Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 3rd September 2021

What is in news : A recent data revealed that the Bengaluru is the most linguistically diverse district in the country

Details :

• Data culled from the 2011 census
• City is home to 107 scheduled and non-scheduled languages, attesting to its cosmopolitanism
• Second place is Pune
• There are 121 scheduled and non-scheduled languages in India
• According to data, Kannada was listed as the mother tongue of 44.62 per cent of the city’s population. Among scheduled languages, Kannada shares space with Hindi, Maithili, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Urdu, Konkani, Santali, Marathi, Manipuri and Nepali.
• The non-scheduled languages include English, Kabuli, Pashto, Tibetan, Arabic, Nishi, Mundari, Lushai, Nicobarese, Sherpa, languages from Nagaland among others.
• In the south alone, data shows that Kerala is not very diverse and neither is Tamil Nadu, barring Kanchipuram and Chennai
• Bengaluru’s growth is also due to
  • Land use policies  Reputation for infrastructure
  • Thriving IT and construction sectors
  • Government’s inability to create an alternative to the state capital that is grappling with a host of infrastructure problem   

SOCIAL ISSUES

What is Academic Bank of Credit:

• Virtual storehouse
• Keep records of academic credits secured by a student.
• Drafted on the lines of the National Academic Depository
• Function as a commercial bank where students will be the customers and ABC will offer several services to these students.
• The academic accounts of students will have credits awarded by higher education Institutes to students for the courses they are pursuing.
• Will not accept any credit course document directly from the students, and its institutes that will make the deposits in students’ accounts.
• Benefits for students
  • The participating HEIs in the ABC scheme will enable students to build their degrees as per their choices.
  • As per UGC guidelines, the higher education institutes will have to allow students to acquire credits 50-70% of credits assigned to a degree from any institute.
  • Students, depending upon their needs can take this opportunity.
  • UGC will ensure that students secured the minimum credits to be secured in the core subject area.

What is Glue Grant scheme :

• Announced in this 2021 budget
• Institutions in the same city would be encouraged to share resources, equipment and even allow their students to take classes from each other
• First step for multidiciplinarity
• Institutions need not duplicate work by developing the same capacities, but would able to build on each other’s expertise.

What is in news : Forty Central universities will kick off implementation of innovative measures such as the academic credit bank and the glue grant meant to encourage multidisciplinarity

ECONOMY

What is in news: Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) has launched a new initiative that enables Google Pay users to book fixed deposits (FDs) on Google Pay in just 2 minutes without opening a bank account.

Details :

• Available for Google Pay users who are using the app from Android devices.
• Principal and interest of the FD will go directly to the Google Pay user’s existing bank account once the FDs are matured.
• High FD returns as compared to other private lenders or public state lenders.
• Under RBI Scheduled Commercial Bank, deposits in Equitas are covered through a deposit guarantee up to Rs 5 lakhs per depositor.
• Customers get returns of up to 6.35% for an FD of one year.
• The proceeds will automatically go to Google Pay user’s existing Google Pay linked bank account, on maturity.
• What will happen on Premature withdrawal: If a Google Pay user go for premature withdrawal of deposits, proceeds will reach their bank account the same day.

Equitas small finance Bank : This small finance bank was founded in 2016 as a microfinance lender. It became a scheduled bank in 2017. It is headquartered in Chennai, and is a subsidiary of holding company Equitas Holdings Ltd.

HISTORY – ART - CULTURE

Who are the Panj Piarae:

• Group of five baptised people
• Concept and tradition
• Founded by 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.
• Guru Established the institution of Panj Piare while founding the Khalsa on the day of Baisakhi in 1699
• Addressing a large gathering, he asked for five heads for sacrifice.
• Five men responded to his call and the Guru baptised them and called them Panj Piare.
• Since then, every group of five baptised Sikhs is called Panj Piare and accorded the respect enjoyed by the first five Sikhs

Who were the first Panj Piare:

• The Panj Piare were from different castes and states of India.
• Bhai Daya Ram hailed from Lahore
• Bhai Dharam Rai was from Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh
• Bhai Himmat Rai came from Jagannath in Odisha
• Bhai Mohkam Rai from Gujarat
• Bhai Sahib Chand was from Bidar, Karnataka

