Current Affairs - National

As per the Henley Passport Index 2024, Indian citizens enjoy visa-free access to 62 countries. Despite this increase, India slipped one rank to 85th place. This suggests that while India's diplomatic relations may have improved marginally, other nations might have enhanced their visa policies or diplomatic ties at a faster pace, impacting India's relative position on the index. Additionally, France secures the top spot on the index, offering its citizens visa-free access to 194 countries, highlighting its strong global influence and diplomatic relations.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Fisheries and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) aims to improve fishermen's direct market access in India's fisheries industry through digital commerce. This initiative seeks to unlock the digital commerce potential, benefiting fishermen by facilitating better market reach and opportunities.

Uttarakhand is poised to introduce India's inaugural Helicopter Emergency Service (HEMS), aimed at swiftly transporting accident victims and patients from remote and hilly regions to AIIMS in Rishikesh. This initiative, operating under project 'Sanjeevani', marks a significant advancement in emergency medical services infrastructure.

NITI Aayog, the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, launched the GROW Initiative for Agroforestry Development, focusing on revitalizing India's wastelands. This initiative aims to utilize advanced technologies for analyzing and transforming underutilized wastelands into productive agroforestry zones.

The 7th Indian Ocean Conference took place in Perth, Australia. Organized by India Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the conference aimed to address various issues concerning the Indian Ocean region under the theme "Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean".