KISAN KAVACH
- India’s first-of-its-kind anti-pesticide bodysuit
- Its main use is to safeguard farmers from the harmful effects of pesticide exposure.
- A washable and reusable anti-pesticide bodysuit
- Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC-inStem), Bangalore, in collaboration with Sepio Health Pvt. Ltd., developed it.
- It employs nucleophile attachment on cotton fabric, which deactivates harmful pesticides upon contact, preventing toxicity.
- It also helps to avoid health risks like breathing disorders and vision loss.
JALVAHAK
- The Jalvahak initiative aims to promote long-haul cargo transportation via inland waterways.
- It is a cargo promotion scheme designed to incentivize the movement of long-haul cargo through India’s national waterways.
- It is launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW).
- The initiative is implemented jointly by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Inland & Coastal Shipping Limited (ICSL).
- It also aims to decongest roads and railways by shifting freight movement to waterways.
APICULTURE
- It is the practice of managing and caring for bee colonies to harvest honey and other products such as beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and pollen.
- It supports sustainable agriculture and the production of honey and related products.
- The UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day to raise awareness and protect pollinators.
- Beehives are structures where bee colonies are housed.
- Bees collect nectar from flowers, which they process into honey by evaporating the water content and storing it in wax cells within the hive.
- The wax produced by bees to build their honeycomb is harvested for various uses, including cosmetics, candles, and as a coating for cheese.