Environment
World Lion Day

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about World Lion day)
What's the NEWS

• World Lion day is observed every year on August 10 to raise awareness about the conservation of lions.
• World Lions Day is celebrated across the world since 2013.
• The day was co-founded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert of the Big Cat Initiative and National Geographic in a partnership.

Know! about Asiatic Lions

• India is home to the majestic Asiatic Lion, who inhabit the protected territory of Sasan-Gir National Park.
• The last remaining population of the Asiatic Lions can be found in Gujarat's Gir National Park.
• These lions face significant threats of poaching.
• The Asiatic lion also faces the threat of genetic inbreeding arising from a single population inhabiting one place.
• The Asiatic lions of India are a distant cousin of the much bigger African lions.
• The Asiatic lion population has increased steadily in Gujarat's Gir forest and the larger Saurashtra protected region.

Know! about Lions

• Lions, one of the largest animal species on earth are scientifically named ‘Panthera Leo'.
• The 5 biggest cats are found mostly in India, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian leopard, Clouded Leopard, and Snow leopard.
• India is also recorded as the highest lion population with an increase of 29 percent from 2015 to 2020.
• Lions are found in certain patches of the world, ranging from 300 to 550 pounds in weight and light buff to deep reddish-brown in color, with the rarest ones found in white.
• They have an illustrious place in India's history and culture, with their earliest known references found in the pillars of the Mauryan empire.
• The Indian national emblem too is adorned by the majestic lion on all four sides.
• The world has lost around 95% of its lion population in a period of five decades.
• Lions are listed as a vulnerable species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
• Currently, there are about 30,000 to 100,000 lions left on earth. In the past few decades, lion populations have decreased almost by half.
• Lions hold an indispensable place in the ecosystem, they are an apex predator of their habitat, responsible for checking the population of grazers, thus helping in maintaining the ecological balance.
• Lions also contribute to keeping the population of their prey healthy and resilient as they target the weakest members of the herd. Thus, indirectly helping in disease control in the prey population.

Among the many other threats that face the mighty animal, today, the most prominent of them are:

• Trophy hunting and
• Loss of natural habitat

Parliament Proceeding (Information given by Ministers)
Brackishwater Aquaculture

Know! about Brackishwater Aquaculture

• Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA), Chennai under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed breeding and seed production technology of Grey Mullet (Madavai) under controlled conditions.
• Grey Mullet is a high-valued brackishwater fish and unavailability of sufficient seed was a hindrance for its culture.
• Mass-scale seed production benefits fish farmers for commercial farming of Grey Mullet in the coastal area.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)

• The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing a flagship scheme namely "Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) - to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector in India" with highest ever investment of Rs. 20,050 crore for a period of 5 years from financial year 2020-21 to 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories
• The activities relating to expansion of aquaculture area, intensification, diversification, supply of quality inputs, promoting technology infusion, disease management, training and skill development are supported under PMMSY to augment the fish production.
• Besides, PMMSY also focus on value addition, branding, leveling, traceability, organic fish farming and support for post harvest management are supported for enhancing export earnings.

The welfare related activities supported under the PMMSY primarily include
(i) insurance cover for fishers, fish farmers, fish workers and fish vendors
(ii) livelihood support and nutritional support for socio-economically backward active traditional fishers during fishing ban/lean period
(iii) supply of boats and nets to traditional fishermen
(iv) supply of safety kits for traditional and motorized fishing vessels
(v) supply of communications and Potential Fishing Zones devices for traditional motorized boats
(vi) Support for acquisition of technologically advanced fishing vessels for traditional fishermen, Up-gradation of existing fishing vessels
(vii) Open sea cage culture, ornamental fisheries, seaweed cultivation for creating alternative employment opportunities to coastal communities
(viii) development of integrated modern fishing villages
(ix) development of fishing harbours, landing centres, cold chain facilities, transport vehicles, marketing etc.

Fisheries Research (steps taken)

• Fisheries Research Institutes under ICAR have been undertaking research on several aspects such as monoculture, polyculture and integrated multi-tropic aquaculture.
• The institutes have developed monoculture of high-valued fishes such seabass, Cobia, Indian pompano, Silver Pampano, Grouper, etc. in cage culture while milkfish, grey mullet and shrimp species are used in polyculture in brackishwater.
• Further, Integrated Multi-Tropic Aquaculture (IMTA) system of cage culture of fin fishes with seaweed farming in coastal waters has been developed and demonstrated with higher crop yield and water quality improvement.

