Daily Current Affairs UPSC 8 February 2024

Dachigam National Park (DNP)

• DNP provides a special diet to Himalayan Black Bears during hibernation due to heavy snowfall.
• Located in Jammu and Kashmir, DNP is spread in the Zabarwan mountain ranges of the Himalayas.
• It occupies almost half of the catchment zone of the world-famous Dal Lake.
• The park is home to the last viable population of Hangul or Kashmir stag, which is critically endangered.
• Poaching by Gujjars and Bakarwals is the main cause of Hangul decline.
• DNP also has the largest population of Asiatic black bears in Asia.

Payment aggregators

• Juspay, Zoho, and Decentro have received final authorization from RBI for Payment Aggregator licenses.
• Payment aggregators facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants to accept various payment instruments from customers without the need for a separate payment integration system.
• They receive payments from customers, pool them, and transfer them to the merchants.
• Payment aggregators are different from payment gateways as they also handle fund transfers.

Safe City Project

• UN Women will provide technical assistance to Kerala for the Safe City project and gender data hub.
• UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women.
• The Safe City project is an initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Nirbhaya Funds Scheme.
• It aims to create a safe, secure, and empowering environment for women in public places.
• The MHA has approved Safe City projects in 8 selected cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow.

Kokborok

• TBSE allows both Roman and Bengali scripts for Kokborok examination in Tripura.
• Kokborok is the mother tongue of Borok people, also known as Tripuris.
• Borok people inhabit Tripura and other North-Eastern states.
• Kokborok is the lingua franca of most of Tripura's tribal communities.
• Kokborok is recognized as one of the official languages of Tripura.

PATRIOT Missile

• Russia blames U.S.-supplied Patriot missiles for downing Ukrainian plane.
• PATRIOT is a theater-wide surface-to-air missile defense system.
• It is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the U.S.
• PATRIOT was used in the 1991 Gulf War and the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
• It is equipped with powerful radar, a control station, a power generator, and a launch station.

Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility (HETTF)

• IIT-Kanpur successfully builds and tests India's first HETTF.
• HETTF is capable of generating flight speeds between 3-10 km/s.
• It simulates hypersonic conditions encountered during atmospheric entry, asteroid entry, scramjet flights, and ballistic missiles.
• The facility is valuable for ongoing missions of ISRO and DRDO, including Gaganyaan, RLV, and hypersonic cruise missiles.
• The project was supported by the Fund for Improvement in S&T Infrastructure of the Department of Science & Technology.

Appointment of Lokpal

• Prime Minister-led panel cleared names for chairperson of Lokpal.
• Lokpal and Lokayukt Act, 2013 established Lokpal for Union and Lokayukta for States.
• Jurisdiction of Lokpal includes Prime Minister, Ministers, members of Parliament, and Central Government officials.
• Other members in selection committee of Lokpal include Speaker of Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, CJI or a Judge of the Supreme Court, and an eminent jurist nominated by the President.
• Appointment remains valid despite a vacancy in Selection Committee.

Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC)

• Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution launched a pilot to on-board Fair Price Shops on ONDC.
• Fair Price Shops distribute essential commodities to ration card holders.
• ONDC is an open network that enables location-aware, local digital commerce stores to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled applications.
• It provides a level playing field for large and small digital commerce platforms in India.

Iran (Capital: Tehran)

• Iran announced a 15-day visa-free policy for Indian tourists.
• Located in the Middle East or West Asia.
• Borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq.
• Borders Caspian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf.
• Major geographical features include Zagros and Elburz mountain ranges, Mount Damavand as the highest point, and Dasht-e-Kavir and Dasht-e-Lut deserts.

Standing Committee on Finance released report on “Performance Review and Regulation of Insurance Sector”

Status of India's Insurance Sector:

• Insurance Penetration at 4.2% in 2021-22 compared to 2.71% in 2001-02.
• Insurance Density at $91 in 2021-22 compared to $11.5 in 2001-02.
• India ranked tenth in global insurance business with a market share of 1.85% in 2021.

Recommendations by Committee:

• Composite licensing: Allow insurance companies to offer both life and non-life insurance products.
• GST: Rationalize GST rate on insurance products, especially health and term insurance.
• Open Architecture: Introduce the concept of 'open architecture' for insurance agents to associate with multiple companies.
• Unclaimed policies: Create a central portal for claiming unclaimed policies.
• Capital requirement: Allow insurance companies to invest in 'on-tap' bonds of up to 50 years.

Regulation of Insurance Sector:

• Insurance Act 1938: The Insurance Act of 1938 is a legislation that governs the insurance sector in India.
• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing and regulating the insurance industry in India.
• Insurance Division of Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance: The Insurance Division, under the Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance, is responsible for the administration and policy formulation related to the insurance sector in India.

India to fence entire 1,643-kilometre stretch of border with Myanmar: Home Minister

• Aim is to enhance surveillance capabilities and establish a patrol track for effective monitoring.
• Aligns with government's dedication to fortify national borders.
• Absence of natural barriers makes India's borders vulnerable.
• Diplomatic issues with open borders with Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
• Porous borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh lead to cross-border threats.
• Challenges in border fencing include land acquisition delays and local resistance.
• Rugged terrain and extreme climatic conditions pose difficulties.
• Disputed borders with some neighboring countries
• High cost of construction and maintenance.

Key Initiatives taken for effective border fencing:

• Smart fencing: The BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) is a smart fencing system deployed in certain border areas between India and Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is part of the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBM) and helps in enhancing border security.
• Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) Scheme: The BIM Scheme is a central sector scheme aimed at improving border infrastructure, including the construction of border fences and flood lights, to strengthen border security.
• Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023: This bill includes provisions for exempting strategic projects related to national security that are located within 100 km of the International Borders, Line of Actual Control (LAC), and Line of Control (LoC) from certain forest conservation regulations. This helps in facilitating the construction of necessary infrastructure for border security.

Action taken by the Centre on ‘Judicial Processes and their Reforms’ report

• Report submitted by the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, and Law and Justice in August 2023.
• Recommendations accepted by the Government.
• Establishment of regional benches of Supreme Court (SC) at four or five locations.

• • Article 130 of Constitution allows the SC to sit in Delhi or other appointed locations.
• SC should issue directions to all High Courts (HCs) to publish their annual reports.

• • Currently, only SC and some HCs publish their annual reports.

Other recommendations for reform in SC and HCs:

1. Increase retirement age for judges:

• The retirement age for judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts should be increased to keep up with advancements in medical sciences and increased life expectancy.
• Currently, the retirement age is 65 for Supreme Court judges and 62 for High Court judges.

2. Law for mandatory declaration of assets by the judges:

• All constitutional functionaries and government servants, including judges, should be required to annually declare their assets and liabilities.
• This is a common practice to ensure transparency and accountability.

3. Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) may factor aspect of social diversity:

• The Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for the appointment of judges should consider factors such as social diversity, including representation of women and minorities.
• This will help enhance diversity and inclusivity in the higher judiciary.

4. Staggered vacation by individual judges at different times of the year:

• The current practice of having a collective vacation period in the judiciary is a remnant of colonial times.
• Implementing staggered vacations for individual judges throughout the year will help reduce the backlog of cases and minimize inconvenience for litigants.

Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) registered around 1.1 million financial cyber fraud cases in 2023

• Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS) registered around 1.1 million financial cyber fraud cases in 2023.
• CFCFRMS set up under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) for immediate reporting of financial frauds.
• I4C established by Ministry of Home Affairs to provide an ecosystem for Law Enforcement Agencies for dealing with Cybercrime.
• Financial cyber frauds involve deception to deprive someone of their money using digital means.
• Reasons for rise in cyber financial frauds:

• • Increase in adoption of digital payments combined with lack of financial literacy.
  • Mushrooming of fraudulent apps capturing financial data.
  • Use of Dark Patterns to lure vulnerable consumers.
  • Low regulatory compliance by banking sectors.

