Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: December 28, 2022

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Motivation++

“It always seems impossible, until it is done”.

Nelson Mandela

Current Affairs:  Days and Event

International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 2022

• Just as life was becoming normal after over two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new variant of the coronavirus, named BF.7, has emerged. 
• The variant has become a cause for serious concern after a massive outbreak of cases in China. 
• It is wise to remain prepared for future pandemics or epidemic situations in such a climate.
• The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness is observed on 27th December to highlight the need for such an initiative.

History:

• In its 75th session and 36th plenary meeting on 7th December 2020, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution which declared 27th December as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. 
• The decision is part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Significance:

• The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness reminds us of what we went through during the two years of peak-COVID infections. 
• Hospitals were overwhelmed. Family members could not conduct the last rites of their loved ones. 
• Such grim situations could be avoided in the future if people remain alert and prepared.

Question: 

International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 2022 is observed on which of the following dates?

A. 19th January

B. 29th April

C. 19th August

D. 27th December

Answer: D

Current Affairs: National

Kerala’s Dharmadam Becomes the First Complete Library Constituency in India

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s constituency has achieved a new record recently. 
• It has become the only constituency in India to have a library in all the wards. 
• CM Vijayan’s constituency Dharmadam has achieved the position of complete library constituency in India, the first in India.

Details:

• Complete librarianisation was made possible with the support of all sections of the people of the constituency. 
• The People’s Mission for Social Development, a people’s organisation, has taken up the work of establishing libraries and expanding the existing ones in the Dharmadam constituency.

Facts:

• Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker is also known as the Father of the Library Movement in India; he belongs to Kerala.
• Panicker started Granthashala Sangam with 50 small libraries in 1945 in Kerala, which further expanded and became thousands of libraries.
• The Government of Kerala declared 19th June as Vayanadinam (Reading Day) in 1996.
• 19th June 2017 is also declared National Reading Day in India.

Question: 

Which of the following states/UT has recently become the first complete library constituency in India?

A. Maharashtra

B. Kerala

C. Uttarakhand

D. Karnataka

Answer: B

Current Affairs:  Environment and Ecology

Polluted Stretches in India’s Rivers Have Fallen

• The number of polluted stretches in India’s rivers has fallen from 351 in 2018 to 311 in 2022; however, the number of most polluted stretches is practically unchanged, according to a report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Key Findings of the Report:

• The decline in polluted Stretches – The number of polluted stretches in India’s rivers has fallen from 351 in 2018 to 311 in 2022.
• The number of polluted river stretches categorised in ‘Priority I & II’ is almost unchanged.
• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) exceeding 3.0 mg/L (milligram per litre) is identified as a polluted location.
• Two or more polluted locations identified on a river in a continuous sequence are considered a “polluted river stretch”.
• A BOD less than 03 mg/l means the river stretch is fit for ‘Outdoor Bathing’.

Number of Polluted River Stretches Categorised in ‘Priority 1 to 5

1. Priority 1:River stretches with a BOD exceeding 30 mg/l are considered the most polluted and thus need the most urgent remediation
2. Priority 2: Indicating a BOD of 20-30 mg/l
3. Priority 3: BOD between 10-20 mg/l
4. Priority 4: BOD between 6-10 mg/l
5. Priority 5: Indicating 3-6 mg/l

Data:

• Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh had the maximum number of ‘Priority 1’ river stretches (6), Maharashtra had the maximum number of polluted river stretches, i.e., 55, followed by Madhya Pradesh (19), Bihar (18), Kerala (18), Karnataka (17) and Uttar Pradesh (17).

Question: 

Consider the following statements

1. The number of polluted stretches in India’s rivers has fallen from 351 in 2018 to 311 in 2022
2. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh had the maximum number of ‘Priority 1’ river stretches (6)
3. The higher value of BOD indicates the high dissolved oxygen content of water

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A. Only 1 and 2

B. Only 2 and 3

C. Only 1 and 3

D. All are correct

Answer: A

Current Affairs:  Environment and Ecology

Dolphin Census Begins at the Odisha Coast

• The annual census of dolphins began in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika national park and Gahirmatha marine sanctuary recently.