Bt Cotton

• In India, only Bt Cotton is approved for commercial cultivation.
• Few incidences of illegal marketing of Genetically Modified seeds of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) cotton were reported in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana and Maharashtra.
• Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology set up "Field Inspection and Scientific Evaluation Committee (FISEC)" in 2017 for on-the spot inspection of the cotton fields to assess the veracity of spread of unapproved HT cotton.
• The FISEC submitted its report in May 2018 and made recommendations and action points to be implemented by various central and state government departments and agencies.
• DAC&FW has issued advisory to all cotton growing states to control and curb the sale and cultivation of unapproved HT Cotton vis-à-vis its seed production, processing and storage.

Bt cotton

• It is a genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton variety, which produces an insecticide to combat bollworm.
• Bt cotton is the only transgenic crop that has been approved by the Centre for commercial cultivation in India.
• It has been genetically modified (GM) to produce an insecticide to combat the cotton bollworm, a common pest.

Herbicide Tolerant Bt (HTBt) Cotton:

• The HTBt cotton variant adds another layer of modification, making the plant resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, but has not been approved by approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)
• Bt cotton is the only transgenic crop that has been approved by the Centre for commercial cultivation in India.

Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each of the rural districts across the country

• The Government has made a provision for opening of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each of the rural districts across the country.
• A total of 725 KVKs have been established across the country till date.
• KVKs are mandated for frontline extension which act as a bridge between research organizations and the main extension system operated by different development departments of the State Governments.
• Considering the role and resources of a KVK, it caters to the requirement of the selected farmers of the district and provide capacity development support to State Development Departments.
• The coverage of entire district is the responsibility of development departments of State Governments.
• Large number of KVKs have been strengthened with other infrastructure facilities like, pulses seed hubs, soil testing kits, micro-irrigation systems, Integrated Farming Systems units, farm machineries and equipment, District Agro-Met Units, etc. during last five years.

Know! about KVK

• The first KVK was established in 1974 at Puducherry.
• The KVK scheme is 100% financed by Govt. of India and the KVKs are sanctioned to Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutes, related Government Departments and Non Government Organizations (NGOs) working in Agriculture.
• KVK, is an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS), aims at assessment of location specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology assessment, refinement and demonstrations.
• KVKs have been functioning as Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technology supporting initiatives of public, private and voluntary sector for improving the agricultural economy of the district and are linking the NARS with extension system and farmers.
• KVKs produce quality technological products (seed, planting material, bio-agents, livestock) and make it available to farmers, organize frontline extension activities, identify and document selected farm innovations and converge with ongoing schemes and programs within the mandate of KVK.

Appointments
National Commission for Women (NCW)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about NCW)
What's the NEWS

• The Women and Child Welfare Ministry nominated Rekha Sharma as a Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) for another term of three years by the Central Government in pursuance of Section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (20 of 1990)

National Commission for Women

• The National Commission for Women (NCW) is the statutory body of the Government of India, generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women.
• It was established on 31 January 1992 under the provisions of the Indian Constitution, as defined in the 1990 National Commission for Women Act.
• The objective of the NCW is to represent the rights of women in India and to provide a voice for their issues and concerns.
• The subjects of their campaigns have included dowry, politics, religion, equal representation for women in jobs, and the exploitation of women for labour.
• They have also discussed police abuses against women.
• The commission regularly publishes a monthly newsletter, Rashtra Mahila, in both Hindi and English.

National
Centre asks states/UTs to stop using tricolour made of plastic ahead of Independence Day
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about National Honour Act, 1971 and the Flag Code of India, 2002)
What's the NEWS

• The Union government has asked States to ensure that people don't use plastic national flags as ensuring the appropriate disposal of a Tricolour made of the non-biodegradable item was a practical problem.
• Flags made of paper only are used by the public in terms of the provisions of the ‘Flag Code of India, 2002' and such paper flags are not discarded or thrown on the ground after the event
• Such flags were to be disposed of in private and in consistent with the dignity of the flag
• The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971' and the ‘Flag Code of India, 2002', govern the display of the national flag

Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971

• The law, enacted on December 23, 1971
• It penalizes the desecration of or insult to Indian national symbols, such as the National Flag, the Constitution, the National Anthem, and the Indian map, as well as contempt of the Constitution of India.
• Section 2 of the Act deals with insults to the Indian National Flag and the Constitution of India.

Fundamental Duties

• Article 51 ‘A' contained in Part IV A i.e. Fundamental Duties asks to abide by the constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem in clause (a).

The Flag Code of India, 2002

• Section 3.22 of The Flag Code of India, 2002 deals with laws, practices and conventions that apply to the display of the national flag.

Prelims Factoids
Dara Shikoh
Relevance IN - Prelims ( all about Dara Shikoh)
What's the NEWS

• The final resting place of Mughal prince Dara Shikoh remains a mystery, with the Archaeological Survey of India saying it has not located the grave within the Humayun's Tomb complex over a year after a committee was formed for the job.

