TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 25.10.2024

1. POLITY

CASTE BIAS, SEGREGATION IN PRISONS VIOLATE DIGNITY : SC

• Caste-Based Discrimination: The Supreme Court has recognized that caste-based discrimination within prisons is a violation of fundamental human dignity and personality. This includes the segregation of prisoners and the allocation of work based on caste hierarchies.
• Constitutional Violations:
• Article 15(1):This article prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. The court emphasized that state-sponsored discrimination is a severe violation of this constitutional right.
• Article 17:This article abolishes “untouchability” and forbids its practice in any form. The court held that caste-based discrimination among prisoners amounts to untouchability.
• Article 23:This article prohibits forced labor. The court noted that compelling marginalized caste inmates to perform degrading tasks based on their caste is a form of coercion and violates this article.
• Denotified Tribes:The judgment highlights the historical injustice faced by denotified tribes, who have been labeled as “habitual offenders” due to colonial-era laws. The court declared such references in prison manuals as unconstitutional.
• Prison Manuals:The court directed the revision of prison manuals to remove any caste references and ensure compliance with constitutional mandates. This includes deleting the ‘caste column’ from registers of undertrials and convicts.
• Manual Scavenging:The court reiterated the prohibition of manual scavenging under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, and emphasized its applicability within prisons.

2. ENVIRONMENT

LEOPARD POPULATION IN ODISHA’S FORESTS JUMPS BY 22 % TO 696 IN TWO YEARS

• National Context:India’s leopard population is 13,874, with a decline of 75-90% over the last 120-200 years.
• Poaching Concerns: 1,485 leopards poached in India over the last decade; 116 leopards killed in Odisha between 2018 and 2024.
• Forest Cover: Odisha’s forest cover is 33.50% of its geographic area, with one national park, 19 wildlife sanctuaries, and two conservation reserves.
• Protected Areas: Similipal Tiger Reserve has the largest leopard population, serving as a source for surrounding regions.
• Other Key Areas: Satkosia landscape and Hirakud Wildlife Division are significant leopard habitats.
• Leopard Distribution:45% of leopards are outside protected areas, with melanistic leopards recorded in three divisions.
• Future Plans: From next year, the leopard estimation will be synchronized with the tiger estimation, including data on prey base and human disturbance.

3. POLITY

MARATHI, BENGALI AMONG FIVE GRANTED CLASSICAL LANGUAGE STATUS BY UNION CABINET

• The criteria for a language to be declared as classical include:
• Antiquity: The language should have a recorded history of at least 1500-2000 years.
• Rich Heritage: It should have a rich and diverse ancient literature that is considered a valuable heritage by generations.
• Original Literary Tradition: The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
• Distinctness: The classical language should be distinct from the modern language or its offshoots.
• Once a language is designated as classical, it receives several benefits aimed at its promotion and preservation:
• International Awards: Two major annual international awards are instituted for scholars of eminence in the classical languages.
• Centre of Excellence: Establishment of a Centre of Excellence for studies in classical languages.
• Academic Support: The University Grants Commission (UGC) is requested to create professional chairs for classical languages in Central Universities.

4. AGRICULTURE

ALL AGRI SECTOR INITIATIVES BROUGHT UNDER 2 NEW SCHEMES; STATES TO IMPLEMENT THEM

• The Union Cabinet’s decision to consolidate all Central schemes in the agriculture sector into two new schemes, Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) and Krishonnati Yojana (KY), is a significant move aimed at streamlining efforts and resources.
• Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY)
• Objective: To promote sustainable agriculture practices.
• Allocation: ₹57,074.72 crore.
• Implementation: Through State governments, allowing them to create strategic plans tailored to their specific agricultural needs.
• Focus Areas:
• Nutrition security
• Sustainability
• Climate resilience
• Value chain development
• Private sector participation Krishonnati Yojana (KY)
• Objective: To address food security and agricultural self-sufficiency.
• Allocation: ₹44,246.89 crore.
• Implementation: Similar to PM-RKVY, through State governments.
• Focus Areas: Enhancing agricultural productivity
• Ensuring food security
• Key Features of the Schemes
• Rationalization: Merging various existing schemes like Soil Health Management, Rainfed Area Development, Agro Forestry, and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana to avoid duplication and ensure convergence.
• Flexibility: States can approve their Annual Action Plans (AAP) in one go, rather than individually, providing more strategic and comprehensive planning.
• National Mission on Edible Oils -Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds)
• Objective: To boost domestic oilseed production and achieve self-reliance in edible oils.
• Duration: 2024-25 to 2030-31.
• Financial Outlay: ₹10,103 crore.
• Goals: Increase primary oilseed production from 39 million tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.
• Focus Crops: Rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesamum, and secondary sources like cottonseed, rice bran, and tree borne oils.
• Additional Approvals – Energy Efficiency Hub:India will join the Energy Efficiency Hub, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Productivity-linked Bonus:Approval of a 78-day productivity-linked bonus amounting to ₹2,028.57 crore for 11,72,240 non-gazetted railway employees.

5. INTERNATIONAL

U.K TO RETURN CHAGOS TO MAURITIUS IN HISTORIC DEAL

• Chagos Archipelago: The Chagos Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, which includes Diego Garcia, a critical military base used by the U.K. and the U.S.
• Historically, the islands were part of Mauritius until the U.K. separated them in 1965 to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
• Diego Garcia: Diego Garcia is strategically important due to its location and has been used as a military base by the U.K. and the U.S. for over five decades.
• U.K.-Mauritius Agreement: The U.K. and Mauritius have reached a political agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago back to Mauritius while allowing the U.K. to exercise certain sovereign rights on Diego Garcia.
• This agreement aims to resolve the long-standing dispute over the islands’ sovereignty, which has been a contentious issue in international law and politics.
• This move is seen as a step towards completing the decolonization process for Mauritius, aligning with international legal rulings and resolutions.
• India’s Response: India has welcomed the agreement, viewing it as a significant step towards the decolonization of Mauritius.
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has consistently supported Mauritius’s claim over the Chagos Archipelago, emphasizing principles of decolonization and sovereignty.
• India sees this development as an opportunity to strengthen maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean region, enhancing peace and prosperity.

ONE LINER

1. The Manimegalai Awards for 2022-2023 and 2023-24 was awarded by the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women to 70 SHGs and federations
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