Current Affairs-December 16, 2022

 

INDIA

• India successfully conducts trials of nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni V.
• The Nation celebrates Vijay Diwas to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War
• Chennai International Film Festival inaugurated
• ‘States can enact laws on uniform civil code’: Union Law and Justice Minister Kiran Rijiju
• 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint army training exercise “SURYA KIRAN” begins.
• Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurates a direct flight between Mumbai & San Francisco
• India receives all 36 Rafale aircraft from France, with the last one landing on Decemeber 15

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

• Centre spent Rs 2,355 crore on ads in the last five years: Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
• Reserve Bank will issue two tranches of Sovereign Gold Bonds for public subscription in December and March.
• Reliance Consumer Products launches FMCG brand ‘Independence’.
• Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd set to market general insurance products of Kotak Mahindra General Insurance.

WORLD

• US imposes new sanctions on Russia’s financial sector
• Peru government announces nationwide emergency amid fiery protests
• The UN Economic and Social Council votes to oust Iran due its systematic violation of the rights of women and girls
• World Bank Report: Curbing air pollution in India needs efforts across South Asia

SPORTS

• R Praggnanandhaa tops USD 10,000 Julius Baer Challenger Championship in Tel Aviv.
• Rafael Nadal was crowned the ITF world champion for the fifth time in his career; Top-ranked Iga Swiatek won the women’s award.

UGC Four-Year Undergraduate Programmes

 The “Curriculum and credit framework for four-year undergraduate programmes” was released recently by the University Grants Commission (UGC). This new framework is in line with the National Education Policy, 2020, which recommended four-year undergraduate degrees with multiple entry and exit options.

What are the key features of the framework?

• Students will receive a UG degree after completing 120 credits in three years. To receive UG honours degree, the students need to complete the programme in four years and receive 160 credits. Under the present system, it takes at least 3 years for the students to receive a UG honours degree.
• For students wanting to opt for research specialization at the undergraduate level, they have to secure 75 per cent marks or higher in the first 6 semesters. They can then choose a research stream in the fourth year. They will be eligible for UG degree with honours and research after they complete a research project or dissertation under the guidance of a faculty member and secured 160 credits, along with 12 credits in project/dissertation.
• While it is mandatory to complete at least four years of study for receiving a UG honours degree, there are multiple exit features that allow students to leave with a certificate after completing just one year. This feature requires students to secure 40 credits and one vocational course of four credits during the summer vacation of the first year. They can re-enter the programme within three years and complete it within the maximum period of 7 years.
• Students who choose to exit after completing the second year will be awarded UG diploma if they have 80 credits and completed one vocational course of 4 credits during the summer vacation of the second year. They too can re-enter and complete the degree programme.
• Students pursuing a three-year UG programme under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) will be eligible for a four-year UG programme. The universities can provide a bridge course to ease students’ transition to the new system.
• Students will be awarded a single major if they secure a minimum of 50 percent credits. For a double major, they are required to secure at least 40 percent credits.

7 important tips to crack JEE main in first attempt

 Students from all around the nation who want to take the IIT examination this year must succeed in the JEE main. One of the most challenging tests offered each year in India is this one. Before exams, applicants' nerves frequently get frazzled. Basically, this test happens every year in the month of January. A student must adhere to a few fundamental and easy strategies in order to pass the exam on the first try. Although these steps are very straightforward, they nevertheless require frequent attention and practice to be successful in the test. So let's get into the specifics of what advice a candidate has to follow in order to pass the JEE exam.

Jee mains Syllabus:-

Students must thoroughly understand the JEE SYLLABUS for the entrance examination in order to pass the test. The rationale is because the question paper is set each year based on this curriculum.

Marking scheme & paper pattern:-

Knowing the paper pattern is crucial to effectively passing JEE Main. The most important aspect to consider when preparing for the test is the marking scheme, the sorts of questions, and the weighting of the marks according to the themes. The confidence of the individual before the exam may be readily increased by administering rigorous mock exams based on the paper patterns.

