Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 11th April 2022

NEWS

Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to get into the global network of silk cities

ABOUT THE GLOBAL NETWORK OF SILK CITIES

• There are 9 countries and 13 cities in the network
• Silk Metropolis community is the worldwide Silk Metropolis community to date has 13 “finest silk–producing cities”  which have “similar philosophy to guard silk and its associated heritage” from everywhere in the globe throughout 9 international locations as its member
• The Network helps artisans and craftsmen to exchange knowledge, build trade relations and understand various craftsmanship techniques.
• In 2011, Ms. Moulin created the Silk me Again, a method that carefully combines heritage and modern expressions, combining scientific, technical and creative views on the theme of silk and textiles.

THE CENTRAL SILK BOARD

It is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka and was established in 1948 as a statutory body. It functions under the Ministry of Textiles.

Roles of the Central Silk Board include:

• Preparing Silk industries report
• Measures to be taken for the development of the silk industry
• Import-export of silk
• Research and development

NEWS

Pollutants like microplastics may be causing growth defects in fish, including skeletal deformities, in the Cauvery river, a new study by IISC has revealed

DETAILS

• Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics conducted a comprehensive study of pollution at the KRS Dam and its potential effects on fish
• Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were much lower than they needed to be in samples collected from the slow-flowing and stagnant sites
• Water from these sites also had microbes such as Cyclops, Daphnia, Spirogyra, Spirochaeta and E. coli, well-known bio-indicators of water contamination
• Using a technique called Raman spectroscopy, the researchers detected microplastics – minute pieces of plastic often invisible to the naked eye – and toxic chemicals containing the cyclohexyl functional group (a functional group refers to atoms in a compound that determine its chemical properties).
• Microplastics are found in several household and industrial products, and chemicals containing the cyclohexyl group, such as cyclohexyl isocyanate, are commonly used in agriculture and the pharmaceutical industry.
• The team treated embryos of the well-known model organism, zebrafish, with water samples collected from the three sites, and found that those exposed to water from the slow-flowing and stagnant sites experienced skeletal deformities, DNA damage, early cell death, heart damage, and increased mortality
• These defects were seen even after microbes were filtered out, suggesting that microplastics and the cyclohexyl functional groups are responsible for the ailments in the fish.
• Unstable molecules called ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) in the cells of the fish that developed abnormally was found. ROS build-up is known to damage DNA and affect animals

NEWS

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently released guidelines for the banks of the country to set up digital banking units (DBUs)

DIGITAL BANKING UNITS

• Specialised fixed point business unit / hub housing certain minimum digital infrastructure for delivering digital banking products & services
• Introduced with a prime objective of expansion of digital financial services and financial inclusion
• Each DBU must be headed by a senior and experienced executive of the bank who can be designated as the DBU’s Chief Operating Officer (COO).

GUIDELINES FOR DBUS

• Permission to open DBUs has been given to scheduled commercial banks (SCB) that have past digital banking experience
• They can open DBUs in Tier 1 to Tier 6 centres without taking any permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
• The DBUs that will be opened by the SCBs will be treated as Banking Outlets
• Each DBU has to be housed distinctly, with separate provisions for exit and entry.
• The guidelines state that the DBUs must be separate from the existing Banking Outlet with proper formats provided that will be appropriate for digital banking users.
• The SCBs will also be free to adopt an out-sourced or in-sourced model for the DBU operations.
• The outsourced model must comply with the regulatory guidelines related to outsourcing.
• The establishment of the DBUs must be a part of the SCB’s digital banking strategy.
• The administrative and operational structure of the DBUs must be in line with the Digital Banking Segment of the SCBs.
• The physical security of the DBU infrastructure, as well as cyber security of the DBUs musty, be ensured by the banks.
• The banks can employ business correspondents to expand the DBU’s virtual footprint.
• There should be proper mechanisms to redress the grievances of the customer arising from the services provided by the DBUs.

NEWS

As per Ministry of Earth Sciences Bengal coast faces most erosion

DETAILS

• It was said by Ministry of Earth Sciences
• Of the 6,907.18-km-long coastline of the Indian mainland
  • 34% is under varying degrees of erosion
  • 26% is of an accretional nature
  • 40% is in a stable state
• Coast is monitored by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai using remote sensing data and GIS mapping techniques
• In terms of percentage, West Bengal, located on the eastern coast of the country, with a 534.35-km-long coastline, suffered erosion along about 60.5% of the coast (323.07 km) over the period from 1990 to 2018
• This is followed by Kerala on the west coast, which has 592.96 km of coastline and 46.4% of it (275.33 km) faced erosion. Tamil Nadu, with a long coastline of 991.47 km, recorded erosion along 42.7% of it (422.94 km)
• Gujarat, with the longest coastline of 1,945.6 km, recorded erosion along 27.06% (537.5 km) of it. In the Union Territory of Puducherry, with a 41.66-km-long coastline, about 56.2% of its coast (23.42 km) recorded erosion
• Another organisation under the Ministry, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has prepared and published an atlas of Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) maps for the entire coastline of India at a 1:100000 scale, the Ministry informed Parliament.
• The Ministry stated that the 15th Finance Commission had recommended the creation of a National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) and State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) comprising a mitigation fund at the national and State levels (NDMF/SDMF), and a response fund at the national and state levels for the award period from 2021-22 to 2022-26.