Know! all about Dara Shikoh

• The eldest son of Shah Jahan, Dara Shikoh was killed after losing the war of succession against his brother Aurangzeb.
• Dara was designated with the title Padshahzada-i-Buzurg Martaba (Prince of High Rank) and was favored as a successor by his father and his older sister, Princess Jahanara Begum.
• In the war of succession which ensued after Shah Jahan's illness in 1657, Dara was defeated by his younger brother Prince Muhiuddin (Aurangzeb).
• He was executed in 1659 on Aurangzeb's orders in a bitter struggle for the imperial throne.
• According to the Shahjahannama, after Aurangzeb defeated Dara Shikoh, he brought the latter to Delhi in chains. His head was cut off and sent to Agra Fort, while his torso was buried in the Humayun's Tomb complex.
• Dara Shikoh is described as a "liberal Muslim" who tried to find commonalities between Hindu and Islamic traditions.
• He translated into Persian the Bhagavad Gita as well as 52 Upanishads.
• He authored the work The Confluence of the Two Seas, which argues for the harmony of Sufi philosophy in Islam and Vedanta philosophy in Hinduism.
• He had commissioned a translation of Yoga Vasistha.
• A great patron of the arts, he was also more inclined towards philosophy and mysticism rather than military pursuits.
• The course of the history of the Indian subcontinent, had Dara Shikoh prevailed over Aurangzeb, has been a matter of some conjecture among historians.

National
Mekedatu project
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Mekedatu project - location specific questions)
What's the NEWS

• Karnataka Chief Minister reiterated that there is no compromise on implementing the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir, a drinking water project, in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka.
• Tamil Nadu has been opposing the Mekedatu project

Know! about the proposed project

• The project was proposed by the Karnataka government for providing drinking water to residents of Bengaluru and surrounding districts, power generation and not for increasing irrigation area
• Tamil Nadu has passed a resolution urging the Union government not to accord permission to Karnataka for Mekedatu dam in the Cauvery basin.
• The Centre has given its assurance that Karnataka will not be allowed to carry out any construction on the Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river until its Detailed Project Report (DPR) is approved by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

Know! about Mekedatu project:

• It is a deep gorge situated at the confluence of the rivers Cauvery and its tributary Arkavathi.
• The project aims to store and supply water for drinking purposes for the Bengaluru city
• Around 400 megawatts (MW) of power is also proposed to be generated through the project.
• Tamil Nadu objected saying that the project would affect the flow of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
• Tamil Nadu also argues that the project is against the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in which the SC held that no state can claim exclusive ownership or assert rights to deprive other states of the waters of inter-state rivers.

Know! about Cauvery River:

• River rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in south-western Karnataka state.
• The river basin covers three states and a Union Territory: Tamil Nadu, 43,868 square kilometres, Karnataka, 34,273 square kilometres l, Kerala, 2,866 square kilometres and Puducherry.
• Key tributaries: Hemavati, Lakshmantirtha, Kabini, Amaravati, Noyil, and Bhavani rivers.
• Upon entering Tamil Nadu, the Kaveri continues through a series of twisted wild gorges until it reaches Hogenakal Falls.
• There the Mettur Dam was constructed for irrigation and hydel power in Tamil Nadu.

Bills/Acts
Centre moves bill in House to stop retrospective tax
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 -highlights) + Mains ( GS II governance)
What's the NEWS

• The government has introduced the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha.

Know! the bill highlights

• The Bill aims to amend the Income Tax Act, 1961, and the Finance Act, 2012 and Prevent the income tax department from raising tax demands retrospectively.
• Now, no tax demand shall be raised in future on the basis of the said retrospective amendment for any indirect transfer of Indian assets if the transaction was undertaken before 28th May, 2012 (i.e., the date on which the Finance Bill, 2012, received the assent of the President).
• The demand raised for indirect transfer of Indian assets made before 28th May, 2012 shall be nullified on fulfilment of specified conditions.
• It is also proposed to refund the amount paid in these cases without any interest thereon.
• To be eligible, the concerned taxpayers would have to drop all pending cases against the government and promise not to make any demands for damages or costs.
• The retrospective tax law was introduced through the Finance Act, 2012 after Vodafone won a case in the Supreme Court against the I-T department's demand of Rs.11,000 crore in tax dues.
• This law became necessary after the Supreme Court, in 2012, ruled that gains arising from indirect transfer of Indian assets were not taxable under existing laws.
• The retrospective tax provisions were also applied to Cairn, when it was exiting from Cairn India Ltd in January 2014. The initial demand was for Rs.10,570 crore.

Know! about Retrospective taxation

• It allows a country to pass a rule on taxing certain products, items or services and deals and charge companies from a time behind the date on which the law is passed.
• Countries use this route to correct any anomalies in their taxation policies that have, in the past, allowed companies to take advantage of such loopholes.
• Retrospective Taxation hurts companies that had knowingly or unknowingly interpreted the tax rules differently.

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