UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 20-02-2020

Animal Culture

• Animal culture involves the current theory of cultural learning in non-human animals, through socially transmitted behaviours.
• The question as to the existence of culture in non-human societies has been a contentious subject for decades, largely due to the lack of a concise definition for the word "culture".
• However, many leading scientists agree on seeing culture as a process, rather than an end product.
• This process, most agree, involves the social transmittance of novel behaviour, both among peers and between generations.
• Such behaviour can be shared by a group of animals, but not necessarily between separate groups of the same species.
• There is evidence that whales, dolphins, elephants and primates acquire some of their knowledge and skills through social learning.
• In addition to individual learning, some animals may learn socially from adults or peers about various behaviours, including optimal migration routes.
• Protecting cultural knowledge among peers and across generations may be vital for the survival and successful reproduction of certain species.

Conservation on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

• The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS) is hosted by India at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• India has been a Party to the CMS since 1983, the Conference of Parties (COP) is the decision-making organ of this convention.
• In order to protect the migratory species throughout their range countries, a Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), has been in force, under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme.
• Also referred to as the Bonn Convention, it provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats and brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.
• Classification of species: Under this convention, migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I and Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention.
• CMS is only global and UN-based intergovernmental organization established exclusively for conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range.

Migratory Species

• Migratory species are those animals that move from one habitat to another during different times of the year, due to various factors such as food, sunlight, temperature, climate, etc.
• The movement between habitats, can sometimes exceed thousands of miles/kilometres for some migratory birds and mammals.
• A migratory route can involve nesting and also requires the availability of habitats before and after each migration.

Farmer Produce Organizations

• Producer Organisation is a legal entity formed by primary producers, viz. farmers, milk producers, fishermen, weavers, rural artisans, craftsmen.
• FPO can be a producer company, a cooperative society or any other legal form which provides for sharing of profits/benefits among the members.
• Through formation of FPOs, farmers will have better collective strength for better access to quality input, technology, credit and better marketing access through economies of scale for better realization of income.

• Initially there will be three implementing Agencies to form and promote FPOs, namely

1. Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC),
2. National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
3. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

• States may also, if so desire, nominate their Implementing Agency in consultation with DAC&FW.
• DAC&FW will allocate Cluster/States to Implementing Agencies which in turn will form the Cluster-Based Business Organization in the States.
• FPOs will be formed and promoted through Cluster-Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) engaged at the State/Cluster level by implementing agencies.
• The CBBOs will have five categories of specialists from the domain of Crop husbandry, Agri marketing / Value addition and processing, Social mobilisation, Law & Accounts and IT/MIS.
• Initially the minimum number of members in FPO will be 300 in plain area and 100 in North East & hilly areas.
• However, DAC&FW may revise the minimum number of membership-based on experience/need with approval of Union Agriculture Minister.
• Priority will be given for formation of FPOs in aspirational districts in the country with at least one FPO in each block of aspirational districts.

• Recently Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for 10,000 FPOs to be formed in five years period from 2019-20 to 2023-24 to ensure economies of scale for farmers.
• Support to each FPO be continued for 5 years from its year of inception.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

• The Prime Minister constitutes Standing Committees of the Cabinet and sets out the specific functions assigned to them.
• He can add or reduce the number of committees.
• Economic Affairs Committee is a Standing committee chaired by Prime Minister (not by Finance Minister)
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs is supposed to review economic trends, problems and prospects “for evolving a consistent and integrated economic policy”, coordinate all activities requiring policy decisions at the highest level, deal with fixation of prices of agricultural produce and prices of essential commodities.
• It considers proposals for investment of more than Rs 1,000 crore, deal with industrial licensing policies and review rural development and the Public Distribution System.

SBM - Grameen

• To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation, Union government of India launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October, 2014.
• The Mission Coordinator for SBM is Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) with two Sub-Missions, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
• The aim of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) is to achieve a clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2nd October, 2019.
• Objectives of the mission are as follows

1. To bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas, by promoting cleanliness, hygiene and eliminating open defecation.
2. To motivate communities to adopt sustainable sanitation practices and facilities through awareness creation and health education.
3. To encourage cost-effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation.
4. To develop community managed sanitation systems focusing on scientific Solid & Liquid Waste Management systems for overall cleanliness in the rural areas.
5. To create a significant positive impact on gender and promote social inclusion by improving sanitation especially in marginalized communities.

