UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 14-12-2020
iasparliament
December 14, 2020
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Prize
The UNESCO has decided to launch a prize in the field of ‘creative economy’ in the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Starting November 2021, the award will be given away once in two years for global economic initiatives of the youth.
This award will create a knowledge-sharing mechanism by capturing, celebrating and communicating best practice in the development of creative entrepreneurship.
UNESCO has declared 2021 as ‘International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development’.
Mujibur Rahman
He was the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1972-75).
He was given the title of “Bangabandhu” (Friend of Bengal) by the people of Bangladesh.
His daughter Sheikh Hasina is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Myristica Swamp Tree Frog
This rare arboreal species (Mercurana myristicapalustris) is endemic to the Western Ghats.
It was first spotted in Myristica swamps of Arippa, near the Kulathupuzha Reserve Forest, in the western foothills of Agasthyamalai.
The current species has been adapted to a non-Myristica swamp predominant with the plant polyalthia fragrans.
It was now spotted north of the Shencottah gap in the Vazhachal Reserve Forest in Kerala’s Thrissur district.
These frogs are rare and elusive for the reason that they are arboreal and active only for a few weeks during their breeding season.
Amnesty Scheme
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change came out with an advisory on a one-time voluntary disclosure scheme, an amnesty scheme.
This scheme allows owners of exotic live species that have been acquired illegally, or without documents, to declare their stock to the government between June and December 2020.
It has defined exotic live species as animals named under the Appendices I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
It does not include species from the Schedules of Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. So, the advisory excludes exotic birds.
The disclosure has to be done online through MoEFCC’s Parivesh portal.
In its current form, the amnesty scheme is just an advisory, not a law.
Western Sahara Dispute
The United States recognised the sovereignty of Morocco over the disputed Western Sahara region.
In turn, Morocco agreed to normalise its relations with Israel.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is an arid region in northwest Africa, which is rich in phosphate reserves.
This region is under dispute between Morocco and Mauritania since 1975 when Spain partitioned the region between these two countries.
The recent recognition by US is a major symbolic victory for Morocco.
Plasmodium ovale
P. ovale has been identified in a soldier in Kerala, who is believed to have contracted it during his posting in Sudan, where it is endemic.
It is termed ovale as about 20% of the parasitised cells are oval in shape.
It is not a very common type of malaria, and rarely causes severe illness.
P ovale is very similar to P vivax, which is not a killer form.
In India, malarial cases are in high-burden in the states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh.
P. falciparum malarial cases are most common in India.
