Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 11th Nov 2021

NEWS

Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided an opportunity to open Vana Dhana Vikas Kendra to provide a market to the minor forest products collected by tribals in Madikeri district

Details

• A total of 300 members comprising 20 each from 15 self-help groups are identified for the setting up of the Vana Dhana Vikasa Kendra
• Three self-help groups have been identified under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) for various units. They are, beekeeping and lantana furniture making in Nagarahole, soap nut powder preparation and bamboo artefacts in Basavanahalli, beekeeping and ‘kachampuli’ powder preparation in Made village in Madikeri taluk
• Training is als o being imparted to 20 people in the three self-help groups regarding the value addition of minor forest produces. The trained members will further train the rest of the members

MAHITI FOR PRELIMS

VAN DHAN SCHEME

• Aims at the economic development of tribals involved in the collection of Minor Food Produces (MFPs) by helping them in optimum utilization of natural resources and providing them with a sustainable livelihood.
• Van Dhan Vikas Kendras constituted, provide skill up-gradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facilities

NEWS

From this year, the Karnataka government has decided to celebrate ‘Onake Obavva Jayanti’ on November 11 throughout the state

Who is Onake Obavva

Onake Obavva

• Died fighting the troops of Hyder Ali, a ruler of the Mysore Kingdom and father of Tipu Sultan, when he invaded the Chitradurga Fort, which was ruled by Madakari Nayaka in the 18th century.
• Considered to be the epitome of Kannada pride and celebrated along with other women warriors of Karnataka state like Abbakka Rani (first Tuluva Queen of Ullal in coastal Karnataka who fought the Portuguese), Keladi Chennamma (the queen of the Keladi Kingdom who is known for fighting against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb), and Kittur Chennamma (Queen of Kittur known for the 1824 revolt against the British East India Company).

Obavva’s legacy in Karnataka

Onake Obavva’s courage and quick thinking have been praised by the people of Karnataka, especially in the Chitradurga region, where a stadium is named after her. Her sculpture is installed by the government near the district commissioner’s office in Chitradurga. The hole through which Hyder Ali’s soldiers entered is called ‘Onake Obavvana Kindi’ (kindi means hole in Kannada) and has become a tourist spot along with the Chitradurga Fort.

Obavva squad in Karnataka Police

• Inspired by Onake Obavva, in 2018, the Chitradurga police started ‘Obavva Pade’, a squad of women police constables to protect and educate women in the district.
• Obavva squads were deployed in various parts of the district teaching women basic self-defence, educating them about the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, offences under the Indian Penal Code, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, cybercrimes, and mobile offences.
• The initiative was also implemented in Bengaluru the same year by the Bengaluru West division Police and in 2019 the Shivamogga district police started the squad with two female constables and one male  constable patrolling the city, covering schools, colleges and other places to keep tabs on the eve-teasers.

NEWS

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru Urban, apart from Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Ramangar, Shivamogga and Kodagu districts

ABOUT

• Yellow Alert: The Meteorological Department issues Yellow Alert to alert people before heavy rain, storm, flood or such natural calamity. This warning means that there is a possibility of heavy rain of 7.5 to 15 mm. The rain is likely to continue for a few hours after the alert is issued. There is also the possibility of flooding.
• Blue Alert: When there is a possibility of rain with thunderstorms, thunderstorms, then the department often issues a blue alert. During this, there is a possibility of rain and thunder in many areas.
• Orange Alert: According to the Meteorological Department, when there is a possibility of very bad weather due to cyclone and there is a possibility of loss of life and property, then an orange alert is issued. During the Orange Alert, people are advised to stay in their homes. The wind speed in the cyclone can be 65 to 75 kmph. Also, there is a possibility of 15 to 33 mm of rain.
• Red Alert: As is clear from the colourit, red is a danger sign. There is a possibility of heavy loss in red alert. When a cyclone comes with high intensity, such as in the event of heavy rains, the wind speed reaches 130 km per hour or more, then in such a situation a red alert is issued. In red alert, the administration is asked to take necessary steps

NEWS

Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) that was suspended due to COVID has been resumed where MPs to get ₹2 cr. each instead of previously approved ₹5 cr.

ABOUT THE SCHEME

• Launched in December, 1993
• Provide a mechanism for the Members of Parliament to recommend works of developmental nature for creation of durable community assets and for provision of basic facilities including community infrastructure, based on locally felt needs.
• Fully funded by Government of India.
• MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by S.T. population.
• In order to encourage trusts and societies for the betterment of tribal people, a ceiling of Rs. 75 lakh is stipulated for building assets by trusts and societies subject to conditions prescribed in the scheme guidelines.
• Funds are released in the form of grants in-aid directly to the district authorities.
• The funds released under are non-lapsable.
• The liability of funds not released in a particular year is carried forward to the subsequent years, subject to eligibility.
• The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme.
• The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works sanction funds and select the implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and monitor the scheme at the ground level.
• The Lok Sabha Members can recommend works in their respective constituencies.
• The elected members of the Rajya Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the state from which they are elected.
• Nominated members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha may select works for implementation anywhere in the country

NEWS

Conservation biologists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, will collaring 10 fishing cats in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) in Andhra Pradesh

ABOUT FISHING CATS

• Feline with a powerful build and stocky legs.
• Twice the size of a typical house cat and is nocturnal in nature.
• An adept swimmer and enters water frequently to prey on fish.
• Apart from fish, it also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.
• State animal of West Bengal.
• Status
  • On IUCN red list, it is classified as ‘Vulnerable’.
  • On Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists, it is placed in  Appendix II part of Article IV.
  • In India,it is included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and thereby protected from hunting.
• Habitat
  • Wetlands are the favourite habitats
  • Mainly found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, on the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats.

