Today Current Affairs: 7th December 2022 for UPSC IAS exams, State PSC exams, SSC CGL, State SSC, RRB, Railways, Banking Exam & IBPS, etc
Table of Contents
World Soil Day 2022:
World Soil Day (WSD) is observed every year on December 5, to highlight the value of healthy soil and to promote the sustainable management of soil resources
- UN designated December 5 2014, as the first official soil day
- It is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems.
- It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity and improving the water cycle
- Reversative agriculture (organic or natural farming) a low-cost approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Organic farming does not use chemicals, but it does increase organic matter content, microorganism population and plant availability of both micro- and macro-nutrients.
International conference on the contributions of J C Bose:
Ministry of Culture organized an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose” on his 164th birth anniversary (1858-1937).
- J C Bose discovered wireless communication and was named the Father of Radio Science
- He invented Crescograph to measure plant growth
- He did pathbreaking work on the ‘Millimeter range wavelength Microwaves’
- Bose Institute (1917) was established by him at Cambridge University for modern research
- He was the teacher of S N Bose, Meghnad Saha, and P C Mahalanobis
- He was responsible for the expansion of experimental science in India
- He opposed slavery and discrimination by Britishers using Satyagrah
Dharavi Redevelopment Project:
The Bombay High Court (HC) seeks the Dharavi redevelopment project authority’s reply to Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for removal of Mahim Nature Park from the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
- Mahim Nature Park is a protected forest under Indian Forest Act, 1927.
- Dharavi Redevelopment Project is the makeover of Mumbai’s slum cluster, Dharavi.
- The project was initially mooted in 2004, but never got off the ground due to various reasons.
- Recently, the Adani Group won the bid for this project.
- It entails resettling 68,000 people, including slum dwellers and those with commercial establishments.
- The rehabilitation construction cost is estimated at 23,000 crore.
- A special purpose vehicle (SPV) is to be formed, with Adani as the lead partner.
- Adani will hold 80% equity in the SPV while the state government will hold 20%.
- The SPV will construct free housing for eligible slum residents, with amenities and infrastructure such as water and power supply, sewage disposal, piped gas, etc.
Vizhinjam Port Project:
Adani Group approached the Kerala High Court requesting the security cover of central forces in its port construction site in Vizhinjam which was marred by violent protests by the Fishermen.
- Vizhinjam Port Project is a Rs 7,525 crore port, being built under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with Adani Ports Private Limited at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
- It was laid in December 2015 and has since missed its completion deadline.
- The port is to have 30 berths, and will be able to handle giant “megamax” container ships.
- It is believed that the ultramodern port, located close to major international shipping routes, will boost India’s economy and its location is also of strategic importance.
- The port is expected to compete with Colombo, Singapore, and Dubai for a share of trans-shipment traffic.
- The port’s advantages are “availability of a 20m contour within one nautical mile from the coast, minimal littoral drift along the coast, hardly any maintenance dredging required, links to national/regional road, rail network, and proximity to international shipping routes.
Technotex 2023:
India’s premier show on Technical Textiles – ‘Technotex 2023’ will be held in Mumbai from 22nd to 24th February 2023.
- The event is being organized by the Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Industry, under National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM).
- Technotex 2023 offers a good opportunity for Startup Entrepreneurs who represent the fastest-growing category worldwide.
- The Government is making all efforts to promote Technical Textiles and has undertaken various initiatives in this direction, such as creation of PLI scheme, HSN Codes, National Technical Textiles Mission.
- Technical textiles are defined as textile materials and products used primarily for their technical performance and functional properties rather than their aesthetic or decorative characteristics.
- As a component or part of another product, they are used to enhance the strength, performance or other functional properties of that product.
- These products are broadly classified into 12 different categories- Agrotech, Oekotech, Buildtech, Meditech, Geotech, Clothtech, Mobiltech, Hometech, Sportstech,Indutech, Protech, Packtech.
- Technical textile accounts for approximately 13% of India’s total textile and apparel market and contributes to India’s GDP at 0.7%.
Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) Scheme:
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently announced that IP facilitator charges have increased by almost 50% for patent filing under the SIPP scheme.
- For patents, the fee for application and filing has been increased to INR 15K from INR 10K.
- For trademarks and designs, the fee has been increased to INR 3K from INR 2K.
- SIPP scheme launched by Government of India, facilitates the start-ups to file applications for patents, designs and trademarks through registered facilitators in appropriate IP offices by paying only the statutory fees.
- Any Start-Up certified by the Start-up Certification Board as having an innovative business.
- For this purpose, Start-up means an entity, incorporated or registered in India not prior to seven years (in the case of Startups in the Biotechnology sector, the period shall be up to ten years), with annual turnover not exceeding INR 25 crores in any preceding financial year, working towards innovation, development, deployment or commercialization of new products, processes or services driven by technology or intellectual property.
- provided that such entity is not formed by splitting up, or reconstruction, of a business already in existence.
- provided also that an entity shall cease to be a Start-up if its turnover for the previous financial years has exceeded INR 25 crore or it has completed 7 years from the date of incorporation/registration.
- provided further that a Start-up shall be eligible for availing the benefits of this scheme only after it has obtained certification from the Start-up Certification Board.
- For effective implementation of the scheme, facilitators shall be empanelled by the Controller General of Patent, Trademark and Design (CGPDTM).
- The CGPDTM shall regulate conduct and functions of empanelled facilitators from time to time.
Kanger Valley National Park:
Around 200 bird species were documented during the Kanger Valley Bird Survey in state’s first-ever systematic inter-state bird survey.
- It is located in the state of Chhattisgarh.
- The name of Kanger Ghati National Park is derived from the Kangar river, which flows in its length.
- Kanger Valley got the status of a national park in the year 1982.
- Kanger Valley National Park is a typical mixed humid deciduous type of forest, in which the Sal, Saugaun, teak and bamboo trees are available in abundance.
- The most popular species in this area is Bastar Maina (The state bird of Chattisgarh).
- Bastar Maina, is a type of Hill maina (gruncula Dhariosoa), which is capable of emulating the human voices.
- This National Park is home to three exceptional caves – famous for their amazing geological structures of Kutumbasar, Kailash and Dandak- Stellagmites and Stalactites.
- National Park is known for the presence of underground limestone caves with dripstone and flowstone.
- Tirathgarh Waterfall is located in Kanger Valley National Park.
