Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 9th Oct 2021

What is in news : A book on life of Shivaram Karanth called “GROWING OF KARANTH” was recently released

About :

Kota Shivarama Karanth

• Was born on  October 1902 at Kota near Kundapura in the Udupi district
• Was an Indian polymath, who was a novelist in Kannada language, playwright and an ecological conservationist.
• Ramachandra Guha called him the "Rabindranath Tagore of Modern India, who has been one of the finest novelists-activists since independence
• Was the third writer to be decorated with the Jnanpith Award for Kannada
• Began writing in 1924 and soon published his first book, Rashtrageetha Sudhakara, a collection of poems.
• First novel was Vichitrakoota.
• Works like Nirbhagya Janma ("Unfortunate Birth") and Sooleya Samsara ("Family of a Prostitute") mirrored the pathetic conditions of the poor.
• Magnum opus Devaddhootaru, a satire on contemporary India, was published in 1928
• Was an intellectual and environmentalist who made notable contribution to the art and culture of Karnataka
• Considered one of the most influential novelists in the Kannada language. His novels Marali Mannige, Bettada Jeeva, Alida Mele, Mookajjiya Kanasugalu, Mai Managala Suliyalli, Ade OOru Ade Mara, Shaneeshwarana Neralinalli, Kudiyara Koosu, Svapnada Hole, Sarsammana Samadhi, and Chomana Dudi are widely read and have received critical acclaim

Many of Karanth's novels have been translated into other Indian languages. Marali Mannige got translated to English by Padma Ramachandra Sharma, has been conferred the State Sahitya Akademi award.

ECONOMY

What is in news : The spices growers of Kanniyakumari have obtained the Geographical Indication Tag for the clove being grown in the hilly regions of the district as it is known for its rich aromatic oil content.

Details : Clove, one of the prominent spice crops of the district, is grown on 760 hectares in the densely wooded areas of Maaraamalai, Blackrock and Velimalai in the Western Ghats of the Veerapuli Reserve Forests and Mahendragiri. The district represents about 73% of the area under clove in Tamil Nadu.

MAHITI FOR PRELIMS

GI TAG

• A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country).
• India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 has come into force with effect from 15 September 2003.
• GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement as: “Indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a member, or a region or a locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographic origin.”

What is in news : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said it was halting its bond buying under the G-Sec Acquisition Programme (GSAP) for now, stressing that the measure had succeeded in ensuring adequate liquidity and stabilising financial markets.

About

• Basically an unconditional and a structured Open Market Operation (OMO), of a much larger scale and size.
• The w ord ‘unconditional’ here connotes that RBI has committed upfront that it will buy G-Secs irrespective of the market sentiment.
• Objective: To achieve a stable and orderly evolution of the yield curve along with management of liquidity in the economy.
• Significance: The government will mainly benefit from the G-SAP.
• By purchasing G-secs, the RBI infuses money supply into the economy which inturn keeps the yield down and lower the borrowing cost of the Government.
• The government of India, with its massive borrowing programme (for example, National infrastructure pipeline project), can now breathe a sigh of relief as long-term borrowing costs come down.
• Issues: Critics of the G-SAP say that the rupee might get adversely affected.
• They are of the view that the G-SAP announcement has already led to depreciation of the rupee (a fall in the value of currency).
• So, critics are pointing to the fact that there is a trade-off between a tumbling rupee and lower borrowing costs/low yields.
• Further, too much liquidity will drive up inflation.

What :

• Group of more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect 30×30
• Initiated at the “One Planet Summit” in Paris in January 2021.
• Co-chaired by Costa Rica and France and by the United Kingdom as Ocean co-chair.
• Champions a global deal for nature and people with the central goal of protecting at least 30 percent of world’s land and ocean by 2030.

What is 30×30 target

• Global target
• Aims to halt the accelerating loss of species, and protect vital ecosystems that are the source of our economic security.

Why 30×30?

• In order to address both the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis, there is growing scientific research that half of the planet must be kept in a natural state.
• Despite this, experts agree that a scientifically credible and necessary interim goal is to achieve a minimum of 30% protection by 2030.
• The scientific data help justify the 30×30 target for biodiversity conservation both at a global level and a regional level.

What is in news : India joins HAC

DEFENCE

When : October 8

Established : 8 October 1932

About :

• Also known as Bharatiya Vayu Sena,
• Was established as an auxiliary air force of the Royal Air Force of Britain, that was removed by The Indian Air Force Act 1932
• First squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) -  ‘No. 1 Squadron’ ( Commissioned – 1933)
• In March 1945, acknowledging the IAF’s achievements and contributions in the Second World War, the service was honoured by the bestowal of the title ‘Royal’ on its title by British monarch King George VI. On becoming a republic in 1950, the prefix ‘Royal’ was dropped.
• Apart from the National Defence Academy, other training institutes for air force personnel include the Air Force Academy, Dundigul; the Pilot Training Establishment at Allahabad; the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at Bangalore; the Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore; the Air Force Technical College, Bangalore; the Paratrooper’s Training School at Agra and the Tactics and Air Combat and Defence Establishment at Gwalior.
• The IAF inventory includes several aircrafts such as MiG series, Sukhoi Su-30, HAL Tejas, SEPECAT Jaguar, Boeing 707, Ilyushin series, helicopters like the indigenously developed HAL Dhruv, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for reconnaissance and surveillance, and missiles.

