UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | September 16 to September 22, 2024

Schemes

Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched ‘White Revolution 2.0’ on Thursday. (Photo: PTI Photo)

• White Revolution 2.0

— Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on 19th September launched ‘White Revolution 2.0’, along with an action plan on the formation and strengthening of two lakh new Multipurpose Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, dairy and fishery cooperatives,

— The focus areas of the program are empowering women farmers, enhancing local milk production, strengthening dairy infrastructure, and boosting dairy exports.

— Operation Flood, launched in 1970 led to the White Revolution that transformed the dairy sector in India.

— The bulk of the funding for White Revolution 2.0 will come through the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) 2.0

• NPS Vatsalya Scheme

— The National Pension System Vatsalya (NPS Vatsalya) scheme which was announced in the Union Budget 2024-25 was launched by the Finance Minister on 18th September.

— Vatsalya is a new pension scheme for children in the age group of 0 to 18 years. A parent can deposit a minimum of 1000 per month and a maximum with no limit.

— This account will be operated by the parents until the child turns 18, after which the account will be in the name of the children. Once the child turns 18, the account can be seamlessly converted into a regular NPS account or a non-NPS scheme.

— It is regulated and administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory Authority of India (PFRDA).

(Source: PIB)

• PM-AASHA

— The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of schemes of PM-AASHA to provide remunerative prices to farmers and control price volatility of essential commodities for consumers.

— The Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) is an umbrella scheme launched in 2018 to ensure remunerative prices to farmers for their produce.

— The components of PM-AASHA will be the Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (POPS), and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).

• Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM JUGA)

— The Union Cabinet has approved an outlay of Rs 79,156 crore (Central Share: Rs.56,333 crore and State Share: Rs. 22,823 crore) for the PM JUGA, a new tribal welfare scheme that was announced in the Union Budget in July.

— The core objective of the scheme is to ensure saturation coverage and implementation of central schemes for improving the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities.

— It will cover 63,000 villages across 545 districts in 30 states and is aimed to benefit 5 crore tribal people.

— The scheme will consist of 25 welfare components under six broad categories – household and community infrastructure, connectivity, health, education, electrification, and economic empowerment.

— India has ST population of 10.45 crore as per the 2011 census and there are more than 705 tribal communities, spread across the country.

 

Environment

Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai and CM Pramod Sawant, launch ‘Prachin Vriksha Ayurvedic Chikitsa’ initiative on Tuesday. (@DrPramodPSawant/X)

• Prachin Vriksha Ayurvedic Chikitsa

— Goa Raj Bhavan has launched a Prachin Vriksha Ayurvedic Chikitsa initiative to protect and preserve ancient trees across the state.

— This was launched to celebrate the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

— Under this initiative, seven fruit-bearing trees which are over a hundred years old and steadily decaying due to infections, have been identified for Ayurvedic treatment to restore their health and extend their lifespan, Raj Bhavan said in a statement.

• Typhoon Bebinca

— Typhoon Bebinca hit the Lingang area of Shanghai’s Pudong district.

— It is the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai in 75 years.

Amur falcon (Falco Amurensis).(Image source: Brajesh Khoyumthem)

• Amur Falcon

— The district administrator of Manipur’s Tamenglong district has imposed a ban on hunting, catching, killing and selling of the migratory bird Amur falcon (Falco Amurensis) which is locally known as Kahuaipuina (Akhuipuina).

— The bird arrives mainly in Manipur and Nagaland on its southbound migration from breeding grounds in North China, Eastern Mongolia and far-east Russia en-route to its wintering grounds in South Africa.

— IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern.

— It is covered under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and are also fully protected by national legislation in India.

 

Polity

• One Nation, One Election

— The Union Cabinet has cleared the proposal to hold simultaneous elections in India, as recommended by a high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind.

— The move to simultaneous elections would be effected in two phases — in the first phase, Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be aligned; the second phase, which will be held within 100 days of the first, will cover local body elections.

•  Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)

— A working paper released by the EAC-PM has shown that western and southern states “performed notably better” than the rest of the country over six decades from 1960-61 to 2023-24.

— Maharashtra and Gujarat have consistently shown strong economic performance while West Bengal recorded a “continuous decline.”

— EAC-PM is an independent body constituted to advise on economic and related issues to the Government of India, specifically to the Prime Minister.

— At present Dr. Bibek Debroy is the chairman of the EAC-PM.

 

International Cooperation

• Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

— FATF has come out with the Mutual Evaluation Report for India on 19th September.

— The FATF is an intergovernmental organisation formed in 1989 as a G7 initiative to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering. In 2001, the FATF expanded its mandate to also combat terrorist financing.

— Currently, there are 40 member countries and India joined the FATF in 2010.

— The FATF monitors countries to ensure they implement the FATF standards fully and effectively.

— FATF has given the “regular follow-up” rating to India which is shared by only four other G20 countries — the UK, France, Italy, and Russia (suspended from FATF in February 2023).

— Most of the developing countries are in the “enhanced follow-up” category, which requires submission of reports on an annual basis, as against once in three years in the “regular follow-up” category.

• Indus Water Treaty

— India has sent a formal notice to Pakistan, this time seeking the “review and modification” of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).

— The IWT was signed between India and Pakistan on September 19, 1960, for the use of water available in the Indus and its tributaries.

— It was signed in Karachi by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan President Mohammed Ayub Khan after nine years of negotiations arranged by the World Bank.

Map showing the Indus water system that is crucial for both Pakistan and Northern India. (Express Graphic)

• UN General Assembly

— India on Wednesday abstained in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on a resolution that demanded Israel to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within 12 months.

— The UNGA, the United Nation’s chief policy-making and representative organ, was created in 1945. It meets in regular sessions from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.

— It consists of 193 member states who have equal right to vote.

— The President of the 79th session of the UNGA is Philemon Yang of Cameroon.

(Source: un.org)

 

Events in News

PM Narendra Modi during the RE-INVEST 2024 in Gandhinagar on Monday. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

• 4th Global RE-INVEST

— The 4th Global Renewable Energy- Investment (RE-INVEST) meet and Expo was organised from 16 – 18 September 2024 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.

— Host state: Gujarat

— Partner states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.

— Country partners: Australia, Denmark, Germany, and Norway.

— RE-Invest is a global platform bringing together key players in the renewable energy sector.

— The first RE-INVEST India was held in 2015, the second was held in 2018 and the third RE-INVEST India was held in 2020.

(Source: re-invest.in)

•  National Engineer’s Day

— September 15 is celebrated as National Engineer’s Day to honors the contributions of engineers and commemorate the birth anniversary of Sir M. Visvesvaraya.

— Sir Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1861, and made groundbreaking contributions to the field of civil engineering, including the design and implementation of significant infrastructure projects.

— It was in 1968 that the Government of India declared that  Sir M Visvesvaraya’s birth anniversary would be celebrated as Engineer’s Day.

• 8th India Water Week

— The 8th India Water Week 2024 was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on 17th September 2024.

— It is a biennial event that will be held from September 17-20.

— This year’s India Water Week theme is ‘Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management’.

• COP29 in Azerbaijan

— Azerbaijan is hosting the COP29 in its capital, Baku, from November 11 to 22.

— Azerbaijan has decided to launch a new fund to finance climate action in the developing world.

— The Climate Finance Action Fund (CFAF) would seek “voluntary” contributions from fossil-fuel-producing countries and companies, with Azerbaijan, itself a petroleum economy, making the initial contribution.

— The CFAF is part of a large package of proposals that Azerbaijan has prepared for inclusion in the final outcome of COP29.

Union Minister of Food Processing Industries and LJP (Ram Vilas) Chief Chirag Paswan and MoS Ravneet Singh Bittu during a press conference on the occasion of World Food India, in New Delhi, Wednesday. PTI

• World Food India 2024

— The third edition of the World Food India 2024 was organised in New Delhi from 19th-22nd September.

— It is organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India to bring together the policymakers & regulators, global investors, business leaders, and key executives of prominent global and domestic food companies.

• International Day of Peace

— The International Day of Peace is observed on September 21. It was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly.

— The theme for this year is Cultivating a Culture of Peace.

 

Science and Technology

Footage from the launch showed the rocket blasting off from a mobile launcher at a site near Shahroud, approximately 350 kilometers east of Tehran. (AP)

• Chamran-1 satellite

— Iran has successfully launched its Chamran-1 research satellite into orbit through the Qaem-100 rocket developed by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

— The Chamran-1 satellite, weighing 60 kilograms, was placed into a 550-kilometer orbit.

— It is designed to test “hardware and software systems for orbital maneuver technology.”

• Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP)

— Phosphoric acid which is the chief ingredient of DAP has been finding its way into the production of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), fuelling the “food versus cars” dilemma.

— DAP is the second most consumed fertiliser after urea. It contains 46% phosphorous (P).

— Phosphorous (P) is required by the plant at the early growth stages of root and shoot development. The ‘P’ comes from phosphoric acid, which is manufactured from rock phosphate ore after grounding and reacting with sulphuric acid.

— Phosphoric acid is also the source of ‘P’ in lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries.

— India imports phosphoric acid mainly from Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia and rock phosphate from Morocco, Togo, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE for the domestic production of DAP, as well as other P-containing fertilisers.

Isro will aim for a March 2028 launch for the Venus mission announced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (PTI Photo)

• 4 key ISRO projects

— The Union Cabinet approved four space projects for ISRO on Wednesday.

— the Venus mission which is aimed for a March 2028 launch. This will be India’s second mission to a planet, after the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2014. The purpose of the mission will be to study the surface of the planet, its dust and cloud, volcanism, atmosphere, and ionosphere, as well as the interaction of the planet with the sun.

—  The Chandrayaan-4 mission is designed to land on the lunar surface, collect samples, store them in a vacuum container, and bring them back.

— The Cabinet has also approved the setting up of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS). The space agency has set a deadline of December 2029 for the completion of all launches and operations of the first module of BAS.

— The Cabinet gave a nod to the building of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle, which will increase Isro’s launch capability from the current 10T to the low earth orbit to 30T to the low earth orbit.

• Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas

— Last week, M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) launched the Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas online.

— It has been developed by researchers at the Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

— It provides estimated values of renewable energy that can be generated from either individual or integrated blue renewable sources at potential sites along the coast.

Earth, moon, and a mini moon, generated by Gemini.

• 2024 PT5

— According to a new study, the Earth’s gravitational field will temporarily capture a small asteroid, called 2024 PT5, in late September. It is called a mini-moon. The asteroid will stay for two months before flying off into space.

— Mini-moons are asteroids that fail to escape Earth’s gravity and end up orbiting the planet for some time. They are usually very small and hard to detect — only four mini-moons of Earth have ever been discovered, and none are still orbiting Earth, according to a report by The Planetary Society.

— This asteroid was discovered with the help of the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

 

Diseases

(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)

• Nipah virus

— A 24-year-old from Kerala’s Malappuram district, who died earlier this month, was confirmed to be positive for the Nipah virus. This was the second death due to the infection reported this year.

— The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had sent monoclonal antibodies to Kerala for the treatment.

— Nipah is a viral infection that mainly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs, and horses.

— Humans get infected when they come in contact with the saliva, urine, or faecal matter of infected animals — by eating fruits that have been bitten into by the animals or scaling trees where the bats live.

— People with Nipah start showing symptoms around four to 14 days after getting infected. The infection causes fever, headache, cough, sore throat and difficulty breathing. In later stages, the infection can also lead to brain swelling or encephalitis, putting the person into coma within 24 to 48 hours.

 

Pests

The pink bollworm burrows its larvae onto the cotton boll, staining and cutting the lint. (Wikimedia Commons)

• Pink Bollworm (PBW)

— Farmers in Haryana are deserting cotton cultivation due to deadly pink bollworm.

— The PBW, known among farmers as gulabi sundhi, damages the cotton crop by burrowing its larvae into the cotton bolls.

— The PBW first appeared in North India during the 2017-18 season, in a few locations of Haryana and Punjab, primarily cultivating Bt cotton.

— It primarily spreads through the air. Residue of infected crops, often left by farmers on the field to be used as fuel, can also harbour PBW larvae which can then infect future crops.

 

Awards

The cast and crew of Shogun (left) and Hacks accept the award for Best Drama Series and Best Comedy Series, respectively, at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California. (Images: Reuters)

• 2024 Emmy Awards winners

— The Emmy Awards are the most renowned accolades given to television and emerging media performances. Unlike Oscars and Golden Globe awards, they aren’t given for films.

— The Emmy Awards were conceived in 1948 and the first ceremony took place on January 25, 1949.

— This year Shogun set a single-season record for most wins with 18.

 

Category	Winner of the 76th annual Emmy Awards
Drama series	Shogun
Comedy series	Hacks
Actress in a drama series	Anna Sawai, Shogun
Actor in a drama series	Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun
Limited, anthology series or movie	Baby Reindeer
Actress in a comedy series	Jean Smart, Hacks
Actor in a comedy series	Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

 

Sports

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

• Asian Champions Trophy hockey

— India won the Asian Champions Trophy hockey by defeating host China to clinch their fifth Asian Championship Trophy.

— India has won the men’s Asian Champions Trophy a record five times.

 

Terms making buzz

— Punganur breed of Cow: A calf was born at the PM residence which was named ‘Deepjyoti’. The cow belonged to the Punganur breed of Andhra Pradesh. The Punganur is an indigenous breed native to the Punganoor, Vayalapadu, Madanapalli, and Palamaneer talukas of the Chittoor district of southern Andhra Pradesh. They are a unique dwarf breed, considered the shortest-humped cattle in the world.

 

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

A. It is one of the chief ingredients of Di-ammonium phosphate. Sulphuric acid is used in its production. Its ingredient is also used in the production of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). The crops require it at the early growth stages of root and shoot development.

Identify the element.

(a) Ammonia

(b) Potassium

(c) Magnesium

(d) Phosphorus

B. Consider the following statements:

1. India is one of the founding members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

2. FATF has given an “enhanced follow-up” rating to India which requires submission of reports on an annual basis.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

C. Which of the following birds is locally known as Kahuaipuina?

(a) White-tailed Robin

(b) Indian Cuckoo

(c) Amur Falcon

(d) Red-wattled Lapwing

 

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