Current Affairs – 7th Feb 2024
Current Affairs – 7th Feb 2024
SAMARTH Centres
Recently, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries informed the Lok Sabha about SAMARTH Centres.
About SAMARTH Centres:
- The Smart Advanced Manufacturing and Rapid Transformation Hub (SAMARTH) centres are set up under the Scheme for “Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods Sector.
- These centres have been providing assistance to the MSMEs to train the workforce and make them aware of Industry 4.0 technologies in the following ways:
- Organizing Seminars/ Workshops and knowledge-sharing events on Industry 4.0;
- Training industries to create awareness about Industry 4.0;
- Providing consultancy (in areas such as IOT Hardware, Software development, and data analytics) and incubation support to start-ups including MSMEs.
Key facts about the Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods Sector scheme:
- It has been launched by the Ministry of Heavy Industries to address technological obsolescence and limited access to quality industrial infrastructure and common facilities.
- In order to address the skill gaps and infrastructure development and technology needs for the Capital Goods Sector, Phase I of the Capital Goods scheme was rolled out in November 2014.
- Phase I of the scheme fostered partnerships between Academia and Industry for engendering technology development with Government support.
- The objective of Phase II (on January 25, 2022) is to expand and enlarge the impact created by the Phase I pilot scheme, thereby providing greater impetus through the creation of a strong and globally competitive capital goods sector that contributes at least 25% to the manufacturing sector.
- Components of the Scheme
- Identification of Technologies through Technology Innovation Portals
- Setting up of four New Advanced Centres of Excellence and augmentation of Existing Centres of Excellence
- Promotion of skilling in the Capital Goods Sector–the creation of Qualification packages for skill levels 6 and above
- Setting up of four Common Engineering Facility Centres (CEFCs) and augmentation of existing CEFCs
- Augmentation of Existing Testing and Certification Centres
- Setting up of ten Industry Accelerators for Technology Development
Lupus
Australian researchers recently worked out how to fix a defect that causes lupus.
About Lupus:
- It is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to damage organs and tissue throughout your body.
- It causes inflammation that can affect your skin, joints, blood, and organs like your kidneys, lungs, and heart.
- Causes: The cause of lupus is unknown. It’s thought to be the result of a mix of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors.
- Lupus is much more common among women than men.
- There are several kinds of lupus:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the most common type. It can be mild or severe and can affect many parts of the body.
- Discoid lupus causes a red rash that doesn’t go away.
- Subacute cutaneous lupus causes sores after being out in the sun.
- Drug-induced lupus is caused by certain medicines. It usually goes away when you stop taking the medicine.
- Neonatal lupus, which is rare, affects newborns. It is probably caused by certain antibodies from the mother.
- Symptoms: Lupus can have many symptoms, and they differ from person to person. Some of the more common ones are:
- Pain or swelling in joints
- Muscle pain
- Fever with no known cause
- Red rashes, most often on the face (also called the “butterfly rash”)
- Chest pain when taking a deep breath
- Hair loss
- Pale or purple fingers or toes
- Sensitivity to the sun
- Treatment: There is no cure for lupus, but medicines and lifestyle changes can help control it.
Rights Issue
Indiabulls Housing Finance plans to raise ₹3,693 crore through the rights issue.
About Rights Issue:
- A rights issue is an offering of rights to the existing shareholders of a company that gives them an opportunity to buy additional shares directly from the company at a discounted price rather than buying them in the secondary market.
- It gives preferential treatment to existing shareholders, where they are given the right (not obligation) to purchase shares at a lower price on or before a specified date.
- The number of additional shares that can be bought depends on the existing holdings of the shareowners.
- Until the date at which the new shares can be purchased, shareholders may trade the rights on the market the same way that they would trade ordinary shares.
- Existing shareholders can also choose to ignore the rights; however, if they do not purchase additional shares, then their existing shareholding will be diluted post-issue of additional shares.
- Dilution occurs because a rights offering spreads a company’s net profit over a larger number of shares. Thus, the company’s earnings per share, or EPS, decreases as the allocated earnings result in share dilution.
- Why issue a Rights Offering?
- Companies most commonly issue a rights offering to raise additional capital. A company may need extra capital to meet its current financial obligations.
- Troubled companies typically use rights issues to pay down debt, especially when they are unable to borrow more money.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have been allowed by the Government to operate Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJK) under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana.
About Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras:
- These are set up under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, which was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisersin November 2008.
- Objective: To provide quality medicines at affordable prices for all, particularly the poor, so as to reduce out-of-pocket expenses in healthcare.
- These Kendra’s provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy to expensive branded drugs.
- All therapeutic medicines are made available from Jan Aushadhi Stores.
