{"id":29264,"date":"2024-09-10T18:55:15","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T13:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=29264"},"modified":"2025-07-11T18:09:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T12:39:15","slug":"news-in-short-10-09-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/10-09-2024\/news-in-short-10-09-2024","title":{"rendered":"News In Short-10-09-2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Sakthan Thampuran<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/History<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Minister of State for Tourism, Kerala pledged to <strong>replace a statue of Sakthan Thampuran<\/strong> that was knocked over by a state transport bus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sakthan Thampuran<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Raja Rama Varma Kunjipillai or Rama Varma IX,<\/strong> better known today as <strong>Sakthan Thampuran<\/strong>, ruled over the Cochin kingdom from 1790 to 1805.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He was born in <strong>1751 <\/strong>to Ambika Thampuran and Chendose Aniyan Namboodiri of the Cochin royal family, but was raised by an aunt who called him <strong>Sakthan, meaning \u2018powerful\u2019.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The word thampuran is believed to be an appropriation of the <strong>Sanskrit samrat, meaning emperor.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Cochin kingdom,<\/strong> which was part of the Late Chera Empire, covered the regions between Ponnani in Malappuram and Thottappally in Alappuzha in today\u2019s Kerala.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-culture\/who-was-sakthan-thampuran-whose-fallen-statue-in-thrissur-suresh-gopi-wants-to-reconstruct-9559218\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>5 Years of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Financial Inclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY)<\/strong> has completed 5 years of implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Launched in <strong>2019<\/strong>, the PM-KMY has been providing <strong>social security to all land-holding Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs) <\/strong>across the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a<strong> voluntary and contributory pension scheme.&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eligible small and marginal farmers are<strong> given a fixed monthly pension of Rs. 3,000 <\/strong>after attaining the <strong>age of sixty.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Farmers aged between <strong>18 and 40 years<\/strong> need to contribute between<strong> Rs. 55 to Rs. 200 per month<\/strong> until they turn 60.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Central Government, through the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, also contributes an<strong> equal amount as contributed by the eligible subscriber, to the pension Fund.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) <\/strong>manages the pension fund, and beneficiary registration is facilitated through <strong>Common Service Centres (CSCs) and State Governments.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2053142\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>District Agro-Meteorology Units (DAMUs)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS 3\/Economy&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The India Meteorological Department (IMD) plans to revive the District Agro-Meteorology Units (DAMUs) under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About District Agro-Meteorology Units (DAMUs)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>DAMUs were originally established in 2018 by &nbsp; India Meteorological Department (IMD)&nbsp; in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to provide local agricultural advisories using weather data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are located within <strong>Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) <\/strong>and they use IMD weather data to create and disseminate advisories.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These advisories, sent in local languages via text messages, WhatsApp, newspapers, and in-person communication, help farmers make informed decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Importance<\/strong>: They are crucial for India\u2019s small and marginal farmers, who practice rain-fed agriculture and face challenges due to climate change.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They provide weather-based advisories on sowing, harvesting, irrigation, and pest management, helping farmers plan their activities and prepare for extreme weather events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reasons for Shutdown: <\/strong>DAMUs were shut down in March 2024&nbsp; following claims by NITI Aayog that agro-met data was automated and the services should be privatized.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NITI Aayog\u2019s claims undermined the role of DAMU staff, who were essential in creating and communicating the advisories.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Experts View&nbsp; :<\/strong>closing DAMUs was unwise and that the GKMS scheme should have been strengthened instead.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They recommended reconsidering the decision to discontinue DAMUs and exploring ways to enhance their impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source:TH<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>&nbsp;Joint Doctrine for Amphibious Operations&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS 3\/Defense<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan released the Joint Doctrine for Amphibious Operations during the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) meeting in New Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Doctrine&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the second Joint Doctrine released in 2024, following the Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It emphasizes the focus on jointness and integration within the Armed Forces, particularly in the context of Amphibious Operations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It serves as a key guide for Commanders on conducting Amphibious Operations in the current complex military environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>importance : <\/strong>It enhances the Armed Forces&#8217; ability to execute operations in the Indian Ocean Region, relevant in both wartime and peacetime.