Prelim Bits 03-02-2024 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

UNESCO 1970 Convention

Recently, the pressure on European museums to return artefacts taken from Southeast Asia during colonial times is growing.

• 1970 Convention – It refers to ‘Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property’.

1970 Convention defines ‘Cultural Property’ as ‘a property designated by countries having importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science’.

• It is the principal legal source when a country makes a claim to have its possessions returned.
• Launch – It came into force in 1972.
• State Parties – 144, India ratified in 1977.
• Objectives – To urge States Parties to take measures to prohibit, prevent the illicit trafficking and return the cultural property.
• To provide a common framework for the States Parties on the measures and to safeguard the identity of peoples and promote peaceful societies.
• Principles – Prevention, restitution and international cooperation.

UNESCO 1970 Convention is fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

• Limitations – It does not apply retrospectively, so it does not include the peak phase of colonialism.
• Ownership approval – The requesting State Party shall furnish, at its expense, the documentation and other evidence necessary to establish its claim for recovery and return.
• Significance of returning artefacts – It can provide significant soft-power benefits for European countries in their extension of influence in regions such as Southeast Asia.

References

1. The Indian Express| Benefits of Returning looted Artefacts.
2. UNESCO| 1970 Convention on Cultural Property
3. The Indian Express| Indian Laws in Protection of Antiquities

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

UPI gets global launch at Eiffel Tower in France.

• Launched in – 2016
• Developed by – National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI).

• UPI – A system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing and merchant payments into one hood.
• It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request.
• Benefits – It benefits banks, customers and merchants.
• Immediate money transfer through mobile device round the clock 24*7 and 365 days and single mobile application for accessing different bank accounts.
• Virtual address of the customer for Pull & Push and single click 2 factor authentication provides for incremental security.
• Enables multiple payments like utility bill payments, over the counter payments, QR Code (Scan and Pay) based payments.
• UPI based products – Hello! UPI, Credit Line on UPI, UPI LITE X, UPI Tap & Pay and BHIM app.

NPCI International Payments (NIPL), an arm of NPCI has tied up with French e-commerce and proximity payments Lyra, in enabling UPI in France. Eiffel Tower is the 1^st merchant to offer UPI payments in France.

• Significance of global UPI – It encourages digital payments and foster stronger ties between the partner nations.

References

1. The Hindu| Implementation of UPI in France
2. NPCI| Unified Payment Interface (UPI)

UN Regular Budget

India has paid USD 32.89 million to the United Nations Regular Budget for 2024.

The UN Charter, the treaty signed in June 1945 that created the United Nations, established 6 principle organs of the new international organization.

• UN regular budget – It funds the UN’s core bodies and activities outside of peacekeeping which includes
  • Assessment of Member States' advances to the Working Capital Fund.
  • Assessment of contributions by Non-member States towards the 2024 expenses of the UN for their participation in UN.
• Funding By – Member states, in 2 ways.
• Assessed contributions – All UN Member States are required to make payments under the UN Charter which provide a reliable source of funding to core functions of the UN Secretariat.
• Voluntary contributions – It is on the discretion of individual Member States which are vital to the work of the UN’s humanitarian and development agencies.
• Budget approval by – UN General Assembly (UNGA).
• Budget assessment by – UN Committee on Contributions, which advises UNGA regarding UN expenses and members states assessment rates.
• Member States assessment rates – They are determined by UNGA, with renegotiations taking place every 3 years.
• It considers factors like Member State’s gross national income, per capita income, and several other economic indicators.

Given its high level of economic development and per capita income relative to other countries, the U.S. pays the maximum rate.

• Honour roll – It includes those Member States that have paid their regular budget assessments in full, within the 30 day due period specified in UN financial regulations.

36 Member States have paid their regular budget dues in full to the UN on time for 2024 UN budget and are mentioned in Honour roll.

References

1. The Hindu| India Pays to UN Regular Budget
2. Better World Campaign| UN Budget

Stingless Bees

In Peru, conservators try to save stingless bees to save Amazon forests.

• Scientific name – Melipona eburnean.
• Nativity – Amazon region.

• Pollinator – It pollinate much of the Amazon’s native flora, a creative way to fight deforestation.
• Medicinal properties – It contains anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and other health-promoting properties.
• It might be from the resin of Amazonian trees that the stingless bees are pollinating, which are used by different trees for protection when they have a wound.

Amazon is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and is also known as Lungs of the Earth.

• Popularity – It became a favoured ingredient in alternative treatments for upper respiratory infections during COVID-19.
• Threats – Deforestation, use of pesticides, climate change and competition with the honey bee.
• Challenges – Stingless-bee honey isn’t considered honey under the law.
• A traces of environmental pollutants are reported in the honey, likely a result of the bees pollinating within pesticide-doused lands.

References

1. The New York Times| Conservation of Stingless Bees in Peru
2. MyBeeLine| Stingless Bees Vs. Invasive Honey Bees

Taj Trapezium Zone

Recently, the Supreme Court of India asked the Centrally Empowered Committee to find out an alternative solution to cutting down 3,874 trees for the construction of a road project in the Taj Trapezium Zone.

• Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) – A defined area of 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal, named so, as is located around the Taj Mahal and is shaped like a trapezoid.
• Aim – To protect the monument from pollution.
• Geographical spread – It spread over 5 districts in Uttar Pradesh and 1 district in Rajasthan.
• Coverage – It comprises over 40 protected monuments including 3 World Heritage Sites the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.

• Regulations – It bans on the use of coal/ coke in industries located in the TTZ and also mandates for switching over from coal/ coke to natural gas, and relocating them outside the TTZ or shutting down.
• 4 Zones – Red, Green, Orange and White are the zonal classification of categories of Industries.
• Responsibility areas
  • Protecting Taj Mahal from damage via pollution
  • Control Pollution
  • Keep record of Taj Mahal pollution statistics
  • Study city pollution

References

1. The New Indian Express| Protecting Ecosystem of TTZ
2. TTZ| TTZ (Prevention and Control) Authority