ART AND CULTURE

1. Relics found by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Maharastra’s Phupgaon                                                                                                                                       

GEOGRAPHY

1. Fossils show Kutch desert was once a forest                                                           

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Microplastics in drinking water                                                                                   

2. Union HRD Minister launches NISHTHA                                                                    

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Afghan President Warns India On Possible US-Pakistan                                        

ECONOMY

1. Power Minister launches SARAL                                                                                

2. Tirur Vettila, a product of Kerala, obtains GI tag                                                      

3. Sebi relaxes FPI rules                                                                                                  

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Reduce,Rebate and Reuse Milk Pouches                                                                  

2. Iceland bids farewell to ‘Ok Jokull glacier’, the first glacier lost to climate change                                                                                                                         

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. IIT Hyderabad scientists convert fly ash into waterproofing material                  

ART AND CULTURE

Relics found by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Maharastra’s Phupgaon

GS PAPER - 01 ART AND CULTURE - Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Context :

• The recent excavation carried out by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Maharashtra’s Phupgaon has revealed evidence of an Iron Age settlement in the Vidarbha region.

Key Findings :

• The site is situated in the vast meander of the river Purna, a major tributary of Tapi

Structure :

• During the course of excavation, 4 complete circular structures were exposed. All were found encircled with post holes.

• These structures were found to be enclosed with a circular ditch like feature and postholes.

• Inside of these structure floor activity, storage bin platforms and hearths were noticed.

• The bin platforms are circular and they were of different sizes ranging from 90cm to 125cmin diameter.

Arti crafts :

• The excavation also exposed antiquities like beads of agate-carnelian, jasper, quartz and agate were collected in large quantity.

• Iron, Copper objects have also been collected from all the trenches.

• Large quantity of graffiti marks had been observed on the potsherds.

Significance of the Excavation :

• The excavation at Phupgaon has provided important insights into Iron Age people of Purna river basin.

  •  Chronologically, the site could be placed between 7th C BCE and 4th C BCE.

• It indicates the presence of sedentary (permanent) settlement, belonging to the Iron Age of Vidarbha. 

• The settlement comes under the category of a small village with evidence of a small agro-pastoral community with evidences of craftsmanship in the form of beads of agate-carnelian, jasper, quartz and also usage of other artefacts like hopscotch, wheel and barrel shaped beads.

• The finding from Phupgaon indicates its contemporaneity with other Iron Age settlements of Vidarbha like Naikund, Mahurjhari, Bhagimori and Thakalkat.

                                                                                                                             Source :- PIB

GEOGRAPHY

Fossils show Kutch desert was once a forest

GS PAPER - 01 GEOGRAPHY - Geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Context :

• A team of Indian and French researchers has found that the hot arid desert of Kutch was once a humid subtropical forest.

Key Findings :

• The conclusion is based on the discovery of a tranche of vertebrate fossils from nearly 14 million years ago in a geological period known as the Miocene.

• The fossils, consisting mostly of ribs, and parts of teeth and bones, were unearthed from Palasava village of Rapar taluk in Kutch, Gujarat.

• The fossil finds suggest that a rich diversity of fauna and flora sustained in warm, humid/wet, tropical to subtropical environmental conditions.

• The forest may have supported a variety of birds, freshwater fish and possibly giraffes and rhinos.

• The bulk of fossils unearthed in Kutch have so far been mainly marine organisms, due to their proximity to the Arabian Sea.

• Geological changes eventually closed off the salt-flats’ connection to the sea and the region turned into a large lake, eventually becoming salty wetlands.

Significance :

• The findings point to clues on how mammals dispersed between Africa and the Indian subcontinent when a part of India was in the Gondwanaland supercontinent that existed nearly 300 million years ago.

• The findings also showed Kutch to be a potential treasure trove of mammal fossils with possible continuity to vertebrate fossils in the Siwalik, spanning Pakistan to Nepal.

                                                                                                                     Source :- The Hindu

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE    

Microplastics in drinking water

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

• The WHO released its first-ever report on presence of microplastics in drinking water .

Key Findings :

• The WHO said microplastics were present in drinking water, but the levels were not alarming. The UN health agency, however, said there was lack of “enough research” and “reliable and conclusive data” on the subject.

• According to WHO, Microplastics can easily lodge themselves in the human body, but this doesn’t necessarily translate into a health risk.

  • It is possible for some smaller plastic particles to be able to pass through the gut wall and translocate to tissues remote from the mucosa, but this may not necessarily translate to a health risk.

