Current Affair 1:

Joha rice -- the Nutraceutical of choice in diabetes management

 

News:

Recently, scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology explored the nutraceutical properties of aromatic Joha rice.

Scientists selected two unsaturated fatty acids viz., linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3) acid. These essential fatty acids (which human cannot produce) can help maintain various physiological conditions. Omega-3 fatty acid prevents several metabolic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Joha has also proved to be effective in lowering the blood glucose and preventing diabetes onset in diabetic rats.

Joha rice is an indigenous rice of Assam.

In March 2017, Assam's aromatic Joha rice has received the GI (geographical indications) tag from the Union ministry of commerce.

Current Affair 2:

Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)

 

I have tried to cover lot of points.

What is the objective of scheme?

The objective of the scheme is to enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on the locally felt needs to be taken up in their Constituencies. Right from inception of the Scheme, durable assets of national priorities viz. drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc. are being created.

Read all the points given below. Directly we are taking from guidelines.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has been responsible for the policy formulation, release of funds and prescribing monitoring mechanism for implementation of the Scheme.

1. The Government of India informs the State Nodal Department about the MPLADS funds released to the District Authorities.

2. The District Authorities report the status of MPLADS implementation to the Government of India and State Nodal Department.

3. The MPLADS is a Plan Scheme fully funded by Government of India. The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crores.

4. If a Lok Sabha Constituency is spread over more than one District, the Member of Parliament can choose any one of the Districts as Nodal District in his/her constituency.

5. The Rajya Sabha MP can choose any District in his/her State of Election as Nodal District.

6. Nominated Members of both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can choose any District in the country as Nodal District.

 

 

7. Minimum funds mandatorily transferred in the development of Areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe.

8. The District Authorities should maintain information and data on implementation of the provision for SC/ST areas and also furnish the same on quarterly basis to the nodal department of the State Government.

9. Natural & Man-made Calamities: MPLADS works can also be implemented in the areas prone to or affected by the calamities like floods, cyclone, Tsunami, earthquake, hailstorm, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack, landslides, tornado, drought, fire, chemical, biological and radiological hazards.

10. District Collector/District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner will generally be the District Authority to implement MPLADS in the district.

11. The District Authority shall make the selection of an appropriate Implementing Agency through which a particular work recommended by an MP would be executed;

12. The selection of the Implementing Agency shall be undertaken in accordance with the State Government rules/guidelines applicable for the purpose.

13. Provided that for certain works in certain Central Government Ministries/Organizations (like Railways) where the Implementing Agency has necessarily to be the concerned Central Government Ministry/Organization, the same shall be selected as the Implementing Agency.

 

Just have a look:

Current Affair 3:

Ashokan empire or ‘Akhand Bharat’?

 

This article is with respect to murals in new Parliament building in India.

If you see the map below (in new Parliament), map of the Indian subcontinent in ancient times shown highlighting its important kingdoms and cities.

Prominent Indian states marked on the mural in Devanagari script include Hastinapura, Mathura and Kurukshetra in the north, Kanchipuram and Amaravati inthe south, Nalanda. Vaishali, and Patliputra in the east and Saurashtra, Ujjayini, and Avanti from the west. The mural also shows an edict and an Ashokan pillar, a symbol of the Mauryan state.

Ashoka’s empire is thought to have from present-day Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east, covering the entire Indian subcontinent except present day Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Problem was that it also covers:

Kapilavastu and Lumbini in present-day Nepal and Sindhu, Takshashila, now in Pakistan, are also included. Former Nepal PM tweeted:

Also remember that:

the mural in Parliament, however, does not identify places from Tibet, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Myanmar. Its eastern most point is Pragjyotishpura, which is in present-day Guwahati.

Current Affair 4:

Why India’s military worked to push mega US drone deal?

 

India’s plans to procure General Atomics MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV) from US.

Under the deal, the Navy will get 15 MQ9B drones in maritime and anti-submarine warfare kits, while the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) will get 8 each of the land version.

These drones have specialized sensors for land- and sea-based operations. The armaments for these are also different and each Service has their own requirement.

The procurement process has commenced with the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh according the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) on June 15, the first step in the process. (Acceptance of Necessity: The projected requirement must be related to an operational situation foreseen as imminent or for a situation where a crisis has emerged without prior warning).

Why Navy needs the drones?

The Navy wanted HALE drones as the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean Region needs constant surveillance and to reduce over dependence on its fleet of P8i anti-submarine and maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

However, while the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was working on multiple drone programmes for years, it was yet to work on a HALE. And, hence, the Navy was interested in the deal with the Americans.

While the cost negotiations remained tough since the drones were very expensive, close to USD 100 million apiece, an opportunity opened up three years ago when the new Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 introduced that year allowed leasing of defence equipment.

 

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