Phase II of SBM

• Recently union government approved the Phase II of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen till 2024-25, which will focus on Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF Plus), which includes ODF sustainability and Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM).
• The program will also work towards ensuring that no one is left behind and everyone uses a toilet.
• Under the program, provision for incentive of Rs.12,000/- for construction of Individual Household Toilet (IHHL) to the newly emerging eligible households as per the existing norms will continue.
• The fund sharing pattern between Centre and States will be 90:10 for North-Eastern States and Himalayan States and UT of J&K; 60:40 for other States; and 100:0 for other Union Territories, for all the components.
• The SLWM component of ODF Plus will be monitored on the basis of output-outcome indicators for four key areas:

1. Plastic waste management,
2. Bio-degradable solid waste management (including animal waste management),
3. Greywater management.
4. Fecal sludge management.

Technology Group

• Cabinet has approved constitution of a 12-Member Technology Group with the Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India as its Chair.
• This Group is mandated to render timely policy advice on

1. Latest technologies.
2. Mapping of technology and technology products.
3. The commercialisation of dual use technologies developed in national laboratories and government R&D organisations.
4. Developing an indigenisation road map for selected key technologies.
5. Selection of appropriate R&D programs leading to technology development.

• The Technology Group intends to ensure that India has appropriate policies and strategies for effective exploitation of the latest technologies for economic growth and sustainable development of Indian Industry, in all sectors.

Law Commission of India

• The Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body constituted by the Government of India from time to time.
• The Law Commission shall, on a reference made to it by the Central Government or suo-motu, undertake research in law and review of existing laws in India for making reforms therein and enacting new legislations.
• It shall also undertake studies and research for bringing reforms in the justice delivery systems for elimination of delay in procedures, speedy disposal of cases, reduction in the cost of litigation etc.
• The Commission was originally constituted in 1955 and is re-constituted every three years.
• The tenure of twenty-first Law Commission of India was up to 31st August 2018.
• The various Law Commission have been able to make an important contribution towards the progressive development and codification of Law of the country.
• The Law Commission has so far submitted 277 reports.
• Union government recently gave its approval for the constitution of the 22nd Law Commission for a period of three years from the date of publication of its Order in the Official Gazette.
• It will consist of:

1. A full-time Chairperson;
2. Four full-time Members (including Member-Secretary)
3. Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex-officio Member;
4. Secretary, Legislative Department as ex officio Member; and
5. Not more than five part-time Members.

Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DPID)

• Government of India had announced creation of Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund under NABARD with a total corpus of Rs. 8000 crore over a period of 3 years (i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20), in the Union Budget of 2017-18.
• It aims to ensure that Dairy Cooperatives remain competitive for the sustained benefit of farmers.
• The Funding will be in the form of interest bearing loan, which will flow from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) / National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and in turn to eligible End Borrowers.
• The end borrowers will get the loan © 6.5% per annum, the period of repayment will be 10 years with an initial two years moratorium.
• The scheme have been designed with the following objectives:

1. To modernize the milk processing plants and machinery and to create additional infrastructure for processing more milk.
2. To create additional milk processing capacity for increased value addition by producing more dairy products.
3. To bring efficiency in dairy processing plants/producer owned and controlled dairy institutions, thereby enabling optimum value of milk to milk producer farmers and supply of quality milk to consumers.
4. To help the producer owned and controlled institutions to increase their share of milk, thereby providing greater opportunities of ownership, management and market access to rural milk producers in the organized milk market.
5. To help the producer owned and controlled institutions to consolidate their position as dominant player in the organised liquid milk market and to make increased price realisation to milk producers.

Interest Subvention Scheme

• The interest subvention scheme for farmers aims at providing short term credit to farmers at a subsidised interest rate. 
• The interest subvention will be given to Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Private Sector Banks, Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) on use of own funds and to NABARD for refinancing to RRBs and Cooperative Banks.
• In India Interest Subvention Scheme is being implemented by NABARD and RBI.
• Recently union government under Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) announced Interest subvention up to 2.5% to NABARD from 2019-20 to 2030-31.

Source: PIB