Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 14th September 2024

United Nations Relief And Works Agency For Palestinian Refugees In The Near East : In News

An Israeli strike on a UNRWA school-turned-shelter has killed at least 18 people and injured over a dozen others in Nuseirat, Gaza.

• United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a subsidiary agency created by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1949.
• Objective is to provide relief, health and education services for Palestinians who lost both their homes and their means of livelihood during the Arab-Israeli wars following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
• Beginning operations in 1950, UNRWA was originally headquartered in Beirut but was moved to Vienna in 1978.
• Following the conclusion of the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s, the General Assembly moved the agency to the Gaza Strip in 1996 to demonstrate the General Assembly’s commitment to the Arab-Israeli peace process.
• In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA’s mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June 2026.
• The agency’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict.
• It provides services in its five fields of operations: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including the East of Jerusalem.
• It supports more than five million registered Palestinian refugees, and their patrilineal descendants, who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine War, as well as those who fled or were expelled during and following the 1967 Six-Day War.
• It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States.
• UNRWA also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the UN, which is used mostly for international staffing costs.

World Heritage Site : In News

The Supreme Court recently dismissed an application seeking to declare the city of Agra as a “World Heritage Site.”

• World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites with legal protection inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List.
• These sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific, or other forms of significance.
• The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention).
• This document was adopted by UNESCO in 1972 and formally took effect in 1975 after having been ratified by 20 countries.
• It provides a framework for international cooperation in preserving and protecting cultural treasures and natural areas throughout the world.
• There are three types of sites: cultural, natural and mixed.
• Cultural heritage sites include hundreds of historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites and works of monumental sculpture or painting.
• Natural heritage sites are restricted to those natural areas that
  furnish outstanding examples of Eart

Scheme of budgetary support for the cost of Enabling Infrastructure for Hydro Electric Projects:

The Union Cabinet recently approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for modification of the scheme of budgetary support for the cost of Enabling Infrastructure for Hydro Electric Projects (HEP) with a total outlay of Rs. 12461 crore.

• Scheme of budgetary support for the cost of Enabling Infrastructure for Hydro Electric Projects (HEP) set to run from FY 2024-25 to FY 2031-32, aims to enhance infrastructure and support the development of hydropower in India.
• The scheme addresses major challenges such as remote locations and inadequate infrastructure by broadening its scope to cover additional costs.
• This includes funding for the construction of transmission lines, upgrading pooling substations, and developing ropeways, railway sidings, and communication infrastructure.
• It also supports the strengthening of existing roads and bridges leading to project sites.
• The scheme is set to support hydropower projects with a cumulative generation capacity of approximately 31,350 MW.
• It applies to all hydro projects over 25 MW, including private sector projects, and Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs).
• Budgetary support limits have been revised to Rs. 1 crore per MW for projects up to 200 MW, and 200 crores plus Rs. 0.75 crore per MW for projects above 200 MW, with potential increases up to Rs. 1.5 crore per MW in exceptional cases.
• The scheme also incorporates a rigorous approval process, where budgetary support will be granted following cost appraisals by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIB) and Public Investment Board (PIB) and subsequent approval by the Competent Authority.
• The projects whose Letter of Award of the first major package is issued by June 30, 2028, will be eligible under the scheme.

Port Blair will be renamed as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’.:

The Union Home Minister of India said that Port Blair will be renamed as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’.

• Port Blair is the capital city and the entry point of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• It was named after Archibald Blair, a naval surveyor and lieutenant in the Bombay Marine. Blair was the first officer to carry out a thorough survey of the Andaman Islands.
• It is located on the east coast of the South Andaman Island.
• It is also the place that hosted the first unfurling of our Tiranga by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• Port Blair’s connection with the imperial Cholas and Srivijaya
• Some historical records suggest that the Andaman Islands were used as a strategic naval base by the 11th-century Chola emperor, Rajendra Ito attack Srivijaya, which is in present-day Indonesia.
• As per an inscription found at Thanjavur dated to 1050 CE, the Cholas referred to the island as Ma-Nakkavaram land (great open/ naked land), which possibly led to the modern name of Nicobar under the British.

OpenAI o1:

OpenAI has released a new AI model called o1 and also released a smaller, cheaper version of the o1 called o1-mini.

• OpenAI o1 is a new Large Language Model (LLM) trained with reinforcement learning to perform complex reasoning.
• It thinks before it answers—it can produce a long internal chain of thought before responding to the user.
• This model can reason through complex tasks and solve harder problems than previous models in science, coding and math.
• According to the company, the model is a progressive step toward achieving human-like AI.
• It also demonstrates tangible improvements in key areas, such as generating code and tackling complex, multistep challenges with greater proficiency than its predecessors.
• It has trained these models to spend more time thinking through problems before they respond, much like a human would.
• The o1 model scored 83 per cent on the qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad, OpenAI said in its blog post. This is a vast improvement from the 13 per cent scored by its predecessor, GPT-4o.
• OpenAI’s previous GPT models were simply taught to provide answers by detecting patterns in training data.
• But, in the case of o1, researchers at the organisation first taught the model using a system of rewards and penalties.
• Then, o1 was taught to process user queries by breaking them down and going through them one step at a time.
• Currently, the o1 can neither browse the internet nor process files and images. It also lacks factual information about recent world events.

Onitis bordati:

Researchers have identified a previously unknown dung beetle species, Onitis bordati, in the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya.

• Onitis bordati is a dung beetle species belonging to the genus Onitis.
• Males of most species have distinctive forelegs that are long, slender and curved, often with teeth or spines.
• The species belonging to the genus Onitis are tunnellers. Males of most species have distinctive forelegs that are long, slender and curved, often with teeth or spines.
• Dung beetle species were previously only found in Vietnam and Thailand.
• They are known for their ecological functions, such as seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, and pest control, and plant growth.
• Habitat destruction and climate change pose significant threats.

Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary

• The Sanctuary falls in the Eastern Himalayan Global bio-diversity hot spot and located in the state of Meghalaya.
• The area consists of undulating plains to low hills, which are part of the Archaean Meghalaya Plateau.
• The area has become broken and rugged, especially towards the west and north, because of continuous erosion by the rivers Umtrew, Umran, Umling, Umtasor and other smaller streams.
• The Umtrew is the main river of the area and the rest named above are its tributaries. The Umtrew also marks the western boundary of the Reserve Forest and the Sanctuary.

Rangeen Machhli App:

The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the “Rangeen Machhli” mobile app at the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar.

• Rangeen Machhli App is designed to meet the growing needs of the ornamental fisheries sector, providing crucial knowledge resources for hobbyists, aquarium shop owners and fish farmers.
• It is developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR)-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA) with support from the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
• It provides multilingual information on popular ornamental fish species in eight Indian languages, making it accessible to a wide audience.
• The app offers comprehensive details on care, breeding, and maintenance practices to both farmers and hobbyists.
• One of its key features is the “Find Aquarium Shops” tool, which allows users to locate nearby aquarium shops through a dynamic directory updated by shop owners, promoting local businesses and connecting users with reliable sources for ornamental fish and aquarium-related products.
• In addition, the app includes educational modules for both newcomers and professionals in the ornamental fish industry.

Inquiry Wing of Lokpal:

The Lokpal has constituted an inquiry wing to conduct a preliminary probe into graft-related offences committed by public servants.

• Section 11 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, mandates the Lokpal to establish an inquiry wing.
• This wing is responsible for conducting preliminary inquiries into offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, allegedly committed by specified public servants and functionaries.
• There will be a Director of Inquiry under the Lokpal chairperson.
• The director will be assisted by three Superintendents of Police (SPs) SP (general), SP (economic and banking) and SP (cyber).
• Each SP will be further assisted by inquiry officers and other staff.
• Preliminary Inquiry Timeline and Reporting: The Inquiry Wing must finalize its preliminary inquiry and submit a report to the Lokpal within 60 days.
• This report should include feedback from both the public servant and the designated competent authority for each category of public servant.

Neuromorphic Computing:

The researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a neuromorphic or brain-inspired analog computing.

• This system is capable of storing and processing data in 16,500 states using molecular film.
• Neuromorphic computing is a process designed to mimic the structure and function of the human brain using artificial neurons and synapses.
• It represents a significant shift from traditional binary computing to neuromorphic computing, allowing systems to learn from the environment.
• It involves the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) made up of millions of artificial neurons, similar to those in the human brain.
• These neurons pass signals to each other in layers, converting input into output through electric spikes or signals, based on the architecture of Spiking Neural Networks (SNN).
• This allows the machine to mimic the neuro-biological networks in the human brain and perform tasks efficiently and effectively, such as visual recognition and data interpretation.
• Brain-Inspired Design: Neuromorphic systems replicate the brain’s architecture, particularly the neocortex, which is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as sensory perception and motor commands.
• These systems use spiking neurons that communicate through electrical signals, closely resembling biological neuronal behavior.
• This design allows for parallel processing and real-time learning.
  Integration of Memory and Processing: Unlike traditional von Neumann architecture, which separates memory from processing, neuromorphic systems integrate these functions, enhancing computational efficiency.

