Daily Current Affairs – 9th October

Stubble burning:

Why in News?

IARI (Indian Agriculture Research Institute) says stubble burning in Punjab decreased 

Stubble burning: 

• The process of burning straw stubble that remains after the harvest of grains such as rice, wheat, etc. is known as stubble burning.

Why stubble burning is practiced? 

• Harvesters leave behind paddy residue that takes 1.5 months to break down, leaving farmers with little time to plant their next crop. 
• Burning the straw is a quick, affordable, and effective approach to get the soil ready for the next crop.

Effects:

• Pollution: Burning open stubble releases a significant amount of dangerous pollutants into the atmosphere, including carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO). They might ultimately result in smog.
• Burning stubble has an impact on soil fertility in addition to the air quality.
• When stubble burns, heat produced seeps into the soil, causing moisture and beneficial bacteria to be lost.

Alternative remedies to Stubble Burning include:

• Composting can be used to transform the removed leftovers into enriched organic manure.
• Crop wastes can increase soil moisture and encourage the growth of soil microbes, which will benefit plant growth.
• Promote power stations powered by paddy straw. Additionally, it will generate job prospects.
• Through scientific investigation, new possibilities for industrial usage, such as the extraction of yeast protein, might be explored.

Indian Agricultural Research Institute:

• ICAR is an autonomous organisation within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Under Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE).
• It was established on July 16, 1929.
• ICAR was formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural.

Research:

• The institute was moved to Delhi on July 29, 1936, as a result of a severe earthquake that occurred in 1934. 
• Indian Agricultural Research Institute is the new name for the institution following independence (IARI).
• The Indian Council for Agricultural Research is the world’s largest network of agricultural research and education institutes. 
• ICAR is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

Appointment of CJI 

Why in News? 

The government asked Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit to name his successor. 

Appointment of CJI : 

• The President appoints the Chief Justice of India and the other Supreme Court judges under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Indian Constitution.
• Article 124 states that appointments by the President must be made after consultation with Supreme Court judges as the President ‘deems necessary’.
• Article 217 which governs the appointment of High Court judges, states that the President must consult with the CJI, Governor, and Chief Justice of the High Court in question.
• Furthermore, CJIs serve until the age of 65, whereas High Court judges retire at the age of 62.

Eligibility:

According to Article 124 [3] of the Indian Constitution, in order to be appointed as a judge on the Supreme Court of India, a person must meet the following 

Criteria:

• He/ She is a citizen of India and
• has been for at least five years a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession; or
• has been for at least ten years an advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession; or
• In the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist.
• Supreme Court held that the consultation with Chief Justice is not 
• binding on the President. But the Court held that consultation should be effective.
• In judicial appointments, the President is required to consider the opinion of the CJI.

Important points:

• The CJI’s decision is legally binding on the government. 
• The CJI’s opinion must be formed after due consultation with a collegium of at least four senior-most Supreme Court judges.
• Even if two judges disagree, he should not send the recommendation to the government.

Global forest sector report

Why in News?

The report titled “The global forest sector outlook 2050″ was released recently by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Global forest sector outlook 2050:

Released by:

• Food and Agriculture Organization.
• Assessing future demand and sources of timber for a sustainable economy.
• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Headquarters:

• Rome, Italy

Motto of FAO:

 “let there be bread”

Established on:

On 16 October 1945. 

Functions: 

• The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialised body that oversees global initiatives to end hunger.
• It was established with the intention of ensuring food security for all people and ensuring that they would have access to nutritious food in adequate amounts to lead healthy lives.
• Reports published by FAO:
• The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA).
• The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO).
• The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).
• The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA).
• The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO

Green Tamil Nadu Mission

About:

Green Tamil Nadu Mission is a unique mission of planting tree sapling which aims to increase forest and tree cover in the state to 33% by 2030-31.

1. Inaugurated at Arignar Anna Zoological park, Vandalur on Sep 2022.
2. Website – http://www.greentnmission.com
3. Tamil Nadu present forest and tree cover – 23.8%.
4. Mission helps to achieve SDG 13 Climate action and National forest policy targets.

Objective:

1. To plant and encourage planting of more native species of tree saplings.
2. To promote afforestation and plant trees outside forest area such as residential areas, industrial areas, educational institutions, temple grounds.

Target:

Planting 2.80 crore tree saplings in the next 10 years in Tamil Nadu.

Significance:

1. Public participation
2. Digital documentation
3. Geotagging
4. Farmer support

Impact:

1. Increase forest cover 
2. Biodiversity conservation
3. Climate change mitigation
4. Water conservation
5. Reduce Global warming

Vande Bharat Train

About:

Vande Bharat trains are self-high speed, self-propelled engineless train sets, indigenously manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai as part of the Make in India programme.

1. Launched on Feb 2019.
2. Also called as Train18.
3. India’s 1^st attempt at adaptation of the train set technology.
4. Train routes – Delhi to Varanasi and Delhi to Katara.

Key features:

1. GPS based infotainment system.
2. Modular bio toilets.
3. Centrally controlled entry/exit doors.
4. Seats with diffused LED lighting.
5. Faster acceleration and deceleration.

Vande Bharat 2.0

1. New trains can reach maximum speed of 160kmh and needs to run almost less than 1km to reach maximum speed.
2. Equipped with Kavach, an automatic anti-collision system.
3. Protection against floods upto 650mm.
4. Seats in the trains are recliner.
5. Executive coaches have additional feature of 180 degree rotating seats.
6. Coaches have disaster lights and their battery backup lasts for 3 hours.

Right to Education Act 2019

About:

RTE act provides free and compulsory education to children aged 6 to 14 years and enforced it as Fundamental right under Article 21A.

1. 86^th amendment to the Constitution of India in 2002 provided Right to Education as Fundamental right under Article 21A in Part III of the Constitution.
2. RTE act was passed in 2009 and recently it was amended in 2019.

Committee related to Education:

1. Ramamurthi committee – 1^st formal document addressing Right to Education.
2. Tapas Majumdar committee – Aim of incorporating Article 21A into the Constitution.

Provisions:

1. Abolish No detention policy.
2. No student be detained upto Class VIII.
3. State to decide whether to continue No detention policy.
4. If Student fails in regular examination in Class V and VIII, they provided additional opportunity for re-examination within 2 months.
5. Students provided with 2 months remedial training.
6. If Student still didn’t pass the exam, the state government may decide to detain.

Reasons behind:

1. Poor understanding among students led to sharp spike in dropout rates in Class IX and X.
2. With Absence of detention, the students had no real motivation to learn and develop further.