News In Short 29-10-2024

Sohrai Painting

Syllabus: GS1/ Culture

Context

• PM Modi presented a Sohrai painting to the Russian President Vladimir Putin during the BRICS summit.

About

• Sohrai Painting is a folk/tribal painting tradition mostly practiced in the villages of Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh area.
• The colors used in this picture (red, black, yellow, and white) are natural earth colors foraged from the wild or purchased from local merchants.
  • Chewing twigs are used as paint brushes, while cloth rags are used to apply the base coat.
• Theme: The paintings are known for their expressive storytelling, depicting animals, birds and nature, which is a reflection of the agrarian lifestyle and the reverence for wildlife in tribal culture.
• The paintings depict a matriarchal tradition in which the art form is passed down as a legacy to daughters by their mothers.

Source: TOI

Sambhar Lake

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography

In News

• Over 40 migratory birds died at Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan.

About Sambhar Lake

• Location: About 80 km southwest of Jaipur in east-central Rajasthan and is India’s largest inland salt lake.
• Formation: Formed in a depression of the Aravalli Range, it has a rich history, with its salt supply utilized by the Mughal dynasty and later jointly managed by the princely states of Jaipur and Jodhpur.
• Ramsar Site: Recognized as a wetland of international importance since 1990.
• Salt Production: The lake is a major salt producer, housing one of India’s largest salt manufacturing units.
• Biodiversity: The area has xerophytic vegetation and is home to flamingoes, pelicans, and other waterfowl.

Source: TH

Triton Island

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography

Context

• Recent satellite imagery reveals a significant military buildup by China on Triton Island, the closest landmass in the disputed Paracels archipelago to Vietnam.

Triton Island

• Location: Triton Island is the southernmost island in the Paracel Islands chain in the South China Sea, situated closer to Vietnam than to other parts of China.
• Strategic Importance: Triton Island is of strategic importance due to its proximity to vital shipping lanes, fisheries, and potential underwater energy reserves.
• Conflicting Claims: The Paracel Islands, including Triton Island, are claimed by China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
  • China asserts its claim based on the Nine-Dash Line, a demarcation on maps covering most of the South China Sea.

South China Sea – It is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean.  – It is located between southern China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. – It is a crucial maritime gateway and junction for shipping between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Source: ET

Justice K.S. Puttaswamy & Right to Privacy

Syllabus :GS 2/Governance 

In News

• Justice KS Puttaswamy, petitioner in the ‘right to privacy case’, which led to the Supreme Court recognising the right to privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21, has passed away.

About 

• Puttaswamy Judgment (2017): The Supreme Court of India declared the Right to Privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.
  • The landmark judgment expanded privacy rights, asserting that the right is intrinsic to human dignity and autonomy. It set important precedents for areas like data protection, surveillance, and personal freedoms.
  • Justice Puttaswamy would be one of the first litigants to challenge the Aadhaar scheme.
• Globally, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966) both provide legal protections against “arbitrary interference” with an individual’s privacy.

Source: TH

Rule of Law Index

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• Recently the Rule of Law Index has been published by the World Justice Project (WJP).

About

• It has evaluated countries based on different factors, including constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
• India stands at 98 out of 142 countries.
• Top Rank: Denmark has secured first rank, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany in terms of law and order.
• Worst Rank: Pakistan has been ranked 140 among 142 countries making it the third worst country in the world.
  • Mali and Nigeria are the only countries ranked lower than Pakistan. 

The World Justice Project (WJP)

• It is an independent, nonpartisan, multidisciplinary organization working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide.

Source: AIR

Pradhan Mantri Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana

Syllabus: GS2/Government Policies & Interventions

Context

• Recently, the Prime Minister of India emphasised the importance of Pradhan Mantri Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (PMVKY), stating, ‘our tribal communities have shown the way when it comes to living in harmony with nature and conserving our forests’.

Pradhan Mantri Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (PMVKY)

• About:
  • It is a landmark initiative, launched on October 28, 2014, aimed at the holistic development of tribal communities. 
  • It addresses the unique challenges faced by India’s tribal populations, which constitute about 8.9% of the country’s population.
  • It aims to empower tribal communities through comprehensive development strategies.
• Key Components:
  • Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY): It focuses on the integrated development of villages with significant tribal populations. It aims to improve basic services and facilities such as road and telecom connectivity, education, health services, and sanitation.
  • Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs): It targets the socio-economic development of PVTGs while preserving their cultural heritage. It includes financial assistance for education, housing, livelihood, and health.
  • Support to Tribal Research Institutes: It aims to enhance the capacity of Tribal Research Institutes to conduct research and provide policy inputs for tribal development.
  • Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships: These scholarships support the education of tribal students, ensuring they have access to quality education and opportunities for higher studies.
  • Administrative Assistance for Project Management Units: PMVKY allocates funds to establish project management units within state governments, ensuring that schemes related to the welfare of STs are effectively monitored and implemented.

