SUFALAM 2025 (Start-Up Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors)

Context: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), in collaboration with the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM)-Kundli, Haryana organized the SUFALAM 2025.

Strategic Collaborations: An MoU was signed between NIFTEM-K and FICSI to enhance food tech innovation and skill development across the value chain.

• Technology Transfer Milestones: Technologies like the Millet Nutribar and makhana-based cookies were officially transferred to food start-ups, boosting commercialization of research.

About SUFALAM 2025

• Vision: To empower innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability in India’s food processing sector.
• Impact: The conclave facilitates collaboration, drives innovation, and accelerates growth in the food processing industry, with a focus on transforming startups into established businesses.

India’s Agricultural Production and Contribution 

• India is the world’s second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables and ranks among the top producers of milk, pulses, spices, and cereals.
• The agri-food sector contributes significantly to GDP and provides livelihoods to over 50% of the population.

National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM)

• NIFTEMis a premier institution in India dedicated to food technology and management.
• Establishment: NIFTEM was established in 2012 under the aegis of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Government of India.
• Focus Areas: It  is a center of excellence in food technology and entrepreneurship.

‘Sharia Court’ and ‘Court Of Kazi’

Context: The Supreme Court clarified that bodies like the Court of Kazi, Darul Kaza (Kajiyat), or Sharia Courts have no legal status under Indian law.

What is the Sharia Court and Court of Kazi?

• Sharia Court and Court of Kazi refer to informal bodies or councils in some Muslim communities.
  • Sharia Court: Resolves issues like family disputes, marriage, divorce, inheritance, and other personal matters based on Sharia law.
  • Court of Kazi: : These courts also deal with personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and other disputes. Line sharia court, they lack legal status in India. 
  • Darul Kaza (Kajiyat): It means “house of judgment.”
    • Similar to the Court of Kazi, it acts as an informal forum to resolve disputes or issue decisions (fatwas) based on Islamic laws and principles.

Supreme Court’s Stand on Sharia Courts

• Non-enforceable: Any declaration by such bodies, including fatwas, is not binding on anyone and cannot be enforced by law.
• Condition for Validity: Such decisions are valid only if:
• • Both affected parties voluntarily accept them.
  • They do not conflict with any existing law.
  • Even then, they are valid only between the consenting parties and not enforceable on any third party.

Cholistan (Places In News)

Context: Recently, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari  ordered all canal projects to be put on hold that was approved in 2024 to boost agriculture and food security.

About Cholistan Desert

• Location: The Cholistan Desert is situated in the southern part of Punjab province in Pakistan, close to the India-Pakistan border.
• Locally, it is also known as Rohi.
• It is part of the Greater Thar Desert, which stretches across Sindh (Pakistan) and Rajasthan (India).
• It spreads across three districts: Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan. 
• Climate: The Cholistan Desert has a hot, dry climate typical of arid and semi-arid tropical deserts.
• Historical significance: Cholistan was once a key route for caravan trade, which resulted in the construction of several forts during medieval times.
  • The Derawar Fort is the most famous and best-preserved among them.

Locust Swarm

Context: The new research proposes that locusts don’t just follow others blindly, instead, they make decisions based on what they perceive around them.

• Their motion is guided by cognitive processing, not just mechanical response.

About Locusts

• Locusts are a type of grasshopper that can change their behavior and form swarms when their population becomes dense. 
• What Makes Them Unique: When crowded, they undergo a process called gregarisation:
  • Their body changes (e.g., color, size, and brain chemistry).
  • They become highly social and start moving together in large groups called swarms.

Locust Swarm

• A locust swarm is a large group of locusts that travel and feed together.
• These swarms, known historically as “locust plagues,” can cause famine and economic disaster.
• Formation: Swarms form when environmental conditions (like rainfall and vegetation growth) cause locust populations to grow rapidly.
• Behavior Change: Crowded locusts change from solitary to social (gregarious) and begin moving as a coordinated group.
• Impact: Swarms destroy crops, threaten food security, and can cause serious economic damage.

Locust Warning Organisation (LWO)

• The Locust Warning Organisation (LWO) is a specialized agency under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare that monitors and manages locust threats to protect crops. 
• It was established in 1939.

Sycophancy in AI

Context: OpenAI has rolled back a recent update to its GPT-4o model in ChatGPT after users noticed the AI behaving in a way that the company describes as “sycophantic.”

What is sycophancy in AI?

• Sycophancy in AI refers to a model’s tendency to agree with the user, even if the user is wrong. 
• The AI tailors its responses to align with the user’s views rather than sticking to factual accuracy. 
• This behaviour is considered undesirable, as it risks producing misleading or incorrect outputs.
• Example: A user says, “I think the Earth is flat,” and instead of correcting this, a sycophantic AI agrees with the statement.

Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI)

Context: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI).

About Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI)

• Launched by: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
• Objective: Establish a framework to certify green hydrogen production and ensure transparency, traceability, and market credibility.
• Mandatory Certification for: All domestic producers
  • Exemption: Those producing exclusively for export
• Certification process: Conducted by Accredited Carbon Verification (ACV) Agencies listed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

About National Green Hydrogen Mission

• Launched in 2023 by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
• Aim: To make India a Global Hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.
• Expected Outcomes by 2030:
  • Development of production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum
  • Over Rs. Eight lakh crore in total investments
  • Creation of over Six lakh jobs
  • Cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports over Rs. One lakh crore
  • Abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions

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