Current Affairs 15 October 2022 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 15 October 2022 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Purple Revolution

Source : PIB
GS III : Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing

What is discussed under Purple Revolution?

1. About Purple Revolution
2. Aroma Mission

Why in News ?

The ‘Purple Revolution’ from Jammu and Kashmir offers attractive start-up avenues, said Union Minister of state for Science and Technology.

About Purple Revolution

• By switching from imported aromatics to domestic ones, it hopes to support the locally grown aromatic crop-based agroeconomy.

  

• The Union Ministry of Science and Technology initiated the Purple Revolution or Lavender Revolution in 2016 through the Aroma Mission of the CSIR.
• Producers were offered free lavender seedlings as part of the goal for the first time.
• Lavender oil is the primary commodity, which costs a minimum of Rs. 10,000 per litre.
• The hydrosol produced following flower distillation is used to manufacture soaps and room fresheners.

Need for the revolution

• It would improve
  • Start-Up India initiative
  • Support the region’s entrepreneurial culture
  • Give prospective farmers and agri-entrepreneurs a means of subsistence.
• It supports the goal of the government to double agricultural earnings by 2022.
• To meet the global development goals, we need food systems that are healthy, sustainable, and inclusive.

Aroma Mission

• By making focused improvements in agriculture, reprocessing, and product development, it aims to bring about a revolutionary transformation in the smell industry, thereby boosting the sector’s growth and rural employment.
• In order to create the essential oils that are in high demand in the fragrance industry, the mission will support the growth of aromatic crops.
• Mission Phase I
  • In 46 Aspirational regions around the country, 6000 hectares of land were planted thanks to CSIR assistance.
  • Additionally, nearly 44,000 employees received the necessary training, instruction, and skills.
• Mission Phase II
  • It is anticipated that it will benefit more than 75,000 agricultural households nationwide.
  • Besides employ over 45,000 skilled human resources.

India-New Zealand Relation

Source : The Diplomat
GS II : Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora

What is discussed under India-New Zealand Relation?

1. Recent visit Facts
2. Relation India – New Zealand

Why in News ?

Jaishankar met with his New Zealand counterpart, Nanaia Mahuta.

Key Facts

• India urged for fairer and more empathetic treatment in a public statement in response to New Zealand’s refusal to renew visas for Indian students who had fled the country during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Instead of free trade agreement between New Zealand and India, New Zealand could only point to potential economic cooperation in niche areas such as digital services and green business.

Relation India – New Zealand

History

• New Zealand connections date back to the 1800s; in the 1850s, Indians began to settle in Christchurch.
• In the 1890s, more immigrants from Gujarat and Punjab migrated to New Zealand.
• In 1915, Indian soldiers fought alongside Anzacs in Gallipoli.

Trade and Investment

• The amount of services traded has doubled to $1.2 billion, bringing the overall value of trade (goods and services combined) to almost $2.64 billion.
• On going Negotiations : New Zealand-India FTA and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
• India now ranks only 15th in the list of New Zealand’s biggest trading partners but in 2016, India was New Zealand’s 10th biggest trading partner.
• A five-year plan called India-New Zealand 2025: Investing in the Relationship lays out how New Zealand government agencies and partners may strengthen their ties with India.
• Both the sides actively participate in the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Tourism

• The number of tourists has more than doubled since 2011, with over 65,000 Indian visitors to New Zealand in the year ending in November 2019.

Students

• India is New Zealand’s second largest source of international students, with over 17,000 Indian students studying in New Zealand.
• The two countries have set up an India-New Zealand Education Council.
• NZ has recently announced NZ Excellence Awards, of 35 scholarship of NZ$5000 across all eight major NZ universities for India students.

Cultural Co-Operation

• Diwali has been recognized as the representative festival of the Indian community in New Zealand.
• special function was held in the New Zealand Parliament on10th May 2016 to remember Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
• High Commission celebrated the second International Day of Yoga in Wellington and other important cities in New Zealand on 19 June.

Paddy Straw Pelletisation And Torrefaction Plants

Source : PIB
GS III : Environment and Conservation

What is discussed under Paddy Straw Pelletisation And Torrefaction Plants?

1. What is the process?
2. What is Stubble Burning?

Why in News ?

The Union Environment Ministry unveiled a 50 crore initiative to encourage businesses and entrepreneurs to establish paddy straw pelletization and torrefaction factories as winter approaches and incidents of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana increase.

What is the process?

• Paddy Straw are converted into pellets.
• These pellets are pre-treated to improves the physical properties and chemical composition in a process called torrefaction.

