27 Nov 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

1. What is Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)?

The Union Cabinet recently approved the continuation of its flagship Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), under NITI Aayog, with an allocation of ₹2,750 crore until March 31, 2028.

About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):

AIM is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog in 2016 with an objective to create and encourage an environment of innovation and entrepreneurship across schools, educational organisations, research institutes, and industries, including MSMEs.
AIM has two functions:
Promote entrepreneurship by encouraging innovators to become entrepreneurs through financial support as well as mentorship.
Promote innovation by creating a platform where ideas are generated through like-minded individuals.

AIM has created four programs to support these functions:

Atal Tinkering Labs
Atal Incubation Centres
Atal New India Challenges and Atal Grand Challenges
Mentor India

Apart from these programs, AIM also seeks and collaborates with academia, industries, NGOs, and individuals to enable an atmosphere of innovation.

All the initiatives of AIM are currently monitored and managed systematically using real-time MIS systems and dynamic dashboards.

Source : Continuation of Atal Innovation Mission approved

2. What are Pterosaurs?

Paleontologists have recently announced the discovery of a new species of quetzalcoatline azhdarchid pterosaur, Nipponopterus mifunensis, from the Late Cretaceous of Japan.

About Pterosaurs:

Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that flourished during Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods of the Mesozoic Era(252.2 million to 66 million years ago).
They were not only the first reptiles capable of flight, but also the first vertebrates to fly, a feat they accomplished by using strong forelegs to launch their bodies into the air.
Both Pterosaurs and Dinosaurs are archosaurs, or “ruling reptiles,” a group to which birds and crocodiles belong.
It included the largest vertebrate ever known to fly: the late Cretaceous Quetzalcoatlus.

Features:

Pterosaurs are not closely related to either birds or bats and thus provide a classic example of convergent evolution.
Their wings were formed by a membrane of skin that was connected to the hand by an elongated fourth finger, not unlike the fleshy wings of bats.
Earlier species had long, fully-toothed jaws and long tails, while later forms had a highly reduced tail and some lacked teeth.
They often had long necks, which sometimes had throat pouchessimilar to pelicans' for catching fish.
They went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, around 65.5 million years ago, during the mass extinction known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event(K-T extinction event).
When they disappeared, their role as the dominant vertebrates in the skies was taken over by the birds, which are considered to be of dinosaur ancestry.

Source : New Pterosaur Species Discovered in Japan

3. Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC)

Pitching the upcoming Gelephu Mindfulness City as the biggest “co-operative project” in Bhutan, the Bhutanese Prime Minister recently said that he was grateful for India’s support on the 2,500 sq.km. “Zero Carbon” city being developed.

About Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC):

It is an innovative urban development project that integrates economic growth with mindfulness, holistic living and sustainability.
The GMC project has been envisioned by the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
It is located in the south-central part of Bhutan and covers over 2500 square kilometers (bigger than Singapore).
It is a first-of-its-kind Special Administrative Region (SAR) in Bhutan.

Features of GMC:

The city will be built around a series of inhabitable bridges.
It is expected to be a low-rise city which will have its own university and health care facilities for both western and traditional medicine.
The planned city will have eleven “ribbonlike neighborhoods” that incorporate the area’s 35 rivers and streams.
Neighborhoods will be designed like mandalas, with repeated patterns organized around a central public space.
The city will have its own international airport.
It will also have several markets and spiritual centres.
To protect against flooding, paddy fields will be built along the rivers, “forming urban terraces that cascade down from the hills to the valley,”.
It will have its own government and have the independence to have its own lawmaking, as well as an independent judiciary.
It will have two protected areas - a national park and a wildlife sanctuary.

Source : As India inaugurates global co-operatives alliance, Bhutan pitches Gelephu as biggest co-operative project

4. Samos Island

A migrant boat recently sank off the Greek island of Samos, resulting in the deaths of eight people, including six children.

