Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 9th June 2023

‘Antardrishti’ : Financial Inclusion Dashboard

The Reserve Bank of India Governor launched a financial inclusion dashboard named ‘Antardrishti’.

• Antardrishti dashboard provides the necessary knowledge to evaluate and track the development of financial inclusion by recording relevant data.
• It will also make it possible to assess the degree of financial exclusion at a local level across the nation so that such places may be addressed.
• Financial Inclusion aimed to provide access to affordable and appropriate financial products and services, such as savings accounts, credit, insurance, and payment systems.
• The Reserve Bank has been promoting financial inclusion through various policy initiatives.
• To measure the extent of financial inclusion the central bank had constructed the Financial Inclusion (FI) Index in 2021.
• It is based on three dimensions of financial inclusion — ‘Access’, ‘Usage’ and ‘Quality’.
• The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.

Fifth State Food Safety Index:

The union Health Minister released the fifth State Food Safety Index in New Delhi.

• Among the large state category: Kerala is the top-ranking state followed by Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
• Among the small states category: Goa is the top-ranking state followed by Manipur, and Sikkim in the Small States category.
• Among the Union Territories category: Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, and Delhi
• The Index is an annual assessment released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• It was started in 2018-19 and serves as a tool to propel States and Union Territories to enhance their performance and establish robust food safety ecosystems within their jurisdictions
• This index is based on the performance of the State/ UT on five significant parameters, namely, Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
• The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.

Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) Platform : RBI

The Reserve Bank on Wednesday expanded the trade receivables discounting system (TReDS) by permitting insurance companies to function as participants.

• Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform is an electronic platform for facilitating the financing/discounting of trade receivables of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through multiple financiers.
• These receivables can be due from corporates and other buyers, including Government Departments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
• Purpose is to allow MSME sellers to discount invoices raised against major corporations, which helps them manage their working capital demands.
• The platform enables MSMEs to receive payments more quickly.
• RBI has not made it compulsory for any buyer, seller, or financier to participate in TReDS.
• The Government has made it compulsory for certain segments of companies to mandatorily register as buyers on the TReDS platform(s).

Kilauea Volcano : Erupted Recently

The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island erupted recently, according to an advisory from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

• Kilauea Volcano is the youngest and most active Hawaiian shield volcano, located on the southern part of the Island of Hawaii, known as Big Island.
• It is near-constantly erupting from vents either on its summit (caldera) or on the rift zones.
• Kilauea has a large summit caldera with a central crater, Halemaumau, which is according to Hawaiian legends the home of the fire goddess Pele.
• Shield volcanoes are a type of volcano that tend to erupt basalt lava, a type of lava that is very fluid when erupted.
• Although shield volcanoes are the largest volcanoes on Earth, they do not form soaring mountains with conical peaks like composite volcanoes.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) For Kharif Crops : 2023-2024

The Indian government has approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for kharif crops for the 2023-24 season, aiming to provide fair remuneration to farmers.

• However, concerns have been raised by farmers’ organisations regarding the increase not keeping up with rising input costs.
• The Centre claimed that the hike in MSP for kharif crops for 2023-24 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the All-India weighted average cost of production.
• The MSP has been hiked for all 14 kharif crops in the range of 5.3 to 10.35 %. In absolute terms, it has been increased by Rs 128 to Rs 805 per quintal.
• Green gram (moong) got the highest hike of 10.4% over 2022-23 followed by sesamum that saw an increase of 10.3%.

Kharif Crops:

• Kharif crops are the crops that are sown in the rainy season, from June to September.
• Some of the major kharif crops are paddy, maize, millets, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and sugarcane.
• Kharif crops account for about 55% of the total foodgrain production in India.

Commando Battalion For Resolute Action (CoBRA) : Change In The Training Pattern

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is now considering a change in the training pattern of the elite anti-Naxal unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

• Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a specialized force which has been raised for guerilla/jungle warfare type operations for dealing with Maoist and therefore also known as ‘jungle warriors’.
• Personnel for CoBRA are selected from CRPF as CoBRA is integral part of CRPF.
• They undergo rigorous commando & jungle warfare training before being posted to CoBRA BNs for anti-Naxal operations.
• In all there are 10 CoBRA Units Raised between 2008-2011.Most of its 10 battalions are deployed for anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand apart from some units tasked for counter-insurgency operations in the northeastern part of the country.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):

• It is the premier central police force of the Union of India for internal security.
• It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
• Originally constituted as the Crown Representative Police in 1939, it is one of the oldest Central para military forces (now termed as Central Armed Police Force).

Ground-Level Ozone Exceeding The National Standards:

According to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), parts of the Delhi-NCR region witnessed ground-level ozone exceeding the national standards on 87 out of 92 days between March and May in 2023.

• The analysis, based on data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), highlights the duration and geographical spread of Ozone Pollution, its impact during different seasons, and the underlying causes.

Findings:

• While ground-level ozone pollution in Delhi-NCR was lower in 2023 compared to the past five years, the duration of its exceedance has increased.
• This phenomenon is of concern as elevated ozone levels persist even hours after sunset, contrary to expectations.
• This summer, at the stations which reported exceedance the rolling 8-hr average stayed above standard for 4.9 hours on average, which is up from 4.6 hours observed last summer.
• The WHO Air Quality Guidelines for ambient (outdoor) ozone is 100 μg/m3 (~50 ppb) measured as 8-hr maximum moving average within a day.
• Ozone pollution is not limited to specific seasons. Even during winter months, when cold and foggy conditions inhibit ground level ozone formation, Delhi-NCR experienced excess ozone levels on multiple days in January 2023.
• Ozone levels exceeded the standard at multiple stations on 26 days in January 2023.
• New Delhi and South Delhi areas were the most affected by ground-level ozone pollution.

Ground-Level Ozone:

• Ground-level ozone, also known as Tropospheric ozone, is a colorless and highly irritating gas that forms near the Earth’s surface, typically within two miles above the ground.
• Ground-level ozone is not directly emitted from any specific source.
• It is formed through complex interactions between Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and carbon monoxide emitted from vehicles, power plants, factories, and other combustion sources.
• These compounds undergo cyclic reactions in the presence of sunlight to generate ground-level ozone.

Homo Naledi : Study

A study has been published, which suggests that Homo Naledi, an ancient human species, may have buried their dead and created meaningful symbols in a cave.

• However, these claims have sparked controversy within the scientific community.
• Homo Naledi is a species of human discovered in the Rising Star cave system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa in 2013.
• The remains of at least 15 individuals, including adults, juveniles, and infants, were found, making it the largest collection of a single hominin species in Africa.
• Homo naledi exhibits a combination of primitive and modern features and is not a direct ancestor of modern humans.
• These short-statured, small-brained ancient cousins are thought to have lived in Southern Africa between 335,000 and 241,000 years ago (possibly up to 2 million years ago).

World Ocean Day 2023:

World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on 8 June to create awareness among people regarding the significance of oceans, and the importance of preserving and conserving oceanic resources.

• “Planet Ocean: tides are changing,” is the theme for World Oceans Day 2023.
• The ocean covers over 70% of the planet.
• The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, it is home to most of earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world.
• The ocean is also key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
• Even with all its benefits, the ocean is now in need of support.
• With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished.