Current Affair 1:

Five new Wetlands of International Importance

 

News:

India has designated five new Wetlands of International Importance, taking its total number of “Ramsar Sites” to 80.

They are all located in South Indian States and notable for their birdlife and overall biodiversity, but they are otherwise diverse: one is an estuary, two are human-made bird conservation areas, one is the largest lake of Tamil Nadu State, and one a forest-wetland complex unique to southern India with high species endemism.

We will read about these sites:

Aghanashini Estuary is found where the Aghanashini River flows into the Arabian Sea in Karnataka State.

Two further new Sites in Karnataka are reservoirs which were originally constructed for irrigation. Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve is widely known for its rich bird diversity: some 35,000 birds of 240 species have been recorded, of which about 30 waterbird species breed at the Site.

Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve provides stable habitat conditions for more than 165 bird species and has been declared an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). The Site is one of the largest wintering grounds for bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) in southern India.

Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary one of the largest inland freshwater lakes in the State of Tamil Nadu, provides important stopover and foraging ground for birds migrating along the Central Asian Flyway. The Site also provides breeding habitat for the vulnerable Indian flap-shelled turtle (Lissemys punctata).

Longwood Shola Reserve Forest, also in Tamil Nadu, features intermittent freshwater marshes and streams nested within a “shola”, a tropical montane forest of southern India.

How wetlands are included in list? We have given CA multiple times and in Test Series. Do read from there.

Current Affair 2:

What is Nano DAP?

 

News:

Recently, the Finance Minister of India, presenting the interim budget announced the expansion of the application of Nano DAP on various crops in all agro climatic zones.

DAP, or di-ammonium phosphate, is the second most used fertilizer in India after urea. One 500 ml bottle of this fertilizer, which is sold in the market in the form of a bottle and is sufficient for one acre, contains up to 8% nitrogen and up to 16% phosphorus.

It is applied as a foliar spray on crop, increasing production by 8 to 10%.

It uses 50% less traditional DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate) and cost 600 INR each bottle.  This form of traditional fertilizer was previously more expensive and only available to farmers, but in 2022, the “Nano Bio-technology Research Center” gave them a present by finding Nano DAP. The Indian farmer Fertilizer Co-operative Limited, or IFFCO, is credited with its discovery. On July 20, 2022, IFFCO also received a patent for Nano DAP.

It aims to minimize the usage of traditional DAP by 505. Additionally, conventional Dap has high levels of up to 8% nitrogen and up to 16% phosphorus.

Current Affair 3:

What is the rule of 'Reading Down' the clause?

 

News:

The Supreme Court recently observed that if a plain reading of a clause fulfills the object and purpose of the statute, then the rule of 'Reading Down' the clause would not be applied just because the clause imposes harsher consequences.

“Reading Down” a provision is one of the many methods the court may turn to when it finds that a particular provision, if for its plain meaning, cannot be saved from invalidation. So, by restricting or reading it down, the court makes it workable to salvage and save the provision from invalidation. The rule of “Reading Down” is only for the limited purpose of making a provision workable and its objective achievable.”

In a nutshell, the principle of "reading down" a provision refers to a legal interpretation approach where a court, while examining the validity of a statute, attempts to give a narrowed or restricted meaning to a particular provision to uphold its constitutionality. This principle is rooted in the idea that courts should make every effort to preserve the validity of legislation and should only declare a law invalid as a last resort.

“When a court encounters a provision that, if interpreted according to its plain and literal meaning, might lead to constitutional or legal issues, the court may opt to read down the provision. Reading down involves construing the language of the provision in a manner that limits its scope or application, making it consistent with constitutional or legal principles.”

Current Affair 4:

Subika Painting

 

News:

Manipur boasts a rich cultural heritage but some of its invaluable art forms like Subika Paintings are on the brink of extinction due to neglect.

About Subika Paintings:

1. It is a style of painting which is intricately linked to the Meitei community’s cultural history.
2. It is surviving through its six manuscripts — Subika, Subika Achouba, Subika Laishaba, Subika Choudit, Subika Cheithil and Thengrakhel Subika.
3. Although the royal chronicle, Cheitharol Kumbaba, doesn’t mention a specific founder, there is a possibility that this art form existed when the writing tradition was introduced in the state.
4. Experts estimate the use of Subika paintings since the 18th or 19th century.

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