Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 25th November 2024

Project Veer Gatha : Report

More than 1.76 crore school students from all 36 States and UTs have participated enthusiastically in Project Veer Gatha 4.0.

• Project Veer Gatha was instituted in 2021 with the aim of disseminating the inspiring tales of valour, selfless sacrifice and courage of the Gallantry Awardees and the life stories of these bravehearts among the students to inculcate the spirit of patriotism amongst them.
• Project Veer Gatha enhanced this noble aim by providing a platform for the school students to do creative projects/activities based on heroic deeds and sacrifice of gallantry award winners.
• Three editions of the Veer Gatha Project have been conducted in 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively.
• It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education.

Jobs At Your Doorstep Report:

The Union Minister for Education along with the Minister of Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs launched a World Bank’s report titled Jobs at Your Doorstep: A Jobs Diagnostics for Young People in Six States, at an event in New Delhi.

• This report serves as both a diagnostic and roadmap to providing strategic linkages and convergence between education and the jobs agenda of India.
• It goes deep into the job landscape of six states: Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan, and identifies key priority sectors and roles that offer the highest employment potential for young people graduating from secondary school.
• The report is a skills gap analysis that attempts to align trades offered in schools industry-specific needs of the districts where the schools are present.
• It underscores the significant benefits of embedding skill-based education from Classes 9-12 to prepare students for diverse career paths relying on a bottom-up approach.
• The study was initiated to reimagine the skill education offering through in-depth primary as well as secondary research in six STARS states.

STARS Scheme:

• It became effective since 2021 for a period of five years up to FY: 2024-25.
• STARS project would be implemented under Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education with the financial support of World Bank.

Minke whales : Study

Scientists have directly measured the hearing range of minke whales, discovering that the species can detect high-frequency sounds as high as 90 kilohertz (kHz), according to a new study.

• They are members of the baleen or “great” whale family and are the smallest of the rorquals.
• There are two recognized species of minke whales with partially overlapping ranges
• The Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and the Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis).
• Dwarf minke whales are an unnamed subspecies of the common minke whale that occurs almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere.
• In addition the North Atlantic and North Pacific common minke whales also have separate sub-species designations (B. a. acutorostrata in the North Atlantic and B. a. scammoni in the North Pacific).
• Distribution: Minke whales are widely distributed through most tropical, temperate and polar regions from approximately 65°S to 80°N.
• Common minke whales are found in all ocean basins, with the dwarf minke whale subspecies more or less limited to the Southern Hemisphere.
• They feed most often in cooler waters at higher latitudes and can be found in both coastal/inshore and oceanic/offshore areas.
• IUCN Conservation status
  • Common minke whale: Least concern
  • Antarctic minke whale : Data deficient

Dibang Multi-Purpose Hydro Power Project:

The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution recently visited the Dibang Multi-Purpose Hydro Power project site at Arunachal Pradesh’s Dambuk village as part of her two-day tour to the Lower Dibang Valley district.

• Dibang Multi-Purpose Hydro Power Project is a flood control cum hydroelectric power project planned to be developed on the Dibang River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, in Arunachal Pradesh.
• At 2,880MW installed capacity, it will be the country’s biggest hydropower facility.
• It is being developed by India’s state-run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
• The Project is designed as an energy storage project, with flood moderation as one of the key objectives, besides power generation.
• The project envisages the construction of a 278m-high and 375m-long concrete gravity dam, which will be the highest Concrete-Gravity Dam of India.
• The Dam is planned to be constructed with Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) technique and it will be the highest RCC Dam of the World.
• The dam will create a 43 km-long reservoir with a gross storage capacity of 3.85 billion cubic metres.
• It includes six Horseshoe-shaped head race tunnels of length varying from 300 m to 600 m with 9 m diameter, an underground Power House, and six horseshoe-shaped tailrace tunnels of length varying from 320m to 470 m with 9 m diameter.

Dal Lake : Chinar Boat Race 2024

The famous Chinar boat race 2024 was organised recently inJammu and Kashmir’s Dal Lake by the Army.