Mission Mausam:

The Union cabinet has approved ‘Mission Mausam’ with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crore over the next two years to enhance India’s ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change.

• It includes accuracy, modelling, radars, satellites, and accurate agromet forecasts.
• It will help equip stakeholders, including citizens, to better manage extreme weather events and climate change impacts, enhancing community resilience.
• Components of the Mission:
  • Deployment of next-generation radars and satellite systems with advanced sensors
  • Development of enhanced Earth system models
  • A GIS-based automated decision support system for real-time data sharing
• The mission will be implemented by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting – three key institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• The mission will be supported by other MoES bodies – Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and National Institute of Ocean Technology.
• It will improve monitoring and early warning systems in agriculture, disaster management, and defence, while optimising energy and water resource management. Also, it will support safer aviation and promote sustainable tourism.

National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development:

The Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) as a “public financial institution” under the Companies Act, 2013 aiming to boost infrastructure financing in the country.

World Suicide Prevention Day:

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is observed annually on 10th September to increase global awareness that suicide is preventable and to encourage open conversations about mental health.

Global Bio India 2024:

The Global Bio India 2024 conference held recently in New Delhi showcased India’s expanding bio economy and launched the India Bio Economy Report (IBER) 2024, along with unveiling 30 groundbreaking startups, paving the way for the future of biotech.Global Bio-India 2024 is an annual event organised by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

PHEMA:

An expert group constituted by NITI Aayog has recommended a new Public Health Emergency Management Act (PHEMA) to deal with the public health crisis.PHEMA aims to create health cadres at national and state levels and also empower public health agencies to take urgent action. It would cover epidemics, non-communicable diseases, disasters, and bio-terrorism.

Saarthi app:

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has launched Saarthi, a reference app developed in collaboration with Bhashini, an AI-driven language-translation tool.Saarthi enables businesses to create multilingual buyer apps, supporting Hindi, English, Marathi, Bangla, and Tamil initially, with plans to expand to all 22 languages provided by Bhashini. Saarthi’s multilingual features, including real-time translation, transliteration, and voice recognition, aim to enhance accessibility and provide a personalized digital commerce experience.

Mikania micrantha:

Bhadra Tiger Reserve (BTR) is facing a biodiversity threat from the rapid spread of the invasive weed Mikania micrantha, which now covers 10%-15% of the reserve. This aggressive creeper, known as the “mile-a-minute” vine, has caused similar damage in other reserves like Chitwan in Nepal and Valmiki in Bihar.

RINL Wins CII-GBC National Energy Leader Award for Sixth Consecutive Year:

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, has once again achieved excellence in energy efficiency and conservation by winning the prestigious National Energy Leader Award from the Confederation of Indian Industry – Green Business Centre (CII-GBC).

India’s Foreign Kitty Jumps to Fresh Time High at 689.24bn:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that India’s forex reserves jumped USD 5.248 billion to a new all-time high of USD 689.235 billion till 6th September, 2024.

India jumps to Tier 1 in Global CyberSecurity Index 2024:

India has jumped to Tier 1 in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), when it comes to role-modeling as part of the country’s cybersecurity commitments and resulting impacts.

5 Lakh For Some Transactions:

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has increased the transaction limits for tax payments using UPI (Unified Payment Interface), by allowing people to send 5 lakh in a single transaction.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia Launches ‘Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav’ Website:

Union Minister Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Hon’ble Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), has officially launched the website for the Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav.

Third Edition of INDUS-X Summit Concludes in California:

The third edition of the INDUS-X Summit, held on 9-10 September 2024 in California, marked significant progress in advancing a joint defence innovation ecosystem between India and the USA. Co-organised by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and Stanford University, the event focused on deepening defence collaboration through innovation, joint research, and investment.

MoEFCC Organizes the Dialogue on Montreal Protocol:

On the 30th World Ozone Day event, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), organizes a dialogue on the theme of “Montreal Protocol : Advancing Climate Action. About Ozone Day World Ozone Day, held on September 16, celebrates this achievement

9th Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2024:

The 9th Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2024 began with remarkable grandeur in the picturesque village of Sani, signifying a landmark event for the region. This year’s Zanskar Festival is especially significant as it marks the first celebration since Zanskar was officially declared a district.