Daily Current Affairs
To the Point Notes
1: Karma Festival: A Tribal Harvest Celebration
Key Points:
- Regions: Celebrated mainly in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Odisha.
- Communities: Popular among Munda, Ho, Oraon, Baiga, Kharia, and Santhal peoples.
- Timing: Celebrated on Ekadashi tithi of Bhado/Bhadra month (August-September).
- Central Theme: Karam tree, symbolizing Karam Devta (god of strength, youth, vitality).
- Ritual: Planting of sal tree branches in fields for crop protection.
2: Periyar EV Ramasamy
Key Points:
- Birth: 1879
- Social Activist: Founded the Self-Respect Movement for Tamil identity and self-respect.
- Political Career: Started as a Congress worker, resigned over dining segregation issue.
- Vaikom Satyagraha: Gained prominence during this movement for lower caste rights.
- Dravida Nadu: Envisioned a separate Dravida homeland and launched Dravidar Kazhagam (DK).
- Social Reforms: Focused on social, cultural, and gender inequalities.
- Self-Respect Movement: Promoted ritual-free weddings, women’s property and divorce rights.
- Inter-Dining: Instituted inter-dining with Dalits in public conferences.
Legacy: Periyar is considered a pioneer of social reform in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. His work has had a significant impact on the Dravidian movement and the social and political landscape of the region.
3: Polar Vortex: A Cold Air Mass
Key Points:
- Formation: Occurs in late summer due to decreased sunlight at the North Pole.
- Characteristics: Low-pressure area of cold air surrounding the poles.
- Strength: Weakens in summer, strengthens in winter.
- Impact: Can expand southward during winter, leading to cold outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Persistence: Persists through winter until mid to late spring when sunlight increases at the North Pole.
Recent News:
- Late formation of the Antarctic ozone hole due to a weak polar vortex.
4: Rangeen Machhli App: A Digital Resource for Ornamental Fisheries
Key Points:
- Launched by: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
- Developed by: ICAR-CIFA with support from PMMSY.
- Purpose: To meet the needs of the ornamental fisheries sector.
- Features:
- Multilingual information on popular ornamental fish species in eight Indian languages.
- “Find Aquarium Shops” tool for locating nearby aquarium shops.
- Benefits: Accessible to hobbyists, aquarium shop owners, and fish farmers.
- Impact: Promotes local businesses and connects users with reliable sources for ornamental fish and aquarium-related products.
5: Battery Waste Management (BWM) Rules, 2022
Key Points:
- Notified by: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
- Applicable to: All types of batteries (regardless of chemistry, shape, volume, weight, material composition, and use)
- Producer Responsibility: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for batteries introduced in the market
- Registration: Producers, Recyclers, and Refurbishers must register on the CPCB’s online portal
- Portal Purpose: Improves accountability, traceability, and transparency of EPR obligations
- Single Point Data Repository: Centralized repository for orders and guidelines related to BWM Rules
- Aim: Promotes proper waste management and enhances environmental sustainability
Note: Specific facts and figures regarding penalties for violations and collection/recycling targets may vary and should be checked for the latest updates.
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