Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 20th April 2023

Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023:

Utsa Patnaik, a renowned economist of national and international repute, has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023:-

• Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023 is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust.
• It is one of the most prestigious national awards in India.
• It recognizes and honours the outstanding contributions of social scientists to the field of development studies.
• The award includes a citation and prize money of Rs 2 lakh.
• The Malcolm Adiseshiah Award for distinguished contributions to Development Studies carries a cash award of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation.
• Malcolm Sathiyanathan Adiseshiah (1910 – 1994), was an Indian development economist and educator.
• In 1976 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Farm Distress Index:

Farm Distress Index reported farm distress in different parts of the country.

• Farm Distress Index is developed by Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA).
• CRIDA is an institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
• It was estabilished in 1985
• Headquarter is in  Hyderabad
• It is a constituent organisation of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an autonomous body of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
• It is part of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) funded project on ‘Farmers Distress and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY)’.
• Farm Distress Index is an early warning system based on a 21-question survey that captures the financial, economic, and emotional health status of farmers in vulnerable areas.
• The index can sense imminent distress at least 3-4 months ahead of its actual occurrence.
• This index can be used by policymakers and the government to plan and design a timely and targeted method of supporting distressed farmers.
• Farm distress continues to be reported from different parts of the country.
• Left unattended, the distress can lead to suicides by farmers.

WTO Panel Rules Against India:

World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has ruled that India has violated global trading rules by imposing import duties on IT products, such as mobile phones and components, and integrated circuits.

• India had introduced import duties of between 7.5% and 20% for IT products- mobile, components, and ICs.
• In 2019, the European Union (EU), Japan, and Taiwan filed complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that India’s import duties violated global trading rules and exceeded the maximum rate allowed.

WTO recommendation:

• The WTO panel recommended that India should bring the measures into conformity with its obligations.
• India has already brought some of the challenged tariffs into line with global trading rules since last year.
• If India appeals the ruling, the case will remain in legal limbo since the WTO’s top appeals bench is not functioning due to the US’s opposition to judge appointments.
• WTO Dispute Settlement System (DSS) are two main ways to settle a dispute once a complaint has been filed in WTO—Mutually agreed solution and through adjudication through the implementation of the panel—legally binding

Sangathan Se Samriddhi:

Ministry of Rural Development’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) launched “Sangathan Se Samridhhi– Leaving no Rural Woman Behind”.

• Campaign is a national campaign under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Samaveshi Vikaas
• Aim is to mobilize 10 crore women from vulnerable and marginalized rural households under the Self-Help Group (SHG) fold.
• Currently, 9 crore women already part of the SHG movement
• Benefits is sharing by SHG champions, mobilizing eligible women, training new SHG members, reviving defunct SHGs, and opening SHG bank accounts
• SHGs are small informal groups of 10-20 individuals, mostly women from similar social and economic backgrounds, who come together to form a group for mutual support and help.
• SHGs encourage members to save regularly, and these savings are then pooled to provide loans to members for various purposes such as starting a small business, paying for their children’s education or medical expenses, etc.

World Heritage Day 2023:

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) declared April 18th as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage Day, in 1982.

• The theme for this year is “Heritage Changes,” which focuses on the role of cultural heritage in climate action and its importance in protecting vulnerable communities.
• India is currently home to 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it the country with the sixth-largest number of sites in the world.
• Out of these, 32 are cultural sites, 7 are natural sites, and one is a mixed-type site, the Khangchendzonga National Park.
• The cultural heritage sites in India include ancient temples, forts, palaces, mosques, and archaeological sites that reflect the rich history and diversity of the country.
• The natural heritage sites in India include national parks, wildlife reserves, and natural landscapes that showcase the country’s unique biodiversity and ecological significance.
• The mixed-type site in India, the Khangchendzonga National Park, is known for its cultural significance as well as its biodiversity, as it is home to several rare and endangered species.

Kudremukh Range:

Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) recentlly sought post-facto approval for submerging 700 acres of forest in Kudremukh Range at the heart of Western Ghats about 20 years ago.

• Kudremukh Range is located in the Western Ghats in the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka.
• These broad hills overlook the Arabian Sea and are connected by deep valleys and sharp cliffs.
• It is also known as the Horse Face Range (the literal meaning of Kudremukh in Kannada is horse-faced).
• It got its name from its main peak, Kudremukh Peak (1892 metres), which has a marked similarity to the face of a horse.
• Kudremukh National Park, the second largest wildlife protected area in the Western Ghats, is located in these ranges.
• It is believed that Kudremukh served as a landmark for sailors on the western coast for over 2000 years.

Kudremukh National Park

• It is spread across 600.57 sq km. in the Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka.
• Dense forest cover primarily consists of semi-evergreen and evergreen trees.
• Rare flora on the edge of extinction, such as the Nilambur Cobra Lily and the South Indian Jewel Orchid, can be found here.
• In addition, there are many trees, including eucalyptus, acacia, silk oaks, casuarinas, and others.
• It houses a variety of wildlife such as the leopard, Malabar giant squirrel, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, jackal, mongoose, tiger, wild dog, common langur etc.
• It is home to a variety of birds, such as the Malabar trogon, Malabar whistling thrush, and the imperial pigeon.

