Daily Current Affairs UPSC 27 July 2024

Growth India Telescope

• The Growth India telescope in Ladakh captured images of a 116-meter asteroid during its closest approach to Earth.
• The telescope is India's first fully robotic optical research telescope located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory site in Hanle, Ladakh.
• It was set up by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and IIT Bombay with funding from the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum and Science and Engineering Research Board.
• The telescope is part of the international network called Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH).
• GROWTH aims to study celestial events and collect data on them, including electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave sources, young supernovae, and near-earth asteroids.

Model Skill Loan Scheme

• The Government of India has launched the revised Model Skill Loan Scheme, which is an updated version of the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Skill Development (CCFSSD), 2015.
• The Ministry responsible for this scheme is the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• The aim of the Model Skill Loan Scheme is to provide easier access to advanced-level skill courses that may be financially challenging for many deserving students and candidates.
• The loan amount limit has been increased to 7.5 lakh rupees from the previous limit of 1.5 lakh rupees.
• NBFCs, Micro Finance Institutions, and Small Finance Banks are now eligible to provide loans to students under this scheme.

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

• India is urging for collaboration within BIMSTEC on issues like counter-terrorism and combating drug trafficking.
• BIMSTEC is a regional organization formed in 1997 with the Bangkok Declaration.
• The organization consists of seven Member States: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan.
• The Secretariat of BIMSTEC is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs)

• India ranked as the second largest user of Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) in 2023 according to the WTO's 'World Tariff Profiles' Report for 2024.
• NTMs are policy measures that are not ordinary customs tariffs and can impact international trade by changing quantities traded, prices, or both.
• Examples of NTMs include quotas, price controls, Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, and Technical Barriers to Trade.
• While NTMs often aim to protect public health or the environment, they also impact trade through information, compliance, and procedural costs.

Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR)

• RBI's proposed draft norms on LCR could reduce bank earnings by 4-11%.
• LCR requires banks to hold easily liquefiable assets to cover potential withdrawals over 30 days.
• The formula to calculate LCR is (High Quality Liquid Assets) / (Total net cash outflows over next 30 days).
• High-Quality Liquid Assets are assets that can be quickly converted into cash at minimal or no cost.
• LCR in banking was a result of the Basel III agreement.

Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC)

• India will be the Chair of ADPC for the year 2024-25, taking over from China.
• ADPC is an international organization focused on disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific region.
• India and eight other neighboring countries are founding members of ADPC.
• ADPC was established in 1986 as a regional disaster preparedness center in Bangkok, Thailand.

Tell Umm Amer

• Saint Hilarion Monastery/Tell Umm Amer in Palestine is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.
• Tell Umm Amer was founded by Saint Hilarion in the 4th century and is one of the oldest monastic sites in the Middle East.
• It was the first monastic community in the Holy Land, influencing the spread of monastic practices in the region.
• The monastery was strategically located at the crossroads of important trade and communication routes between Asia and Africa.

Olympics

• The 33rd edition of the Olympics has begun in Paris.
• The Paris 2024 Games will feature 32 different sports.
• New sports like breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing have been added to the Olympics.
• The first Olympics took place in Athens, Greece in 1896.
• The Olympic Games are held every four years.
• The five Olympic rings represent the 'five parts of the world' where the Olympic movement is present.
• The Olympic motto 'Citius-Altius-Fortius' translates to 'Faster-Higher-Stronger' in English.

Latvia (Capital:Riga)

India has opened a new resident Mission in Latvia

• Political features of Latvia
  • Latvia is a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO.
  • Located in northeastern Europe.
  • Land boundaries with Estonia (North), Russia (East), Belarus (southeast), and Lithuania (South).
  • Maritime boundaries with the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga.
• Geographical features of Latvia
  
  • Highest point is Gaiziņkalns hills.
  • Major rivers include Daugava and Venta.
• Climate is humid

"Climate Change's Impact on Education: World Bank Report"

• It emphasizes that extreme weather events are exacerbated by climate change, leading to disruptions in education and resulting in decreased learning outcomes and increased dropout rates.