COASTAL EROSION

• Wearing away of land and removal of beach sediments by high winds, drainage, wave action, wave currents, and tidal currents
• Caused by corrosion, hydraulic action or abrasion.
• Coastal erosion can be either a:
  • rapid-onset hazard (occurs very quickly, a period of days to weeks)
  • slow-onset hazard (occurring over many years, or decades to centuries).

CAUSES OF COASTAL EROSION

• Wave energy is considered to be the primary reason for coastal erosion.
• Natural hazards like cyclones, thermal expansion of seawater, storm surges, tsunami etc due to the melting of continental glaciers and ice sheets as a result of climate change hamper the natural rhythm and precipitate erosion.
• Strong littoral drift resulting in sand movement can also be considered as one of the major reasons for coastal erosion.
• Dredging, sand mining and coral mining have contributed to coastal erosion causing sediment deficit, modification of water depth leading to longshore drift and altered wave refraction.
• Coastal erosion has been sparked by fishing harbours and dams constructed in the catchment area of rivers and ports reducing the flow of sediments from river estuaries.
• Heavy rainfall can enhance the saturation of soils, with high saturation leading to a reduction in the soil’s shear strength, and a corresponding increase in the chance of slope failure (landslides).

NEED FOR PREVENTION OF COASTAL EROSION

• The coastal regions where land and water meet are ecologically dynamic and sensitive regions, as marine and coastal ecosystems continuously impact on each other.
• These regions have a rich ecosystem such as mangroves, water bodies, seaweeds coral reefs, fisheries and other marine life, and other coastal and marine vegetation.
• These ecosystems protect the region from saline winds, cyclones, tsunami waves etc., promote carbon sequestration and promote biodiversity as well as provide raw materials for a number of manufacturing activities. Hence, this is an alarming situation for us to overcome from the coastal erosion.

NEWS

The 20th Meeting of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was held in Pakke tiger reserve in Arunachal Pradesh  recently under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change. For the first time in history the NTCA meeting happened outside the national capital.

NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY

• Statutory body - constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
• Under Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
• Monitoring ‘Project Tiger’ - a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, providing funding support to tiger range States for in-situ conservation of tigers in designated tiger reserves, and has put the endangered tiger on an assured path of recovery by saving it from extinction, as revealed by the recent findings of the All India tiger estimation using the refined methodology.
• The Authority will have
  • eight experts having qualifications in wildlife conservation and welfare tribals,
  • 3 MPs,
  • The Inspector-General of Forests, in charge of project Tiger, will be ex-officio Member Secretary
  • Others

OBJECTIVES

• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives become legal.
• Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves, by providing a basis for MoU with States within our federal structure.
• Providing for an oversight by Parliament.
• Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.

 NEWS

Birth Anniversary of Jyotiba Phule celebrated.

ABOUT MAHATMA PHULE

• Prolific social activist and thinker who helped to establish women's education in India, particularly in Maharashtra.
• Born on April 11, 1827, in Katgun, Maharashtra's Satara District.
• Organising principles were both inclusive and dichotomous as an iconic and revolutionary intellectual from Maharashtra
• Referred to stree-shudra-atishudra as one category that was fighting Brahmanical supremacy
• Taught his wife (Savitribai) to read and write and the couple went on to open Pune's first indigenously run school for girls, where they both taught.
• Firm believer in gender equality, and he demonstrated this by including his wife in all of his social reform efforts.
• Established three schools by 1852 which were closed by 1858 due to a lack of funds Recognised the plight of widows and established an ashram for young widows, eventually becoming an advocate for widow remarriage.
• Built a common bathing tank outside his house in 1868 to show his inclusive attitude toward all people and his desire to dine with anyone, regardless of caste.
• Began public awareness campaigns that later inspired stalwarts such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi to take major steps against caste discrimination.
• Liberty, Egalitarianism, and Socialism were the foundations of his ideology.
• Was influenced by Thomas Paine's book The Rights of Man, and believed that the only way to combat social evils was for women and members of the lower castes to become educated.
• Major Publications: Tritiya Ratna (1855); Powada: Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (1869); Gulamgiri (1873), Shetkarayacha Aasud (1881).
• Founded Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873, which means "Seekers of Truth."
• Was appointed commissioner to the Poona municipality in 1883.
• Title of Mahatma by Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar
• died on 28th of November, 1890
• In Phule Wada, Pune, Maharashtra, a memorial dedicated to him has been built.

NEWS

The World Homoeopathy Day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of Homoeopathy, Dr. Christian Fredrich Samuel Hahnemann

HOMEOPATHY

• Pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine
• Practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a disease in healthy people can cure similar symptoms in sick people; this doctrine is called similia similibus curentur, or "like cures like"
• All relevant scientific knowledge about physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biologygained since at least the mid-19th century contradicts homeopathy.
• Homeopathic remedies are typically biochemically inert, and have no effect on any known disease
• Its theory of disease, centered around principles Hahnemann termed miasms, is inconsistent with subsequent identification of viruses and bacteria as causes of disease
• Clinical trials have been conducted and generally demonstrated no objective effect from homeopathic preparations
• The fundamental implausibility of homeopathy as well as a lack of demonstrable effectiveness has led to it being characterized within the scientific and medical communities as quackery and fraud

• China has launched a new Earth observation satellite named Gaofen-3 03. This satellite will become a part of the country’s land-sea radar satellite constellation. It will capture images to help China safeguard its maritime interests.