Study Material:-

Prior to the exam, it is crucial to have the proper study materials. The rationale for this is that it might assist you in receiving the appropriate exam coaching. To provide you the best preparation advice, it must comprise NCERT books, previous year's exam questions, and sample test modules. There are certain websites available nowadays that can provide you free online study materials to help you with your preparation.

Give stress on theory:-

In essence, the JEE question bank combines both numerical and theoretical problems. The majority of JEE questions are often found to come from the theoretical parts rather than the numerical ones. If you are able to adequately prepare for the theoretical portion, it will also be quite simple for you to comprehend the questions in the numerical portion.

Keep your basics clear:-

The most important factor in passing the JEE test is this. If your fundamental ideas are unclear, you might become caught in the middle and lose time. As the JEE test has a set time restriction, time management is crucial in this situation. To prevent exam time loss, proper planning and a good understanding of the subject matter are essential.

Make Notes for each chapter:-

You can recall the concepts more easily if you make useful notes. You may thus review it in the last hours before the exam and increase your confidence. Expert judgement can also be extremely important in this situation at times.

Analyse the previous year question papers:-

To prepare for the JEE test for the first time, it might be wise to analyse the past ten years' question papers. You will get knowledge of the exam's level of difficulty from this, and you can then simply plan out how to perform well on the test.

Double trouble

 From dams to expressways to coal-fired power plants, India’s biodiversity is being battered by the development juggernaut

There’s a new trend in the world of conservation. On the one hand, countries in the Global South are advancing their development agenda with a massive thrust towards building infrastructure. On the other, they are tightening their grip on biodiversity in line with the goals set by the Conference of Parties last year. Both approaches bulldoze local communities that have always conserved forests.

In India, the paradox of development and conservation is quietly unfolding around forests. Call it a double whammy: communities get evicted both by development and conservation. Neither approach sees locals as integral to the landscape. For instance, the country went into a collective ecstasy when cheetahs were reintroduced in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Few cared about the eviction of tribals. This is not all; around the same area, several infrastructure projects have been unleashed to showcase development.

Kuno is but one example. The disregard for taking communities along is stark. Otherwise, how is it that there isn’t one example of locals being roped in for conservation? Take a look at every major protected area, you’ll find both notions going hand in hand, much to the detriment of communities, with the brunt being borne largely by scheduled tribes who live amidst some of the pristine forests.

From dams to expressways to coal-fired power plants, India’s biodiversity is being battered by the development juggernaut. The same goes for mindless conservation projects that do not factor in the locals inhabiting the ecosystem. The latest strategy adopted by the different states and the Centre is to carve out smaller conservation and community reserves instead of creating big national parks or sanctuaries. The former evokes less opposition and also allows authorities to push for infrastructure projects if needed in those very landscapes they aspire to conserve.

The protected area database (http://www.wiienvis. nic.in/Database/Protected_ Area_854.aspx), throws up a startling development: India hasn’t really seen an increase in sanctuaries and national parks in the last few years. But there’s a burst of small community and conservation reserves — terms denoting protected areas acting as buffer zones or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks or sanctuaries. These categories were first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002 “because of reduced protection in and around existing or proposed protected areas due to private ownership of land, and land use”. Why this sudden tweak in strategy?

One plausible reason could be that India is wedded to the ambitious spatial targets set by CoP to place nearly 30 per cent of the world’s land and water under formal protection by 2030. This will be seen as a gauge to measure success, never mind the disregard for human rights. Where can you seek to expand the forests or biodiversity? Obviously where protected forests still exist.

An overwhelmingly large population lives within and near protected areas in the Global South, including India. They invest in and contribute to the economy of the commons equally. Most of these are indigenous people using forest resources for livelihood and sustenance. The double whammy of infrastructure projects and expansion of protected areas to meet spatial conservation targets don’t augur well for them. In the long run, it hurts conservation goals too because they pitch the two against each other. That’s one reason why locals went on a rampage near the Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh after a tiger attacked and killed a human.