- Jan Aushadhi stores also sell allied medical products commonly sold in chemist shops so as to improve the viability of running the Jan Aushadhi store.
- Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. of India, with the support of all the CPSUs for coordinating procurement, supply, and marketing of generic drugs through the PMBKs.
Who is eligible to open a Jan Aushadhi Kendra?
- State Governments or any organisation / reputed NGOs / Trusts / Private hospitals/ charitable institutions / Doctors / Unemployed pharmacists/ individual entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the new Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
- The applicants shall have to employ one B Pharma / D Pharma degree holder as a Pharmacist in their proposed store.
- Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.
India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) has successfully established and tested India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility recently.
About India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility:
- The S2, nicknamed ‘Jigarthanda’, is a 24-metre-long facility located at IIT Kanpur’s Hypersonic Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory (HEAL) within the Department of Aerospace Engineering.
- It is India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility.
- It was indigenously designed and developed over three years with funding and support from the Aeronautical Research and Development Board (ARDB), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and IIT Kanpur.
- It is capable of generating flight speeds between 3-10 km/s, simulating the hypersonic conditions encountered during the atmospheric entry of vehicles, asteroid entry, scramjet flights, and ballistic missiles.
- It will be a critical asset for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- It will serve as a testing ground for ongoing missions of ISRO and DRDO like Gaganyaan, Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV), and hypersonic cruise missiles, enabling the development of more advanced and reliable aerospace technologies.
Altermagnets
In a new study, scientists have investigated the newly discovered class of altermagnetic materials for their thermal properties, offering insights into the distinctive nature of altermagnets for spin-caloritronic applications.
About Altermagnets:
- Altermagnets exhibit a unique blend of magnetic characteristics, setting them apart from conventional magnetic materials like ferromagnets and antiferromagnets.
- Properties:
- These materials exhibit properties observed in both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, making their study enticing.
- Altermagnets defy conventional norms by embodying a dual nature—resembling antiferromagnets with zero net magnetization and ferromagnets with non-relativistic spin splitting.
- This unique behaviour emerges from the intricate interplay of atoms within the crystal structure.
- Additionally, altermagnets exhibit a unique spin polarisation. The term “spin polarisation” means that a preponderance of electron spins tends to align in a particular direction.
- The spin polarisation is noteworthy in altermagnets because it occurs in the physical arrangement of atoms (real space) and in the momentum space, where the distribution of electron spins in the material is considered.
- The researchers believe that altermagnets could have a pivotal role in spin caloritronics, a field of research that explores the interplay between spin and heat flow, which are not achievable with ferromagnets or antiferromagnets.
- This field has potential applications in developing new technologies for information processing and storage.
- The researchers focused on studying the emergence of crystal Nernst and crystal thermal Hall effects in rubidium dioxide (RuO2), chosen as a showcase representative of altermagnetism.
- The crystal Nernst effect (CNE) observed in altermagnets is a result of their distinctive magnetic nature.
- In simple terms, as the material experiences a temperature difference across its dimensions, it leads to the emergence of a voltage perpendicular to both the temperature gradient and the magnetic field.
- This phenomenon reveals that the material’s magnetic properties influence its response to temperature changes, providing insights into the intricate connection between thermal and magnetic behaviours in altermagnets.
Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme
The Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship recently launched the EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme.
About Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme:
- This initiative guarantees access to high-quality learning systems by facilitating a seamless transition from secondary to higher education and extending financial support for the meritorious Navodaya Vidyalaya students who lack means.
- It symbolises a whole-of-society approach to empowerment through access to and opportunities for education, particularly for students belonging to economically disadvantaged sections.
- The Vidyanjali programme intends to garner assistance and funding from non-government partners and private sources such as CSR grants, national and international donors, and impact investors.
- The beneficiaries of the Vidyanjali programme in its initial phase will be students of grades XI and XII studying in Navodaya Vidyalayas across the country.
- A fintech platform has been specifically curated under Vidyanjali, and the sponsorship will be disbursed to students through this platform as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
- This platform will be instrumental in capturing data, receiving, hosting, and viewing student applications, tracking student progress, tracking grant disbursement, monitoring fund utilisation, generating impact reports towards SDG realisation, individual mentions of notable student achievement, and publicly acknowledging the support of the funders, among other platform utilities.
What is EdCIL?
- Educational Consultants India Limited (EdCIL) is the only Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
- It was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956, on June 17, 1981.
- It is categorised as a ‘Mini Ratna Organisation’ by the Government of India.
- It offers consultancy and technical services in different areas of Education and Human Resource Development not only within the country but also on a global basis.
- Clients of EdCIL include most State and Central Govt. Departments including MHRD, PSUs, and autonomous bodies including IITs, IIMs, IIITs, Kendriya Vidyalaya, and Navodaya Vidyalaya.
Vaccine Safety Net
The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), a health information platform in India, is included as a member of the World Health Organization’s Vaccine Safety Net (VSN).
About Vaccine Safety Net:
- It is a global network of websites, established by the World Health Organization that provides reliable information on vaccine safety.
- It is a network of a diverse group of digital information resources (websites and social media), VSN members, located in countries around the world and providing scientifically based information on vaccine safety in various languages.
- A key player in the Project is the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), established by WHO in 1999, to respond promptly, efficiently, and with scientific rigour to vaccine safety issues of potential global importance.
- At the outset of the Project, GACVS developed three categories of criteria for good information practices – regarding credibility, content, accessibility and design to which digital resources providing information on vaccine safety should adhere.
- WHO evaluates those electronic resources for their adherence to these criteria.
- It is continuously expanding and to date, 110 websites from 45 countries provide vaccine safety information in 43 languages.
Himalayan griffon
In the first-ever Tri-State synchronised vulture survey 320 individual vultures were counted in the seven-protected areas spread over Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Himalayan griffon is only reported from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
About Himalayan griffon:
- It is an Old-World vulture in the family Accipitridae.
- It is one of the two largest Old-World vultures and true raptors.
- These are monogamous and pairs return to the same nesting and roosting sites from year to year.
- These are diurnal and mostly solitary species.
- Distribution:
- It is found along the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan region and is also found in the Central Asian mountains.
- Occasionally it migrates to northern India but migration usually only occurs altitudinally.
- Conservation status
- IUCN: Near Threatened
Key facts about Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary
- It is located in Kerala and is an integral part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve.
- It is contiguous to the tiger reserves of Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka and Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu.
- The Kabini River which is a tributary of the Kaveri River flows through the sanctuary.
- Vegetation: It includes moist deciduous forests and West Coast semi-evergreen forests
- Flora: It consists of plantations of teak, eucalyptus and Grewelia.
- Fauna: Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Panther, Sambar, Spotted deer, Barking deer, Wild boar, Sloth bear, Nilgiri langur etc.
The Law of Criminal Defamation Report
The 22nd Law Commission of India has submitted its Report No. 285 titled “The Law of Criminal Defamation” to the Government of India.
The Law Commission of India, a non-statutory body constituted by the Government of India. It was originally constituted in 1955 and is re-constituted from time to time. 22nd Law Commission tenure is up to August 2024.
| Criminal Defamation in India |
|
- It was referred to the law panel by the law ministry in August, 2017.
- Report – It stresses upon both the constitutional importance of defamation laws and their potential misuse.
In Subramanian Swamy v. Union of India, 2016, SC had upheld the constitutional validity of Section 499 of IPC, on account of it being a reasonable restriction under Article 19(2) to the freedom of speech and expression enshrined in Article 19(1) (a) of Indian Constitution.
- Recommendation – Criminal defamation be retained within the scheme of criminal laws in the country.
- Balance the right to freedom of speech and the right to reputation through the application of criminal defamation laws.
- Right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(2) is subject to reasonable restrictions, like the right to reputation.
- Right to reputation is derived from Article 21 that guarantees the right to life and personal liberty and so it has to be protected.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 has introduced community service as an alternative punishment, which has shown the most balanced approach in protecting one’s reputation and speech too.
Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code Bill
Uttarakhand state government tabled the Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand 2024 Bill (UCC) in the state’s legislative assembly.
What is the Uniform Civil Code?
- A Uniform Civil Code is conceptualised as a set of laws that govern personal matters, including marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and succession, for all citizens regardless of religion.
- The UCC aims to replace the existing diverse personal laws that vary based on religious affiliations.
Key-highlights of the Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand 2024 Bill:
Panel:
|
- The UCC Uttarakhand 2024 Bill includes recommendations such as a complete ban on polygamyand child marriage.
- It also includes equal property rights for sons and daughters, elimination of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, equal property rights after death, and inclusion of adopted and biological children.
- Marriage: As it sets out common provisions, the Bill effectively bans polygamy and halala – without naming them — practiced among a section of Muslims. Marriages can be solemnised through separate rituals, like saptapadi, nikah and anand karaj, followed by different communities.
- Live-in Relationships: Live-in partners in Uttarakhand will have to register themselves with district officials or face imprisonment under the state’s Uniform Civil Code bill, once it becomes a law.
- Children born of such relationships will be considered legitimate and deserted women will be entitled to maintenance from their partners.
- Like marriages, live-in relationships must be registered.
