Daily Current Affairs 28 November 2023 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 28 November 2023 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

Source: PIB
GS II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. What is the purpose of the meeting?
3. About the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
4. About Tuna Species

Why in the News?

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, GoI is organizing the 19th Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WPDCS19) of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

News in Brief

• This is an important meeting organized by the IOTC.
• It is hosted by the Department of Fisheries, GoI, which will bring together renowned Scientists and Experts in the field of Tuna fisheries from all around the world.
• Participants from countries namely, Indonesia, France, Spain, other countries of the European Union (EU), Seychelles, Tanzania, Iran, Thailand, Japan, Sri Lanka, Oman and India attended the meeting in person.

What is the purpose of the meeting?

• The scientist will brainstorm and analyse the existing scientific methods adopted by various countries in data collection, compilation, and reporting to IOTC.
• This is for the purpose of resource assessments.
• It will develop advanced and simplified data collection methods and statistics methods in the Indian Ocean Region.
• This meeting will be followed by the main Scientific Committee meeting of the IOTC to be held at the same venue during December 2023
• The main Scientific Committee meeting will consider the recommendations of the WPDCS and various other working parties for scientific recommendations relating to sustainable management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean.

About the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

• Indian Ocean Tuna Commission entered into existence in 1996.
• It is an intergovernmental organization.
• It coordinates the regulation and management of tuna in the Indian Ocean.
• IOTC headquarters are located in Victoria, Seychelles.
• There are 30 members of IOTC.
• India is a member.
• The agreement is open to any state that has
  • Coasts within the Indian Ocean region.
  • State that fishes for tuna in the Indian Ocean region.
  • Also, open to regional economic organizations.

About Tuna Species

• Tuna is a saltwater fish.
• Its size averages 2m  and is believed to live up to 50 years.
• Most of these species are Least Concern.
  • Southern bluefin tuna is marked as an endangered species by the IUCN.
  • It is endangered as a result of overfishing.
• It belongs to the tribe Thunnini and varies greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna to the Atlantic bluefin tuna.
• Tuna is commercially fished extensively as a food fish.

PM e-Bus Sewa scheme

Source: Financial Express
GS II: Schemes

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. About PM e-Bus Sewa scheme

Why in the News?

Government of India has announced the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme and other policies buses to see penetration of up to 13% in new bus sales by FY2025 says ICRA

News in Brief

• It estimates that e-buses will account for 11-13 percent of new bus sales by FY2025.
• The traction in the e-bus segment is already visible over the past couple of years, with e-bus volumes as well as penetration levels improving consistently, to 7 percent in FY2023.
• state policies and government schemes, the government has also sought to spur e-bus adoption through bid aggregation under tenders floated by Convergence Energy Services (CESL).

About PM e-Bus Sewa scheme

• About E-bus Scheme
  • The scheme aims to add 10,000 e-buses to city bus services across the country.
  • E-buses are those that rely exclusively on zero-emission electricity for their propulsion and accessory systems.
  • The initiative also focuses on enhancing urban infrastructure, particularly in cities without organized bus services.
• Environmental Benefits
  • The adoption of electric mobility services like e-buses will lead to reduced noise and air pollution in Indian cities.
  • The scheme’s focus on electric buses is expected to help mitigate carbon emissions and promote sustainable transportation.
• Funding
  • The scheme’s estimated cost is ₹57,613 crore.
  • The Central government will provide ₹20,000 crore, and the remaining funding will come from other sources.
  • This financial support will facilitate bus operations for a period of 10 years.
• Roles Distribution
  • States or cities will be responsible for running the bus services and making payments to bus operators.
  • The Central government will offer subsidies as specified in the scheme to support these bus operations.
• Implementation
  • The scheme will be implemented in two segments. In 169 cities, a public-private partnership (PPP) model will be utilized to deploy the 10,000 e-buses.
  • In 181 other cities, the focus will be on upgrading infrastructure under green urban mobility initiatives.
• Infrastructure 
  • For cities in the first segment, the scheme will include the development or upgrade of depot infrastructure to accommodate the new e-buses.
  • This will also involve the creation of necessary power infrastructure like substations.
• Second-tier Cities:
  • In cities falling under the second segment, the focus will be on initiatives such as improving bus priority, enhancing infrastructure, creating multimodal interchange facilities, implementing automated fare collection systems, and establishing charging infrastructure for e-buses.
• Scheme Coverage
  • The scheme will cover cities with a population of three lahks and above, including all the capital cities of Union Territories, as well as the northeastern and hill states.
• Employment and Economy
  • The scheme is expected to generate around 45,000 to 55,000 direct jobs, contributing to employment opportunities in the urban mobility sector.
  • The scheme’s widespread adoption of electric buses is likely to result in economies of scale for the procurement of these buses through aggregation.

Kambala Race

Source: Indian Express
GS I: Indian Heritage and Culture

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. About the Race
3. Ban and Government Reversal of Ban

Why in the News?

Bengaluru held its inaugural Kambala race this past weekend, with 159 pairs of buffaloes and their jockeys competing on specially constructed slush tracks in the Palace Grounds of the city.

News in Brief

• The races drew a sizable audience of onlookers.
• Coastal Karnataka is home to the folk sport known as Kambala, which was formerly banned by the Supreme Court.
• However the Karnataka government changed the law to allow these races to go on after realizing how popular they were.

About the Race

• Kambala has long been practised in coastal Karnataka districts, especially where the majority language is Tulu.
• Kambala activities, which were first arranged by families in muddy fields after paddy harvest, are now coordinated by different Kambala Samithis, or organizing bodies, and take place in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts from late November to early April.
• For coastal groups like the Bunt community, the races have cultural significance.
• Four categories are used for Kambala:
  • Negilu (plough),
  • Hagga (rope),
  • Adda Halage (jockeys pulled by buffaloes on a horizontal board), and
  • Kane Halage (wooden plank with water holes).

Ban and Government Reversal of Ban

• Reason for Ban
  • Concerns over animal mistreatment, such as tying buffaloes’ noses with ropes and continuously beating them during races, led to the ban on Kambala and other traditional athletic activities.
  • Kambala was prohibited by the Supreme Court in 2014.

Government Reversal of Ban

• In 2016, the Environment Ministry released a statement permitting exceptions, and state governments changed the law to exempt events such as Kambala if certain requirements were met in order to lessen animal suffering.
• In May of this year, these revisions made by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra were confirmed by a Constitutional Bench.

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