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Prelim Bits 28-03-2023 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

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March 28, 2023

Sarus crane

The Forest department has filed a case and issued a notice to an Uttar Pradesh man who rescued a Sarus crane and took care of it for a year.

  • The Sarus crane is the tallest flying bird in the world.
  • They are found mostly in pairs or small groups of 3 or 4.
  • They mate for life with a single partner and its breeding season coincides with heavy rainfall in monsoon.
  • They are known for their ability to live in association with humans.

Sarus

  • Diet - Omnivorous; they feed on fish and insects, as well as roots and plants.
  • Habitat - Typically wades in shallow wetlands or in cropped agricultural areas.
  • Distribution - Sarus crane has 3 disjunct populations - the Indian sub-continent, south-east Asia and northern Australia.
  • Threats - Habitat loss and degradation due to draining the wetland and conversion of land for agriculture.
  • Conservation

Protection

Status

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Schedule IV

IUCN

Vulnerable

CITES

Appendix II

CMS

Appendix II

Sarus crane is the official State bird of Uttar Pradesh.

Possession of Wildlife in India

  • No person is allowed to acquire or keep in his possession, custody or control any wildlife which is state property, under Section 39 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • If anyone does so they must report it to the nearest police station or the authorised officer within 48-hours of obtaining such possession.
  • Burden of proof - Further, under Section 57 of the Act, if a person is found in possession, custody or control of any wildlife, the burden of proof for establishing that it is not illegal is on the person.

References

  1. IE - The special bond between the Sarus crane and an Indian farmer
  2. New Indian Express -  Sarus rescuer gets Forest department notice
  3. WWF-India - Sarus crane
  4. IUCN - Sarus Crane

Coffee Berry Borer

The Coffee Board has issued an advisory to coffee farmers to tackle the attack of berry borer in Robusta coffee plants.

  • Pest - Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei)
  • Coffee berry borers are a small species of beetle that live, feed and breed inside coffee berries.
  • The damage to the berry severely impacts the quality of coffee beans produced.
  • Infestation - Pinhole at the tip of berries indicates presence of the pest.
  • Female beetle bores into the berries through the navel region and feed on the inside content.
  • Infested berries may fall due to injury or secondary infection.
  • Severe infestation may result in heavy crop loss.
  • Control Measure - Brocca traps is an effective measure to control berry borer population in coffee plantations.

References

  1. The Hindu - Berry borer infestation
  2. Coffee Board of India - Pests and Diseases

Bharat 6G Vision

The Prime Minister unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document in the ITU Area Office in Vigyan Bhawan.

  • The Bharat 6G Vision Document lays out a roadmap to roll out 6G services across the country by 2030.
  • 6G will be implemented in 2 phases (2023 - 2025 and 2025 - 2030).
  • An apex council will be set up to oversee the project and deal with issues related to it.
  • The apex council will facilitate and finance research and development, design and development of 6G technologies by Indian start-ups, companies, research bodies and universities.
  • The document is prepared by the Technology Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G).
  • TIG-6G was constituted in 2021 to develop a roadmap and action plans for 6G in India.
  • The national mission for 6G will have a 9-year tenure (2022-2031), with funding in 3 tranches.
  • The mission will catalyse coordination and interactions between various stakeholders in Centre and State governments as well as with industry and academia.
  • 6G Test Bed will provide a platform to test and validate the evolving ICT technologies.
  • The Bharat 6G Vision Document and 6G Test Bed will be key in boosting the faster technology adoption in the country.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

  • ITU is the United Nations' specialised agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs).
  • It is headquartered in Geneva and has a network of field offices, regional Offices and area offices.
  • ITU Area Office - The ITU Area Office is fully funded by India.
  • It is located in the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) building at Mehrauli, New Delhi.
  • It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, promoting economic cooperation in the region.

References

  1. Live Mint -  PM launches Bharat 6G vision document
  2. Outlook - What Is Bharat 6G Vision Document?
  3. Business Line - 6G: How India is gearing up for this game-changer

Daylight Saving Time

Lebanon saw mass confusion after its government decided to delay Daylight Saving Time (DST) by a month.

  • Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks forward one hour from the standard time during the summer and back again in the autumn.
  • This practice is done to make better use of natural daylight.
  • Northern Hemisphere - Many countries in the Northern Hemisphere use DST in the summer time, but not all.
  • Daylight Saving Time usually starts in March-April and ends in September-November when the countries return to standard time, or winter time.        
  • India does not follow daylight saving time as countries near the Equator do not experience high variations in daytime hours between seasons.
  • Southern Hemisphere - In the Southern Hemisphere the participating countries usually start the DST period in September-November and end DST in March-April.
  • History - For the first time in the world, the town of Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada implemented DST in 1908.
  • Germany started following DST since 1916 and became the first country in the world to use DST on a national level.

References

  1. IE - Chaos in Lebanon over what time it is?
  2. Time and Date -  Daylight Saving Time

Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme

  • ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’ is a small deposit scheme for girl child, launched as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ initiative in 2015.
  • ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Account’ (SSA) can be opened at any time from the birth of a girl child till she attains the age of 10 years.
  • The account offers a higher interest rate as well as several tax benefits.
  • The account can be opened in any post office or authorised branches of commercial banks.
  • The account requires a minimum deposit of Rs 250 and a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh in a year.
  • Interest - The government determines the SSY scheme's interest rate is calculated quarterly and it is compounded annually.
  • Currently, the interest rate has been reduced from 8.4% to 7.6%.
  • Interest not payable - Expiration of scheme's duration or if the girl becomes a Non-resident Indian (NRI) or a non-citizen.
  • Maturity - After 21 years of opening or, in the event of the marriage of the girl child after she gains the age of 18 years.

Interest Calculation of SSA

  • The central government reviews the interest rates of small savings schemes like SSA every quarter based on the G-Secs yields of the previous 3 months in the secondary market.
  • This is to ensure that the interest rates of small savings schemes are market-linked, as per the recommendations of the Shyamala Gopinath Committee, 2011.

References

  1. The Hindu - SSA interest rate hike may remain elusive
  2. Economic Times - Hike in PPF, Sukanya Samriddhi schemes’ interest rates?
  3. Vikaspedia - Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
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