- Live-in partners must not be under 18. But if any one of them is under 21, the registrar is bound to inform their parents or guardians.
- Exemption: The hill state’s small tribal community is exempted from the proposed law, which also mandates registration of live-in relationships.
| Tribals in UttarakhandUttarakhand have 5 major tribes identified by the Government of India. These are Tharu, Jaunsari, Buksa, Bhotia, and Raji. As of 2011 India census, Uttarakhand has a tribal population of 2,91,903, with Tharu being the largest tribe, followed by Jaunsari and Buksa. |
Way Forward
- If passed, Uttarakhand will be the first state after independence to have a Uniform Civil Code. Goa has a similar civil code that was implemented during the Portuguese colonial era.
Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2024
The Lok Sabha passed Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to provide reservation to other backward classes in local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, with the government reiterating that the repeal of Article 370 in 2019 has brought important changes in the Union territory and the opposition demanding that statehood be restored and assembly elections held at the earliest.
Key-highlights of the Bill
| Nationally, OBCs have been accorded 27% reservation; however, there is no reservation for OBCs in J&K and most OBC communities have been listed under SEBC. |
- Reservation for OBCs: The bill seeks to provide reservation to OBCs in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir and bring consistency in the local body laws of the Union territory with the provisions of the Constitution.
- With the new amendment, the Centre proposes to replace the term ‘weak and under-privileged classes (social castes)’ with ‘other backward classes’ (OBC) in the Act.
- Reservation for Valmiki: This bill targets yet another community – the Valmikis. The constitutional amendment seeks to add the Valmiki communityto J&K’s Scheduled Castes list, opening up the 8% reservation.
Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023
|
Reservation Policy in J&K
- Currently, reservation stands at
- 8% for SC
- 10% for STs
- 4% for social castes
- 4% for residents along line of actual control/international border
- 10% for residents in backward areas
- 4% for Paharis
- 10% for EWS
- 6% horizontal reservation for ex-servicemen
- 4% for physically challenged people
Important Castes and their inclusion in reservation list
|
Grammy Award 2024
Shakti, a fusion music group comprising tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and singer Shankar Mahadevan, has won the 66th Grammy Award (2024) for Best Global Music Album for “This Moment”.
- Shakti’s third studio album, “This Moment,” was released on 23rd June 2023, marking their return after 46 years under the same name.
)
What are Grammy Awards?
- About:
- Grammy Award (originally named Gramophone Award) is a series of awards presented annually in the United States (US) by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) or the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS), (LARAS only for recordings in Spanish/Portuguese languages).
- This annual event to recognize musical achievements was started in 1959 to respect the performers for the year 1958. The honorees receive a golden statuette of a gramophone.
- Grammy Award (originally named Gramophone Award) is a series of awards presented annually in the United States (US) by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) or the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS), (LARAS only for recordings in Spanish/Portuguese languages).
- India’s Performance in 2024 Awards:
- Shakti, comprising Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, John McLaughlin, Ganesh Rajagopalan, and Selvaganesh Vinayakram, won the 2024 Grammy for their album “This Moment.”
- Described as an “unprecedented transcontinental collaboration,” Shakti brings together musicians from both Eastern and Western traditions, pioneering the blueprint for what is now recognized as world music.
- Zakir Hussain clinches an additional pair of victories, securing two more Grammys at the ceremony.
- He earned one for the best global music performance with ‘Pashto’ and another for the best contemporary instrumental album ‘As We Speak,’.
- The album also features Indian flute player Rakesh Chaurasia, the nephew of the renowned flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia.
- Shakti, comprising Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, John McLaughlin, Ganesh Rajagopalan, and Selvaganesh Vinayakram, won the 2024 Grammy for their album “This Moment.”
|
Other Important Topics |
| EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme |
Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship launched EdCIL Vidyanjali scholarship program and fintech platform recently.
|
| Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme |
|
| Umiam Wetland |
As per the Asian Waterbird Census, 2024, there are over 155 water birds found at the wetland areas of Umiam Lake.
|
| National Science Day |
|
| Canshala |
T.N. Minister recently inaugurates satellite school, Canshala in Chennai for students battling cancer.
|
| Free visa for Indians by Iran |
Iran has announced a visa-waiver programme for Indians visiting the country for tourism recently.
|
| Herculaneum papyri or scrolls |
|
| PACE mission |
NASA and SpaceX were scheduled to launch the PACE mission on February, 2024, but the launch was delayed due to unfavorable weather conditions.
|
| TARINA Programme |
|
| Bharat Rice, Bharat Atta & Bharat Dal |
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs launched the sale of Rice under ‘Bharat’ brand and flagged off 100 mobile vans here recently.
|