It is high time India reviewed its myopic approach and roped local communities into conservation of protected areas to avert a million potential conflicts

Jaideep Hardikar

Source: The Telegraph, 16/12/22

Quote of the Day December 15, 2022

 

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“उत्कृष्टता की सिद्धि तब नहीं होती जब कुछ और जोड़ना या लगाना बाकी नहीं रह जाए, बल्कि तब होती है जब कुछ हटाने के लिये नहीं बचे”
एंटोइन दे सेंट एक्जूपरि

Current Affairs- December 14, 2022

 

INDIA

• Names of 5 High Court judges sent to Government, in the first set of recommendations by the Collegium headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.
• NTPC commissions capacities of 150 MW & 90 MW Devikot Solar PV Projects at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
• Tourism minister dedicates four projects under Swadesh Darshan scheme to nation in Puducherry
• Bird flu reported from two villages in Kerala; Rapid response team formed
• Maharashtra sets up ‘Inter-caste/ Inter-faith marriage-family coordination committee’
• Cervical cancer vaccine ‘Cervavac’ to be rolled out next year for girls aged 9-14 years
• Kerala Assembly passes Bill to remove Governor as Chancellor of state’s universities
• Karnataka sets up panel to look into providing internal quota for Scheduled Castes

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

• Government receives ₹60.46 crore in the form of taxes from entities for transactions in virtual digital assets (VDAs), including cryptocurrencies.
• India’s employable talent rises, women workforce increases: The Wheebox India Skills Report 2023
• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) launches ‘NPS Prosperity Planner’ to calculate retirement Income.
• Banks wrote off NPAs in excess of ₹10 lakh crore in the last five years: Finance Minister

WORLD

• WHO appoints Jeremy Farrar as chief scientist, to replace Soumya Swaminathan
• Bank of England warns about significant pressure on households and businesses due to higher inflation and borrowing costs.
• US announces nuclear fusion breakthrough; hailed as a milestone for the future of clean energy.
• European Union (EU) agrees to give candidate status to Bosnia

SPORTS

• International Master Harshavardhan clinches Asian junior chess title held in the Philippines
• Argentina defeat Croatia 3-0; storms into FIFA World Cup final

Current Affairs-December 15, 2022

 

INDIA

• Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurates the 7th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS 2022) in New Delhi.
• Supreme Court gives Centre three months to constitute T.N.-Karnataka water disputes tribunal
• Geographical Indication tag sought for Kerala’s legendary Beypore Uru (Boat)
• Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise ‘Kazind – 2022’ commences at Umroi, Meghalaya.
• Parliament passes New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022
• Suspected hooch tragedy claims 21 lives in Bihar.
• India offers to set up permanent secretariat for No Money for Terror Ministerial Conference
• Nine new items have been given GI tag, including gamocha of Assam, Tandur red gram of Telangana, Raktsey Karpo apricot of Ladakh, and Alibag white onion of Maharashtra. Total number of GI tags in India comes to 432.

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

• India’s Wholesale price inflation falls to 5.85% in November from 8.4% in October.
• Government approves revival package of Rs 1.64 lakh crore for BSNL
• Report: India has 350 mn digital payment users, count set to double by 2030
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) kept its forecast for India’s economic growth unchanged at 7 percent for FY23.
• OPEC: India’s recovery momentum might Slow In the coming year.
• Ministry Of Heavy Industries Allocates Rs 1000 Crore for Development Of Charging Infrastructure

WORLD

• UK, France, and UAE extend support for India’s permanent membership at UNSC
• G-7 approves USD 15.5 billion deal with Vietnam to help cutting climate-damaging pollution
• US: Wildlife officials declare ‘Nevada wildflower’ as endangered species
• New Zealand passes law banning cigarettes for future generations

SPORTS

• FIFA World Cup: France beat Morocco to play final with Argentina.
• Women’s FIH Nations Cup 2022: Indian hockey team wins 2-0 over South Africa and enters semi-finals