Details:

• The Odisha coast has emerged as an ideal habitat for dolphins, with an impressive rise of 33% in their population.
• The survey is conducted across the five coastal divisions in the Chilika lagoon by the Chilika Development Authority.
• The survey is a 3-day exercise involving over 100 wildlife experts conducting a headcount.
• The survey is being conducted using the ‘Transect Survey Method’, which is used for surveys around the world.

Fact:

• During the last census, six species of dolphins were recorded in Chilika Lake.
• They are – Irrawaddy, Bottlenose, Humpback, Striped, Finless and Spinner.

Question:

In which of the following states recently the annual census of dolphins began?

A. Tamil Nadu

B. Kerala

C. Uttar Pradesh

D. Odisha

Answer: D

Current Affairs:  National

Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Rules, 2022

• The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant Governor’s administration, recently, notified fresh land rules under J&K Land Grant Rules-2022 and replaced the J&K Land Grants Rules-1960, which dealt with the special rules to grant government land on lease in the erstwhile State of J&K. 

What Is the ‘J&K Land Grants Rules 1960’?

• It dealt with the special rules to grant government land on lease in the erstwhile State of J&K.
• Prime locations such as Srinagar, Jammu, Gulmarg and Pahalgam were opened up to construct hotels, commercial structures and residential buildings.
• No such land shall be granted on lease to a person who is not a permanent resident of the State.

What Was the Need for New Rules?

• The previous land laws were regressive.
• The present landholders just paid five Rupees to enjoy profits from ₹100 crores property.

Provisions Under News Rules:

• According to the new land laws, the leases of current landowners will not be extended in case of their lease expiry.
• It reads that all leases, except the subsisting or expired residential leases, expired or determined prior to the coming into force of these rules or issued under these rules shall not be renewed.
• Unlike the previous, where land was granted on lease for 99 years, now the lease period has been reduced to 40 years.
• The people returning their expired leased land will be recompensed after valuation for any improvement carried out or structure constructed on the plot.
• The government has asked the outgoing leaseholders to evict properties or else face evictions under the new rules.
• However, the current landholders termed these rules exclusive to J&K, where the first right to leaseholders has not been granted and revised rates negotiated.

What Are the Immediate Impacts of the Amendments?

• The new rules have hundreds of properties open for fresh auction, where outsiders could also participate.
• The government has not yet released the list of properties where the lease period has ended.
• The impact will be of great significance in the tourist hotspot Gulmarg, where 56 hotels out of 59 have their leases expired already.

Question: 

Consider the following statements about the recently notified Jammu and Kashmir Land Grants Rules, 2022

1. To date, properties in Jammu and Kashmir are being handled by J&K Land Grants Rules 1960
2. Under the new rule, the lease period has been reduced to 40 years from the previous law’s 99 years
3. According to the new law, the leases of current landowners will not be extended in case of their lease expiry

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A. Only 1 and 2

B. Only 2 and 3

C. Only 1 and 3

D. All are correct

Answer: D

Current Affairs:  Economy

RBI’s Revised Bank Locker Rules

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated banks in the country to renew their locker agreements with existing locker customers by 1st January. 
• All the existing locker depositors are required to furnish proof of eligibility for a renewed locker arrangement.

CCTV Cameras in Safe Deposit Areas:

• RBI advises the banks to install CCTV cameras at entry and exit points of the strong room and the common areas of operation. 
• It mandates the preservation of its recording for a period of not less than 180 days.

Compensation:

• Depositors can now get up to 100 times the bank charges if the valuables stored in the vaults are ransacked or lost due to fire or building collapse. 
• However, the bank shall not be liable for any damage and/or loss of contents of the locker originating from natural calamities or ‘Acts of God’.

Government Raids to be Notified:

• If any government authorities have approached for attachment, recovery or seizure of the locker or articles deposited for safe custody, under the new guidelines, banks have to inform the customer by letter as well as by email/SMS.

