Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 26th October 2024

Great Indian Bustard : Hatched An Offspring Through Artificial Insemination

A Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), the state bird of Rajasthan, successfully hatched an offspring through artificial insemination in Jaisalmer district, marking a significant milestone in conservation efforts.

• Official estimates indicate that fewer than 150 GIBs are left in the wild in India, with 90% residing in the desert regions of Rajasthan and the remainder found in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
• The Jaisalmer breeding center was set up by the Rajasthan Forest Department as part of the Union environment ministry’s Bustard Recovery Program, launched in 2016.
• Protection Status of GIB:
• IUCN: Critically Endangered
• CITES: Appendix 1
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Coking Coal : Report

India’s coking coal imports for the first six months of the current fiscal (April – September) were at a six-year-high at 29.6 million tonnes (mt) with shipments from Russia witnessing a substantial rise of over 200 per cent during this period.

• Metallurgical coal, also known as met and coking coal, is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock found within the earth’s crust.
• It typically contains more carbon, less ash, and less moisture than thermal coal, which is used for electricity generation.
• It is an essential ingredient in the production of steel, making it one of the most widely used building materials on earth.
• It is a bituminous coal with a suitable quality that allows the production of metallurgical coke, or simply named coke.
  Coke is the main product of the high-temperature carbonisation of coking coal.
• It is an essential input material in steelmaking as it is used to produce pig iron in blast furnaces, acting as the reducing agent of iron ore and as the support of the furnace charge.
• It takes around 770 kilograms of coal to make one ton of steel, with approximately 70 percent of global steel produced in basic oxygen blast furnaces.
• The largest producers of coking coal were China (676 million tons in 2022-62%), Australia (169 million tons in 2022-15%), Russia (96 million tons in 2022-9%), USA (55 million tons-5%), and Canada (34 million tons-3%).

United Nations Day 2024:

United Nations Day is celebrated each year on 24th October to mark the anniversary of the UN Charter coming into effect in 1945, following the end of World War II.

• The day aims to raise awareness about the goals and achievements of the international body.
•  UN Charter was signed on 26th June, 1945, in San Francisco at the end of the UN Conference on International Organisation and came into force on 24th October 1945.
• India is one of the founding members and ratified the UN charter on 30th October, 1945.
• The predecessor of the UN was the League of Nations, established in 1919, after World War I, under the Treaty of Versailles “to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security.”
• The Charter of the United Nations serves as the foundational document of the UN. It is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it.
• It outlines key principles of international relations, including the equal rights of all countries and the ban on using force between nations.
• It has been amended three times since its incorporation – in 1963, 1965, and 1973.
• The UN focuses on maintaining international peace and security, providing humanitarian assistance, protecting human rights, and upholding international law.

Benog Wildlife Sanctuary : New Bird Species Sighted

Ninety-five bird species and 22 butterfly species were sighted during the 8th Uttarakhand Bird Festival at Benog Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Benog Wildlife Sanctuary is situated about 11 kilometers from Mussoorie, a popular hill station in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.
• It was established in the year 1993 and is named after the highest peak in the area, Benog Hill, which rises to a height of 2,250 meters above sea level.
• It is a part of Rajaji National Park.
• It is located on a pine-clad slope and is surrounded by snow capped peaks of the Himalayan ranges.
• Aglar River, a tributary of the Yamuna River flows through the sanctuary.
• The place is known for the rare species of birds that habitat in its area.
• The sanctuary is home to several species of exotic birds, such as the White Capped Water Redstart and the Red Billed Blue Magpie, to name a few.

Triton Island:

Recent satellite imagery reveals a significant military buildup on Triton Island, the closest landmass in the disputed Paracels archipelago to Vietnam.

• Triton Island is a tiny island that’s part of the Paracel Islands chain located in the South China Sea.
• It covers a tiny area of about 1.2 square kilometers and is situated southwest of the main islands in the group.
• The island is approximately 4,000 feet long by 2,000 feet wide and, until recently, was completely uninhabited.
• The Paracel Islands are claimed by multiple countries, primarily China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, as part of their territorial waters, making the region politically sensitive.
• Although Triton Island is uninhabited, it plays a strategic role due to its location in the South China Sea, an area known for its rich fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves.
• South China Sea is an arm of the western Pacific Ocean that borders the Southeast Asian mainland.
• It is bordered by China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Vietnam.

21st Livestock Census:

The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the 21st Livestock Census in New Delhi.