Way forward:

• Bringing all financial institutions on CFCFRMS.
• Whitelisting of digital lending apps.
• Setting up of Digital India Trust Agency (DIGITA).
• Introducing new legislation - Banning of Unregulated Lending Activities (BULA) Act.
• Building new safeguards for digital financial transactions.

India’s Initiatives to curb financial cyber frauds:

1. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and Toll-free Helpline Number ‘1930’:

• A platform for reporting cyber crimes and seeking assistance.
• Toll-free helpline number for immediate support.

2. CSIRT-Fin (Computer Security Incident Response Team Finance Sector) under CERT-IN:

• Dedicated team to respond to cyber security incidents in the finance sector.
• Enhances coordination and collaboration among stakeholders.

3. Advisories and regulations by RBI for cyber security in banking sector:

• Guidelines and regulations to ensure robust cyber security measures in banks.
• Helps prevent financial cyber frauds and protect customer data.

4. Restrictions on cloning of phone SIM cards:

• Measures to prevent unauthorized access to personal information.
• Reduces the risk of SIM card cloning for fraudulent activities.

Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development presented report on ‘Development of Cotton Sector’

• Cotton is an important commercial crop in India, with the country being the first in the world in terms of area under cotton cultivation.
• India is the second largest producer and consumer of cotton globally.
• Major cotton-producing states in India include Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Telangana.
• Challenges faced by the cotton sector include fluctuating production growth due to rainfed conditions, low per hectare cotton yield compared to other countries, deterioration in soil health, and inefficient area expansion.
• The committee recommends that the government should come up with an umbrella policy approach for the cotton sector, overhaul the cropping system, strengthen market linkages, enhance research and development for new cotton varieties, improve pest management practices, increase irrigation in cotton cultivation, and address problems faced by farmers in procuring genetically modified seeds.

Initiatives in cotton sector:

1. PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks Scheme:

• Establishes textile parks to promote the textile and apparel industry.
• Boosts employment opportunities and economic growth.

2. Cotton development programme under National Food Security Mission (NFSM):

• Aims to increase cotton productivity and enhance farmers' income.
• Implements best practices and technologies for sustainable cotton cultivation.

3. Mobile app Cott-Ally to increase awareness about Minimum Support Price for Cotton:

• Provides information on minimum support price for cotton.
• Helps farmers make informed decisions and get fair prices for their produce.

4. Branding of Indian Cotton as “Kasturi Cotton India”:

• Promotes Indian cotton as a premium and high-quality product.
• Enhances market value and competitiveness in the global textile industry.

Revised Guidelines for Utilization of Funds under Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY)

• Background: PMKKKY scheme was launched in 2015 by the Centre under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
• Ministry: The scheme is under the Ministry of Mines.
• Purpose: The scheme aims to ensure minimum provisions for development programs by all District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
• DMFs: DMFs are non-profit trusts set up by State Governments in mining-affected districts under the MMDR Act. Mining companies are required to contribute a percentage of royalty to DMFs.
• Key Objectives: The scheme aims to implement welfare programs in mining-affected areas and minimize the adverse impacts of mining.
• Beneficiaries: The scheme benefits directly affected people, including affected and displaced families as defined under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Other beneficiaries can be identified by the concerned gram sabha.
• Utilization of Funds: The recent revised guideline states that 70% of the funds should be allocated to high priority sectors, while 30% should be allocated to other priority sectors. Previously, the ratio was 60% and 40%.
• Other Features: The scheme includes special provisions for scheduled areas and requires yearly audits of the DMFs' accounts.

Utilisation of funds under PMKKKY:

1. High Priority Sectors:

• Focuses on essential sectors like drinking water supply, environment preservation, healthcare, education, welfare of women and children, and welfare of aged and differently abled.
• Addresses critical needs and improves the quality of life in mining-affected areas.

2. Other Priority Sectors:

• Includes physical infrastructure, irrigation, energy, and watershed development.
• Aims to enhance environmental quality and promote sustainable development in mining-affected districts.