UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 14-08-2020

Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR)

• Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has released a report of the Committee on Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR) under the chairmanship of           Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh.
• BRR is a disclosure of adoption of responsible business practices by a listed company to all its stakeholders.
• It is applicable to all types of companies including manufacturing, services etc.
• Its focusses on the accountability of the business entities to the larger society by a new framework ‘Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR)’ for reporting non-financial parameters.
• The BRSR would be integrated with the MCA 21 portal, where top 1000 listed companies are to undertake this reporting mandatorily.
• MCA21 is an e-Governance initiative of Ministry of Company Affairs (MCA) that enables an easy and secure access of the MCA services to the corporate entities, professionals and citizens of India.

Sarthak

• Sarthak is an offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), 4^th in the series of five OPVs deployed by the Coast Guard to enhance maritime security.
• The Ship is fitted with state-of-the-art Navigation and Communication equipment, sensor and machinery.
• The ship is designed to embark and carry a twin-engine helicopter, four high speed boats and one inflatable boat for swift boarding and Search & Rescue operations.

Nasha Mukt Bharat Campaign

• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Campaign’.
• It is aimed to be implemented in 272 districts which are identified as most affected in terms of usage of substances.
• These districts have been identified based on the inputs received from Narcotics Control Bureau and the findings on the comprehensive National survey done by the Ministry.
• The campaign will run for 7 months in collaboration with State governments to contain drug demand and abuse.
• As per the National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 2012, different Departments/Ministries have been allocated different roles.
• While the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the Nodal agency for Drug Demand Reduction.
• The aspect of supply reduction is looked after by various enforcement agencies under Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance and State Governments and harm reduction by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Naval Innovation and Indigenization Organization (NIIO)

• Union Defence ministry has launched the Naval Innovation and Indigenization Organization (NIIO).
• Draft Defence Acquisition Policy 2020 (DAP 20) envisaged establishment of NIIO by the Service Headquarters.
• The NIIO is a three-tiered organization.

1. Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) will bring together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenization and provide apex level directives.
2. A working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects.
3. A Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has also been created for induction of emerging disruptive technology in an accelerated time frame.

• The NIIO puts in place dedicated structures for the end users to interact with academia and industry towards fostering innovation and indigenization for self-reliance in defence.

National Overseas Scholarship Scheme

• National Overseas Scholarship is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• It aims to facilitate the low income students obtain Master degree or Ph.D courses by studying abroad to improve their social and economic status.
• Beneficiaries are selected from the following social groups –

1. Scheduled Castes,
2. Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes,
3. Landless Agricultural Labourers
4. Traditional Artisans category

• In each Selection Year, 100 fresh awards, subject to availability of funds, will be given under the Scheme.
• 30% of the awards for each year shall be earmarked for women candidates.
• However, in case, adequate women candidates are not available as per the stipulations of the scheme, then the unutilized slots will be utilized by selecting suitable male candidates.
• Recently following changes has been made to the Scheme

1. Annual Family Income limit for National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes students w.e.f. selection year 2020-21 has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per annum.
2. Students securing admission in higher ranking institutions internationally will be given preference.
3. The minimum qualifying marks have been increased from 55% to 60%.
4. Maintenance Allowance has been linked with progress of the awardee.
5. Police verification has been done away and self-declaration has been introduced.

• Bachelors Level courses in any discipline are not covered under the Scheme.

Hornbill

• Horbills are found in tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asia.
• They are referred as ‘forest engineers’ or ‘farmers of forest’ for playing a key role in dispersing seeds of tropical trees and indicated the prosperity and balance of the forest.
• India has 9 hornbill species, of which 4 are found in the Western Ghats.
• These are

1.  Indian grey hornbill (endemic to India),
2. Malabar grey hornbill (endemic to the Western Ghats),
3. Malabar pied hornbill (endemic to India and Sri Lanka)
4. Great Indian hornbill (Endangered).

• The Narcondam hornbill are found only on the island of Narcondam in the Andaman Sea.

• Papum Reserve Forest in Arunachal pradesh is a nesting habitat of 3 hornbill species - Great, Wreathed and Oriental Pied.
• The Pakke reserve houses a fourth species, the Rufous-Necked.
• They are hunted by the ethnic communities specially the Nyishi of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Recently, a study based on satellite data has flagged a high rate of deforestation in a major hornbill habitat in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Papum Reserve Forest (RF) adjoining the Pakke Tiger Reserve as well as a part of Assam affected by illegal felling and ethnic conflict.

Source: PIB, AIR, the Hindu