• The Livestock Census is conducted every five years.
• The census carries out a headcount of the number of domesticated animals, poultry, and stray animals in the country.
• The census takes into account information about the species, breed, age, sex, and ownership status of the animals in question.
• Background: Since 1919, a total of 20 livestock censuses have been carried out so far, with the last being conducted in 2019.
• The enumeration process for the 21st census will take place between October 2024 to February 2025.
• Focus of 21st Livestock Census
• According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, information on sixteen animal species will be collected in the 21st census.
• These include: cattle, buffalo, mithun, yak, sheep, goat, pig, camel, horse, ponies, mule, donkey, dog, rabbit, and elephant.
• In total, the census will capture information on 219 indigenous breeds of these sixteen species recognised by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR).
• Besides these, the census will also carry out a headcount of poultry birds such as fowl, chicken, duck, turkey, geese, quail, ostrich, and emu.
• The census this time will be fully digitised, like the last one in 2019.
• This will include “online data collection through a mobile application, monitoring at various levels through a digital dashboard, capturing the latitude and longitude of data collection location, and generation of livestock census report through software.
• The 21st census will capture several new data points. These include:
  • Data on pastoral animals, pastoralists: The census will, for the first time, collect data on the contribution of pastoralists to the livestock sector, their socio-economic status, and livestock holding.
  • More details, granular information: The census will find out the proportion of households whose major income comes from the livestock sector. It will also contain data on the gender of stray cattle.

Abhay Submarine : Launched

The seventh Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC), ‘Abhay’, was launched recently.

• Abhay Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC):
• It is built by India’s leading shipbuilding and repairing company, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
• This vessel is the seventh in an eight-ship ASW SWC series, an initiative from a 2019 contract between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and GRSE.
• These ships are being designed with over 80 percent indigenous content.
• Designed for anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, these advanced craft are also capable of Low-Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) and mine-laying activities, enhancing the Navy’s operational reach and defensive capabilities along India’s coastlines.
• These 77-meter-long, 10-meter-wide warships are engineered for powerful subsurface surveillance in coastal waters.
• They can track various surface and underwater targets and conduct coordinated anti-submarine operations with aircraft.
• The ASW SWCs are compact, waterjet-propelled vessels capable of reaching speeds up to 25 knots, providing agility and swift response in tactical situations.
• Equipped with an advanced anti-submarine warfare suite, these ships carry lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, and mines, making them formidable assets for coastal defence.
• They are armed with a 30 mm Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) and 12.7 mm Stabilized Remote-Control Guns, ensuring a robust defence against aerial and surface threats.
• The ships are fitted with a Hull-Mounted Sonar and Low-Frequency Variable Depth Sonar for comprehensive underwater surveillance, enhancing their detection and engagement capabilities in anti-submarine operations.

Pandemic Fund Project:

The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Pandemic Fund Project on “Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response”, in New Delhi.

• It is a $25 Million initiative funded by the G20 Pandemic Fund.
• It is designed to enhance the country’s “animal health security” by upgrading and expanding animal health laboratories and developing laboratory networks.
• Implementation partners: The fund is to be implemented in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and to be utilised by August 2026.
• The Fund supports the existing initiatives of the department through enhancing disease surveillance, including genomic and environmental surveillance for early warning, laboratory infrastructure development, cross-border collaboration and will create a more integrated system for monitoring and managing “zoonotic” diseases.
• The Fund is also aimed at developing human capacity-building initiatives to enhance the skills and capabilities of animal health human resources.
• It will also be used to upgrade data management systems, and enhancing analytics capabilities will enable better risk assessment, improved decision-making and more effective communication strategies related to animal health risks.
• The project hopes to strengthen institutional capacity at both national and regional levels by supporting the development of a disaster management framework for the livestock sector.

Mudra loans:

The government has doubled the limit of Mudra loans under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, introducing a new ‘Tarun Plus’ category. This change, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her July 2024 Budget speech, aims to promote entrepreneurship and support emerging business owners.

National Institute of Public Finance and Policy:

The National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) has revised its growth forecast for India to 6.9-7.1% for FY25, citing a notable moderation in growth during the June quarter. This slowdown is attributed to a significant contraction in net exports and reduced government consumption due to the implementation of the model code of conduct.

17th Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo-2024:

Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the 17th Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo-2024 today at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The event, running from October 25 to 27, 2024, gathers over 2,000 professionals and academics to discuss the future of urban transport in India.

Amitabh Chaudhry Managing Director and Chief Executive Office Of Axis Bank:

Axis Bank has officially announced the re-appointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for a new three-year term, effective from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027. Key Points Approval Timeline The re-appointment was approved by shareholders during the bank’s 30th Annual General Meeting in July.