UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 22-02-2021

Saka Nankana Sahib

• The centenary of Sri Nankana Sahib Massacre (Saka Nankana Sahib) is being marked in an event in Nankana Sahib on February 21, 2021.
• Nankana Sahib is the birth place of first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev.
• It was also the site of the first big agitation by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to take back control of gurdwaras from priests (mahants) backed by the British.
• Sikh leaders made attempts to bring mahant to the negotiation table but their efforts failed.

• Meanwhile, all the mahants and other groups, who were in control of Sikh gurdwaras, organised themselves against the SGPC.
• On February 21, 1921, the unarmed Sikh leaders (jatha) entered Nankana Sahib to take possession of gurudwara, they were attacked by the armed mahants. This led to the massacre.

Tree City Status to Hyderabad

• Hyderabad city has the ‘Tree Cities of the World’ status by the Arbor Day Foundation jointly with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
• It is the only city in India to have been selected for this recognition for its commitment to growing and maintaining urban and community forestry.
• Hyderabad applied for this recognition, citing the State government’s Haritha Haram programme and its initiative for the Urban Forest Parks.
• It was evaluated based on five standards –
  1. Establish Responsibility - For taking care of trees within municipal boundary to a staff member, a city department, or a group of citizens (Tree Board).
  2. Set the Rules - A law or an official policy to govern the management of forests and trees.
  3. Know What You Have - An updated inventory or assessment of the local tree resource.
  4. Allocate the Resources - Dedicated annual budget for the routine implementation of the tree management plan
  5. Celebrate the Achievements - To raise awareness among residents and to acknowledge citizens and staff members who carry out the city tree programme.

NITI Aayog’s Governing Council Meeting

• Sixth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister.
• Agenda for the Sixth Council Meeting comprised the following items:

1. Making India a Manufacturing Powerhouse
2. Reimagining Agriculture
3. Improving Physical Infrastructure
4. Accelerating Human Resources Development
5. Improving Service Delivery at Grassroots Level
6. Health and Nutrition

• Governing Council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active involvement of States in shaping the development narrative.
• It comprises the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Legislature, Lt Governors of other UTs, Union Ministers (Ex-Officio Members) and Special Invitees.
• It seeks to foster Cooperative Federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis.
• It seeks to design and assist the implementation of strategic, long-term policy frameworks and programme initiatives, while monitoring their progress and efficacy.
• It presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues to accelerate the implementation of the national development agenda.

Siberian Mammoths

• Scientists have recovered and sequenced the oldest DNA on record, from the molars of mammoths that roamed Siberia up to 1.2 million years ago.
• Until now, the oldest DNA came from a horse that lived in Canada's Yukon Territory about 700,000 years ago.
• Researchers gained insights into mammoth evolution and migration by comparing the DNA to that of mammoths that lived more recently (4,000 years ago).
• The molars of the mammoths were discovered near the Krestovka River, Adycha River and the Chukochya River.
  1. Krestovka mammoth belonged to a previously unknown genetic lineage that more than 2 million years ago diverged from the lineage that led to the well-known woolly mammoth.
  2. Adycha mammoth's lineage was ancestral to the woolly mammoth.
  3. Chukochya individual is one of the oldest-known woolly mammoth specimens.

One Nation One Standard

• Mission "One Nation One Standard" would make India the leader in setting global benchmarks in setting standards.
• This mission was established in 2019 to ensure quality products and services to consumers in the country.
• While all areas of production and services be included in this mission, bringing a national uniformity and standardization in all kinds of public procurement and tendering can be an immediate deliverable.
• As the strength and character of the nation is often exemplified by the standards it sets for the quality of its products, this mission would be of great help in this context.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) would explore international partnerships and associations to achieve synergy in the field.

Source: PIB, The Indian Express, The Hindu