News In Short-21-09-2024

Kalaripayattu 

Syllabus:GS 1/Art and Culture 

In News 

• The trailer for the upcoming film Look Back, which explores the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu was recently unveiled.

About Kalaripayattu

• It is  an ancient martial art from Kerala, India, and is practiced globally today.
• Historical links : Its exact origin is uncertain, with estimates ranging from 200 BCE to 600 CE, and it peaked in popularity between the 14th and 16th centuries.
  • Some myths credit its creation to Lord Parasurama, but historians dispute this claim.
  • It was used by early inhabitants for hunting, and Kalaripayattu evolved into a sophisticated system of combat.
• Cultural Significance: Chroniclers and poets have consistently praised its complex techniques, fluid movements, and the flexibility of its practitioners.
  • Kalaripayattu was taught in villages across Kerala, with training centers (kalaris) commonly located near Devi temples.
  • Traditionally, mastery in Kalaripayattu was linked to masculinity, with those unable to fight considered weak.
  • Women also practiced Kalaripayattu and could match male warriors in skill and combat abilities.

Source: TH 

PM Vishwakarma Scheme

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Prime Minister addressed the National PM Vishwakarma Program in Maharashtra. 

About

• The Prime Minister launched the ‘Acharya Chanakya Skill Development ’ scheme and ‘Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Women Startup Scheme’ of Maharashtra Government.
  • The Punyashlok Ahilyadevi scheme will provide early-stage support to women-led startups in Maharashtra, offering up to ₹25 lakh in financial assistance.

PM Vishwakarma Program

• It is a central sector scheme, launched by the Ministry of Micro, small and medium enterprises in 2023 for a period of five years.
• The scheme aims to provide end-to-end support to artisans and crafts people who work with their hands and tools. 
• Eighteen traditional trades are covered in the first instance under PM Vishwakarma.

Benefits under the Scheme

• Recognition: Recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card.
• Skill Upgradation: Basic Training of 5-7 days and Advanced Training of 15 days or more, with a stipend of Rs. 500 per day.
• Toolkit Incentive: A toolkit incentive of upto Rs. 15,000 in the form of e-vouchers at the beginning of Basic Skill Training.
• Credit Support: Collateral free ‘Enterprise Development Loans’ of upto Rs. 3 lakh, at a concessional rate of interest fixed at 5%.
• Marketing Support: Marketing support will be provided to the artisans and craftspeople in the form of quality certification, branding, onboarding on e-commerce platforms to improve linkage to value chain.

Source: LM

India Joins International Big Cat Alliance

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• After an approval from the Union Cabinet, India has formally joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), by signing and ratification of the Framework Agreement of IBCA.

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

• The alliance was conceived as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries and others to establish a common platform for conservation.
• Objective: Focus of the Alliance is to conserve seven big cats of the world which includes Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah.
  • In India out of the seven big cats only five — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah — are found.
• Funding: The government also approved a one-time budgetary support of ₹150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
• Governance: IBCA governance consists of an Assembly of Members, Standing Committee and a Secretariat with its Head Quarter in India. 
• All UN member countries are eligible for becoming a member of IBCA.
  • So far 4 countries have become members of IBCA including India, Nicaragua, Eswatini and Somalia.

Source: IE

Neuralink’s Blindsight

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

• Elon Musk’s start-up Neuralink has been granted approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its upcoming product Blindsight. 

What is Blindsight?

• Blindsight is a brain-computer interface (BCI) device, or a chip, surgically implanted in the brain, that will enable those who are blind to see. 
• It will only work for those who have suffered damage to their optic nerve, but not the visual cortex of the brain which processes imagery and input from the eyes.
• The device will enable transmission of signals by bypassing the optic nerve and directly stimulating the visual cortex of the brain to make imagery visible to those without eyesight.

About Neuralink 

• Neuralink is a neurotechnology company that develops implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).
• These devices connect the brain and a computer, and instructions through the computer can be utilized to send electrical signals to the device, and vice-versa.

Source: The Print

Radio Noise from Starlink Satellites 

Syllabus: GS3/Space

Context

• As per a study in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are creating radio noise.

About

• Radio noise from satellites refers to unwanted radio frequency signals and interference generated by satellites in orbit.
  • This noise can affect various communication and observational systems, especially in the field of radio astronomy. 
  • Radio astronomy uses supersensitive antennas to detect faint radio signals emitted by stars, black holes and other objects in the universe. 
• SpaceX’s new Starlink satellites produce 32 times more radio noise than their predecessors, causing concerns among astronomers about their interference with radio astronomy observations. 
  • Starlink “constellation” comprises more than 6,300 working satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of around 550 km. 
  • These satellites deliver high-speed internet to places which otherwise would not have access to it.

Source: IE

Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 

Syllabus: GS 3/Science and technology 

In News  

• India has achieved Tier 1 status in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, with a score of 98.49 out of 100, marking it as a global leader in cybersecurity. 

About 

• India’s success is driven by robust cybercrime laws, sector-specific Computer Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), education initiatives, and international collaborations.
•  India’s global leadership is reinforced by international partnerships and agreements to enhance cybersecurity capacity and information sharing

About GCI 2024

• GCI 2024 Assessment: The GCI evaluated countries based on five pillars—legal, technical, organizational, capacity development, and cooperation—using a detailed questionnaire covering 83 questions and 20 indicators.
• It is published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Source :TH

Congo Basin

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has come up with the High Integrity Forest (HIFOR) Investment Initiative, an innovative mechanism that could unleash critical finances necessary for the protection of the Congo Basin forest.

What is the High Integrity Forest (HIFOR) Investment Initiative?

• The HIFOR initiative is a Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme designed by WCS as a tool to be used by all those interested in the conservation of high integrity tropical forests.
• HIFOR units are a new tradable asset that recognizes and rewards the essential climate services and biodiversity conservation that intact tropical forests provide, including ongoing net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Congo Basin

• It is the world’s second largest rainforest after the Amazon, spanning across six countries—Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
• As the second largest lung of the world, the Congo Basin shelters approximately 26% of the planet’s rain forests and a wealth of biodiversity.
• However, despite its crucial ecological importance, the Congo Basin receives significantly less funding compared to the Amazon and the Borneo-Mekong basins.

Source: DTE