Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 19th August 2024

Green Tug Transition Program:

The Union Minister of Port Shipping and Waterways officially launched the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP).

• Green Tug Transition Program was launched on May 22, 2023, is a key initiative under the ‘Panch Karma Sankalp’.
• It is designed to phase out conventional fuel-based harbour tugs operating in Indian Major Ports and replace them with green tugs powered by cleaner and more sustainable alternative fuels.
• Phase 1 of the GTTP will begin on October 1, 2024, and continue until December 31, 2027.
• During this phase, four Major Ports—Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Deendayal Port Authority, Paradip Port Authority, and O. Chidambaranar Port Authority will procure or charter at least two green tugs each, based on standardized designs and specifications issued by the Standing Specification Committee (SSC).
• National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) will act as the nodal entity for this programme.
• India aims at becoming a ‘Global Hub for Green Ship’ building by 2030 with the launch of the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP).
• ‘Green Hybrid Tugs’ will be powered by Green Hybrid Propulsion systems.
• These Green hybrid tugs will subsequently adopt non-fossil fuel solutions like (Methanol, Ammonia, and Hydrogen).

Bhavishya Software:

Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DOPPW) introduced a unique innovative centralized pension processing software called ‘Bhavishya’ for all central government Ministries/Departments.

• Bhavishya Software is an online Pension Sanction & Payment Tracking System launched by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare.
• It was made mandatory for all central civil Ministries and Departments w.e.f 01.01.2017.
• It was launched to address the problems of delay & clerical errors in processing the pension cases, as well as financial loss and harassment to the pensioners,
• It is integrated with payroll packages and would auto fill in basic data of the retiring employees and provide the necessary MIS to the various departments as well as to the DOPPW the number of employees due to retire in the next 15 months.
• The software has laid down strict timelines for various stages of pension processing across all stakeholders involved. The process starts online 15 months prior to retirement and the pensioner has to fill up a single form once.
• The system on its own keeps throwing up alerts to the pensioner as well as to the stakeholder for meeting out the deadlines prescribed for various stages.
• There is complete transparency and accountability in processing of a pension case and due to this system, it becomes very easy to identify the delay points if any, and fix responsibility.
• It has also been integrated with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) module of Central Pension Accounting Office (CGA) and e-PPO is transmitted by the concerned Ministry/Department’s PAO to CPAO from where it goes to the Bank.

Owlflies : Rare Flies

A rare species of owlfly species Glyptobasis dentifera has been rediscovered after 75 years from Kerala by researchers.

• Owlflies come under Order Neuroptera, which includes holometabolous insects while the dragonflies come under Order Odonata, which includes hemimetabolous insects.
• These are misidentified as dragonflies by non-taxonomists because of their morphological resemblance.
• During the day, adult owlflies perch on blades of grass growing in lateritic soils and also in village households, surrounded by dense vegetation.
• The two distinguishing characteristics of owlflies are their long, clubbed antennae (nearly as long as the body) and their bulging eyes.
• Some species of owlflies develop some color in their wings after their emergence.
• Adult owlflies are aerial predators feeding on other insects. When disturbed, some owlflies release a strong, musk-like chemical to deter enemies.
• Usually lay their eggs in groups at the tips of limbs and twigs.
• The female creates a protective shield below the eggs in order to prevent predators from reaching them.
• Initially, owlfly larvae are usually found in the soil, or in trees where they live in clusters for defensive purposes.

Eri Silk:

The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Govt. of India, has successfully obtained the prestigious Oeko-Tex certification for its Eri Silk.

• Eri Silk is renowned as the world’s only vegan silk, where, unlike other silks, the moth inside the cocoon is not killed.
• Instead, the moth naturally exits the cocoon, leaving it behind for us to use.
• This method, which does not involve killing the moth, makes Eri silk a symbol of compassion and sustainability within the textile industry.
• It is the product of the domesticated silkworm, Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves.
• In India, this culture is practiced mainly in the north-eastern states and Assam. It is also found in Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa.
• It is a Geographical Indication (GI) tagged product from Assam.
• Oeko-Tex certification involves a rigorous standard that ensures textiles are tested for harmful substances and produced in environment friendly conditions, is a significant endorsement for Eri Silk.