HISTORY – ART – CULTURE

What is in news : Death anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan recently celebrated.

About :

• Jayaprakash Narayan 
  • Was a freedom fighter and a political leader
  • Known for his pivotal role in the Quit India Movement of 1942
  • Known by his allies as JP
  • Spearheaded the opposition to Indira Gandhi during the 1970s.
  • Born on October 11, 1902 in the village of Sitabdiara in the Saran district of Bihar
  • Married Prabhavati Devi, another freedom fighter and a strong follower of Kasturba Gandhi.
  • Went to the United States to pursue a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Sociology and Politics in 1922
  • The Marxist ideology and the writings of M.N.Roy had a great influence on him during his student years.
  • In 1929, after he had finished his studies and returned to India, he received an invitation from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to join the Indian National Congress
  • During his association with the Indian National Congress, Mahatma Gandhi became his mentor and guide.
  • Was jailed and tortured many times by the British for his active involvement in the freedom struggle. 
• In 1932, when he was behind bars for his role in the Civil Disobedience Movement, he met a number of other political leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia, Yusuf Desai and Ashok Mehta.
• After his release from jail, the Congress Socialist Party was set up with Acharya Narendra Deva as the President and JP as the General Secretary.
• After the Independence and the death of Gandhi, Jai Prakash along with Acharya Narendra Deva and Basawon Singh directed the CSP out of the Congress to create a strong opposition Socialist Party. Later, it came to be known as the Praja Socialist Party.

Sarvodaya Movement and Total Revolution

• In 1954, at a meeting in Gaya, Jai Prakash announced that he was going to dedicate his life to Vinoba Bhave’s Sarvodaya movement.
• He gave up his land in the village and renounced his personal pleasures to devote the remainder of his life to the movement.
• He set up a small ashram in the village of Hazaribagh and gave a new dimension to Gandhian concepts by combining modern technology to it to uplift the village.
• Jai Prakash was of the opinion that every village should be like a small republic in itself with political independence and the ability to make their own decisions and care for themselves.
• In 1971, when the Naxals had threatened to kill the Sarvodaya workers in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, he spent a lot of time and effort to address the problems of the Naxalites. He was also instrumental in achieving the surrender of dacoits in the Chambal Valley. 
• He also gave a call for a peaceful Total Revolution. Jai Prakash also inspired a student movement by raising a call for ‘Sampoorna Kranthi’ ‘ or complete revolution.

Awards and Recognition: In 1965, he was awarded the Magsaysay award for Public Service.  In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in recognition of his social work.

What is in news : Jim Corbett National Park, a world-renowned tiger reserve in Uttarakhand, may be renamed as Ramganga National Park in the future.

Who is JIM CORBETT :

Edward James Corbett

• Was a British hunter, tracker, naturalist, and author who hunted a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in India.
• Was a famed shikari, a wise businessman, a consummate storyteller, and a successful writer of books
• Held the rank of colonel in the British Indian Army and was frequently called upon by the Government of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, now the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• Authored Man-eaters of Kumaon (1944), The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag (1948) and The Temple Tiger (1955)
• Was his efforts and those of Malcolm Hailey, governor of the United Provinces, that resulted in the creation of Asia’s first national park in 1936. Named after Hailey, it was renamed Ramganga after India became free. It was rechristened Corbett in 1956, a year after his death, due to the efforts of Govind Ballabh Pant, freedom fighter, Uttar Pradesh’s first chief minister and the tallest leader to have come out of Kumaon.
• Not only killed man-eaters and ran a model village but he was also on the board of the association that looked after the welfare of Indian ex-servicemen and, in this role, he was (to the independence struggle) embarrassingly just, kind and understanding.

• Covid warriors to receive Namma Bengaluru Awards
• As senior citizens continue to face a plethora of problems induced by the pandemic, NGOs have urged the State Government to step in. Among their demands are reinstating the State Council for Senior Citizens and addressing insurance coverage for elders. State Council was headed by the Minister for Women and Child Development, Director - Department of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens Empowerment and also involved representatives from NGOs and senior citizens. It was formed in 2007, but the implementation has not been there.
• The 5th edition ofthe bilateral maritime exercise JIMEX, between Japan and India, was conducted in the Arabian Sea from06 – 08 October2021.
• International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and GIFT City launched I-Sprint’21, the global FinTech Hackathon Series of IFSCA on 7th October 2021 at 11.30 AM IST. The first Sprint of the series “Sprint01: BankTech” is focussed on FinTechs for the Banking sector.
• National Mission of Clean Ganga (NMCG) has signed an MoU with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Institute (WASH Institute) to conduct a series of trainings to enhance the quality of service of officials in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).