  

• The estimated cost of setting up a regular pelletisation plant, which can process a tonne per hour, is ₹35 lakh.
• Torrefaction is more expensive, but it can produce a product with a significantly higher energy content and, in theory, replace more coal in a power plant.
• In thermal power plants, coal and torrefied or pelletized paddy straw can be combined to generate power.
• This conserves coal and lowers carbon emissions that would have been produced if the straw had been burned on the fields, as the majority of farmers in Punjab and Haryana often do.

Support from Government

• New units set up after would be eligible for government funding in the form of capital to set up such plants.
• The Center will finance these plants up to a maximum of 70Lakh, subject to capacity.
• Cost of establishing a torrefaction plant is ₹70 lakh and under the scheme, is eligible for a maximum funding of ₹1.4 crore.
• Under this once-only arrangement and regular pellet factories will be eligible for 40 crore of the total.

What is Stubble Burning?

• From the last week of September to November, it is a method of eliminating rice crop remnants from the land in order to seed wheat.
• It is the technique of igniting the paddy or wheat straw that remains after harvesting grains such as rice, wheat, and others.
• It is frequently necessary for places where crop residue is left behind by the combination harvesting process.

Paddy straw Generation 

• Every year, about 27 million tonne of paddy straw is generated in Punjab and Haryana.
• Twenty million tonnes, or 75%, come from non-basmati rice, which has a high silica concentration and cannot be used as cattle fodder.
• There were 867 instances of stubble burning in Punjab till October 12 this year.

Global Hunger Index 2022

Source : PIB
GS I : Issues related to poverty and hunger, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection of vulnerable sections of society etc

What is discussed under Global Hunger Index 2022?

1. About the Order
2. How it helps

Why in News ?

Recently Global Hunger Index 2022 released.

Key Facts

• Yemen in the lowest position at 121.
• China and Kuwait are the Asian countries that are ranked at the top of the list, which is dominated by European nations including

  

  Croatia, Estonia, and Montenegro.

• The 2022 GHI score for the world is considered moderate.
• Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the regions with the highest hunger levels.

India in the Report

• India has slipped to the 107th position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) in 2022.
• Of the 121 countries on the GHI, India is ranked behind its neighbours Nepal (81), Pakistan (99), Sri Lanka (64), and Bangladesh (84).
• The proportion of undernourishment in the population went from 14.8 in 2014 to 16.3 in 2022.
• India’s child wasting rate, at 19.3 per cent, is the highest of any country in the world.
• Stunting in children under five has reduced from 38.7 in 2014 to 35.5 in 2022.
• Under-five mortality reduced from 4.6 in 2014 to 3.3 in 2022.

Global Hunger Index

• Annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.
• GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger.
• It is calculated on the basis of four indicators
  • Undernourishment
  • Child wasting (share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition),
  • Child stunting (share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition)
  • Child mortality
    Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
• The GHI, which lists countries by ‘severity’, has given India a score of 29.1, which falls in the ‘serious’ category of hunger level.

Indian Army Signs Mou With Eleven Banks For Agniveer Salary Package

Source : PIB
GS III : Internal Security

What is discussed under Indian Army Signs Mou With Eleven Banks For Agniveer Salary Package?

1. Agnipath scheme
2. About MoU

Why in News ?

The Indian Army has signed an MoU with 11 banks for providing banking facilities to Agniveers on enrollment.

Key Facts

• The Indian Army has signed historic MoU with 11 Banks viz State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IDFC First Bank and Bandhan Bank for providing banking facilities to Agniveers on enrollment.
• The features and benefits offered under Agniveer salary package are similar to defence salary package.
• The banks have offered soft loans to exiting Agniveers to promote and enhance their entrepreneurial skills.

Agnipath Scheme

• The Agnipath initiative, which was unveiled on June 14, calls for the hiring of young people between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 for a four-year period with the option of keeping 25% of them for an additional 15 years.
• The government raised the maximum age to 23 for recruitment in 2022.
• Those selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.
• The government had announced that 46,000 Agniveers to be recruited this year.
• The armed forces will have “a younger, fitter, diverse profile” to face future challenges.
• Enrolment will be undertaken through an online centralised system
• Payments : Agniveers will be paid a customised package of Rs 30,000 per month with a fixed yearly increment.
  • In addition, risk and hardship, dress and travel allowances will be paid.
  • On expiration of their engagement period, agniveers will get a one-time Seva Nidhi package that includes their monthly contribution as well as a matching contribution from the government.
• Skill Training : The degree programme will provide Agniveers the chance to pursue the civilian careers of their choice by recognising the in-service training they have earned as credits toward graduation.
  • Skills training will make up 50% of the credits needed for a graduate degree.
  • Rremaining 50 per cent credits will come from a basket of courses that cover a wide variety of subjects like languages, Economics, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Mathematics etc
  • The curriculum complies with the National Credit Framework, National Skill Qualification Framework, and University Grants Commission (UGC) standards as required by the new National Education Policy (NEP).

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