Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) Amphibian List
- An updated list of Indian amphibians was released by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) recently.
- The current list bears the names of 432 amphibian species from India along with their IUCN status.
- In the list 19 species are being treated as critically endangered and 33 species as endangered.
- ZSI was established in 1916 to promote survey, exploration and research leading to the advancement in our knowledge of various aspects of exceptionally rich life.
- It has its genesis in the establishment of the Zoological Section of the Indian Museum at Calcutta in 1875.
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)
- The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) had been established by the Government of India under the provisions of the Electricity Regulatory Commissions (ERC) Act, 1998.
- CERC is the Central Commission for the purposes of the Electricity Act, 2003 which has repealed the ERC Act, 1998.
- The Commission consists of a Chairperson and four other Members including Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority who is the ex-officio Member of the Commission.
- Major functions of CERC under the Act, inter-alia, are
- to regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by the Central Government,
- to regulate the tariff of other generating companies having a composite scheme for generation and sale of electricity in more than one State,
- to regulate the inter-State transmission of electricity and to determine tariff for such transmission of electricity, etc.
Kinnar Akhara
- Kinnar Akhara is a group of transgender saints pursuing religious activities.
- It has emerged as a very significant feature at Prayagraj Kumbh.
- The group, which had attended the Ujjain Kumbh in 2016, has been taking part in the holy baths at the ongoing Kumbh Mela along with the other akharas.
- Akharas in India literally means a wrestling ring in Hindi.
- Adi Shankaracharya was the founder of seven major Indian Akharas known as Mahanirvani, Niranjani, Juna, Atal, Avahan, Agni and Anand Akhara.
Sea Vigil 2019
- It is a defense exercise conducted along the coastline by the Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and other stakeholders.
- It will aim to test the country's preparedness to thwart any attempt by anti-national elements to carry out an attack on its territory or against its citizens by infiltrating through the sea route.
- The exercise will provide an opportunity to stakeholders to assess the capability and preparedness of individual organizations, identify deficiencies if any and address them on priority.
Oxfam report 2019
- It is an annual report by anti-poverty the development charity Oxfam.
- According to it, the world’s richest 26 billionaires own as much wealth as the 3.8 billion people in the bottom half of humanity.
- Globally, billionaires’ fortunes rose by 12% to $900 billion, or $2.5 billion a day in 2018.
- The poorest half of the world’s population saw their wealth decline by 11%.
- India’s top 9 billionaires own as much as the country’s poorest half.
- 13.6 crore Indians, who make up the poorest 10% of the country, continued to remain in debt since 2004.
- India’s richest 1% pays just 0.5% extra tax on their wealth could raise enough money enough to increase the government spending on health by 50%.
- Women and girls are hardest hit by rising economic inequality.
Source: PIB, The Hindu, The Indian Express