Impact of Climate Change on Education

• Education is often overlooked in climate policy agendas, with less than 1.3% of climate assistance allocated to education in 2020.
• School closures due to extreme weather events have affected at least 5 million people between 2005-2024.
• Over 99% of children worldwide are exposed to major climate and environmental hazards.
• Rising temperatures have been shown to negatively impact learning outcomes, with even a small increase affecting test scores.
• Climate change-induced food insecurity and economic fragility can jeopardize school enrollment, potentially affecting up to 170 million people by 2080.
• Climate-related events disproportionately harm girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries, preventing many from completing their education.

Approach to adapt education systems for climate change

• Investing in early warning systems, such as the InaRISK mobile app in Indonesia, to enhance disaster knowledge for students and staff.
• Strengthening school infrastructure for climate resilience, like Rwanda's Project equipping school sites with retaining walls to mitigate landslides.
• Managing classroom temperatures through initiatives like Kenya's Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan, promoting bioclimatic design for student comfort.
• Ensuring learning continuity in the face of climate shocks by keeping schools open when possible and strengthening remote learning mechanisms, as seen in Ghana's successful back-to-school campaign after COVID-19.

"Moidams: India's 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site"

• The announcement about Assam's third World Heritage site was made during the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi.
• India is hosting its first ever session since joining UNESCO's World Heritage Convention in 1972.
• Assam's third World Heritage site is the first in the cultural category for the state.
• India is ranked 6th globally for the most number of World Heritage Properties.

Ahom 'Moidams' in Assam

• The Ahom 'Moidams' are burial grounds of rulers of the Ahom king and Queen in Assam's Charaideo district, often compared to the pyramids of Egypt.
• In the 13th century, the founder of the Ahom kingdom established his first capital at Charaideo.

Architectural features:

• The exterior of Moidams is hemispherical and their sizes vary based on the power and status of the person buried.
• Moidam includes three main components:
  
  • A Vaulted Chamber with a raised platform in the center for the body.
  • An earthen mound covering the chamber with a brick structure called Chaw-chali.
  • An octagonal boundary wall surrounding the base of the mound with an arched gateway on the west side.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

• UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places of outstanding cultural or natural importance with universal value to humanity.
• Designated under the World Heritage Convention of 1972, sites must meet at least one out of ten selection criteria to be included on the World Heritage List.

PCA Framework for UCBs by RBI

• The new framework will replace the existing Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) and will take effect on April 1, 2025.
• The PCA framework for UCBs has been aligned with similar frameworks for scheduled commercial banks and non-banking financial companies.

Key Features of the Framework

• Objective: The framework aims to address the financial health of UCBs with greater precision and flexibility.
• Application: It applies to all UCBs in tier 2, tier 3, and tier 4 categories, except those under All Inclusive Directions (AID).
• Monitoring Areas: Capital, Asset Quality, and Profitability will be key areas for monitoring UCBs.
• PCA Implementation: Financially unsound and poorly managed UCBs can be placed under PCA if they breach risk thresholds.
• Exit from PCA: UCBs can exit PCA and have restrictions withdrawn if they do not breach risk thresholds in four successive quarterly financial statements.

Challenges Faced by UCBs

• Challenges include high gross non-performing assets (GNPA) and dual control.
• UCBs also face issues such as lack of professional management and intense market competition from Small Finance Banks (SFBs), FinTechs, etc.
• UCBs are concentrated in a few states, primarily Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

About Urban Co-operative Banks

• UCBs, though not formally defined, are Primary Cooperative Banks located in urban and semi-urban areas.
• Duality of Control: RBI governs banking-related functions, while State Governments oversee registration, management, audit, and liquidation.
• RBI classifies UCBs into Tier-I, Tier-2, Tier-3, and Tier-4 based on their deposit sizes.

