Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

What is the news : Owing to pandemic, Karnataka government has decided to provide 10kg rice and 2kg wheat to eligible households

Current scenario : 5kg food grains-3 kg rice and 2 kg wheat is provided

Detail : In addition to states allocation, central government under PMGKY has allotted additional grains to state

What is in news : Aniruddha Saralathaya from Nidle village in Dakshina Kannada district was anointed as the 31st seer of Udupi Shiroor Mutt on the Moola Mutt premises in Shiroor as Vedavardhana Tirtha.

About Shiroor Mutt :

• It is one of "Ashtamattas" of Udupi
• Founded by Sri Madvacharya , the founder of the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy , at Shiroor village on the banks of Suvarna River in Udupi
• Sri Madhvacharya appointed Sri Vamana Tirta as first head of this monastery

Note : The eight (Ashta) Mathas (monasteries), established by Saint Madhvacharya, were named after the villages they’re located at, namely: Palimaru, Adumaru, Krishnapura, Puttige, Shiroor, Sode, Kaniyooru and Pejavara.

What is the news : The final version of the ‘Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020’ to be out very soon.

About ‘Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020’

• The draft was released last August
• Aim of the policy :

• Act as guiding document of MoD to provide a focused, structured and significant thrust to defence production capabilities of the country for self-reliance and exports.
• Push PM's vision of AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT

• Objectives:

• To achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 Crores (US$ 25Bn) in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025.
• To develop a dynamic, robust and competitive Defence industry, including Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of Armed forces with quality products.
• To reduce dependence on imports and take forward "Make in India" initiatives through domestic design and development.
• To promote export of defence products and become part of the global defence value chains.
• To create an environment that encourages R&D, rewards innovation, creates Indian IP ownership and promotes a robust and self-reliant defence industry.

• Focus areas:

• Procurement Reforms
• Indigenization & Support to MSMEs/Startups
• Optimize Resource Allocation
• Investment Promotion, FDI & Ease of Doing Business
• Innovation and R&D
• DPSUs and OFB
• Quality Assurance & Testing Infrastructure
• Export Promotion

ABOUT

• It is also called as Red-Eared Turtle
• It is native to the U.S. and northern Mexico
• These are Exotic and major invasive species and these are omnivores. They are loved for its small-size (small turtles even fit into matchbox) and colour.
• Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans
• What is the issues: Pet lovers release it into water bodies once it grows big.
• Adult turtles require lots of aquatic plants.
• The slider turtles live in still and warm waterbodies. They are considered a major threat to native turtle species as they mature fast, grow larger, produce more offspring and are very aggressive
• They eat plants and animals, they can finish off a wide range of aquatic species, including fish and rare frogs. In places such as Australia and the European Union, it is illegal to import and keep these turtles

What is the news : The species is threatening to invade natural water bodies across the northeast, which is home to 21 of the 29 vulnerable native Indian species of freshwater turtles and tortoises.

What is the concern: Preventing this invasive species from overtaking the Brahmaputra and other river ecosystems in the northeast is crucial because the northeast is home to more than 72% of the turtle and tortoise species in the country, all of them very rare

What is the news : Kerala has recieved Red alert due to high intensity cyclone Tauktae.

Details :

Prevailing well-marked low pressure system over Lakshadweep developed into a depression, that is the source of Cyclone.

warm sea surface temperatures over Arabian Sea was aiding rapid intensification of the system

Wind speed expected : 150 to 160 kmph

Rainfall expected : More than 240 mm

States affected : Kerala, Coastal Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Goa

In due course it will move to Gujarath and Pakistan coast.

About Cyclones

How are Cyclones formed?

• The warm and moist air in the ocean rises up. As more and more air rises up, it leaves less air. This creates an area of low pressure. The pressure around this area is high. The air from the surrounding areas pushes into the low-pressure area. Now this air gets warmed up and rises. The cycle continues.
• As the warm air rises up it cools and condenses into clouds. The whole system of wind and clouds spins and grows. This is aided by the ocean heat and evaporating water.
• As the system rotates faster and faster, an eye is formed at the centre. The eye is clear and calm.
• When the system rotates at 63 kilometre per hour, it is called “Tropical Storm”. When the wind speed reaches 119 kilometre per hour it is called tropical cyclone or hurricane.

Conditions for Cyclone Formation

• The Surface Sea Temperature increases to 27° C and higher.
• Presence of Coriolis force
• Differences in Vertical wind speed
• Upper divergence above the sea level system
• Low pressure area
• Favourable Madden Julian Oscillation
• Ocean heat potential

Note : Usually Cyclones in Arabian sea are rare when compared to Bay of Bengal. However in the recent years, due to global warming the frequency of cyclones are increasing

NUKLU PHOM

Who : Nature Conservationist

From : Nagaland

What is the news : He won Whitley Awards 2021

Details :

• The award recognises Phom’s efforts at establishing a new biodiversity peace corridor changing the fate of Amur Falcons, which come to roost in Nagaland each year, from being hunted by locals.
• He is the only Indian to win this award
• Lemasachenlok Society was founded by him. It has worked towards sensitising the locals about the Amur Falcons. It has set up three reserves that helped to increase the number of roosting Falcons.
• Nuklu Phom is populary known as the “Amur Falcon Man of Nagaland”.
• Nagaland is called the “Falcon Capital of the World”.

