Daily Current Affairs UPSC 8 March 2024

Corbett Tiger Reserve

• The Supreme Court has ordered the formation of a committee to evaluate the impact of Tiger Safaris on the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
• Located in Uttarakhand on the foothills of the Himalayas, spanning the Bhabar and lower Shivalik regions.
• First national park established in mainland Asia.
• Designated as an 'Important Bird Area' by Birdlife International.
• Rivers flowing through the reserve include Ramganga, Pallaen, and Sonanadi.
• Local grasslands known as Chaur.
• Vegetation consists of tropical dry and moist deciduous forests.
• Fauna in Corbett Tiger Reserve
• Home to a variety of wildlife including tigers (with the highest density), elephants, leopards, sambar, and hog deer.

Shankaracharya Temple

• PM visited Shankaracharya Hill in Kashmir
• Located in Zabarwan Range, houses Shankaracharya Temple
• Dedicated to Lord Shiva, at a height of 1100 feet
• Oldest shrine for worship in Kashmir valley
• Named after philosopher and saint Adi Shankaracharya
• Adi Shankaracharya propounded the Doctrine of Advaita
• Established four maths: Dwarka, Joshimath, Puri, Sringeri.

Technology Development Board (TDB)

• TDB has partnered with a private company for an Advanced Chemical Manufacturing Facility.
• TDB is a statutory body under the Technology Development Board Act, 1995, operating under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• Its objective is to commercialize the results of indigenous research.
• Functions include providing equity capital or loans to industrial concerns and financial assistance to research and development institutions, as well as facilitating interaction between industry, scientists, technocrats, and specialists.

Frontier Technology Labs (FTLs)

• AIM, NITI Aayog, and Meta have announced the launch of FTLs.
• FTLs aim to empower students to innovate using technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Blockchain, etc.
• They are an advanced version of the Atal Tinkering Lab, equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
• FTLs will be funded by Meta, with Atal Innovation Mission as the knowledge partner, and managed by Meta's partner 1M1B (One Million for One Billion).

PM Ujjwala Yojana

• Continuation of targeted subsidy of Rs.300 per LPG cylinder approved by Union Cabinet during FY 2024-25.
• Launched in 2016 to provide clean cooking fuel to rural and deprived households
• Government aims to provide 10.35 crore LPG connections under the scheme
• Eligible beneficiary is an adult woman from a poor household without an LPG connection
• Financial support of Rs. 1600 provided for each LPG connection

‘NITI for States’ Platform

• Launched by the government to empower States/UTs in achieving national development goals.

Key features of platform:

• Centralised repository of resources including best practices, policy documents, datasets, and NITI Aayog publications
• Available in 22 major Indian languages and 7 foreign languages
• Tailored digital training modules for officials at block, district, and state levels
• Specialized guidance through partnerships with leading institutions to address specific challenges.

ChipIN Centre

• ChipIN Centre provides EDA tools to 85,000 students for designing Semiconductor Chips.
• Established by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology at C-DAC
• Centralized design facility with advanced tools for chip design cycle
• Aims to make chip design infrastructure accessible to semiconductor design community

Orans land

• Concerns raised by communities in western Rajasthan about classifying sacred groves as deemed forests
• Sacred groves are patches of natural vegetation dedicated to local deities or tree spirits

Deemed Forest:

• Deemed forests not clearly defined in forest law
• Introduced in Godavarman Thirumalpad (1996) case by Supreme Court
• Refers to areas not officially classified as forests by the government but resembling forests.

Indonesia (Capital: Jakarta)

• RBI and Bank Indonesia signed MoU for local currency use
  
  • Promotes use of local currencies in bilateral transactions

Political Boundaries of Indonesia:

• Located in Southeast Asia on the equator
• Largest archipelagic country
• Land Borders with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor
• Maritime Borders with Singapore, Philippines, Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, and India
• Water Bodies include South China Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean

Geographical Features of Indonesia:

•  Five main islands: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua
•  Major Rivers: Mahakam, Barito
•  Highest Peak: Puncak Jaya
•  Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

MoD denotifies civil areas in 10 cantonments

• The MoD had previously advised state governments to think about combining civil areas of cantonments with nearby state municipalities in 2023. 
• Cantonment military zones will be designated as military stations under total army authority.
• Cantonments are areas where military troops are stationed, housing soldiers and civilian populations
• Established by East India Company after the battle of Plassey in 1757
• Currently, there are 62 cantonments in India

Administration of Cantonments:

• Local self-government of cantonments is under the Union Government
• State governments can implement schemes in cantonment areas
• Cantonments are administered under the Cantonments 74th Constitutional amendment Act, 2006
• Cantonment Boards perform civic duties such as public health, water supply, and education
• Station Commander of the cantonment is the Board's ex-officio President
• Number of elected members on the Board varies from 2 to 8 based on category.

Categories of Cantonments:

• Category I: Population more than 50,000
• Category II: Population between 10,000-50,000
• Category III: Population between 2,500-10,000
• Category IV: Population less than 2,500

Growth without basic rights is pointless: SC in Vedanta case

• SC upholds closure of Vedanta's Thoothukudi copper smelting facility closure by the High Court.
  • Closure ordered by state pollution control board and government in 2018
• Basic rights like clean air and clean drinking water, etc. recognized as human rights by international treaties
  • Governments and institutions must protect these rights while promoting industry and job creation

Principles stated by SC during judgment:

• Public trust doctrine: State holds natural resources for public benefit
• Intergenerational equity principle: Present residents hold earth in trust for future generations
• Polluter pays principle: Those who pollute must bear costs of mitigation
• Sustainable development principles: Development without compromising future generations' needs

Union Cabinet Approves IndiaAI Mission

• Objective is to create a holistic ecosystem that serves as a catalyst for AI innovation by means of strategic alliances and activities that span both public and private sectors.
  • It will be accomplished through supporting ethical AI, guaranteeing socially beneficial AI initiatives, democratizing computer access, offering startup risk funding, etc.
• Implementation: by Digital India Corporation's "IndiaAI" Independent Business Division.

The following elements will comprise the mission:

• IndiaAI Compute Capacity: A comprehensive solution for resources needed for AI innovation.
• IndiaAI Innovation Centre: Dedicated to developing and deploying indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs).
• IndiaAI Datasets Platform: A centralized platform for easy access to non-personal datasets for Indian startups and researchers.
• IndiaAI Application Development Initiative: Focused on adopting impactful AI solutions for socio-economic transformation.
• IndiaAI FutureSkills: A program aimed at reducing barriers to entry into AI programs.
• IndiaAI Startup Financing: Supports and accelerates deep-tech AI startups through funding.
• Safe & Trusted AI:  Facilitating the implementation of Responsible AI projects.

• Significance of the mission:
  • Drive responsible, inclusive growth of India's AI ecosystem.
  • Propel innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure tech sovereignty.
  • Create highly skilled employment opportunities to harness the demographic dividend.
  • Demonstrating the potential of transformative technology for good in society.

Union Cabinet Approves UNNATI Scheme for Industrialization

• Central Sector Scheme for Northeast Region Development
• Aim: Develop industries and create employment in Northeast states
• Objective: Boost socio-economic development and economic activity in manufacturing and service sectors

Key Features:

• Scheme period: 10 years with 8 years of committed liabilities
• Eligibility: New and expanding industrial units
  • Maximum benefits: Rs. 250 Cr. per unit
  • Green industries like EV charging stations are eligible, while others like cement and plastic are not
• Districts categorized into Zone A (Industrially Advanced) and Zone B (Industrially Backward)
• Divided into Part A (incentives for units) and Part B (implementation and institutional arrangements)
• Funds earmarked: 60% to 8 Northeastern states, 40% on First-In-First-Out basis
• Implemented by DPIIT in collaboration with states

Other Schemes for Northeast Development:

• PM DevINE Scheme: Funds infrastructure and social projects
• NITI Forum for North East: Promotes inclusive economic growth
• North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme: Creates infrastructure for water, power, education, and health.

Study on Zero Budget Natural Farming by NABARD.

• Assessment of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF):
  • Sustainable agriculture: ZBNF uses natural inputs like cow dung and urine, which are sustainable alternatives to chemical inputs.
  • Impact on farmers' net incomes: ZBNF farmers have higher net incomes compared to non-ZBNF practitioners in most crops.
  • Influence on crop productivity: While some crops show increased yield under ZBNF, traditional varieties can lead to a decline in per unit area productivity.
  • Implications on national food security: Scaling up ZBNF could lead to food shortages affecting India's self-sufficiency in foodgrains.
• ZBNF is farming with nature without modern tools and technology (like machinery, genetically modified seeds, soil testing).
  • Plants obtain 98 – 98.5% of their nutrition from air, water, and sun, with minimal reliance on soil.
  • Therefore, even in the absence of nutritional input, the system can survive and thrive.
• Four key components of ZBNF include:
  • Beejamrit – Microbial coating of seeds.
  • Jeevamrit – Microbial coating of soil.
  • Waaphasa – Soil Aeration.
  • Acchadana – Mulching – applying layer of organic material of surface.
• The Union Government has implemented ZBNF as Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Recommendations:

• Include the need for long-term experimentation before adopting ZBNF nationally.
• Farming practice neutrality through direct benefit transfers.
• Resilient supply chain networks for farm inputs.

Coal Import Substitution Strategy by 2030

Why in News?

• Ministry of Coal releases “Strategy Paper on Coal Import Substitution
  Inter-Ministerial Committee Recommendations for Import Substitution of Coal by 2030
• Key Observations:
  • India has rich coal deposits (around 378.20 billion tonnes )but is the second largest importer 237 MT in FY2023 costing ₹3.83 Lakh Crores of coal.
  • Coal is mainly (about 64%) used for electricity generation, steel, and cement sectors.
  • Coal accounts for 56% of primary energy consumption in India.
• Factors behind Coal Import:
  • Limited reserves of coking coal and high gross calorific value coal.
  • Challenges in developing new coal mines.
  • Logistics constraints for coal evacuation.
• Recommendations:
  • Implementation of Coal Logistic Plan as a high priority.
  • Utilization of raw coking coal production and adoption of Stamp Charging battery technology in the steel sector.
  • Enhancing Washing Capacity in India to 140 MT by 2030.
  • Enhancing coal gasification based Direct Reduced Iron for steel making.
  • Rationalization of GST Compensation Cess on coal.

Government measures for coal import substitution:

• Vision 2030: Increase coal and lignite production
• Auction and operationalisation of more commercial/captive coal blocks
• Coal Logistic Policy and coal evacuation plan
• Mission Coking coal for production and utilization of domestic coking coal
• Technology Upgradation in coal sector Implementing digitalization, smart dashboard, remote sensing applications etc.