VISION

World Geography For Prelims 2021 by LA Excellence IAS PDF

Indian Geography For Prelims 2021 by LA Excellence IAS PDF

1)  World Day for Farmed Animals: 02 October

•World Day for Farmed Animals (WDFA) is observed on October 02, which marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The day is organised by the International animals’ welfare organization, World Animal Protection along with Asia for Animals coalition to show the importance and urgency of farm animal welfare. The day is dedicated to exposing the needless suffering and death of farmed animals who are raised and slaughtered for food.

•World Day for Farmed Animals has been organized each year since 1983 by the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), this year with the participation of Animal Justice, the Animal Law Firm, the Animal Activism Mentorship Program, Jewish Veg, Switch4Good, and Their Turn.

2)  67th National Wildlife Week on 02 to 08 October 2021

•National Wildlife Week is annually celebrated across India between 2nd to 8th October with an aim to protect and preserve the flora and fauna of India. The Wildlife Week 2021 is celebrated from 2nd October to 8th October. In 2021, we are celebrating 67th Wildlife Week. This year National Wildlife Week theme 2021: “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”.

3)  World Space Week: 04-10 October

•The World Space Week (WSW) is observed every year from October 4 to 10, to celebrate science and technology, and their contribution towards the betterment of the human condition. WSW was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on December 6, 1999. The 2021 theme is “Women in Space”!

4)  Union Minister Amit Shah flags off ‘Sudarshan Bharat Parikrama’

•Union Home Minister, Amit Shah flagged off All India Car Rally ‘Sudarshan Bharat Parikrama’ of the National Security Guard (NSG) on October 02, 2021, as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, to celebrate the 75th year of India’s Independence. The NSG’s car rally was flagged off from the historic Red Fort in Delhi. It will end on October 30, 2021, at the Police Memorial in New Delhi.

•The month-long campaign will cover a 7,500 kms long journey through 18 cities in 12 states, passing through important and historical places associated with the Freedom Movement and Freedom Fighters of the country. The rally has been organized under the aegis of the Union Home Ministry.

5)  Indian contingent departs for Sri Lanka joint exercise Mitra Shakti 21

•The 8th edition of the India – Sri Lanka bilateral joint Exercise “Mitra Shakti-21” is scheduled to take place at Combat Training School, Ampara in Sri Lanka from October 4 to 15, 2021. The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability and sharing best practices in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations between Armies of both countries and further strengthen the relationship between both the South Asian Nations.

6)  Kangana Ranaut becomes brand ambassador of UP’s ODOP Scheme

•The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has named veteran Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut as the brand ambassador of the ambitious “One District One Product (ODOP) scheme” of the state. CM Yogi also presented Kangana with a silver coin which was used for ‘Ram Janm Bhumi Pujan’.

7)  World’s largest Khadi National Flag hoisted in Leh, Ladakh

•The world’s largest national flag, made up of Khadi cloth, has been installed in Leh, Ladakh, on the occasion of the 152nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 02, 2021. The Khadi national flag was inaugurated by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur. The flag is made by Khadi Dyers and Printers based in Mumbai which is affiliated to the Khadi Village and Industries Commission.

•The Sura-Soi Engineer Regiment was entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the national flag from Mumbai to Leh and also with the task of installing it at the top of the high mountains for the unveiling ceremony.

8)  World Habitat Day 2021: First Monday of October

•The United Nations designated the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day. In 2021, World Habitat Day is being celebrated on October 04. The day is commemorated every year worldwide to throw light on the condition of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. The day is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns. The theme for 2021 World Habitat Day is “Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world”.

9)  GoI launches ‘Waste to Wealth’ web portal

•The government of India has launched a web portal called “Waste to Wealth” to enhance cooperation for sustainable development through economy and community participation. The web portal will bring together technology providers, government stakeholders and urban local bodies to find solutions to India’s waste problems, mainly plastic waste.

•The portal has been launched by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and inaugurated by the Principal Scientific Advisor K. Vijay Raghavan on October 02, 2021, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

10)  Centre declares Chacha Chaudhary as official Mascot of ‘Namami Gange’ Mission

•The iconic Indian comic book cartoon character, Chacha Chaudhary, whose brain works faster than a computer, has been declared as the official mascot for the centrally-sponsored NamamiGangeProgramme. An outlay of Rs. 2.26 crore has been dedicated to the project. The comics will initially be launched in Hindi, English and Bengali languages.

•The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has tied up with Diamond Toons, the publisher of the Chacha Chaudhary comics, to conceptualize, develop and distribute the new comics, e-comics and animated videos featuring the cartoon character. Chacha Chaudhary has been chosen to especially connect children with the campaign of river cleanliness.

11)  PM Modi launches Jal Jeevan Mission App and Rashtriya Jal Jeevan Kosh

•Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi virtually launched the Jal Jeevan Mission App and Rashtriya Jal Jeevan Kosh, on October 02, 2021, as a part of the flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched in 2019. The Jal Jeevan Mission has been empowering women of the country by saving their time and efforts which was earlier consumed in covering long distances to fetch drinking water.