• Humans have always ingested particles and have ingested plastic particles for decades with no related indication of adverse health effects

Treatments to remove micro plastic :

• The WHO also cleared that since most water treatment systems installed for clearing drinking water impurities are capable of treating microplastics, no special resources were needed for these small particles.

• Conventional drinking water treatment (coagulation, sedimentation and filtration) is designed to remove particulates and is therefore expected to effectively remove microplastics. Wastewater treatment can typically remove more than 90 per cent of microplastic particles.

Way forward :

• The WHO also called for much more robust and better controlled studies to understand the impact of microplastics on human health.

                                                                                                                Source :- Down to Earth

Union HRD Minister launches NISHTHA

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

• Union Human Resource Development Minister launched the National Mission to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary level- NISHTHA. National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement.

NISHTHA :

• NISHTHA is a capacity building programme for “Improving Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training”.

• Aim : To build competencies among all the teachers and school principals at the elementary stage.

• The functionaries shall be trained in an integrated manner on learning outcomes, school-based assessment, learner-centered pedagogy, new initiatives in education, addressing the diverse needs of children through multiple pedagogies, etc.

• This will be organized by constituting National Resource Groups (NRGs) and State Resource Groups (SRGs) at the National and the State level who will be training 42 lakhs teachers subsequently.

• A robust portal/Management Information System (MIS) for delivery of the training, monitoring and support mechanism will also be infused with this capacity-building initiative.

Objective :

• Improvement in learning outcomes of the students.

• Creation of an enabling and enriching inclusive classroom environment

• Teachers become alert and responsive to the social, emotional and psychological needs of students as first-level counselors.

• Teachers are trained to use Art as pedagogy leading to increased creativity and innovation among students.

• Teachers are trained to develop and strengthen the personal-social qualities of students for their holistic development.

• Creation of a healthy and safe school environment.

• Integration of ICT in teaching-learning and assessment.

• Developing a stress-free School-Based Assessment focused on the development of learning competencies.

• Teachers adopt Activity Based Learning and move away from rote learning to competency-based learning.

• Teachers and School heads to become aware of new initiatives in school education.

• Transformation of the Heads of Schools into providing academic and administrative leadership for the schools for fostering new initiatives.

                                                                                                                           Source :- PIB

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS  

Afghan President Warns India On Possible US-Pakistan

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its neighborhood- relations. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

Context :

• Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned that India should be wary of a possible U.S.-Pakistan deal on Afghanistan.

Background :

• U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was set to begin another round of talks in Doha to try and reach a deal with the Taliban.

• Afghanistan has made it clear with Ambassador Khalilzad that they will fully back negotiations for peace.

More in the news:

• Karzai, who was in Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, said that he had conveyed the fear and concern associated with the possibility of a deal that involved Pakistan.

• He added that the Afghans have suffered massively the consequences of American-Pakistani deals.

• He also rejected Pakistan’s threat that India’s move on Article 370 would have consequences for the Afghan peace process.

• According to him, Pakistan’s desire to link the two indicates that it still sees Afghanistan as a place for ‘strategic depth’.

                                                                                                                      Source :- The Hindu

ECONOMY

Power Minister launches SARAL

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

• Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy (IC) and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, launched the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index–SARAL.

 SARAL :

• SARAL has been designed collaboratively by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Ernst & Young (EY).

• It was launched during the Review Planning and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State Power Utilities.

• 5 Key aspects of SARAL :

  • robustness of policy framework

  • implementation environment

  • investment climate

  • consumer experience

  • business ecosystem

Ranking :

• The State of Karnataka has been placed at the first rank in the Index

• Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have got 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank respectively.

Significance of SARAL Index :

• This will help states to channelize investments that can eventually help the sector grow.

• In addition, such an exercise is likely to create a more conducive environment for solar rooftop installations, encourage investment and lead to accelerated growth of the sector.

• To achieve our rooftop solar targets, it is important to develop an ecosystem that ensures information symmetry, access to financing and clear market signals.

• Thus, the MNRE has developed the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index–SARAL that evaluates Indian states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development.

• SARAL is the first of its kind index to provide a comprehensive overview of state-level measures adopted to facilitate rooftop solar deployment.

                                                                                                                            Source :- PIB

Tirur Vettila, a product of Kerala, obtains GI tag

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Intellectual property

Context :

• Recently Kerala’s Tirur vettila has obtained Geographical Indication tag.

Tirur vettila :

• Tirur Vettila is a type of betel leaf which is grown in Tirur and nearby areas of Malappuram district of Kerala.

• Tirur Vettila is unique for its significantly high content of total chlorophyll and protein in fresh leaves.

