from 20% to 80% of the final total cost of co-produced work.
- The government has so far entered into 15 such agreements with various countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Canada.
Film Facilitation Office (FFO)
- The government established a Film Facilitation Office (FFO) to ease the process of film shooting in India.
- The FFO acts as a single-window platform for coordination with various states as well as bodies such as the Indian Railways and the Archaeological Survey of India among others.
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Environment
Saffron Farmers Fight Climate Change with Indoor Farming
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To tackle the impacts of climate change and increase saffron production, farmers in Kashmir have resorted to a new technique: indoor farming.
About
- Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), commonly known as red gold, is one of the most expensive and valuable spice crops in the world market.
- Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the iris family Iridaceae.
- Cultivation: Saffron cultivation is simple and easy. Its harvest cycle is also 3 - 4 months, and it can reach a height of 15-20 cm.
- Major Saffron Production states: Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh
- Ideal Conditions: fertile soil, good climate, a long photoperiod and a dry, moist soil.
- Soil type required: loamy, sandy, calcareous, gravelly soil
- Water requirement: Less
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Science & Technology
Severe scrub typhus
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A team of Indian scientists has identified a significantly more effective treatment for severe scrub typhus.
Effective treatment:
Combination of intravenous antibiotics doxycycline and azithromycin is more effective than the current monotherapy of using either drug alone.
About Scrub typhus
- Scrub typhus is a life-threatening bacterial infection that kills thousands of people every year.
- Also known as bush typhus, it is a disease caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi.
- Scrub typhus is spread to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites).
- The most common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash.
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Science & Technology
STEM courses in India
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Prime Minister Modi said the enrolment of girls in STEM in India is at 43%, more than countries like America, the U.K. and Germany.
About STEM
- STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
- STEM is an educational program developed to prepare primary and secondary students for college, graduate study and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
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The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on 11 February, is implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women.
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