• Dal Lake is a small mid-altitude lake situated in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is surrounded by the Pir Panjal mountains.
• It is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
• It is the second-largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The lake covers an area of 18 sq.km. and is part of a natural wetland which covers 21.1 sq.km.
• The wetland is divided by causeways into four basins: Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal, and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered an independent lake).
• The shoreline of the lake, is about 15.5 kilometres (9.6 mi), is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal-era gardens, parks, houseboats, and hotels.
• The floating gardens, known as “Raad” in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August.
• Dal Lake is also popular for the floating market where vendors have their own Shikaras/wooden boats and approach tourists.
• The island located on the Lakut Dal is known as Roph Lank (Silver Island), is marked with the presence of majestic Chinar trees at the four corners, thus known as Char-Chinari (Four Chinars).
• The second Chinar Island, known as Sone Lank (Gold Island), is located on the Bod Dal (Big Dal) and overlooks the holy shrine of Hazratbal.

Eastern Imperial Eagle : Spotted

A rare imperial eagle, scientifically known as Aquila heliaca, was recently spotted from the kole fields, Kerala.

• Eastern Imperial Eagle is a large, graceful bird of prey that breeds in southeastern Europe and extensively through West and Central Asia.
• Scientific Name: Aquila heliaca
• Like all eagles, the Eastern imperial eagle is a member of the family Accipitridae. Furthermore, its well-feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae.
• It tends to live in forests, where it will build a huge, conspicuous nest in an isolated tall tree.
• Most populations are migratory and winter in northeastern Africa, the Middle East, and South and East Asia.
• Habitat: Old forests, and the forests in mountains, hills, and along rivers are all common habitats.
• It is a large eagle. Adult total length can range from 68 to 90 cm with a typical wingspan of 1.76 to 2.2 m.
• They also have large eyes that are located slightly to the side of the head.
• These eyes provide them with extremely keen eyesight, allowing them to spot prey from high in the air.

Global Soil Conference 2024 And Soil In India:

The Global Soil Conference (GSC) 2024 was held in New Delhi, highlighting the importance of soil health for food security, climate change mitigation, and ecosystem services.

• The GSC 2024, organised by the Indian Society of Soil Science (ISSS) in collaboration with the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), aims to address challenges in sustainable soil/resource management.
• The event aimed to foster a global dialogue on how caring for soils can drive sustainability across various sectors.
• Theme: Caring Soils Beyond Food Security: Climate change mitigation & Ecosystem Services.
• Soil health was recognized as a pressing issue, with soil degradation affecting productivity and posing a threat to global food security.
• Around 30% of India’s soil is reportedly compromised due to erosion, salinity, pollution, and loss of organic carbon.
• The conference underscored the importance of international cooperation in tackling soil erosion, which aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG 15) of the United Nations.
• SDG 15 aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests sustainably, combat desertification, halt land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss.

2nd India-CARICOM Summit:

The Prime Minister of India chaired the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown, Guyana, alongside the Prime Minister of Grenada, the current CARICOM Chair.

• The first India-CARICOM Summit was held in 2019 in New York.

Key Highlights of the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit:

• India’s Prime Minister proposed seven key pillars to strengthen ties between India and ‘CARICOM’. These pillars are:
  C: Capacity Building: India announced an additional 1000 ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) slots for CARICOM countries over the next five years.
• A: Agriculture and Food Security: India shared its experience in agriculture, particularly in the use of technology such as drones, digital farming, and farm mechanisation.
• R: Renewable Energy and Climate Change: India called for greater collaboration on global initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and Mission LiFE.
• I: Innovation, Technology, and Trade: Prime Minister Modi offered India’s Digital Public Infrastructure and other technological models to improve public service delivery.
• C: Cricket and Culture: India proposed organising “Days of Indian Culture” in CARICOM countries and providing cricket training for young women cricketers from the region.
• O: Ocean Economy and Maritime Security: India expressed willingness to collaborate on maritime domain mapping and hydrography in the Caribbean Sea.
• M: Medicine and Healthcare: India offered its model for affordable healthcare, including the provision of generic medicines through Jan Aushadhi Kendras and the promotion of Yoga for well-being.
• CARICOM leaders appreciated India’s leadership in championing climate justice for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
• SIDS are responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions but are among the most affected by climate change impacts.
• Climate justice means addressing the unequal and disproportionate impacts of climate change on different communities, particularly the poor, marginalised, and vulnerable groups.

Andhra Pradesh reversed its longstanding two-child policy:

Andhra Pradesh reversed its longstanding two-child policy, which had been in place for nearly three decades and prohibited individuals with more than two children from contesting local body elections to control population growth.The government argued that the state was facing the challenges of a rapidly aging population and a declining fertility rate, which could have serious long-term economic and social consequences.

GQ-RCP Platform:

Researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, have developed a new technology for early and accurate detection of HIV.The newly developed GQ Topology-Targeted Reliable Conformational Polymorphism (GQ-RCP) platform, adapted from SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, highlights the innovative capabilities of Indian research institutions.

Cayirhan Coal Mine:

Nearly 500 miners have locked themselves in the Cayirhan coal mine near Ankara, Turkiye, protesting the privatization of the mine and associated thermal power plantSituated on the outskirts of Ankara, in Ankara Province, Turkiye.
Grade of Coal: Produces lignite, a low-grade coal primarily used for power generation.

Centrifugal Process & Uranium Enrichment:

Iran announced plans to launch advanced centrifuges in response to a censure resolution by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), escalating tensions over its nuclear program. Centrifuges spin uranium gas at high speeds to enrich uranium by increasing the concentration of the fissile isotope U-235.

Ashtamudi Lake:

Kerala’s Ashtamudi Lake, a Ramsar site, faces ecological threats from pollution and habitat degradation, with recent fish deaths from algal blooms endangering biodiversity and local livelihoods.It is Situated in Kollam district, Kerala; named for its eight interconnected arms (“Ashtamudi”).

Andhra Pradesh Government Abolishes Garbage Tax:

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly has approved a bill on November 21, 2024, to abolish the garbage tax introduced by the previous YSRCP government. The decision, championed by Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana, aims to alleviate financial pressure on citizens and investigate alleged contractor benefits linked to the tax.

Dr. Jitendra Singh Launches VISION Portal to Empower Underprivileged Youth:

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the VISION Portal (Viksit Bharat Initiative for Student Innovation and Outreach Network) on 21 November 2024 in New Delhi. Developed by the Utsav Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Gurugram, the portal aims to uplift underprivileged youth through education, skill development, and sustainable livelihoods. It bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience by funding student internships and fostering innovation.

China Masters 2024 : In News

Anders Antonsen became the first Danish player to win the men’s singles title at the China Masters, defeating Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in straight games (21-15, 21-13). The victory marked Antonsen’s fourth BWF Tour title of 2024, further solidifying his position atop the Race to Finals rankings. Christie, despite the loss, secured his place in next month’s BWF Tour Finals in Huangzhou, China.

IndusInd Bank and UNICEF Join Forces for Climate Resilience in India:

IndusInd Bank and UNICEF have launched a strategic initiative under the bank’s flagship CSR program, focusing on Disaster Resilient Communities and Climate Risk-Informed Efficient Administrative Systems. The collaboration aims to enhance climate-informed administrative frameworks and strengthen resilience against climate-induced disasters across five aspirational districts in India—Dharashiv (Maharashtra), Begusarai (Bihar), Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Baran (Rajasthan), and Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh).

Navika Sagar Parikrama-II INSV Tarini Begins Second Leg of Global Voyage:

The Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini embarked on the second leg of the Navika Sagar Parikrama-II (NSP-II) on November 24, 2024. The expedition, which was flagged off by the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, on October 2, 2024, aims to circumnavigate the globe with a two-woman naval crew. Sailing from Fremantle, Australia, to Lyttelton, New Zealand, this leg spans 3,400 nautical miles and highlights India’s commitment to gender equality, maritime cooperation, and women’s empowerment.

RBI, Maldives Monetary Authority Pact to Enhance Trade with Local Currencies:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for promoting the use of local currencies—the Indian Rupee (INR) and Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR)—in cross-border transactions. Signed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and MMA Governor Ahmed Munawar, the MoU aims to facilitate bilateral trade, reduce transaction costs, and optimize settlement times by allowing exporters and importers to invoice and settle payments in their respective domestic currencies.

PM Modi Graces Odisha Parba 2024 in Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Odisha Parba 2024 celebrations held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. Organized by the Odia Samaj from November 22-24, this flagship event highlighted Odisha’s vibrant cultural, social, and political heritage. The Prime Minister’s address celebrated Odisha’s legacy, its historical contributions, and its promising future.

Mann Ki Baat:

16th Episode Of ‘Mann Ki Baat’: Inspiring Stories Of Youth, Culture, And Environmental ConservationThis comprehensive speech from Mann Ki Baat touches upon various inspiring themes, initiatives, and the spirit of collective efforts in India.The PM emphasized the transformative impact of NCC on youth, instilling discipline, leadership, and service.