Daily Current affairs: 06 Nov2020

Table of Content : 

 

1. UNGA adopts two India sponsored resolutions

2. CARAT bangladesh-2020

3. Panna tiger reserve

4. Pinaka mk-1 missile

5. New flag for us state of Mississippi

6. Char-chapori culture of miyas

7. International satavadhanam event

8. Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) awards 

1. UNGA ADOPTS TWO INDIA SPONSORED RESOLUTIONS:

Recently the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted two India-sponsored resolutions on nuclear disarmament.

Key Highlights

• The two resolutions on nuclear disarmament aim to reduce risk of nuclear accidents and call for a prohibition on the use of nuclear weapons.
• The UNGA first committee deals with the issue of disarmament and works in close cooperation with the United Nations Disarmament Commission and the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament.
• The two resolutions adopted include Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons and Reducing Nuclear Danger under the Nuclear weapons cluster.

About Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons

• The resolution on Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons was backed by a majority of UN Members and was tabled by India since 1982.
• It calls for Conference on Disarmament to start negotiations on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
• The aim is that a universal and legally binding agreement would generate the necessary global political will that can lead to the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
• About Resolution on Reducing Nuclear Danger
• The resolution on Reducing Nuclear Danger was tabled in 1998.
• It puts focus on unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons and underscores the need for a review of nuclear doctrines.
• The resolution asks for concrete steps to reduce such risks, including through de-ing and de-targeting of nuclear weapons.

Additional Information

Conference on Disarmament (CD)

- It was formed in 1979 as the single multilateral disarmament negotiation forum of the international community.

- The agreement was reached among Member States during the first special session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) devoted to disarmament (1978).

- It is the successor to the Ten-Nation Committee on Disarmament (TNDC), Geneva, 1960; the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament (ENDC), Geneva, 1962-68; and the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament (CCD), Geneva (1969-78).

Source: All India Radio

2. CARAT BANGLADESH-2020 :

Recently, the Bangladesh and US Navies launched the CARAT Bangladesh-2020.

About CARAT Bangladesh-2020

• It is 'Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training' exercise between US and Bangladesh Navies.
• It aims to expand relationships and broaden maritime awareness between the two countries.
• The exercise demonstrates US’s continuing commitment to work with the Bangladesh military to address shared maritime security concerns in the region and strengthen partnership to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
• The CARAT exercises involve people to people interactions and a variety of professional exchanges.

Source: All India Radio

3. PANNA TIGER RESERVE :

• Recently, the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) was included in the global network of biosphere reserves by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
• The UNESCO's recognition has mentioned PTR as a critical tiger habitat.

About Panna Tiger Reserve :

• It is situated in the Vindhyan mountain range in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh.
• The River Ken flows from the south to the north through the reserve.
• It forms the northern most tip of the natural teak forests and the eastern most tip of the natural Anogeissus pendula (Kardhai) forests.
• Panna National Park was formed in 1981 and it was included as India’s 22nd tiger reserve in 1994.
• It links the eastern and western populations of wild animals through the NE-SW running Vindhyan Hill ranges.

Additional Information

UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve

- According to the United Nations (UN), a biosphere reserve is where the international agency tries to reconcile the differences between human activity and the preservation of biodiversity.

- The other Indian reserves recognised by UNESCO as global bioreserves are Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar, Sunderban, Nanda Devi, Nokrek, Pachmarhi, Similipal, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Great Nicobar, Agasthyamala and Khangchendzonga.

The criteria for designation of Biosphere Reserve is:

• A site that must contain an effectively protected and minimally disturbed core area of value of nature conservation.
• The core area should be typical of a bio-geographical unit and large enough to sustain viable populations representing all trophic levels in the ecosystem.
• The management authority to ensure the involvement/cooperation of local communities to bring variety of knowledge and experiences to link biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development while managing and containing the conflicts.
• Areas potential for preservation of traditional tribal or rural modes of living for harmonious use of environment.

Source: The Indian Express

4. PINAKA MK-1 MISSILE :

Recently, the enhanced version of the Pinaka Mk-1 missile was successfully tested by India.

About Pinaka Mk-1 Missile

• It is indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The design and development has been carried out by Pune-based DRDO laboratories i.e. Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
• The Enhanced Pinaka Mk-1 will eventually replace the Pinaka Mk-1 missiles, which are currently used by regiments of the Indian Army along India’s frontiers with China and Pakistan.
• The Pinaka is a multi-barrel rocket-launcher (MBRL) system named after Shiva’s bow.
• It acts as a key tactic of long-range artillery battle as the launchers have to ‘shoot and scoot’ to ensure they themselves do not become the targets, especially being detectable due to its back blast.
• The development of the Pinaka was started by the DRDO in the late 1980s as an alternative to the Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher systems of Russian make called like the ‘Grad’.
• While the Mark-1 has a range of 38 km, the enhanced version of Mark-1 has a range of 45 km and some key additional features.
• DRDO has also developed and successfully tested the Mk-II which has a range of around 60 km.
• The Guided Pinaka system has a range of 75 km and has integrated navigation, control and guidance system to improve the end accuracy and enhance the range.
• The navigation system of Guided Pinaka missile is also aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).

Source: The Indian Express

5. NEW FLAG FOR US STATE OF MISSISSIPPI :

Recently, the voters in Mississippi have approved a new flag which will replace the old one that has been in use for 126 years, and which carried the Confederate battle emblem on it.

Why did Mississippi change its flag?

