Daily Current Affairs 2 March 2020 | UPSC 2020 Current Affairs

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Eurasian otter found in Chilika Lake

• Researchers conducting a study in Odisha’s Chilika Lake has found the presence of a viable, breeding population of a fishing cat in the brackish water lagoon. It is a globally endangered species that is elusive and found in very few places in the south and south­east Asia.
• Wild cat species usually hunt on the ground. But the fishing cat hunts in water. It has specialized features like partially webbed feet and water-resistant fur that helps it to thrive in wetlands. The flat-headed cat of south­east Asia is the only other feline that shares similar features. This makes them unique among all 39 extant cat species
• Another globally endangered species, smooth­coated otter, has also been recorded from the study’s data. Both the species are supposed to enjoy conservation measures of the highest accord in India according to the country’s laws, much like the tiger and elephant. 
• The study has also recorded the presence of Eurasian otter in Chilika. This is significant. Despite being a widely­spread and common species globally, very little is known of the species distribution and abundance in India and especially along the eastern coast.
• The survey undertook in the fringe villages of Chilika covering an area of 1,070 sq km. Here survey conducted more than 1,000 interviews and placed camera traps for more than 300 nights

Source: The Hindu

2) Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) List

• With new additions to the wildlife, a list put out by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), scientists say that the total number of migratory fauna from India comes to 457 species. Birds comprise 83% (380 species) of this figure. 
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had for the first time compiled the list of migratory species of India under the CMS before the Conference of Parties (COP 13) held in Gujarat recently. It had put the number at 451. 
• Six species were added later. They are the Asian elephant, great Indian bustard, Bengal florican, oceanic white­tip shark, urial, and smooth hammerhead shark.
• Globally, more than 650 species are listed under the CMS appendices and India, with over 450 species, plays a very important role in their conservation
• Birds make up the bulk of migratory species. Before COP 13, the number of migratory bird species stood at 378 and now it has reached 380. 
• The bird family Muscicapidae has the highest number of migratory species. The next highest group of migratory birds is raptors or birds of prey, such as eagles, owls, vultures, and kites which are from the family Accipitridae
• The country has three flyways (flight paths used by birds): the Central Asian flyway, East Asian flyway, and East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Another group of birds that migrate in large numbers is waders or shorebirds. In India, their migratory species number 41, followed by ducks (38) belonging to the family Anatidae. The estimate of 44 migratory mammal species in India has risen to 46 after COP 13
• The largest group of mammals is definitely bats belonging to the family Vespertilionidae. Dolphins are the second-highest group of mammals with nine migratory species of dolphins listed.
• Fish make up another important group of migratory species. Before COP 13, the ZSI had compiled 22 species, including 12 sharks and 10 ray fish. The oceanic whitetip shark and smooth hammerhead shark were then added. The total number of migratory fish species from India under CMS now stands at 24. 
• Seven reptiles, which include five species of turtles and the Indian gharial and saltwater crocodile, are among the CMS species found in India. There was no addition to the reptiles list

Source: The Hindu

3) The water crisis in Himalayan regions

• Eight towns in the Himalayan region of Bangladesh, Nepal, India, and Pakistan were nearly 20%­-70% deficient in their water supply, says a survey that appears in the latest edition of the journal Water Policy. 
• The researchers surveyed 13 towns across these countries to understand the challenges of the urban denizens of these regions. Unplanned urbanization and climate change are the key factors responsible for the state of affairs, the study underlines.
• The places surveyed are extremely dependent on springs (ranging between 50% and 100%) for their water, and three­fourths were in urban areas. Under current trends, the demand-supply gap may double by 2050, the researchers warn.
• Communities were coping through short­term strategies such as groundwater extraction, which is proving to be unsustainable. A holistic water management approach that includes springshed management and planned adaptation is therefore paramount
• Across the region, the encroachment and degradation of natural water bodies (springs, ponds, lakes, canals, and rivers) and the growing disappearance of traditional water systems (stone spouts, wells, and local water tanks) are evident
• Although only 3% of the total Hindu Kush Himalayan population lives in larger cities and 8% in smaller towns, projections show that over 50% of the population will be living in cities by 2050, placing “tremendous stress” on water availability.
• Rural areas have typically garnered much of the attention in terms of development and issues surrounding urban environments have been “sidelined”

Source: The Hindu

4) 2011 census data being used for delimitation

• The new Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir ( J&K) will be the only place in the country to undergo a delimitation exercise based on the population figures recorded in the 2011 census. The latest readjustment of boundaries of constituencies in the States and other Union Territories has been done based on the 2001 census and in the future, it will be carried out based on the 2031 census
• the unique provision for J&K was enabled through an amendment introduced in the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. The Act passed by Parliament on August 6 bifurcated the State of J&K into the Union Territories of J&K (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature). The J&K Assembly was dissolved in November 2018 and the region has been under Central rule since June 2018. 
• By the 2011 census, the population in the Kashmir region is 68,88,475, in Jammu 53,78,538 and in Ladakh 2,74,289. By a government reply in the Lok Sabha last year, there are 37,33,111 voters in the Jammu division, 40,10,971 in Kashmir and 1,79,147 voters in Ladakh in undivided J&K.
• Delimitation was last done in J&K in 1995.
• Section 63 was introduced in the J&K Reorganisation Act so that the delimitation exercise can be conducted smoothly without overlapping with other provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act, 2002. It is a saving clause and since J&K is a UT, it now has constitutional safeguards. The provision did not require any separate legislation as it was incorporated in the primary Act
• Section 63 (special provisions as to readjustment of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies) says that “until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year 2026 have been published”, it shall not be necessary to readjust the constituencies and any reference to the “latest census figures” shall be construed as a reference to the 2011 census figures
• The Act says the number of seats in the Assembly would be increased from 107 to 114. 
• The delimitation will be done for 90 seats as 24 seats fall in Pakistan­occupied Kashmir (PoK). The exercise will take at least a year to complete. Till then, no elections can be held

Source: The Hindu 

5) National Security Guard (NSG) Regional Hub campus at Kolkata

• Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the National Security Guard (NSG) Regional Hub campus at Kolkata
• This state-of-the-art regional hub complex at Kolkata, worth over Rs.162 crores, will have Residential and Non Residential Complexes to house 460 persons and families, office accommodation and modern training facilities such as Baffle firing range, indoor shooting range, obstacles, swimming pool, sports complex, and artificial rock craft wall, etc. This latest NSG complex has become a model regional hub of the NSG, which will help in honing the professional acumen of the NSG commandos and also contribute significantly in capacity building of the first responders, the Police forces of the States.   The area of responsibility of this Hub comprises of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand & the entire North East. The Kolkata hub, hitherto functioning from the Kolkata airport, is the fourth to have permanent infrastructure after Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

National Security Guard

• The National Security Guard (NSG) is an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It was raised on 15 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, Akshardham Temple attack and the assassination of Indira Gandhi, "for combating terrorist activities to protect states against internal disturbances".
• NSG is under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is categorized under the uniform nomenclature of Central Armed Police Forces. It has a special forces mandate, and its core operational capability is provided by the Special Action Group (SAG) which is drawn from the Indian Army. The Special Rangers Group (SRG), the police component of NSG, is composed of personnel on deputation from other Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces.
• National Security Guard personnel are sometimes referred to as 'The Black Cats'

International cooperation of NSG

The National Security Guard has conducted international exchanges and joint training with foreign special forces, including those from Germany, Russia, United States, France, Israel, and Australia.

• USA
• Joint cooperation between the United States and NSG was first discussed in 2013. Further discussion took place when US president Barack Obama in January 2015. Subsequently, the first joint counter-terrorism exercise between NSG and United States Army Special Forces, code-named Balanced Iroquois, was conducted starting 18 October 2015. This three-week-long exercise was preceded by a joint airborne-jump at Aero India 2015.
• In February 2018, Green Berets from the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) conducted a joint training exercise with the NSG in Kolkata. The Green Berets learned some urban warfare strategies from the NSG while the NSG learned about some advanced equipment of the US soldiers. The drill included intervention techniques, training in the KolkatMetro system and a drill at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
• In March 2019, the NSG and US special forces from the 1st Special Forces Group carried out joint exercises in Hyderabad.
• Germany
• In the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the NSG decided to a joint exercise with the German GSG 9. In November 2009, a team from NSG visited the GSG 9 headquarters.

Source: PIB 

6) Bringing back cheetahs

Background:

• Recently, the Supreme Court had lifted its stay on a proposal to introduce African cheetahs into the Indian habitat. It has given the nod to the National Tiger Conservation Authority to re-introduce African cheetahs.

Details:

• The Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (Lacones):
• The laboratory was set up in 1998. The Laboratory since its inception has had the goal of breeding cheetahs. Scientists have been trying to get germplasm of the Iranian cheetahs, considered closest related to the extinct Indian cheetah to carry on with the research, but without success.
• One of the successful efforts of Lacones has been the reintroduction of mouse deer in the wild with its captive breeding program in collaboration with the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad.
• The Lacones is building up a national genetic wildlife bank, which has the germplasm of 23 species, including red panda, pygmy hog, Asiatic lion and gharials.
• The Lacones is one of the few frozen zoos in the world where a repository of germplasm is stored for possible future use.
• Extinction of species:
• Many species have undergone extinction even before the advent of human beings, though at far lower rates than at present.
• Background extinction rate, also known as the normal extinction rate, refers to the standard rate of extinction in the earth’s geological and biological history before humans became a primary contributor to extinctions.
• Worryingly, however current extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times over the background extinction rates due to reasons like hunting, destruction of habitat and human intervention.
• Cheetahs became extinct mainly due to sport hunting and recreation hunting and habitat destruction.
• Cheetahs are mainly dependent on antelopes for their food. Antelopes are adapted mainly to dry conditions of the grasslands which are predominantly, extensive flat areas. The neglect of the grasslands and alteration of the grassland ecosystem by extensive plantation of tress has severely affected the fauna adapted to the unique habitat of grasslands.
• Cheetah reintroduction efforts:
• Scientists from the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (Lacones), have stated that the re-introduction of Cheetahs into Indian habitat would be a challenge.