"Alarming Tiger Deaths in India: NTCA Report"

• NTCA data shows that more than half (53.2%) of tiger deaths occurred within Tiger Reserves, while around one-third (35.22%) happened outside the boundaries of Tiger Reserves from 2012-2022.
• The number of tiger deaths in 2023 is the highest (178) since 2012.
• Madhya Pradesh, specifically Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, reported the highest number of tiger deaths from 2012-2022.

Indian Tiger (Panthera tigris) or Royal Bengal Tiger 

• The Indian Tiger, also known as the Royal Bengal Tiger, is the flagship species of India and has been declared the National Animal of India.
• The average tiger population in India is 3,682 according to the All India Tiger Estimation 2022.
• Tigers are found throughout India, with 75% of the world's wild tiger population, as well as in Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
• Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers, followed by Karnataka and Uttarakhand.
• Tigers in India inhabit various habitats such as the Shivalik-Gangetic plains, Central India and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, North Eastern Hills & Brahmaputra Flood Plains, and Sundarbans.
• Tigers are solitary, mostly nocturnal, territorial animals, with an adult male's territory encompassing territories of two to seven females.
• Each tiger's stripes are as unique as human fingerprints.
• Threats to tigers include habitat loss, loss of prey species, hunting, poaching, illegal trade, and conflicts with humans.

Conservation Status and Measures

• The Indian Tiger is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972, is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and is listed under Appendix I of CITES.
• Conservation measures in India include Project Tiger (1973), the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and the M-STrIPES digital monitoring system.
• Globally, efforts such as the Global Tiger Initiative (2008), the Global Tiger Forum, World Wildlife Fund's Tigers Alive Initiative, and International Tiger Day (July 29th) aim to support tiger conservation in range countries.

"Kargil Vijay Diwas: 25 Years of Victory"

• Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed annually on 26th July to honor the bravery of Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the Kargil War in 1999.
• It also marks the success of Operation Vijay in 1999.

About Kargil War

• The Kargil War took place in 1999 between India and Pakistan in the Kargil district and along the Line of Control (LOC).
• Pakistan forces occupied various points on the Indian side of the LOC in areas like Mashkoh valley, Dras, Kaksar, and Tiger Hill.
• The conflict began shortly after the signing of the Lahore Declaration in 1999, which aimed at maintaining peace and stability between the two countries.
• Memorials like the Kargil War Memorial (Dras War Memorial) and the National War Memorial in New Delhi were built to honor the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the war.

Military reforms post-Kargil War

• Following the Kargil War, several military reforms were implemented based on the recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee.
• This included the creation of the Defence Intelligence Agency in 2002 and the National Technical Research Organisation as a dedicated technical intelligence agency.
• The appointment of the First Chief of Defense Staff in 2019 was made to provide single-point military advice to the government.
• Additionally, the first tri-service command, the Andaman and Nicobar Command, was established.

"Landmark Cultural Property Agreement Signed"

• The agreement was signed during the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi.
• The main aim of the agreement is to prevent and stop the illegal trafficking of antiquities from India to the USA.
• The Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) restricts the importation of certain archaeological and ethnological material of Indian origin into the United States.
• This agreement will help in the quick seizure of Indian antiquities at US Customs and their return to India.
• The agreement is significant for cultural diplomacy, promoting tourism, and enriching education.

Efforts to prevent smuggling of antiquities

• At the global level, Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention aims to prevent the illicit import, export, and transfer of cultural property.
• The Kashi Culture Pathway, endorsed by the G20 Culture Working Group, supports a global coalition to fight against illicit trafficking.
• At the national level, the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act of 1972 in India prevents the export of antiquities.
• If an antiquity is found to have been smuggled, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is responsible for coordinating with other countries for the recovery of the antiquities.
• ASI has successfully retrieved 357 antiquities from foreign countries since 1976.