Daily Current Affairs and GK | 3 December 2022

Topic: Environment and Ecology

1. Supreme Court mooted the idea of launching 'Project GIB' for protecting the Great Indian Bustard (GIB).

• A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has given the idea of launching 'Project GIB' on the lines of ‘Project Tiger’.
• The great Indian bustard is one of India's critically endangered bird species. It is mainly found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is also locally known as Godawan.
• As per a report from the IUCN, Great Indian Bustard are on the verge of extinction and only 50 to 250 are alive.
• According to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), 18 GIBs die daily in Rajasthan due to collisions with overhead power lines.
• Due to poor vision, the GIB can’t spot the power lines from a distance. When they are close to power lines, they are unable to change course due to their heavy weight.
• In 2021, Supreme Court had directed the Gujarat and Rajasthan governments to convert overhead electric cables into underground power cables to save GIB.
• Supreme Court had also formed a three-member committee to check the feasibility of laying high-voltage underground power cables.
• The GIB species recovery programme was launched by the central government in 2015. Under this programme, GIB eggs harvested from the wild were incubated artificially.

Topic: Books and Authors

2. A book titled 'Brave Hearts of Bharat, Vignettes from Indian History' by Vikram Sampath has been launched.

• Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar was the chief guest on the occasion.
• This book has been written to bring forgotten heroes to the mainstream.
• It is a story of fifteen “long-forgotten, mostly neglected” Indians. Rajaraja Chola is one of the people in this book.
• A panel discussion also took place with the central theme shifting the dominant historical narrative and ending the focus on “overemphasised” parts of Indian history.

Topic: Sports

3. Saurashtra won its second Vijay Hazare Trophy.

• Saurashtra beat Maharashtra by five wickets in the final to win Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022.
• The Saurashtra team won the Vijay Hazare title for the first time in the 2007–08 season.
• Himachal Pradesh won the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2021. 
• The first edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, also known as the Ranji One-Day Trophy, was held in 2002-03.
• Tamil Nadu holds the record for winning the title 5 times in the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament.

Topic: Art and Culture

4. “Swar Dharohar Festival” has been inaugurated in New Delhi.

• On December 2, the Culture Ministry inaugurated the three-day-long festival in collaboration with the “Swar Dharohar Foundation” under Kalanjali.
• “Swar Dharohar Festival” is a Music, Art & Literature Festival.
• The event will facilitate an opportunity for local artists to perform on the same stage with renowned artists.
• National, as well as local poets, will also showcase their art through Kavi Sammelan.
• The 3-day festival will be organized on the 3^rd and 4^th of December 2022 at Central Vista, India Gate, New Delhi.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointments

5. Prasanth Kumar has been appointed as the president of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).

• He was the CEO of South Asia of GroupM Media (India) Pvt Ltd. and has over 25 years of experience working across industries.
• He was also the Vice President of AAAI from 2020 to 2022.
• Rana Barua, the group CEO of Havas Group India, has been elected vice-president of the AAAI.
• The Outgoing president, Anupriya Acharya, will serve as an ex officio member of the AAAI board in 2022–2023.
• AAAI: It is a non-profit, industry-led, and industry-managed trade association of advertising agencies. It was formed in 1945.
• Other Elected Members of the Board are:

Topic: International News

6. India will assume the chairmanship of the plenary session of the Wassenaar Arrangement for one year.

• Although India's tenure will start formally on January 1, 2023.
• The chairmanship was handed over to India at the 26th Annual Plenary Meeting of the Wassenaar Arrangement, held in Vienna from 30 November to 1 December.
• Ireland’s ambassador Eoin O’Leary handed over the chairmanship to India’s ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar.
• In December 2017, India joined the multilateral export control regime “Wassenaar Arrangement” as the 42nd participating state.
• The Wassenaar Arrangement is a regional and international security and export control mechanism. Its purpose is to control the export of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technology.
• During the forthcoming Chairmanship of the Wassenaar Arrangement, India will cooperate with member states and will contribute to regional and international security and stability.

Topic: Art and Culture

7. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar inaugurated the Divya Kala Mela in Kartavya Path at India Gate, Delhi.

• Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Sushri Pratima Bhowmik was present on the occasion.
• The Divya Kala Mela is being held from 2nd to 7th December 2022.
• It aims to provide a platform for the products and craftsmanship of Divyang artisans and craftsmen from across the country.
• Divya Kala Mela has started for the first time on Kartavya Path.
• More than 200 Divyangs from 22 states and union territories will show their products and skills at the fair.
• Rs 495 crore has been distributed to more than 5 lakh trainees under PM Daksh Program.
• PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) Yojana:
  • It is a National Action Plan for the skilling of marginalized persons covering SCs, OBCs, EBCs, De-notified Tribes (DNTs), and sanitation workers including waste pickers.
  • The government had approved its implementation during 2021-22 to 2025-26 with a budget outlay of Rs.450.25 crore.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

8. Government will sell a 50.79% stake in NMDC’s steel plant (NSL) at Nagarnar.

• The Finance Ministry has invited initial bids for NMDC’s steel plant at Nagarnar.
• The Finance Ministry has offered to sell a 50.79% stake in the company.
• The government will offer a 10% stake in the resulting company to NMDC after the identification of a strategic buyer through the bidding process.
• The remaining 39.21% will be subscribed by the public after the listing of the shares of NSL on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) and BSE Limited.
• Ministry of Corporate Affairs had already approved the demerger scheme on October 6, 2022.
• Department of Investment & Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited as transaction advisor and J. Sagar Associates as legal advisor.
• Expression of Interest can be submitted by an interested bidder either as a Sole Bidder or collectively as a Consortium member.
• The consortium is required to have a maximum of four members, which includes one lead member.   
• The interested bidder should have a minimum net worth of Rs 5,000 crore.
• NMDC’s steel plant at Nagarnar is yet to be commissioned fully. It is being set up with a steel-making capacity of 3 million tonne per annum. It is located 16 km from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

9. Coastal Security Conference was held on 1-2 December 2022 in Chennai.

• Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurated the Colombo Security Conclave.
• The head of the Coast Guard of India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius and observer countries- Bangladesh and Seychelles took part in the conclave.
• Coastal Security Conference (CoSC) was held under the aegis of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC).
• Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) was formed in 2011 as a trilateral maritime security group consisting of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
• “Collaborative Efforts for Coastal Security” was the theme of the Coastal Security Conference 2022.
• Heads of Marine Police of each state and UTs, and other stakeholders have participated in the Conference.
• During the conference, many topics including Coastal Security Threats & Collaborative Response, International Maritime Law & Role of Empowered Agencies, and Technological Solutions for Coastal Security, etc. were discussed.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

10. UP government decided to promote ‘one sport in one district’.

• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched the ‘One District One Sport’ scheme (ODOS) on the lines of “One district, One product”.
• Under ODOS, one sport will be identified in each of the 75 districts of UP.
• Players will get training in the specified sport of their district under the One District, One Sport (ODOS) scheme.
• The scheme's main aim is to nurture local talents and provide them with training for national and international championships.
• It will promote sports culture in the state and keep the young generation healthy in the state.
• The state’s sports department will identify talents related to popular sports at an early age and provide them with proper training.
• The state government will implement the new sports policy to promote the One District, One Sport (ODOS) scheme.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

11. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme approved by Govt for drones and drone components.

• This approval has been given for the period from 2022-23 to 2024-25, with an outlay of 120 crore rupees.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation is implementing this scheme.
• The scheme aims to promote the production of drones and drone equipment in the country and in the process will focus on making indigenous industries globally competitive.
• Under the scheme, India will provide assistance to companies involved in the manufacturing of drones and drone components.
• As per the guidelines of the scheme, the annual turnover of the company in the MSME and startup sector should be Rs 2 crore for drones and Rs 50 lakh for equipment to avail the benefits of the PLI scheme.
• Companies other than MSMEs must have an annual turnover of Rs 4 crore for drones and Rs 1 crore for drone components.
• The Empowered Group of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary will monitor the implementation of the scheme.

Topic: Art and Culture

12. International Lusophone Festival will be organized in Goa.

• The Ministry of External Affairs, in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Government of Goa, will organize the festival from December 3-6.
• The festival will be inaugurated by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the Raj Bhavan on December 3.
• Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi will be the chief guest at the event.
• The objective of this festival is to strengthen India's contact with Lusophone countries.
• Goa has historical links with Lusophone countries which have been nurtured by the presence of Portuguese cultural institutions such as the Orient Foundation, Camoes Institute.
• These institutions promote the Portuguese language and culture in India.
• This has strengthened cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts with the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP).
• Lusophone countries include Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe.

Topic: National Appointments

13. Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar becomes new chairperson of National Statistical Commission.

• Rajeeva Laxman is a Professor Emeritus at the Chennai Mathematical Institute.
• He has designed, supervised and analysed countrywide opinion polls for parliamentary elections and also for State assemblies since 1998.
• He will part-time chairperson for three years.
• The chairperson of the National Statistical Commission has the status equivalent to that of a Minister of State.
• National Statistical Commission:
  • It is an autonomous body set up on the recommendation of Dr. C Rangarajan Commission.
  • It was constituted with effect from 12 July 2006.
  • It has four members and a Chairperson, each having specialisation and experience in specified statistical fields.
  • The Chief Statistician of India, also the secretary to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), is the Secretary of the Commission.
  • The main aim to set up this body was to lessen the difficulties faced by statistical agencies in India regarding collecting data and strengthening public trust in the numbers released by the Indian government.

Topic: Important Days

14. International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022: 3 December

• Every year on 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is observed.
• The day was proclaimed in 1992 by the UN General Assembly.
• Around 1.3 billion people or 1 in 6 people worldwide- face significant disability.
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022 theme is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world”.
• Article 9 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to ensure equal access to facilities and services.
• Related SDGs:
  • SDG 4.a. – Build disability sensitive education facilities
  • SDG 11.2 – Provide accessible transport systems
  • SDG 11.7 – Provide accessible public and green spaces