News In Short 19-10-2024

International Abhidhamma Divas

Syllabus: GS1/ History and Culture

Context

• PM Modi addressed the ceremony in celebration of International Abhidhamma Divas and recognition of Pali as a classical language in New Delhi.

Abhidhamma Divas

• It is celebrated to commemorate the descent of Lord Buddha from the celestial realm of Tāvatiṃsa-devaloka after teaching the Abhidhamma to the deities, including his late mother.
• The Asokan Elephant Pillar, a historical marker at the site, marks this significant event.

Teachings of Abhidhamma

• Abhidhamma adopts a specialized and analytical approach to explore reality. 
• It offers a detailed framework for understanding the nature of existence, addressing the processes of birth, death, and mental phenomena in a precise and abstract manner.
• The Abhidhamma categorizes reality into four ultimate realities: Citta (consciousness), Cetasika (mental factors), Rupa (material phenomena) and  Nibbana (the unconditioned state, or ultimate liberation).

Classical Status to Pali language

• The ancient language served as the vehicle for delivering Lord Buddha’s teachings around 500 B.C.
• The Tipitaka, or “Threefold Basket,” which includes the Vinaya Pitaka (monastic discipline), Sutta Pitaka (Buddha’s discourses), and Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical analysis), is entirely written in Pali.
  • These texts are the foundation of Theravāda Buddhist philosophy and practice.
• Pali literature encompasses the Jataka Kathas, which recount the stories of the Buddha’s previous lives.

Source: PIB

Azores Islands

Syllabus: GS1/Geography

Context

• The regional assembly of Portugal’s Azores Islands approved the creation of the largest protected marine area in the North Atlantic to reach international conservation goals.

About

• It aims to achieve the goals set by the United Nations of protecting 30% of the Earth’s land and sea by 2030 under a global pact adopted last year.
• The network ensures the preservation of underwater mountain ranges and vulnerable marine ecosystems, including deep-sea corals, hydrothermal vents and marine species.

Azores Islands

• The nine-island archipelago is an autonomous region roughly 1,500 km (932 miles) west of mainland Portugal lies in the North Atlantic Ocean and home to unique marine biodiversity.
• The Azores are divided into three widely separated island groups: the eastern group, the central group, and the northwestern group. 
• Their unstable geologic nature is indicated by numerous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. 

Source: TP

US’s Click-to-Cancel Rule

Syllabus :GS 2/IR

In News

The United States’ Federal Trade Commission has finalized a rule requiring sellers to make cancellation as easy as signing up for services.

• Most provisions will take effect 180 days after publication in the Federal Register.

About Rule

• The rule is part of the FTC’s modernization of its 1973 Negative Option Rule to address deceptive practices in a digital economy.
• The rule will apply to almost all negative option programs across any media.
  • The FTC defines “negative option” programmes as “companies assuming a customer accepted a service unless they specifically rejected it”. 
  • This would include something like a consumer agreeing to a one-week trial, and not cancelling it before being billed for regular membership.

Key Guidelines : 

• Sellers cannot misrepresent material facts in negative option marketing.
• Sellers must disclose important information before obtaining consumers’ billing information.
• Sellers must obtain informed consent from consumers before charging them for negative option features.
• Sellers must provide a straightforward mechanism for consumers to cancel and stop charges immediately.

Do you know ? – The final rule dropped the requirement for annual reminders about negative option features.Sellers can inform consumers about plan modifications when they seek cancellation, but must first ask if they want to hear about it.

Objectives 

• The rule aims to eliminate complicated cancellation processes, saving consumers time and money.

Source :IE

 New statue of “Lady Justice”

Syllabus :GS 2/Governance 

In News

• The Supreme Court of India has introduced a new statue of “Lady Justice” in its judges’ library  to reflect a modern interpretation of justice.

About statue of “Lady Justice”

• The statue of “Lady Justice” was designed by Vinod Goswami, a muralist and educator from Delhi.
• The statue depicts a saree-clad woman without a blindfold.
  • She holds scales in one hand and a copy of the Constitution of India in the other, replacing the traditional sword.
• Symbolism: The absence of a blindfold signifies that “Law is not blind; it sees everyone equally,” according to Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud.
  • This new representation aims to convey the importance of impartiality and equality in justice.
  • The statue reflects ongoing legal reforms and the goal of “decolonising” India’s legal framework.

Do you know ? – The imagery of Lady Justice originates from Greek and Roman mythology, notably represented by Themis and Justitia, who were not traditionally depicted blindfolded. – The blindfolded image became popularized in the 15th century, originally as a critique of justice. – The British Raj introduced the iconography of Lady Justice in India, which continues to be used in courthouses. 1. Historical depictions of Lady Justice can be found in major Indian high courts, sometimes with and sometimes without a blindfold.