• Tirur vettila possess some special biochemical characters like unique flavour and aroma.
   

  • Eugenol is the major essential oil in Tirur betel leaf contributing to its pungency.

• The leaves are nutritive and contain anticarcinogens, showing future opportunities in anticancer drugs

• Betel vine was reported to have immunosuppressive activity and antimicrobial property

                                                                                                                       Source :- The Hindu

Sebi relaxes FPI rules

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of liberalization on the economy

Context :

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has simplified the compliance and operational requirements for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), to make the regulatory framework more investor-friendly.

Background :

• The move coincides with a period when foreign investors are selling Indian shares in huge quantum.

• FPIs have cumulatively sold shares worth over ₹22,000 Cr. in July and August.

• SEBI has expressed concerns over the recent proposal of the government to increase the minimum threshold of public holding in listed companies from the current 25% to 35%.

Revised norms :

• The SEBI board decided to do away with the requirement that every FPI should have at least 20 investors.

• It has also simplified the KYC (Know-Your-Customer) document requirement for overseas investors.

• It has also allowed central banks of countries that are not members of Bank for International Settlement (BIS) to register as FPIs in India.

  • As per SEBI, such entities are “relatively long term, low risk investors directly/indirectly managed by the government”.

• FPIs shall be permitted for off-market transfer of securities which are unlisted, or illiquid, to a domestic or foreign investor.

• Sebi has also permitted offshore funds floated by Indian asset management companies to register themselves as FPIsand invest in Indian markets.

• Sebi has decided that FPIs may be re-categorized into two categories - Categories I and II - instead of the present requirement of three categories.

• Sebi removed the concept of Category-III FPIs.

                                                                                                                   Source :- The Hindu

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Reduce,Rebate and Reuse Milk Pouches

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Government policies and interventions ; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

• A high-level meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying to review the milk situation in the country

Background :

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Independence Day, AMUL and Mother Dairy were requested to formulate action plan/protocol to recycle milk pouches and share with Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying for circulation to other Milk Federations for implementation.

Reduce, Rebate and Reuse - Milk Pouches :

• The Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying requested Major Dairy Federations to encourage reuse of plastic milk pouches, in a campaign mode, with 3R strategy – Reduce, Rebate and Reuse.

  • REDUCE consumption of plastics by subsidizing the price of the 1-liter pack over ½ liter pack

  • REBATE to customers for bringing back plastics

  • REUSE of pouches for users such as Road construction, recyclers.

                                                                                                                              Source :- PIB

Iceland bids farewell to ‘Ok Jokull glacier’, the first glacier lost to climate change

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

• Iceland has honoured the passing of Ok Jokull glacier.

  • It is the first glacier lost to climate change in the world.

More in the news:

• The glacier was officially declared dead by the Icelandic Meteorological Office when it was no longer thick enough to move.What once was glacier has been reduced to a small patch of ice atop a volcano.

• A bronze plaque was also unveiled in a ceremony to mark Okjokull which translates to “Ok glacier” in the western Iceland.

• Iceland loses about 11 billion tonnes of ice per year.Scientists fear that all of the island country’s 400-plus glaciers will be gone by 2200.

                                                                                                                    Source :- Indian Express

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IIT Hyderabad scientists convert fly ash into waterproofing material

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology

Context :

• IIT Hyderabad scientists convert fly ash into waterproofing material.

Conversion of Fly Ash into waterproofing material :

• Treating fly ash with stearic acid, used in soaps and shampoos, modified the nature of fly ash and helped develop materials with contrasting adhesion behaviours — high adhesions like a rose petal and low adhesion like a lotus leaf

Fly Ash :

• Fly ash is a major source of PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) in summer. It becomes air borne, and gets transported to a radius of 10 to 20 kms.

• It can settle on water and other surfaces.

• Fly ash contains heavy metals from coal, a large amount of PM 2.5 and black carbon (BC).

Effects :

• All the heavy metals found in fly ash nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, lead, etc—are toxic in nature. They are minute, poisonous particles accumulate in the respiratory tract, and cause gradual poisoning .

•  For an equal amount of electricity generated, fly ash contains a hundred times more radiation than nuclear waste secured via dry cask or water storage.

• The breaching of ash dykes and consequent ash spills occur frequently in India, polluting a large number of water bodies.

• The destruction of mangroves, drastic reduction in crop yields, and the pollution of groundwater in the Rann of Kutch from the ash sludge of adjoining Coal power plants has been well documented.

                                                                                                                     Source :- Down To Earth

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