Daily Current Affairs

To The Point Notes

Art and Culture

1.Kheer Bhawani Mela

Festival: Kheer Bhawani Mela (Zeishth Ashtami)

Significance: Annual festival for Kashmiri Pandits

Location:

• Main Temple: Tulmulla, Ganderbal district, Jammu & Kashmir (among chinar trees)
• Other Shrines: Tikker (Kupwara), Laktipora Aishmuqam (Anantnag), Mata Tripursundri Devsar & Mata Kheer Bhawani Manzgam (Kulgam)

Temple:

• Dedicated to Ragnya Devi (incarnation of Durga)
• Built by Maharaja Pratap Singh (1912), renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh
• Features a sacred spring believed to change colors

Note: This mela is also seen as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim harmony in Kashmir (local Muslims offer milk to Kashmiri Pandit devotees).

 

 

 

Economy

2.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Social Stock Exchanges (SSEs)

Current CSR Rules:

• Companies mandated to spend at least 2% of their average net profit (last 3 years) on CSR activities listed in the Companies Act (2013).
• Donations can be made to NGOs outside of SSEs.
• Donations cannot be made through SSEs to fulfill CSR mandate (amendment required).

SEBI Proposal:

• Amend Companies Act (2013) – Schedule VII to include donations made through SSEs as valid CSR activity.

Social Stock Exchanges (SSEs):

• Proposed in FY20 Budget Speech.
• Segment of stock exchanges where NGOs can list and raise funds.
• Operated by Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE).
• Currently, 8 NGOs listed on NSE SSE, expected to reach 100+ by FY25.

 

 

Science and Technology

3.CSIR-ASPIRE Scheme for Women Scientists

Aim: Provide research grants to women scientists for R&D in various scientific fields.

Eligible Fields:

• Life Sciences
• Chemical Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Engineering Sciences
• Interdisciplinary Sciences

Grant Provider: CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)

About CSIR:

• Established: 1942
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Function: Autonomous R&D organization
• Network: 37 national labs, 39 outreach centers, 1 innovation complex, 3 pan-India units
• Specialization: Diverse scientific fields (genome, geology, food, fuel, minerals, materials)

 

 

Environment

4.30th Anniversary of UN Land Convention (UNCCD)

Date: June 17, 2024

About UNCCD:

• Adopted in 1994 – First and only international framework to address desertification.
• Focus: Arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas (drylands) with vulnerable ecosystems and people.
• Members: 197 Parties (196 countries + European Union)
• Governance Principles: Participation, Partnership, Decentralization
• Meetings: Conferences of the Parties (COPs) every two years + technical meetings throughout the year.

India and UNCCD:

• Signatory: October 14, 1994
• Ratified: December 17, 1996
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• Nodal Point: Desertification Cell

 

 

Environment

5.Pantanal Wetland – World’s Largest Tropical Wetland Faces Wildfires

Location: Heart of South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay)

Unique Features:

• World’s largest tropical wetland
• Seasonal flooding cycles
• UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site & Biosphere Reserve
• Two Ramsar Sites (wetland importance)

Current Challenge: Alarming increase in wildfires due to dry weather.

 

 

Govt. Scheme

6.GREAT Scheme for Technical Textiles

Launched by: Ministry of Textiles under National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM)

Objective: Promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and indigenous production in technical textiles.

Beneficiaries: Individual entrepreneurs, startups, and companies.

Grant: Up to ₹50 lakh for 18 months.

Recent Update: Empowered Programme Committee (EPC) approved 7 startup proposals.

 

 

Geography

7.Cold Lava (Lahar): A Destructive Consequence of Volcanic Activity

Formation:

• Mix of rainwater and volcanic ash, sand, and pebbles from eruptions.
• Creates a dense, concrete-like slurry that flows rapidly downhill.

Destructive Power:

• Moves much faster than regular lava, reaching speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour.
• Travels long distances (up to 60 km) due to high water content.
• Gathers debris as it flows, increasing volume and destructive force.
• Damages buildings, infrastructure, and poses a serious threat to life.

Characteristics:

• Internally hot from volcanic material reactions, but externally feels cool.
• Behaves like wet concrete, engulfing everything in its path.
• Can occur without an eruption due to heavy rain or snowmelt.

More Destructive than Lava:

• Faster movement, higher density, and abrasive nature make it deadlier.
• Transports large volumes of debris, posing greater risk to nearby communities.