About Samos Island:

It is a Greek island located in the eastern Aegean Sea.
It is one of the largest and most easterly Greek islands.
It lies close to the Turkish coasts. It is located just 1700 m from the Asia Minor Turkish Coast.
The area of the island is 478 sq.km.
It is characterized by steep mountain ranges, sandy beaches, azure sea water, olive groves, and green pine forests.
Mount Kerketeus, the highest peak (1,433 metres), forms the western tip of the island.
Climate: It has a Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers and relatively short, mild winters.
It is home to the Pythagoreion and the Heraion of Samos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes the Eupalin Aqueduct, a marvel of ancient engineering.
It is the birthplace of the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, for whom the Pythagorean theorem is named.
It is also the birthplace of the famous astronomer of ancient times, Aristarchus, who first suggested a heliocentric solar system at 500 B.C.

Source : Tragedy at Sea: Migrant Boat Sinks Near Samos

5. Raja Raja Chola I

The birth anniversary of the legendary Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I is celebrated every year during the Sadhaya Vizha in Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu

About Raja Raja Chola I:

He was born as Arulmozhi Varman in 947 CE, he rose to become one of history’s most illustrious and visionary rulers.
He was revered as Raja Raja the Great, he inherited the legacy of his ancestors and crafted an empire that flourished both militarily and culturally.
Reign: His reign, from 985 to 1014 CE, was marked by military prowess and profound administrative vision.
Military Conquest:
- During his reign, the Cholas expanded beyond South India with their domains stretching from Sri Lanka in the south to Kalinga in the north.
- He also launched several naval campaigns that resulted in the capture of the Malabar Coast as well as the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Titles
- After the defeat of the Pandyas by him he took the title Pandya Kulashanimeaning a thunderbolt to the race of the Pandyas.
- He also adopted the title of Mummudi Chola which means the Chola who wears the three crowns.
In 1010, Raja Raja built the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The temple and the capital acted as a center of both religious and economic activity.
During his reign, the texts of the Tamil poets Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar were collected and edited into one compilation called Thirumurai.

Source : News in Frames | A mighty king remembered

6. National Gopal Ratna Award

Recently, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) declared the winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA) for the year 2024.

About National Gopal Ratna Award:

It is one of the highest honors in the field of livestock and dairy sector.
These awards will be given on the occasion of National Milk Day celebrations.

Objective

The awards are conferred with an objective to recognize and encourage all individuals like Farmers rearing indigenous animals, AI Technicians and Dairy cooperative societies / Milk Producer Company / Dairy farmers Producers Organizations working in the sector of animal husbandry and dairying.
The Award is conferred in three categories, namely,
Best Dairy Farmer Rearing Indigenous Cattle/buffalo Breeds,
Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) and
Best Dairy Cooperative/ Milk Producer Company/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organization.
From this year onwards, the Department has incorporated a Special award for North Eastern Region (NER) States, in all the three categories under National Gopal Ratna Awards, so as to encourage and boost the dairy development activities in NER.

Source : Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Announces the Prestigious National Gopal Ratna Award 2024 Winners

7. One Nation One Subscription Scheme

Recently, the Union cabinet has approved the One Nation One Subscription scheme.

About One Nation One Subscription Scheme:

It is a new Central Sector Scheme for providing country-wide access to scholarly research articles and journal publication.
The scheme will be administered through a simple, user friendly and fully digital process.
This will be a “One Nation One Subscription” facility for the government higher education institutions and R&D laboratories of the Central G
This will supplement the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) initiative to promote research and development and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout government universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.
The benefits of One Nation One Subscription scheme will be provided to all Higher Educational Institutions under the management of the Central or State Government and Research & Development Institutions of the Central Government, through a national subscription coordinated by a central agency, namely the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous inter-university centre of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The Department of Higher Education will have a unified portal “One Nation One Subscription” through which the institutions will be able to access the journals.
The ANRF will periodically review the usage of One Nation One Subscription and publications of Indian authors of these institutions.
Funding: A total of about Rs.6,000 crore has been allocated for One Nation One Subscription for 3 calendar years, 2025, 2026 and 2027 as a new Central Sector Scheme.
Significance:
It will build on and further enhance the scope and reach of the range of initiatives undertaken by the Government of India over the past decade in the domains of education, for maximizing access to quality higher education for the youth of India.
The initiative will expand access to scholarly journals to a vast diaspora of students, faculty, researchers and scientists of all disciplines, including those in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, thereby promoting core as well as interdisciplinary research in the country.

