Current Affairs Question - 03 October 2020

Explanation :

To mark the occasion of 151 years of postcards in India, Maharashtra Circle of India Post has released picture postcards on Sawantwadi Toys on October 1, 2020.

The postcard is inspired by Prime Miniinsp'sspeech about the country's ability to become a "toy hub”.

About Samantwadi Toys

• Sawantwadi toys refer to hand made works of art made of wood in Sawantwadi a town in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Most of these toys are made in the village of Kolgaon in Sawantwaditaluka.
• These toys are made from the wood of the Indian Coral tree (Erythrinavariegata).
• Craftsmen who make these toys belong to the Chittari community who came to Sawantwadi from Karwar and Goa.

Indian Coral Tree

• Also known as tiger's claw, it is a species of Erythrina native to the tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, northern Australia, and the islands of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean east to Fiji.
• It is often used in agroforestry systems. It can be used for fodder as its foliage has a good nutritive value for most livestock.

Explanation :

• On 28th September, 2020, NITI Aayog and Embassy of the Netherlands signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to support the decarbonization and energy transition agenda for accommodating cleaner and more energy.
• It seek a strategic partnership to create a platform that enables a comprehensive collaboration among stakeholders and influencers, including policymakers, private enterprises, and sector experts.

Key Elements of SoI

• To lower the net carbon footprint in industrial and transport sectors.
• To realise the target potential of natural gas and promote bio-energy technologies.
• To adopt clean air technologies from monitoring to reducing actual particulates.
• To adopt next-generation technologies, such as hydrogen, carbon capture utilization, and storage forsectoral energy efficiency.
• To set up financial frameworks to deliver and adopt climate change finance.

Significance

• Both India and the Netherlands have set up sustainable energy targets and they face similar issues in realizing cleaner energy transition goals.
• So, India’s expertise in deploying high-tech solutions in a cost-effective manner in combination with the Dutch expertise in low carbon technologies will strengthen the Indo-Dutch collaboration.
• Further, SoIwill help both the countries to move towards becoming climate-resilient economies.