UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelim Bits 29-04-2025

11^th BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting 2025

Prelims - Current events of national and international importance.

Why in News?

Recently, Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment led the Indian delegation at the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting held under Brazil’s Presidency in Brasília, Brazil.

• Aim – To deliberate upon core labour and employment issues with the aim to attain the sustainable goals of poverty alleviation and employment generation.
• 1^st Meeting – At Ufa, Russia in 2016 which laid the foundation of BRICS Employment Working Group (BEWG).
• 2025 meeting – Slogan of “Strengthening the Cooperation of the Global South for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”.
• India in 2025 meet – It showcased the National Career Service (NCS) platform, powered by AI, as a model for bridging skill gaps and connecting millions to employment opportunities.
• The Sector Skill Council for Green Jobs (SSCGJ) and Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) were highlighted as transformative initiatives driving skilling and sustainable practices.
• Adopted declarations – It is in line with 2 pivotal themes
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Work
  • The Impacts of Climate Change on the World of Work and a Just Transition.
• Key Outcomes – The declaration commits BRICS nations to
  • Promote inclusive AI policies that balance innovation with worker protection.
  • Advance social dialogue to ensure fair climate transitions.
  • Strengthen South-South cooperation on labour governance, digital inclusion, and green job creation.
• Significance – It reaffirmed BRICS’ collective resolve to build a future where no worker is left behind in the face of AI-driven disruption or climate challenges.

The BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ meeting under the Indian Presidency has been convened in 2016 at New Delhi.

Quick Facts

• Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) – Established as a not-for-profit, autonomous, industry-led society, was incorporated under the Societies Registration Act XXI, 1860 in 2015.
• It is promoted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• It is aligned to the National Skill Development Mission.

Reference

PIB| 11^th BRICS Labour & Employment Minsters Meeting

Related News - Mission LiFE

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)

Prelims - Current events of national and international importance| Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc

Why in News?

In Financial Year 2024-25, India saw a record 4,515 adoptions, the highest in nearly a decade and of these, 4,155 were domestic, marking a powerful shift in societal attitudes.

• CARA – It acts as the nodal body for adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered Indian children through its associated /recognised adoption agencies.
• Set up – 1990
• Legality – It is a statutory body through Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• It is headed by Member Secretary & CEO
• Nodal ministry – Ministry of Women & Child Development.
• Mission – To ensure no child is left behind.
• Mandate – To monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions through Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS).

• Functions – To promote In-country adoptions and to facilitate Inter-state adoptions in coordination with State Agency.
• To regulate Inter-country adoptions.
• To carry out the functions of the Central Authority under the Hague Convention on protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption, 1993, ratified by India in 2003.
• To frame regulations on adoption and related matters from time to time as may be necessary.

• Fundamental principle – Preference shall be given to place the child in adoption with Indian citizens with due regard to the principle of placement of the child in their own socio-cultural environment, as far as possible.
• Illegal adoption – It amounts to child trafficking and is a punishable offense under The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2021.

References

1. PIB| Successful Stories of Child Adoption
2. CARA| Central Adoption Resource Authority

Similipal National Park

Prelims (GS I) – Current events of national and international importance| Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change.

Mains (GS I) – Conservation

Why in news?

Recently, the Odisha government officially notified Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) as a National Park.

• Similipal National Park – Is the 107^th national park in India and 2^nd national park in Odisha.

Similipal is also a wildlife sanctuary, tiger reserve, UNESCO biosphere reserve and elephant reserve.

• Location – Similipal in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
• Vegetation – Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests, Semi-Evergreen Forests, Dry Deciduous Forests, Grasslands.
• Fauna of Similipal National Park:
  • Royal Bengal tigers (Panthera Tigris) - 40
  • Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) - 25% of Odisha’s elephant population
  • Leopard (Panthera pardus)
  • Sambar (Rusa unicolor)
  • Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)
  • 360 species of birds

The tigers of Similipal possess higher-than-normal levels of melanin, giving them coats that are blacker with yellow stripes and are described as pseudo-melanistic tiger.

The pseudo-melanistic tiger is a colour variant of the Bengal tiger and its strange coat is a result of a mutation in a particular gene.