TeLEOS-2 : ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon launch Singapore’s TeLEOS-2 satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

• TeLEOS-2 is a Singaporean Earth Observation satellite built by ST Electronics (Satellite Systems).
• It is designed to capture satellite imagery in all-weather and round-the-clock conditions.
• The 750 kg satellite will be launched into a Low Earth Orbit.
• It carries a made-in-Singapore Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capable of providing 1 m resolution data.
• It will be equipped with a 500 GB onboard recorder for recording the data captured and a high-speed 800 Mbps downlink.
• It will provide high-resolution imagery for various applications such as disaster management, resource monitoring, and environmental monitoring.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV):

• It is an indigenously-developed expendable launch system of the ISRO.
• It comes in the category of medium-lift launchers with a reach up to various orbits, including the Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit, Lower Earth Orbit, and Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit.
• It has a four-stage system comprising a combination of solid and liquid-fuelled rocket stages.

Marketing And Logistics Development For Promotion Of Tribal Products From North-Eastern Region (PTP-NER) Scheme:

PTP-NER Scheme has been introduced for the benefit of Scheduled Tribes of the North-Eastern Region.

• Vision is to strengthen livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans through increased efficiency in procurement, logistics and marketing of tribal products from North Eastern States.
• It will apply to the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
• As part of the scheme, it is planned to initiate the empanelment of tribal artisans from the North Eastern Region by organizing 68 Tribal Artisan Melas (TAMs) in various districts of the region.
• The TAMs will be organised in consultation and support of District Administration and other relevant organisations/ departments working in the field etc.
• The programme also includes regular Design & Skill Development training sessions tailored to the needs of the market for tribal recipients.
• North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC), India Post under the Department of Posts, and other North Eastern State Government Departments/ Agencies.
• India Post will provide logistics support in order to meet the scheme’s goals.

City Nature Challenge:

Over 30 Indian cities are set to participate in the City Nature Challenge, an app-based competition that records observations of nature.

• Under this initiative, participants can use the iNaturalist app (available for Android and Apple phones) to click and upload a photo of natural flora and fauna.
• The app uses Artificial Intelligence to suggest the species name. Community members will collaborate to confirm these suggestions.
• GPS coordinates for the observation are picked up automatically from the image data.
• Once an observation is confirmed, it becomes available to scientists and researchers who can use this data to research different plant and animal species or determine the biodiversity in a region.
• The Bombay Natural History Society, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, and The Naturalist School have partnered to lead this event.
• The event was first organised in the U.S. in 2016 by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences

Limited Purpose Clearing Corporation:

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) put in place a dispute resolution mechanism for Limited Purpose Clearing Corporation (LPCC) to settle disputes and claims arising out of transactions cleared by it.

• It is an entity established to undertake the activity of clearing and settlement of repo transactions.
• The mechanism will be used
  • To settle disputes between clearing members;
  • Contention between the clearing members and their clients
  • Differences between the LPCC and its vendors
  • Disputes between clearing members or its clients and the LPCC.
• The disputes arising between clearing members of the LPCC will be settled by conciliation and/or by an arbitration panel consisting of three clearing members, other than the clearing members who are party to the dispute.
• The decision of the arbitration panel would be final and binding on the parties.
• In case a clearing member or the LPCC is not satisfied then the disputes would be resolved under the procedure laid down in the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

National Panchayat Awards:

Leading to the National Panchayati Raj Day celebrations on 24th April 2023, Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing the National Panchayati Raj Award Celebration week (17th -21st April 2023), under which ‘National Conference on Themes 2, 4 & 5: Healthy Panchayat, ‘Water Sufficient Panchayat’ and ‘Clean and Green Panchayat’ is scheduled to be held in New Delhi

• Under the National Panchayat Awards 2023, Gowthampur Gram Panchayat, Telangana for Healthy Panchayat, Nellutla Gram Panchayat, for Water Sufficient Panchayat and Kundal Gram Panchayat, Maharashtra for Clean and Green Panchayat, have secured the first position. Under the “Healthy Village” theme, Panchayats need to ensure healthy lives and wellbeing for all through health checkup, 100% immunization, institutional delivery, nutrition and early child-care through ICDS etc.
• Under the ‘Water Sufficient Village’ Panchayats need to ensure access to potable water facilities to every household, grey water treatment & purification, address groundwater depletion, arsenic contamination, rainwater harvesting & groundwater recharge etc.
• Under the ‘Clean and Green Village’ Panchayats aim for 100% ODF villages, solid & liquid waste management, shift to renewable source of energy, enhanced green cover, conservation of biodiversity etc.

The National Panchayat Awards :

• It honour the best-performing panchayats (local self-government bodies) across the country by assessing their performance in attainment of SDGs.
• The awards were first instituted in 2011 and have since been held every year.