Namdhari sect : In News

Hundreds of followers of two rival groups of the Namdhari religious sect clashed violently in Rania in Haryana’s Sirsa district

• Namdhari sect was founded by Satguru Ram Singh on Baisakhi in 1857. He challenged the status quo, advocated social reform, and resisted the Raj in various ways.
• The Namdharis were also known as “Kukas” because of their trademark style of reciting the “Gurbani” (Sayings/Teachings of the Guru).
• This style was in a high-pitched voice called “Kook” in Punjabi. Thus, the Namdharis were also called “Kukas”.
• Satguru Ram Singh asked his followers to boycott everything which bore the stamp of the British Government.
• In course of time, Baba Ram Singh became a secular chief of Kukas.
• He appointed Governors and Deputy Governors to organize Kukas in different districts of Punjab. He also inspired young men by giving them military training.
• The British inflicted terrible punishments on the Namdharis and deported Ram Singh to Rangoon, from where he never returned.
• Namdhari Sikhs consider the Guru Granth Sahib as the Supreme Gurbani, but they also believe in a living human Guru.
• The Namdharis consider the cow to be sacred, they are teetotallers, and avoid even tea and coffee.
• The sect’s headquarters is located in Ludhiana’s Bhaini Sahib near village Raiyaan, where Ram Singh was born.
• The sect has its deras across Punjab and Haryana, and has a presence in a few other countries, too.

Aarogya Maitri Health Cube:

The Indian Army and Air Force recently conducted a first-of-its-kind paradrop of the Aarogya Maitri Health Cube, the indigenously-made world’s first portable hospital, at 15,000 feet elevation.

• Aarogya Maitri Health Cube is the world’s first portable hospital.
• It was designed indigenously under Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri),
• It contains medical equipment and supplies such as a mini-ICU, an operation theatre, a cooking station, food, water, a power generator, blood test equipment, power generator, an X-ray machine, and more.
• The ‘Aarogya Maitri Cube Cage’ includes three frames, each accommodating 12 mini-cubes.
• The cage can fit in 36 mini-cubes, including almost everything that can be packed for survival for a period of 48 hours for 100 survivors.
• The design allows joining two cages–master cube one and master cube two, including 72 cubes in total–with damage control capabilities for 200 survivors.
• Mini cubes are durable and waterproof and are designed to open “in different configurations”.
• These cubes are light and portable and can be carried by a single person–a messenger bag, as a strolley or as a briefcase–or even transported through a drone.
• The cubes can handle several severe injuries, including 40 bullet injuries, 25 major bleeds, 25 major burns, around 10 head injuries, long limb fractures, spinal injuries, chest injuries, and spinal fractures.
• The structure will also contain a tablet-based application which can operate all 72 cubes.
• The system also integrates AI and data analytics.

Scheme For Special Assistance To States For Capital Investment 2024-25:

The central government has earmarked financial incentives under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2024-25 to promote land-related reforms across states.

• The Centre will provide states with Rs 10,000 crore in incentives for implementing land-related reforms in rural and urban areas, and Rs 5,000 crore for creating a Farmers’ Registry during the financial year 2024-25 (FY25).
• In rural areas, Unique Land Parcel Identification Numbers (ULPIN), also referred to as Bhu-Aadhaar, will be assigned to land parcels.
• ULPIN is a number that would uniquely identify every surveyed parcel of land and prevent land fraud, especially in the hinterlands of rural India, where land records are outdated and often disputed.
• Cadastral maps will be digitised, and land subdivisions will be surveyed to reflect current ownership. Additionally, a comprehensive land registry will be established.
• In urban areas, States will receive financial incentives to digitise land records using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping.
• They are also required to develop IT-based systems for property record administration, updating, and tax management.