Banks Can Demand Term Deposit as Rent:

• RBI allows the banks to demand a term deposit while allocating a locker that would be collected as rent for three years. 
• But lenders cannot insist on such term deposits for the existing locker holders or from those with satisfactory operative accounts.

Question: 

According to the RBI’s revised bank locker rules, how much compensation the customer gets if the valuables stored in the vaults are ransacked or lost due to fire or building collapse?

A. 25 times of loss

B. 75 times of loss

C. 100 times of loss

D. 150 times  of loss

Answer: C

Factbook – 27th December 2022

Anurag Thakur inaugurates Sports Science Centre in Karnataka’s Udupi

• Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur has recently inaugurated the Sports Science Centre at M.G. Stadium in Udupi, Karnataka.
• This Sports Science Centre will bring together sports scientists and athletes.  
• These centres will conduct research on medicines, nutritious food, treatment and rehabilitation measures for sportspersons, which would help them to boost their abilities.

Losar Festival 

• Recently the PM extended his greetings on the occasion of Losar. 
• It marks the beginning of the Tibetan new year in the traditional schedule of Tibetan Buddhism and is an important festival of Ladakh. 
• It dates back to the pre-Buddhist era in Tibet when Tibetans followed the Bon religion. 
• The celebration consists of offering prayers in the name of God and Goddess, dances and songs in honour of Ibex and a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. 

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

• The Indian Railways is planning to modernise 1,000 small yet important stations under the new “Amrit Bharat Station Scheme”. 
• This is apart from the ambitious plan to revamp 200 big stations under a separate redevelopment programme.
• The aim is to identify developing cities with potential and envisage railway stations as city centres that would link not just various parts of the city but also different cities in the future. 
• The plan is to map everything connected to it – bridges and different modes of transport.
• The redevelopment will be done under the “Khurda (Station in Odisha) model of redevelopment”.

Dark patterns on the Internet

• Social media companies and Big Tech firms such as Apple, Amazon, Skype, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Google use dark or deceptive patterns to downgrade the user experience to their advantage. 
• Such patterns are unethical user interface designs that deliberately make your Internet experience harder or even exploit you. 
• In turn, they benefit the company or platform employing the designs.
• By using dark patterns, digital platforms take away a user’s right to full information about the services they are using and reduce their control over their browsing experience.
• The term is credited to UI/UX (user interface/user experience) researcher and designer Harry Brignull, who has been working on cataloguing such patterns and the companies using them since around 2010. 

• In social media, LinkedIn users often receive unsolicited, sponsored messages from influencers.
• Disabling this option is a difficult process with multiple steps that require users to be familiar with the platform controls.

India ranks fifth in the world’s cuisines list for 2022

• Indian cuisine has ranked fifth in TasteAtlas’ World’s Best Cuisine Awards 2022, receiving 4.54 out of five-star ratings. 
• The Bulgaria-based food website rated “garam masala, ghee, malai, butter garlic naan, keema and 460 more” the best-rated food in India.
• Italian cuisine topped the list of the world’s best cuisines, followed by Greek cuisine (2nd), Spanish cuisine (3rd), and Japanese cuisine (4th), respectively.

Cyclist Swasti Singh gets Ekalabya Puraskar

• The ‘Ekalabya Puraskar’ for the year 2022 was presented to cyclist Swasti Singh.
• The award is given every year to encourage young sports talents.
• She was presented with a citation, trophy and Five Lakh Rupees cash in a programme organised by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT), the charitable wing of IMFA.
• She was honoured for her performance from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2022 at both national and international levels. 
• Ekalabya Puraskar, instituted by IMPaCT in 1993, has come a long way to be recognised as the most prestigious sports award of Odisha, drawing parallels with many national awards.

India will become the third-largest economy by 2035: CEBR

• The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), a British consultancy, has said India will become the third-largest economy by 2035 from the current fifth spot. 
• In its annual World Economic League Table, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said that over the next five years India’s annual rate of GDP growth is expected to average 6.4 per cent, after which growth is expected to average 6.5 per cent in the subsequent nine years.

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