ABOUT CORINGA WLS

• Estuary situated in Andhra Pradesh.
• 18 km from the port city of Kakinada, nestling on the deltaic branches of Gouthami and Godavari Rivers at Kakinada Bay.
• Part of the Godavari estuary.
• Flora: It has extensive mangrove and dry deciduous tropical forest. It is the second largest stretch of mangrove forests in India.
• Fauna: It is home to the critically endangered white-backed vulture and the long-billed vulture.
• Possesses a wide variety of birds, because of the feed available in the backwaters of the mangrove forest.
• During low tide, some of the areas are exposed (elevated mud flats) having small fishes, shrimps and mollusks. These attract avifauna for feeding.
• Some critically endangered species like the white-backed vulture and the long-billed vulture are present in the sanctuary.
• The sanctuary has an 18-km long sand pit where olive ridley sea turtles’ nest from January to March every year.

NEWS

The annual Leonids Meteor Shower has begun

ABOUT

• The debris that forms this meteor shower originates from a small comet called 55P/Tempel-Tuttle in the constellation Leo, which takes 33 years to orbit the sun.
• The Leonids
  • Are considered to be a major shower that features the fastest meteors, which typically travel at speeds of 71 km per second, although the rates are often as low as 15 meteors per hour, NASA notes.
  • Are also called fireballs and earthgazer meteors. Fireballs, because of their bright colours, and earthgazer, because they streak close to the horizon. The light—which is why a meteor is called a shooting star — is a result of the friction between the meteorite and the molecules present in the Earth’s atmosphere because of which it burns.
• Every 33 years, a Leonid shower turns into a meteor storm, which is when hundreds to thousands of meteors can be seen every hour. A meteor storm should have at least 1,000 meteors per hour.
• The last such storm took place in2002.

PERSONS IN NEWS

NEWS

National Education Day of India is celebrated every year on 11 November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

About

• Born on 11 November 1888 and died on 22 February 1958.
• Senior Muslim leader of Indian National Congress during Indian independence movement.
• Commonly remembered as Maulana Azad (word Maulana is honorific meaning ‘Our Master’) and he had adopted Azad (Free) as his pen name.
• First Minister of Education of Independent India.
• Played important role in foundation of Jamia Millia Islamia at Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.
• Rose to prominence through his work as journalist, publishing works critical of British Raj and espousing causes of Indian nationalism.
• As leader of Khilafat Movement, he came into close contact with Mahatma Gandhi.
• Became enthusiastic supporter of Gandhi’s ideas of non-violent civil disobedience and worked to organise the non-co-operation movement in protest of the 1919 Rowlatt Act.
• Committed to Gandhi’s ideals, including promoting Swadeshi (indigenous) products and cause of Swaraj (Self-rule) for India.
• In 1923, at age of 35, he became youngest person to serve as President of Indian National Congress.
• Main organizers of the Dharasana Satyagraha in 1931 and emerged as one of the most important national leaders of the time, prominently leading causes of Hindu-Muslim unity as well as espousing secularism and socialism.
• Srved as Congress president from 1940 to 1945, during which Quit India rebellion was launched.
• Worked for Hindu-Muslim unity through the Al-Hilal newspaper.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

NEWS

Abu Dhabi passed a law allowing non-Muslims to marry, divorce and get joint child custody under civil law in the country.

DETAILS

• Before the law, non-Muslims here had to get married in the embassy or consulate of their country.
• Aim - provide a flexible and advanced judicial mechanism for the determination of personal status disputes for non-Muslims, thus enhancing the Emirate’s position and global competitiveness as one of the most attractive destinations for talent and skills
• First civil law passed by the Emirates concerning non-Muslim family matters.
• Guaranteeing the right to non-Muslims to adhere to an “internationally acknowledged law” in terms of customs, culture, language and protecting the best interests of their children.
• Apply civil principles in the regulation of all family matters pertaining to non-Muslims.
• Courts dedicated to non-Muslim family matters will be set up by the Judicial Department, and will function in Arabic and English “in order to facilitate the understanding of judicial procedures by foreigners and to improve judicial transparency”
• Doesn’t require the consent of the woman’s guardian anymore and only requires the marriage to be held on the will of the man and woman.
• This law reflects Abu Dhabi’s legislative leadership and the global status it has achieved

NEWS

Russian authorities there have set an ambitious goal of making the island — Russia’s largest — carbon neutral by 2025.

ABOUT

• Island north of Japan
• Ruled by Moscow
• More than two-thirds is forested
• Tree growth will absorb as much planet-warming carbon dioxide as the island’s half-million residents and its businesses produce
• The economic structure and the large share of forestland in the territory and carbon balance distribution reflect the general situation in Russia

• Nepal Army Chief General Prabhu Ram Sharma was on Wednesday conferred the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army by President at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is a customary practice by the two countries to confer the honorary rank of General on each other’s Army Chiefs.
• The Prime Minister has congratulated Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat, Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma for winning medals at the ISSF President’s Cup in Poland.
• India launched ‘E-Amrit’, a web portal on electric vehicles (EVs), at the ongoing COP26 Summit in Glasgow, UK. E-Amrit is a one-stop destination for all information on electric vehicles—busting myths around the adoption of EVs, their purchase, investment opportunities, policies, subsidies, etc.The portal has been developed and hosted by NITI Aayog
• National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit Company under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) with the mission to make the internet accessible to everyone. To facilitate its customers and partners, NIXI has gone digital by enabling digital payments across its three business units by integrating payment gateways on all its customer-facing websites for ease of use.