Other Steps by Government for Tribal Welfare

• Eklavya Model Residential Schools: These have been established to provide quality education to STs students from classes VI to XII in every block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per census 2011).
• Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM): It has been restructured by merging and extending two existing schemes: the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through Minimum Support Price’ and the ‘Institutional Support for Development and Marketing of Tribal Products’.
  • It supports the theme of ‘Vocal for Local by Tribal’, aiming to empower tribal communities through local resource utilisation.
  • The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) serves as the central implementing agency for this initiative.

Source: PIB

Land Port Authority of India (LPAI)

Syllabus: GS3/ Infrastructure

Context

• The Union Home Minister inaugurated a passenger terminal building and a friendship gate “Maitri Dwar” built by the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI).
  • The Maitri Dwar (friendship gate) is a joint cargo gate at the Zero Line agreed upon by both countries.

Land Port Authority of India (LPAI)

• The Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010 provides for the establishment of the Land Ports Authority of India.
• The Authority shall consist of:
  • A Chairperson,
  • Two Members, out of whom one shall be Member (Planning and Development) and other shall be Member (Finance)
  • Not more than nine members, ex officio, to be appointed by the Central Government from amongst the officers, not below the rank of the Joint Secretary to the Government of India.

Functions of Authority

• The Authority shall have powers to develop, sanitize and manage the facilities for cross border movement of passengers and goods at designated points along the international borders of India,
• Put in place systems, which address security imperatives at the integrated check posts on the border,
• Plan, construct and maintain roads, terminals and ancillary buildings other than national highways, State highways and railways, at an integrated check post, etc.

Source: IE

Greenhouse Gas Bulletin : WMO 

Syllabus: GS 3/Environment 

In News

• Recently, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin .

About Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

• It has been published annually since 2004.
• It presents the latest analysis of observations from the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme on concentrations of long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere for 2023.
• It reports globally averaged surface mole fractions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Key Findings 

• Global average CO2 reached 420 ppm, methane at 1934 ppb, and nitrous oxide at 336.9 ppb, significantly above pre-industrial levels (151%, 265%, and 125%, respectively).
  • Methane and nitrous oxide levels rose, with methane being responsible for 16% of warming and N2O contributing about 6%.
• Drivers of Increase: The surge was driven by high CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, large vegetation fires, and reduced carbon absorption by forests.
  • The El Niño phenomenon and large vegetation fires contributed to the surge in greenhouse gases in 2023.
• Warming Effects: Radiative forcing from greenhouse gases increased by 51.5% from 1990 to 2023, with CO2 accounting for 81% of this increase.

Suggestions 

• The increase in CO2 and other gases highlights a concerning trend, signaling that current efforts to mitigate climate change are insufficient.
• The report emphasizes the urgent need for action to meet the Paris Agreement goals and address rising greenhouse gas levels.

Source: TH

Coral Triangle

Syllabus: GS3/Biodiversity and Conservation

Context

• Experts recommend the Coral Triangle be classified as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area to provide it with special protection from harmful maritime activities

About

• The Coral Triangle, often referred to as the ‘Amazon of the seas’, is a huge marine area spanning over 10 million square kilometres. 
• It includes countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands.

• This region is home to 76 percent of the world’s coral species and supports more than 120 million people who rely on its resources for their livelihoods.
• Serious dangers brought by fossil fuel expansion to the Coral Triangle, were highlighted by a report released in 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
  • The report highlighted the overlaps with oil and gas blocks, affecting 24 percent of coral reefs, 22 percent of seagrass areas, and 37 percent of mangroves.

A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA)

• It is an area that needs special protection through action by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) because of its significance for recognized ecological or socio-economic or scientific reasons.
• The area must be vulnerable to damage by international maritime activities. 
• Examples of PSSAs include the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands, and the Wadden Sea.

Source: DTE

Miyawaki Forest

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• Uttarakhand’s forest department has created the world’s highest-altitude Miyawaki forest at 8,000 ft in Pithoragarh, beating extreme conditions like sub-zero temperatures and wildlife threats.

What is Miyawaki forest?

• Named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, who developed this methodology in the 1970s, it involves creating dense urban forests in a small area.

• It involves planting two to four different types of indigenous trees within every square metre. The trees grow to their full length within three years.
• The dense green cover of indigenous trees plays a key role in absorbing the dust particles and regulating surface temperature.
• The plants used are mostly self-sustaining and do not require regular maintenance like manuring and watering. Some of the common plants used include Anjan, Amala, Bel, Arjun and Gunj.

Source: TOI