Source :IE

India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves 

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• In one of the largest decreases in India’s forex reserves in recent times, the country’s foreign exchange kitty dropped $10.746 billion to $690.43 billion.
  • At the end of September, the reserves had hit an all-time high of $704.885 billion.

About

• Foreign exchange reserves are assets that are denominated in a foreign currency held by a central bank. 
• These reserves are used to back liabilities and influence monetary policy.
• These include foreign currencies, bonds, Gold reserves, treasury bills, and other government securities.

Purpose of Foreign Exchange Reserves:

• Stabilizing the currency: Central banks use reserves to manage exchange rates and maintain currency stability.
• Facilitating international trade: Reserves allow a country to pay for imports and settle international debts.
• Building confidence: High levels of reserves enhance investor confidence in a country’s economy.
• Crisis management: Reserves provide a buffer against economic shocks or sudden capital outflows.

Source: ET

Smart Insulin for Diabetes

Syllabus :GS 3/Science and Tech 

In News : 

Scientists have developed a “smart” insulin, named NNC2215, that responds in real-time to blood sugar changes.

About  NNC2215:

• It features an “on-and-off switch” within the insulin molecule itself.
• It contains a ring structure and a glucoside that keeps insulin inactive when blood sugar is low.
  • When glucose levels rise, glucose replaces the glucoside, activating the insulin.
• Effectiveness: NNC2215 has shown to be as effective as human insulin in lowering blood glucose in animal trials (rats and pigs).

 Diabetes

• Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose.
  • It  affects over half a billion people worldwide, causing nearly seven million deaths annually.
• Types of Diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin, often starting in childhood.
  • Type 2 Diabetes involves cells becoming resistant to insulin, requiring higher production from the pancreas.
• Current Treatment: Patients use synthetic insulin, which requires constant monitoring to prevent dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
• Future Outlook : Human trials are planned to further assess the safety and efficacy of the new insulin.

Source :IE

Locust Infestation

Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture

Context

• Plantations of farmers are severely affected by the spotted locust infestation in Kerala.

About

• Locusts are the short-horned grasshoppers with highly migratory habit. 
• Locusts can change from a solitary phase to a gregarious phase, where they form dense swarms that can travel hundreds of kilometers in search of food.
• Only four species viz. Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), Bombay Locust ( Nomadacris succincta) and Tree locust (Anacridium sp.) are found in India.
  • The desert locust is the most important pest species in India as well as in intercontinental context.
• Concern: They cause great devastation to natural and cultivated vegetation leading to national emergency of food and fodder.

Source: TH

African Baobab (Adansonia digitata) 

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• A new research by South African ecologists has refuted the claim that the African Baobab tree is dying due to climate change.

African Baobab 

• Characteristics: Baobabs grow to a height of 5–25 meters and have a trunk diameter of up to 14 meters.
  • Their trunks are wide and bottle-shaped, storing water for survival in arid environments.
  • Baobabs are deciduous, losing their leaves in the dry season, and remaining leafless for about eight months of the year.
• Distribution: They are typically found in dry, hot savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. It can live for over a thousand years.
• Fruits: Baobabs produce hard-shelled, oval fruits called which are rich in vitamin C and other nutrients. 
• Cultural Significance: In African folklore, the Baobab is often seen as a sacred tree, and it holds a place of reverence in many local traditions and myths. 

Source: DTE

Musaned Platform

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• Saudi Arabia launched the Musaned Platform to ensure wage protection and human rights of expat workers.

About

• It is a comprehensive electronic platform to facilitate the recruitment process of domestic workers, enhance the protection of rights for all parties involved, and inform employers and domestic workers of their rights and responsibilities.
• The platform will benefit workers from 10 African countries, including Sudan and Ethiopia, and nine Asian countries such as India and Bangladesh, the platform enhances transparency and accountability. 

Key Features

• Foreign workers in the domestic (household) work sector can check the existing employment contracts and follow updates in a dedicated Musaned labor app. 
• It also allows foreign embassies to have “view access” on the system on all the details related to their citizens working in Saudi.
• The Musaned platform can be linked with contract insurance and health benefits. 

Source: TH

Malawi 

Syllabus: GS 1/Places in news and GS 2/IR

Context

• In the final leg of her three nation visit, President Droupadi Murmu reached Malawi marking the first-ever visit by a President of India to Malawi.

About: Malawi 

• It is a landlocked south-east African country bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. 
• Lake Malawi (also called Lake Nyasa), the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa, and the ninth largest in the world, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. It accounts for more than one-fifth of the country’s total area.
• The East African Rift Valley runs through the country from north to south. The capital, and largest city is Lilongwe.
• The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name for the Chewa people who inhabit the area. The country is nicknamed “The Warm Heart of Africa” because of the friendliness of its people. 
• Political independence: The country achieved full independence, as Malawi, in 1964 from the British.
• Economy: The country’s economy is agro based with agriculture contributing 37% of the national GDP and employing 80% of the total workforce.

Source: AIR