12)  Shiv Nadar to be awarded Global Leadership Award 2021

•The US India Business Council (USIBC) has chosen Shiv Nadar and Mallika Srinivasan as the recipient of its 2021 Global Leadership Award. Shiv Nadar is the founder and chairman emeritus of HCL Technologies Limited. Mallika Srinivasan is the chair and managing director, Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE). Both will be honoured at the 2021 India Ideas Summit to be held on October 6-7, 2021.

13)  Najla Bouden Romdhane appointed as first woman PM of Tunisia

•Najla Bouden Romdhane has been appointed as the first-ever female Prime Minister of Tunisia. The 63-year-old has also become the first female prime minister in the whole Arab world. Prior to this appointment, Najla served in the education ministry in 2011. She is a geologist by profession and professor at the Tunis National School of Engineering.

14)  Kiren Rijiju inaugurates India’s first Sports Arbitration Centre in Gujarat

•The Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju has inaugurated the first Sports Arbitration Centre of India at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. This Sports Arbitration Centre of India (SACI) will serve as an independent body to fast track disputes in the sports sector and serve as a mechanism to redress issues related to sports.

15)  Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 announced

•The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 was awarded jointly to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian “for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch.” These breakthrough discoveries launched intense research activities leading to a rapid increase in our understanding of how our nervous system senses heat, cold, and mechanical stimuli.

•The laureates identified critical missing links in our understanding of the complex interplay between our senses and the environment. The announcement was made by a panel at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

16)  Indian Organisation LIFE receives 2021 Right Livelihood Award

•The Delhi-based environmental organisation “Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE)” has been felicitated with the 2021 Right Livelihood Award, an international honour, also known as Sweden’s alternative Nobel Prize. LIFE has been selected for the award for its “grassroots approach of empowering vulnerable communities to protect their livelihoods and claim their right to a clean environment.”

17)  Indian men’s team wins bronze medal in Asian Table Tennis Championship 2021

•The Indian men’s table tennis team claimed the bronze medal in the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, after losing to South Korea 0-3 in the semi-finals. The Indian team was assured of a medal after beating Iran 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Both the semifinalists secure a bronze.

•This is the second medal for India at the Asian Championships since 1976. The bronze medal-winning Indian team comprised of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, Sanil Shetty, and Manav Thakkar.

From being a CBSE topper to studying at Shri Ram College of Commerce and Oxford University and working in the World Bank as a researcher, Sarthak Agrawal is now excited to join the civil services thanks to his 17th rank right in the first attempt of UPSC.

“Didn't do any formal preparation for the exam, just read random stuff;” said Sarthak on his success mantra. He shared that he didn't study for the exams as he was already interested in exam preparation tests.

He was fascinated by anything related to India in economics, politics, and relations with foreign countries that benefitted him to clear the UPSC exams. He didn't take any coaching classes.

UPSC topper 2020: It was in 2014 when Anil Basak, for the first time, surprised his family and relatives by entering the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. But this was just the first stage of his leap to success. Back in the day when he traveled from Bihar to Delhi, Basak had no idea that a few years down the line he would be amongst the top 50 to crack the elite civil service examination.

The boy from Bihar’s Kisanganj couldn’t clear the prelims of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in 2018 in his first attempt. The results broke his heart. “I had put a lot of effort and energy between 2016 and 2018. And yet I couldn’t clear the prelims. Possibly because my strategy was wrong and I had become arrogant that if I can clear IIT-Delhi and I can get through any exam,” that's how he summarised the preparation and eventual result of his first attempt.

📰 British-era bungalow turns Brahmaputra heritage centre

Raus IAS Focus Monthly Magazine September 2021 PDF

Vision IAS August 2021 Monthly Current Affairs in Hindi PDF

 What is the issue?

The Union government notified the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2021 allowing recycled plastic in food packaging.

What was the earlier case of recycled plastic?

• The 2016 rule mentions that carry bags or products made of recycled plastic shall not be used for storing, carrying, dispensing or packaging ready to eat or drink foodstuff.
• In 2018,the FSSAI banned the use of recycled plastic or newspaper for packaging of food items from July 1, 2019.

What is the new amendment about?

• The new rules provide a moratorium of 10 years to big companies to keep polluting since more single-use plastic products will be added to the phase-out list only after a decade.
• It has also allowed the use of recycled plastics for packing food products.

What are the concerns of using recycled plastic?

• India recycles 60 per cent of its plastic waste and most of this is done by the informal workforce in the country.
• Industrial packaging happens to be the highest user of plastic.
• The unscientific methods used by the informal workforce to produce plastic pellets raise concerns, especially around the contamination and purity of the recycled plastic.
• Plastic is used in a variety of sectors ranging from medicines, electronic equipment to chemical fertilizers and using such plastics in food contact applications is a concern.
• No standards were prescribed for recycling of plastic making it difficult to understand the chemical conformity of the recycled plastic.
• A growing body of research proves there is migration of chemicals (additives) from plastics to the food.

What are the global practices regarding the use of recycled plastics?

• In the U.S., manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that the recycled product is of suitable purity.
• The European Union has come up with a ‘plastic strategy’ in 2018 to transform the way plastic products are designed, produced, used and recycled in the EU.
• Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety revised its legislation allowing only chemically recycled resins in parts that do not come into direct contact with food.
• The Chinese agency is now conducting an industry survey and initiating a risk assessment method for recycled food contact materials.

What are the recommendations for India?