Greater Similipal Landscape Programme

• It is a conservation initiative by the Odisha Forest Department to conserve Similipal national park and its surrounding ecological corridors.
• Key Components of the programme:
• AI-powered camera towers systems for real-time wildlife monitoring and poaching prevention.
• V-SAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) communication networks to ensure surveillance in remote, connectivity-challenged zones.
• Diversifying Tiger population by introduction of two female tigers from Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) and to increase tiger population to 100 by 2036.
• Community Engagement – Integrated with the Ama Similipal Yojana, which focuses on:
  • Livelihood enhancement and skill training for local tribal communities (e.g., Kolha, Santhala, Khadia).
  • Promotion of eco-tourism and cultural tourism to generate income while raising conservation awareness.

Reference

The Indian Express| Similipal designated Odisha’s second national park

Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance

Why in News?

Recently, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) launched Essential Book on the Preservation and Interpretation of India's Manuscript Heritage.

• IGNCA – It is visualised as a centre encompassing the study and experience of all the arts.
• It envisions to place the arts within the context of the natural and human environment.
• Established in – 1987 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.

IGNCA was initially conceptualised and launched in 1985 at a function where 5 rocks from 5 major rivers – Sindhu, Ganga, Kaveri, Mahanadi and the Narmada (where the most ancient ammonite fossils are found) were composed into sculptural forms.

• Objectives – To serve as a major resource centre for the arts, especially written, oral and visual source materials.

• To undertake research and publication programmes of reference works, glossaries, dictionaries and encyclopaedia concerning the arts and the humanities.
• To establish a tribal and folk arts division with a core collection for conducting systematic scientific studies and for live presentations.
• To provide a forum for a creative and critical dialogue through performances, exhibitions, multi-media projections, conferences, seminars and workshops.
• To foster dialogue between arts and current ideas in philosophy, science and technology.
• To promote a network with national and international institutions.
• To conduct related research in the arts, humanities and culture.

References

1. PIB| IGNCA Launches a Book on Manuscripts
2. IGNCA| Objectives of IGNCA

Urban Heat Island (UHI)

Prelims (GS I) – Current events of national and international importance| General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change.

Mains (GS I) – Conservation

Why in news?

A recent study published in Nature Climate Change provides a global perspective on how UHI impacts both heat and cold related mortality.

• Urban heat island (UHI) – A phenomenon that occurs when a city experiences much warmer ambient temperatures than nearby rural areas.

• Causes – Existence of Concrete buildings, asphalt roads and reduced vegetation in cities that lead to trap and absorb heat, limiting dissipation of heat.
• Lack of green spaces and high energy use (e.g., air conditioning), that further elevate temperatures.
• Temperature variation – Urban areas can be 3–5°C warmer than rural surroundings, sometimes more during heatwaves.
• Impacts – Increased energy consumption, air pollution, heat-related health issues and stress on nearby ecosystems.

Implications of UHI

• Dual impact of UHI on mortality – While heat islands increase heat-related deaths in hot seasons, they can reduce cold-related deaths in cooler conditions
• Heat-related mortality – UHI increases temperatures in hotter seasons, leading to higher heat exposure and subsequent deaths, particularly in summer.
• Cold-related mortality – In cooler seasons, the warmer urban temperatures reduce cold-related deaths by mitigating extreme cold exposure.
• Globally, in 2018, the reduction in cold-related mortality was 4.4 times greater than the increase in heat-related mortality due to UHI.
• Regional and seasonal variations – Cities at high latitudes experience a greater reduction in cold-related deaths.
• For instance, Moscow saw an 11.5 times greater reduction in cold-related mortality compared to heat-related mortality.
• Poor air and water quality – Urban heat islands can have worse air and water quality than their rural neighbours.

Way forward

• The Common strategies such as urban forests, green roofs and reflective buildings that mitigate the urban heat island could be avoided, since they potentially increase cold-related deaths more than they decrease the heat-related deaths.
• Cities need region and season specific strategies to balance UHI mitigation with health outcomes, avoiding unintended increases in cold-related deaths.
• Take a seasonal approach to heat island mitigation is crucial for effective urban planning in the context of climate change and urbanization.
• Using lighter-coloured materials on buildings helps to reduce the heat of the surrounding areas.

Reference

1. The Hindu| Urban Heat Islands
2. National geographic