10th Edition Of Exercise MITRA SHAKTI:

The 10th edition of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise MITRA SHAKTI began.

• MITRA SHAKTI is an annual exercise based on counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations in semi urban terrain.
• It is the largest bilateral exercise being undertaken by the Sri Lankan Army and it forms a major part of India and Sri Lanka’s growing defence partnership.
• It is designed for incorporating the current dynamics of UN’ peacekeeping operations through tactical exercises and practical discussions.

Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency : WHO

The WHO has declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, with 99,176 cases and 208 deaths reported across 116 countries since 2022. It has been declared a global PHEIC for the second time in two years.

• Mpox (monkeypox) is a DNA virus from the Poxviridae family, first identified in monkeys in 1958.
• It spreads from animals to humans through direct contact, and symptoms include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that appears within two days of fever onset.
• First detected in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• A new clade (new strain of the virus), primarily spread through sexual contact, is causing concern due to its rapid spread.
• Human-to-human transmission occurs through close contact, including skin-to-skin and sexual contact. Testing is done via PCR. The outbreak, particularly in Africa, has prompted a global health emergency.
• Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is declared by WHO under the International Health Regulations (IHR) of 2005 when an outbreak is unusual, poses a risk of international spread, and may require immediate global action.
• IHR is a binding agreement involving 196 countries. Since 2009, WHO has declared seven PHEICs, including the H1N1 pandemic, polio, Ebola, Zika, COVID-19, and Mpox.

Prokaryotes : New Study

A new research suggests that as oceans warm, prokaryotes will decline less in biomass compared to other marine life, leading to their increased dominance.

• Prokaryotes, which include bacteria and archaea, play a vital role in marine ecosystems, supporting food chains and balancing carbon emissions.
• This shift could reduce fish populations, crucial for global food supply, and diminish the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon emissions.
• Prokaryotes are organisms whose cells lack a nucleus and other organelles.
• Prokaryotes are divided into two distinct groups: the bacteria and the archaea, which scientists believe have unique evolutionary lineages.
• Most prokaryotes are small, single-celled organisms that have a relatively simple structure.

Union Cabinet Approves Major Airport Projects in West Bengal and Bihar:

The Union Cabinet has greenlit significant airport infrastructure projects in West Bengal and Bihar, with a total investment of approximately ₹2,962 crore. These developments are set to enhance air travel facilities and address growing passenger demand in these regions.

Windfall Tax On Petroleum Crude Oil:

India has reduced the windfall tax on petroleum crude oil to Rs 2,100 per metric tonne, effective August 17, down from Rs 4,600 per tonne. This adjustment follows a previous reduction of 34.2 percent to Rs 4,600 on July 31.

Six New Parliamentary Committees For 2024-25: Lok Sabha Speaker Constitutes

The Lok Sabha speaker on August 17, named the constituents of the six new Parliamentary Committees including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which examines government expenditure. Ganesh Singh, BJP MP from Satna, Madhya Pradesh has been appointed as the chairperson of the Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes.

Decline in FDI in India’s Food Processing Sector in 2023-24:

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India’s food processing sector experienced a significant decline of 30% in the fiscal year 2023-24, totaling Rs 5,037.06 crore, down from Rs 7,194.13 crore in 2022-23.

Government Initiates Anti-Dumping Investigation into Steel Imports from Vietnam:

India has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into the import of hot rolled flat products from Vietnam following complaints that these products are being sold at significantly low prices, negatively impacting the domestic steel industry.

RBI Approves Salee Sukumaran Nair as MD & CEO of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Salee Sukumaran Nair as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) for a three-year term.

Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana:

The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government is set to officially launch the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ today on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. This initiative aims to provide ₹1500 every month to more than one crore women across the state