UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 24-03-2025

One Liners 24-03-2025

Social Issues

Purple Fest

• Organised by – Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Objectives – To raise awareness about different disabilities and their impact on people's lives.
• To promote understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of persons with disabilities within society.
• 2025 Fest – Various activities like sports, workshops on digital inclusion & entrepreneurship, Abilympics, creative extravaganza and cultural fest were organised during the day for the visitors.

International Relations and Issues

Central Asian Youth Delegation to India

• Hosted by – Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
• Umbrella programme - International Youth Exchange Programme (IYEP).
• Aim – To promote youth collaboration, cultural exchange and strengthen diplomatic ties between India and the Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan).
• 2025 edition – 3^rd edition from 22^nd to 28^th March 2025.
• The 100-member delegation will engage in diverse activities, exploring India's historical, educational, and cultural landmarks while interacting with local youth leaders and key stakeholders.

Economy

Coal Production in India

• Production – It had surpassed 1 billion tonnes (BT) on March 20, in the fiscal year 2024-25.
• Factors for higher production – Tireless efforts of coal PSUs, private players, and dedicated workforce of around 5 lakh mine workers across more than 350 coal mines.
• Opening of coal sector to private players through commercial auctioning of blocks.
• India’s Energy reliance on coal
  • For approximately 55% of its energy mix.
  • About 74% electricity is generated by coal-based power plants.

Additional Working Days in MGNREGA

• MGNREGA - Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005.
• Mandate - Providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• Additional 50 days of wage employment – To every Scheduled Tribe Household in a forest area, provided that they have no other private property except for the land rights under Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
• Another 50 days of wage employment – In drought/natural calamity-affected notified rural areas.
• Section 3(4) – Allows State Governments to make provision for providing additional days of employment beyond the period guaranteed under the Act from their own funds.
  • This provision has been in practice since 2009.

Agriculture

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)

• It is a central sector scheme of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Launched in – 2020-21.
• Aims – To bridge gaps in post-harvest management by supporting farm gate storage, logistics, and processing infrastructure.
• Facilitates – An aggregate loan worth Rs1 lakh crore from lending institutions with a 9% interest cap, operational until 2032-33.
• Loans up to Rs2 crore receive a 3% annual interest subvention for 7 years.
• Credit guarantee coverage under CGTMSE is available for loans up to Rs2 crore, with the government bearing the fee.

Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) is a joint initiative by MSME Ministry and SIDBI to provide institutional credit to micro and small enterprises.

Environment

Indian Railways Innovative Measures to Protect Elephants and Wildlife on Tracks

• AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) - For detecting presence of elephants on Railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS).
• Immediate action post accidents – Zonal Railways to investigate the matter in close coordination with Forest department.
• Infrastructure development – Construction of underpasses and ramps for the movement of elephants at identified locations.
• Provision of fencing along the track and LED lights.
• Deployment of elephant trackers – For timely action by alerting station master and loco pilots, are taken.
• Awareness – Provision of signage boards at all identified elephant corridors to pre-warn the loco pilots.
• Decline in elephant deaths – Because of above measures, elephant deaths have reduced from 26 nos. in 2013 to only 12 nos. in 2024 i.e. reduction of more than 50%.

Security

Medevac Operation

Recently, Indian navy and coast guard carried out daring medevac operation out at sea.

• Indian Navy successfully carried out a critical Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) operation.
• Operation – From MV Heilan Star, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, located about 230 nautical miles West of Goa.
• Helped by - INS Vikrant and Deepak went to render aid.
• Significance - It underscores the Indian Navy's and the Indian Coast Guard’s unwavering commitment to life-saving efforts and swift response to humanitarian assistance, despite challenging circumstances, even beyond national maritime boundaries.

Science

WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre

• It is a knowledge hub for evidence-based Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) on a global scale.
• Established in – 2022 with foundational support from India.
• GTMC – It is a WHO Headquarters department, in the Division of Universal Health Coverage and Life Course.
• Located in – Jamnagar, Gujarat, India.
• Focuses on – Advancing research, facilitating knowledge exchange, conserving biodiversity, and fostering partnerships to catalyze ancient wisdom and modern science for the health and well-being of people and planet.

National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)

• Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme.
• Aim – To promote scientific beekeeping for holistic growth of beekeeping sector to enhance agriculture production.
• Sub-schemes – Mini Mission I, II and III.
• Mini Mission-I – Projects for production and productivity improvement of various crops through pollination assisted by adoption of scientific bee keeping are given.
• Mini Mission-II – Post harvest management of bee keeping is supported.
• Mini Mission-III – Research and technology generation is provided.

Miscellaneous

Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize 2024

• 22 books were selected for the award.
• Selection basis - Based on recommendations made by the Selection Committees of 3 members each in the concerned languages.
• Criteria – It relates to translations 1^st published during the 5 years prior to the year immediately preceding the year of Prize for Translation (i.e. between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022).
• Prize – An amount of Rs.50,000/- and a copper plaque.