• Mississippi was the last state in the US to have a flag that featured the Confederate battle emblem.
• In the wake of the #BlackLivesMatter protests, the state was under pressure to change its flag, with some protesters demanding the removal of statues or monuments that could be perceived as symbols of racism.
• In June 2020, the Mississippi’s Republican governor signed a bill that removed the status of the 126-year-old flag.

Difference between New Flag and Old Flag

• As per the Mississippi Historical Society (MHS), the state did not officially adopt a flag till 1861, when the state seceded from the US and joined the Confederate States of America.
• On January 26, 1861, the delegates approved the report prepared by a committee that was appointed to design a suitable flag, an emblem that became known as the Magnolia flag.
• The new flag is designed by Rocky Vaughan and features a white magnolia on a blue banner with red and gold bars on each end.
• The legislature had said that the new design should not contain old flag and must include the words “In God We Trust".

What are the Confederate symbols?

• The Confederate States of America or the Confederacy refers to the government of 11 Southern slave-holding states that seceded from the Union in 1860-61 in the American Civil War.
• The pro-slavery states were operated under the presidentship of Jefferson Davis and vice president Alexander Stephens.
• The Confederacy acquired symbols such as the Confederate flag and their own stamps which the states carried out all their affairs separately until they were defeated in 1865.
• The states that were a part of the Confederacy included South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Texas, among others.
• The flag, which is used to honour the Confederates who died in the Civil War, is seen by many white supremacists as a symbol of Southern pride.
• Confederate names and symbols can be found on commemorative licence plates, public schools, statues, military bases, parks, roads and counties.
• According to a report in Politico, there are over 220 Confederate symbols in the state of Virginia alone, which include three military bases named after Confederate war heroes.

Additional Information

Mississippi

- It is a constituent state of the United States of America.

- Its name derives from a Native American word meaning “great waters” or “father of waters".

- It is bounded on the north by Tennessee, on the east by Alabama, on the south by Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west by Louisiana and Arkansas.

- Mississippi is nicknamed the “Magnolia State”, a reference to the magnolia trees that grow there.

Source: The Indian Express

6. CHAR-CHAPORI CULTURE OF MIYAS :

Recently, a proposed “Miya museum” reflecting the “culture and heritage of the people living in char-chaporis” has stirred up a controversy in Assam.

Who are the Miyas?

• The ‘Miya’ community comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam.
• They came to be referred to as ‘Miyas’, often in a derogatory manner.
• The community migrated in several waves, starting with the British annexation of Assam in 1826, and continuing into Partition and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• The migration of Miya community have resulted in changes in demographic composition of the region.
• The years of discontent among the indigenous people led to the six-year-long (1979-85) anti-foreigner Assam Agitation to weed out the “illegal immigrant”, who was perceived as trying to take over jobs, language and culture of the indigenous population.

What are char-chaporis?

• Char-chaporis are shifting riverine islands of the Brahmaputra and are primarily inhabited by the Muslims of Bengali-origin.
• A char is a floating island while chaporis are low-lying flood-prone river banks.
• A UNDP Assam Human Development report from 2014 describes the char areas as suffering from communication deficits, lack of adequate schooling facilities beyond primary, girl child marriage, poverty and illiteracy.
• While Bengali-origin Muslims primarily occupy these islands, other communities such as Misings, Deoris, Kocharis, Nepalis also live here.
• Controversy around Miya Museum
• The museum has been proposed in the Kalakshetra, which is a cultural complex in Guwahati named after neo-Vaishnavite reformer Srimanta Sankardev.
• According to Tamuli Phukan, the fact that the museum is proposed to be part of Kalakshetra, a product of the Assam Accord, hurts Assamese sentiments.
• The Assamese feel that these claims of a distinct cultural sphere/identity by the community may eventually lead to political or ethnic assertions in the future.

Source: The Indian Express

7. INTERNATIONAL SATAVADHANAM EVENT :

Recently, the Vice President Shri M Venkaiah Naidu has launched the 'International Satavadhanam' Event.

Key Highlights

• 'Avadhanam' as a literary feat has greatly contributed to the Telugu language’s glorious tradition.
• 'Avadhanam' is like a test of the poet’s literary prowess and scholarship.
• The 'International ‘Satavadhanam' program was organized by Dr. Medasani Mohan under the auspices of Sri Krishnadevaraya Satsang in Tirupati.
• 'Avadhanam' is an exciting literary performance that involves solving tricky literary posers, improvising poems and tests a person's capability of performing such multiple tasks simultaneously.

Source: PIB

8. GANDHIAN YOUNG TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION (GYTI) AWARDS :

Recently, the Union Minister of Science & Technology has given Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Awards in two categories i.e. SITARE-GYTI and SRISTI-GYTI awards.

About Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards

• The SITARE-GYTI stands for Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Explorations-Gandhian Young Technological Innovation.
• The SITARE-GYTI falls under Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• The SRISTI-GYTI stands for Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations-Gandhian Young Technological Innovation.
• The SRISTI-GYTI is given by Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovation.
• The awards and appreciations are given under these two categories to encourage technology students to move towards setting up Biotech and other start-ups.

Additional Information

E-YUVA

- The Empowering Youth for Undertaking Value Added Innovative Translational Research (E-YUVA) is a scheme of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

- It aims to promote a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) entrepreneurial innovation among young students and researchers.

- The scheme is implemented through E-YUVA Centres (EYCs) to inculcate entrepreneurial culture through fellowship, pre-incubation and mentoring support.

The scheme provides support for students under following two categories:

• BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows (for post graduates and above)
• BIRAC’s E-Yuva Fellows (for under graduate students)

Source: PIB

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