About Whitley awards :

• Whitley Awards are presented annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature. It is presented to recognise grass root level conservation leaders.
• It involves process of reference, application and interview.
• The Whitley Fund for Nature was established by Edward Whitley in 1994. It has so far given 16 million pounds to support the work of two hundred environmental heroes. It supports projects based on science and community involvement. It also works to boost the national and international winners who address challenges faced by biodiversity worldwide.

Amur Falcon

Amur Falcon breeds in Northern China and Siberia. During winter, the Amur Falcon migrate to India and then over the Arabian Sea to Southern Africa.

The increasing concern is that people have started hunting Amur Falcon. In India, more than 14,000 are hunted annually.

The State Governments have declared ban on hunting Amur Falcons. In spite of the ban, the hunting of Amur Falcon is increasing.

It is listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN.

Biodiversity Peace Corridors: It incorporates 16 villages spread across four districts. It adopts sustainable land use practices.

What is the news : The National Bamboo Mission recently launched the Management Information System to strengthen the domestic Agarbatti industry.

Details :

• It will collect data about Agarbatti production, availability of raw materials, location of stick making units, production capacity, functioning of units, etc.
• The system will act as an intermediary between the production units and the Agarbatti industry (as a whole).
• This will help to fill the information gaps.

National Bamboo Mission

National Bamboo Mission

• Was launched in 2018-19.
• Currently implemented in twenty one states.

Other Details

• To boost the domestic Agarbatti units, the import duty on round sticks were increased to 25%.
• Also, the raw batti imports were moved from free to restricted category.

Beema Bamboo

In May 2021, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University designed “Oxygen Park” in its premises in Coimbatore with Beema Bamboo.

Beema Bamboo is a clone selected from Bambusa balcooa.

Features

• It is a higher biomass yielding bamboo species.
• It is one of the fastest growing plants.
• It grows to a height of one and a half feet in day.
• It is the best carbon sink to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Importance of Beema Bamboo

• They do not require replanting as it re-grows after every harvest cycle.
• They are produced through tissue culture that facilitates it to adapt to different soil and climatic conditions.
• The calorific value of Bamboo is almost equal to coal. Thus, cement industries have started buying this bamboo for their boilers.

What : Solar powered rover

By : China

Purpose : Study of Mars

Recent news : Spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of Mars recently

Other details:

• It was carried through Tianwen spacecraft
• It will study planet's surface soil and atmosphere
• Zhurong is name of Chinese mythical god of fire

Important points :

• Optimum usage of doctors and medical staff is the immediate prudent option.
• Setting up units that approximate primary health care centres in every unit of a district to triage cases and provide preliminary care is now a must. This care needs to be provided by small teams of healthcare workers, with one supervising physician or even without one where there’s none.
• Identify areas in clinical care that can be delegated to health workers with varied qualifications and experience, since we can’t create enough doctors in a span of a couple of weeks, months or even years.
• Nurse practitioners (and physician assistants) who graduate after four-six years of education can be permitted to or be trained/guided to triage the sick as Covid/ non-Covid cases, or as mild, moderate or severely sick Covid cases.
• They can give initial care or advice, anticipate oxygen requirements or arrange doctor consultations or transport to hospitals. This will save a lot of time of the golden hour of treatment for the patient as well as reduce a lot of confusion and crowding in hospitals.
• Developing a telemedicine web model closely linked to primary care centres under a public health system. Such units can be manned by nurse practitioners or physician assistants with or without a supervising doctor present physically. The telemedicine room can be installed in pharmacies in villages or small towns equipped with the right telemedicine kits (like digital stethoscope, thermometer, BP machines, oximeter, glucometer, audiometer etc.) in addition to a quality video screen and audio system with good internet connectivity.

SNIPPETS

• Recently Government of India released the success stories under Vandan Vikas Yojana. Sanjivini Pradhan Mantri Vikas Kendra, Vanasiri Pradhana Mantri Van DhanVikas Kendra Cluster from Mysuru were highlighted
• The Voyager 1 probe of NASA recently picked up humming sound. The scientists have named this as “Plasma Wave Emission”. This humming sound has been interpreted as interstellar gas activity.
• Texas recently passed the Heartbeat Bill. It is a controversial bill in the United States. The bill bans abortions after the heartbeat of the embryo is detected. It is usually detected after 6 weeks of gestation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS VOCABULARY

Rewilding : It is a process of restoring a natural unit to its uncultivated state.