What is in news :  Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has apologised for comparing Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu and his four advisers to the Panj Piare

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

What :

• Important international boundary line
• Between the countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan

Facts

• Fixed by British civil servant Sir Henry Mortimer Durand and the then Afghan Emir, Abdur Rahman Khan in 1893.
• Established in order to fix the respective spheres of influence and also to improve the diplomatic ties between the British establishment in India and the Afghan Kingdom. It was accepted as the then Indo-Afghan border.
• The line cuts through the Pashtun homelands of the region. The line divides ethnic Pashtuns and Balochs, who live on both sides of the border.
• The Pakistani side of the border includes, among others, the North Western Frontier Province, which was renamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2010.
• The length of the Durand Line is 2430 km.
• The line was slightly modified by the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919. The treaty was meant to be for 100 years, but in 1999, it was not renewed.
• The modern state of Afghanistan does not accept the Durand Line.
• However, it is internationally recognised as the western border of Pakistan.
• India also has a small claim to the borderline, through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (about 105 km of the easternmost section of the boundary line).

Present situation :

• The borderline is deemed as one of the most dangerous in modern times.
• The ongoing conflict in the Waziristan region, which is located on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line, has become a hub of drug trafficking, kidnapping and general lawlessness.
• The region even acts as a feeder area for the larger Golden Crescent, one of the largest drug trafficking networks on the planet.

What is in news : The new Afghan government is yet to announce its position on this issue.

When : September 2

What is in news : Coir Board organized a National Webinar on ‘Coconut to Coir Technologies'

About :

• Aim - Create awareness across the globe about the usage of coconut and its myriad benefits.
• By - Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) celebrate the day with great enthusiasm.

About APCC

• Intergovernmental organisation
• Established in 1969
• Under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) 
• For the sustained development of the coconut sector.

Facts about Coconut

• Fruit of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L).
• Probably originated somewhere in Indo-Malaya.
• Flesh is high in fat and can be eaten fresh or dried or processed into coconut milk or coconut oil.
• Liquid present in the nut of a coconut known as coconut water is also used in beverages.
• One coconut palm may yield 100 coconuts and every fruit requires a year to completely ripen.

Uses of Coconut

• Considered one of the simplest drinks to stay hydrated.
• Highly nutritious. Contain protein, several important minerals, and small amounts of B vitamins. It also contains manganese, which is important for bone health and in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and cholesterol.
• May benefit the health of the heart. In some studies, it has been found that people who live on Polynesian islands and regularly eat coconut may have lower rates of heart disease than those that follow a Western diet.
• May promote blood sugar control. Coconut is low in carbs and high in fiber and fat, and so, it may help stabilize blood sugar.
• Also contains powerful antioxidants.
• Said that it helps in weight loss also. It includes medium-chain fatty acids that not only help in weight loss but improve metabolism rate simultaneously

• To create awareness and promote Geographical Indication (GI) tag products of Karnataka, Department of Posts, Karnataka Postal Circle, released special covers on such products.The products that are showcased in special covers are: Mysore Silk, Coorg Arabica Coffee, Chikkamagaluru Arabica Coffee, Bababudangiris Coffee, Devanahalli Pomelo, Bangalore Blue Grapes, Bangalore Rose Onion, Mysore Sandal Soap, Kolhapuri Chappal, and Mysore Agarbathi
• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna CPSU under Ministry of Power, Government of India has been awarded the coveted “Association for Talent Development (ATD) 2021 BEST Award” securing 8thrank among the 71 organizations from around the globe, thus becoming the only PSU to win this award and one of the only two companies of India in Top 20. The Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) is the world's largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations and ATD’s BEST Award is the talent development industry’s most rigorous and coveted recognition. PAL is POWERGRID’s state-of-the-art Institute of Learning in Management and Technology catering to both domestic and international clients.
• Indian Railways’ Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5- star 'Eat Right Station' certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers. This certification is granted by FSSAI to railway stations adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices

• GI is a sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location.
• The tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users are allowed to use the product name.