Source : Cabinet approves One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)

8. PAN 2.0 Project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for the PAN 2.0 Project.

About PAN 2.0 Project:

It is an e-Governance project for re-engineering the business processes of taxpayer registration services through technology driven transformation of PAN/TAN services for enhanced digital experience of the taxpayers.
This will be an upgrade of the current PAN/TAN 1.0 eco-system consolidating the core and non-core PAN/TAN activities as well as PAN validation service.
It is a project of the Income Tax Department.
The PAN 2.0 Project enables technology driven transformation of Taxpayer registration services and has significant benefits including:
Ease of access and speedy service delivery with improved quality;
Single Source of Truth and data consistency
Eco-friendly processes and cost optimization; and
Security and optimization of infrastructure for greater agility.
The PAN 2.0 Project resonates with the vision of the Government enshrined in Digital India by enabling the use of PAN as Common Identifier for all digital systems of specified government agencies.

What is a Permanent Account Number (PAN)?

A PAN is an alphanumeric identifier consisting of ten characters, issued by the Income Tax Department.
It is provided to any "person" upon application or allocated directly by the department without a formal request.
The Income Tax Department utilises PAN to monitor and connect all transactions associated with an individual. This includes various activities such as tax payments, TDS/TCS credits, income returns, specific transactions, and official communications.

Source : Cabinet approves the PAN 2.0 Project

9. National Mission on Natural Farming

Recently, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister of India approved the launching of the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF).

About National Mission on Natural Farming:

It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare.
It has been launched to promote natural farming in mission mode across the country as a standalone scheme.
It aims at promoting natural farming practices for providing safe & nutritious food for all.
It is designed to support farmers to reduce input cost of cultivation and dependency to externally purchased inputs.
Features
- In the next two years, NMNF will be implemented in 15,000 clusters in Gram Panchayats, which are willing, & reach 1 crore farmers and initiate Natural Farming (NF) in 7.5 lakh Ha area.
- Preference will be given to areas having prevalence of practising natural farming farmers, SRLM / PACS / FPOs, etc.
- Further, need-based 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) will be set-up to provide easy availability and accessibility to ready-to-use natural farming inputs for farmers.
- Under NMNF, around 2000 NF Model Demonstration Farms shall be established at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Universities (AUs) and farmers’ fields, and shall be supported by experienced and trained Farmer Master Trainers.
- The willing farmers will be trained in Model Demonstration Farms on the natural farming package of practices, preparation of natural farming inputs, etc. near their villages in KVKs, Agricultural Universities and practising natural farming farmers’ fields.
- 75 lakh trained willing farmers will prepare inputs like Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, etc. by using their livestock or procure from BRCs. 30,000 Krishi Sakhis/ CRPs will be deployed for awareness generation, mobilisation and handholding of willing farmers in the clusters.
- Farmers will be provided with an easy simple certification system and dedicated common branding to provide access to market their natural farming produce. Real time geo-tagged & referenced monitoring of NMNF implementation shall be done through an online portal.
- Convergence with existing schemes and support structures of Government of India/ State Governments/ National & International Organisations shall be explored for enhancing local livestock population, development of NF Model Demonstration Farms at Central Cattle Breeding Farms/ Regional Fodder Stations, provide market linkages at district/ block/ GP levels through convergence for local farmers’ markets, APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Mandis, Haats, Depots, etc.
- Additionally, students will be engaged in NMNF through the RAWE program and dedicated Undergraduate, Postgraduate & Diploma courses on NF.
- Funding: The scheme has a total outlay of Rs.2481 crore (Government of India share – Rs.1584 crore; State share – Rs.897 crore) till the 15th Finance Commission (2025-26).

Source : Launch of National Mission on Natural Farming

27 Nov 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

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