Way forward:

• India needs a protocol for the reintroduction of wild animals.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature has a protocol. It also has reintroduction specialist groups and template guidelines for re-introduction, which needs to be adapted to India’s needs.
• There is a need to create provisions under the Wildlife Protection Act for a policy on the introduction of wild animals.
• Given the possible impact of the cheetah introduction on other native species, there is a need to safeguard the interests of other species as well.

Source: The Hindu

7) Ekam Fest

Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot will inaugurate the week-long Exhibition-cum-Fair “EKAM Fest” organized by National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation (NHFDC) under M/o Social Justice & Empowerment

About EKAM Fest

• EKAM Fest is an effort for promoting entrepreneurship and knowledge among the Divyangjan community, generating awareness among society about potentialities of PwDs providing a major marketing opportunity to PwDs entrepreneurs. NHFDC Foundation is making efforts for the development of a brand and platform for marketing of products of these determined entrepreneurs. Accordingly, the name of the brand has arrived at Ekam (Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Awareness, Marketing).  The word Ekam also represents the inclusiveness, oneness, and unity which appropriately describe the efforts being put in by NHFDC to develop the marketing platform and aggregation of the products through the promotion of entrepreneurship, knowledge sharing, Awareness creation and marketing initiatives amongst the Divyangjan.
• NHFDC also plans to start an online marketing platform to promote online sales and roping in the big corporate houses.  The Ekam Fest stalls will see the following broad products category:
• Home Décor and Lifestyle 
• Textiles
• Stationery and Eco-Friendly products
• Packed Food and Organic Products
• Toys and Gift
• Personal Accessory –Jewelry, Clutch Bags  

The new initiatives of NHFDC will be showcased in the Fest. A few are highlighted below:

• NHFDC Swavalamban Kendra (NSK): NHFDC has taken an initiative to establish PWD owned micro skill training Centers throughout the country for skill training of PwDs. These NSKs will have the capacity to provide quality skill training to around 120 PwDs per year NSK. The PwD owner of the NSK is expected to earn around Rs 20,000 per month.
• Safe Cabs in Delhi and Indore: NHFDC has made an arrangement with Sakha Cabs where the PwD owned commercial vehicles will be driven by the Women drivers to provide safe taxi options for the women, children, and senior citizens commuters. Such Safe cabs are already in operation at New Delhi and Indore Airport. The vehicles here are financed by NHFDC under its scheme.
• Safe Drinking Water E Carts: NHFDC has recently agreed to finance E-carts fitted with RO water dispensing vending machines. These carts will sell water in paper glasses maintaining hygiene. The carts will be supported in operation by Bharat Jal.   The PwD owner is expected to earn Rs 10,000/- to Rs 15,000/- per month in the operation of these carts.

About NHFDC

• NHFDC is an Apex corporation under the aegis of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and is working since 1997. It is registered as a company, not for profit and provides financial assistance to the Divyangjan/Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan/PwDs) for their economic rehabilitation and provides several skill development programs to empower them to grow & sustain their enterprises. To empower the Divyang and marginalized groups of the society more closely, NHFDC has taken a step forward and established the NHFDC Foundation, this year. Recognizing the absence of a connection with the market which hinders fair prices and volumes in the sale of the unorganized tiny Divyang entrepreneurs, NHFDC Foundation is making efforts for the development of a brand and platform for marketing of products of these determined entrepreneurs.

Source: PIB

8) 35th Commencement Day celebrations.

Lecture on ‘financial globalization and international financial markets’ as part of the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India’s 35th Commencement Day celebrations.

Details:

• Professor Hélène Rey, Professor of Economics at London Business School delivered the lecture.
• By the measures of internationalization, the dollar is largely ahead of other currencies with the euro as a distant second.
• International reserves are held in dollars and dollar is an important vehicle currency on the foreign exchange market.
• According to a survey by the European Central Bank, the dollar constituted 62.2% international debt, 56.3% international loan and 62.7% global exchange reserves, whereas the euro had acquired a much less global market.
• India is one of the most dollarized countries in the world, following Brazil, Pakistan, and Indonesia, in the share of imports and exports invoiced in dollars.

The role of the dollar in international markets:

• Notably, the value of the U.S.’s external dollar liabilities such as Treasury bills and U.S. government bonds held by the rest of the world tend to appreciate in bad times, pointing to the indirect role of the U.S. as an insurer.
• Given the dominance of the U.S. dollars, the U.S. gets seigniorage as people from different countries use dollars.
• Seigniorage is the difference between the value of currency/money and the cost of producing it. It is essentially the profit earned by the government by printing currency.

Concerns:

The dollar is becoming more unstable over time as the relative size of the U.S. shrinks in the world economy while the stock of dollar liabilities in the rest of the world has grown rapidly.

Source: The Hindu