Achanakmar Tiger Reserve

• Location: It is located in the Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh.
• It was declared a tiger reserve in 2009.
• It is a part of the huge Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve.
• Maniyari River flows right from the centre of this reserve, which is the forest’s lifeline.
• It has a corridor connecting to Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger reserves and plays a critical role in the dispersal of tigers among these reserves.
• Vegetation: Tropical deciduous forest.
• Flora: Sal, bija, saja, haldu, teak, tinsa, dhawara, lendia, khamar and bamboo bloom here along with over 600 species of medicinal plants.
• Fauna: Wild fauna includes the tiger, leopard, bison, flying squirrel, Indian giant squirrel, chinkara, wild dog, hyena, sambar, chital and over 150 species of birds.

 

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International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)

• ICAO is an intergovernmental specialized agency associated with the United Nations (UN).
• It was established in 1947 by the Convention on International Civil Aviation (1944) known as Chicago Convention.
• Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
• Functions:
  • ICAO is dedicated to developing safe and efficient international air transport for peaceful purposes and ensuring a reasonable opportunity for every state to operate international airlines.
  • It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security and facilitation, efficiency, and economic development of air transport as well as to improve the environmental performance of aviation.
  • It also serves as a clearinghouse for cooperation and discussion on civil aviation issues among its 193 member states.
  • It also promotes regional and international agreements aimed at liberalizing aviation markets.
  • It helps to establish legal standards to ensure that the growth of aviation does not compromise safety, and encourages the development of other aspects of international aviation law.

 

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Unified Logistics Interface Platform

• It was launched in 2022 as a part of the ‘National Logistics Policy (NLP)’.
• It is designed for enhancing efficiency and reducing the cost of logistics in India by creating a transparent, single-window platform to provide real-time information to all stakeholders.
• It was emphasized that the solution should have visibility of multi-modal transport and all the existing systems should be integrated with the ULIP system to create a National Single Window Logistics Portal.
• It will provide real-time monitoring of cargo movement and ensure the confidentiality of data with end-to-end encryption.
• There are three key components of this platform namely
  • Integration with existing data sources of ministries
  • Data exchange with private players
  • Unified document reference in the supply chain