Daily Current Affairs

To The Point Notes

Polity

1.Article 341: Scheduled Castes

Supreme Court Ruling: States cannot modify the Scheduled Caste List published under Article 341.

What is Article 341?

• Crucial provision for identifying Scheduled Castes (SCs).
• SCs: Historically marginalized communities facing social exclusion.

Who identifies SCs?

• President of India specifies castes/races/tribes considered SCs through a notification.

Benefits of being on the SC List:

• Entitled to protective measures and affirmative action programs.

Changing the SC List:

• Additions, deletions, or modifications can only be done by Parliament legislation, not by states.

State Role:

• Implement SC-related policies.
• No direct authority to alter the SC List.

 

 

 

Economy

2.Halwa Ceremony and Budget Preparation

Context:

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the traditional ‘halwa’ ceremony, marking the final stage for the Union Budget 2024-25 preparation.

Halwa Ceremony:

• Traditional Dessert: ‘Halwa’ is prepared and served to officials and staff of the finance ministry.
• Annual Event: Conducted every year before the “lock-in” process of Budget preparation begins.
• Historical Significance: A part of the Budget tradition for decades.

Lock-in Period:

• Location: All officials involved in Budget preparations stay at North Block.
• Purpose: To ensure the secrecy of the Union Budget.
• Conclusion: The lock-in period ends when the Finance Minister tables the Union Budget in Parliament.

 

 

 

 

Health

3.Chandipura Virus

Outbreak: Gujarat (2024)

• Type: RNA virus, Rhabdoviridae family (like rabies)
• Identified: 1965, Chandipura village, Maharashtra
• Spread: Sandflies (Phlebotomine, Phlebotomus papatasi) & Aedes aegypti mosquitos (dengue vector)
  • Virus in insect’s saliva transmitted through bites
• Symptoms (mainly children 9 months-14 years):
  • Fever
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
• Complications: Encephalitis (brain inflammation)
• Treatment: No specific antiviral treatment or vaccine
  • Supportive care to manage symptoms and prevent complications

 

 

 

Economy

4.Tehri Pumped Storage Plant (PSP)

Project Review (2024): Ministry of Power & Housing Affairs

Capacity: 1,000 MW (part of 2400 MW Tehri Power Complex)

• Location: Uttarakhand, India (Bhagirathi River, Ganges tributary)
• Storage: 5.7 TWh

Function:

• Provides peak power to the national grid during high demand.
• Stores excess monsoon water from Bhagirathi River.
• Releases stored water during non-monsoon for:
  • Irrigation
  • Drinking water (Gangetic plains of Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh)
• Generates 2400 MW of peaking power during water release.

 

 

 

Art and Culture

5.Vishalgad Fort

In the News: Protests for removing encroachments and banning animal slaughter.

History:

• Built 1058 by Shilahara dynasty (initially Khilgil Fort).
• Belonged to Shirke clan under Bahmani rule (called Khelna).
• 1660: Refuge for Shivaji Maharaj after Panhala Fort siege.
• 1844: Played a key role in rebellion against British-backed regent.
• Ruled by Adilshah, Shivaji, Sambhaji, Mughals, and British.

Features:

• Dargah of Hazrat Sayed Malik Rehan Meera Saheb (pilgrimage site).

Current Status:

• In ruins, undergoing restoration (fortification walls, entrance arch).

 

 

 

Environment

6.United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Mission: Address global environmental challenges.

Established: 1972, following the UN Conference on the Human Environment.

Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya (one of few UN agencies in a developing country).

Key Focus Areas:

• Climate Change: Research, reports, and advocacy for mitigation and adaptation.
• Ecosystem Management: Conservation and sustainable management of land and sea ecosystems.
• Green Economic Development: Promoting sustainable practices and technologies.

International Agreements:

• Develops and implements agreements like:
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • Minamata Convention on Mercury
  • Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions
  • Convention on Migratory Species
  • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• Helps achieve the 17 SDGs for poverty reduction, planetary protection, and prosperity.

Research and Publications:

• Leading source of environmental data and analysis:
  • Global Resources Outlook
  • World Environment Situation Room
  • Global Waste Management Outlook
  • Emissions Gap Report
  • Adaptation Gap Report
• Established IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) with World Meteorological Organization in 1988.

Funding and Implementation:

• Implementing Agency for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for global environmental projects.
• Involved with the Multilateral Fund for phasing out ozone-depleting substances.