1 August 2024, The Indian EXPRESS
For direct-seeded rice, zero-tillage wheat, RiceTec & Mahyco form JV
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GS 3: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country
- Rice and wheat breeding-cum-research in India has traditionally been a virtual public sector monopoly.
- But now, two private sector seed majors – the Alvin (Texas)-headquartered RiceTec Inc. and Jalna (Maharashtra)-based Mahyco Pvt. Ltd – have come together to form a joint venture (JV) for making the rice-wheat cropping system “more climate-smart and sustainable”.
The Slipping Land
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GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation
- The mounting toll in Wayanad is a grim reminder of the dangers of giving short shrift to Kerala’s ecological frailties.
- Warnings were issued more than a decade ago by two expert committees that mapped the eco-sensitivity of the Western Ghats in great detail.
- In 2011, a panel chaired by the eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil underlined the need to regulate developmental activities in the entire 1,60,000 sq km stretch of the Ghats.
- The Gadgil committee’s recommendations were met with resistance by all states and parties across the political spectrum in the biodiverse region, especially in Kerala and Karnataka.
A Wayanad Story
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GS 3: Disaster and disaster management
- At 6 am, on August 9, 2018, one of us (Unny) received a frantic call from their mother informing that their house in Palakkad is getting flooded and that the water level in the canal adjoining the Kalpathy river is rapidly increasing.
- Later that day, the shutters of the Malampuzha Dam were opened, further raising the water level in the canal.
- The flood that ensued sank the family’s car and damaged appliances and furniture, and with it, the ability to enjoy the rain.
- Every year since 2018, many Keralites have gotten into the habit of moving their valuables upstairs when the rains get heavier.
Without trials, no way to tell what are misleading claims
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GS 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
- Regulation of AYUSH medicines and their advertisement has come under the Supreme Court scanner, with no requirement for these formulations to demonstrate safety and efficacy being one of the points highlighted in the case filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali Ayurveda.
- The case was filed amidst the pandemic against the company for maligning allopathic medical practice and making false claims about ayurvedic drugs curing certain lifestyle diseases.
30 countries, 150 aircraft: IAF to host its largest exercise ever
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Prelims Syllabus: Current Affairs – Defence and Security
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) will be hosting its largest-ever multilateral exercise Tarang Shakti 24 starting this month, which is set to see participation from nearly 30 countries including India and 150 foreign and IAF aircraft, senior IAF officers said Wednesday.
- As per Air Marshal AP Singh, Vice-Chief of the IAF, a total of 51 countries have been invited for the “landmark event,” of which 10 countries will participate with air assets and 18 countries will join in as observers.
- Along with India, another country will also likely join the exercise which will be held in two phases over August and September at Sulur and Jodhpur, respectively.
Axis of Resistance
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GS 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests
- Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in an air strike in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday (July 31).
- Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s killing, Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for the strike, and promised “major repercussions”.
- Experts believe that Iran could hike up attacks against Israel through its allies — a coalition of Iranian-backed groups known as the ‘axis of resistance’.
- Hezbollah, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Houthis are some of the major groups in the alliance.
What is ‘wing stall’, potentially behind the recent Kathmandu plane crash
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GS 3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
- A Bombardier CRJ200 jet with 19 souls on board crashed shortly after takeoff at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport on July 24.
- The pilot, Captain Manish Raj Shakya, was the sole survivor.
- A five-member panel, led by Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, former Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), has been set up to probe the crash.
- However, air crash investigations go on for months — even years — meaning that an official answer to what caused the crash will not be available any time soon.
Overall Bank Credit Growth Drops; Sharp Rise in Gold, Housing Loans
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment
- An Unfavourable base effect brought down the overall non-food credit growth of the banks to 13.9 per cent at Rs 163.46 lakh crore as of June 30, 2024 as against 16.3 per cent in June 2023, even as gold and housing loans rose sharply, according to the Reserve Bank’s latest data.
- The growth in credit card outstanding, meanwhile, declined during the 12-month period.
Ransomware attack disrupts at least 150-200 cooperative banks, RRBs
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GS 3: Economy + Science & Technology
- The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Wednesday said that C-Edge Technologies Ltd, a technology service provider who caters mostly to cooperative banks and regional rural banks (RRBs), has been possibly impacted by a ransomware attack.
- The attack has likely impacted 150-200 cooperative banks and RRBs.
How will Sebi’s proposed measures curb speculative trading in futures & options?
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment