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It highlights the importance of multi-domain operations and demonstrates the integration and cohesion among the Armed Forces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source:TH<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>New GoM to Look at Tax Rates for Health Insurance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Goods and Services Tax Council constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to review <strong>18% GST<\/strong> on life and health insurance and cutting GST on cancer drugs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The GST Council approved a <strong>reduction in the GST rate on three cancer drugs <\/strong>\u2014 Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib and Durvalumab \u2014<strong> from 12% to 5%.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The council hiked the <strong>levy on car seat covers to 28% from 18% <\/strong>to bring them on par with motorcycle seats.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also approved a cut in the tax on some extruded <strong>savory snacks<\/strong> from<strong> 18% to 12%,<\/strong> to do away with their distinction with the likes of Namkeens and Bhujia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council<\/strong><br>&#8211; The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is a <strong>constitutional body established under Article 279A <\/strong>of the Indian Constitution through the <strong>101st Amendment Act of 2016.<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>The Union Finance Minister<\/strong> is the Chairperson of the GST Council.<br>&#8211; The GST Council makes recommendations to the Union and the States on key GST-related issues, including:<br>1. Taxes, cesses, and surcharges to be subsumed under GST<br>2. Goods and services to be subject to or exempt from GST<br>3. Model GST laws, principles of levy, and apportionment of IGST<br>4. Tax rates, thresholds, special provisions, and any other matter relating to GST.<br>&#8211; <strong>Dispute resolution:<\/strong> The Council also serves as a platform to resolve disputes between the Centre and the States or among the States themselves on GST-related matters.<br>&#8211; The Centre has one-third of the total voting power, while the States collectively have two-thirds.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Elongated Tortoise (Indotestudo Elongata)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The elongated tortoise was spotted in Haryana\u2019s <strong>Damdama area<\/strong> during a research survey in the <strong>Aravallis.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Characteristics:<\/strong> The tortoise is medium-sized with a<strong> yellowish brown or olive shell <\/strong>and distinct <strong>black blotches<\/strong> at the center of each scute.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The tortoise has on its nostril a<strong> pink ring<\/strong>, which appears in the breeding season.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Habitat: <\/strong>The species, also referred to as the<strong> Sal Forest Tortoise<\/strong>, inhabits open deciduous forest patches, including Sal and evergreen forest habitats, dry thorn forests, and savannah grasslands.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Distribution:<\/strong> The species is widely distributed across <strong>northeast India,<\/strong> Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A disjunct tortoise population exists in the <strong>Chota Nagpur plateau <\/strong>in eastern India.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>IUCN Status:<\/strong> Critically Endangered<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"83794a\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"310\" height=\"176\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Elongated-Tortoise--jpg.webp\" alt=\"Elongated Tortoise\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-29269\" style=\"--dominant-color: #83794a; width:368px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Elongated-Tortoise--jpg.webp 310w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Elongated-Tortoise--300x170.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/cities\/delhi\/in-a-first-critically-endangered-elongated-tortoise-spotted-in-aravallis-9557916\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts: Malpe and Mulki&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Malpe and Mulki, fourth and fifth ships of the eight <strong>Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft <\/strong>(ASW SWC) project, built by M\/s Cochin Shipyard Ltd, for the Indian Navy, were launched.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mahe, Malvan and Mangrol<\/strong> are the first three ships of the ASW SWC project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Malpe and Mulki, <strong>named after ports<\/strong> of strategic importance along the coast of India, are the <strong>Mahe-class of ships<\/strong> and will replace the in-service <strong>Abhay class<\/strong> ASW Corvettes of the Indian Navy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is designed to undertake <strong>anti-submarine operations<\/strong> in coastal waters, low intensity maritime operations and mine-laying operations, apart from search and rescue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Equipped with <strong>light-weight torpedoes<\/strong>, anti-submarine warfare rockets, a close-in weapon system, and remote-controlled guns, these ships can achieve a maximum speed of 25 knots with endurance of up to 1800 nautical miles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2053322\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>India to host International Cooperative Alliance&#8217;s General Assembly<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India will host the International Cooperative Alliance&#8217;s general assembly and global conference for the first time in November this year, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The theme for this year\u2019s conference is <strong>\u201cCooperatives Build Prosperity for All,\u201d<\/strong> which is in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s vision of<strong> \u2018Sahkar se Samriddhi\u2019<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Conference will also mark the official launch of the <strong>UN International Year of Cooperatives \u2013 2025<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>commemorative stamp<\/strong> celebrating the International Year of Cooperatives \u2013 2025 will be launched during the event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Conference will be used to showcase Indian Cooperatives\u2019 products and services in the <strong>\u2018Haat\u2019<\/strong> setup with the theme of Indian Villages.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is home to<strong> one-fourth of the world\u2019s cooperatives<\/strong>, both in terms of numbers and membership, and this move will further strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the premier body for the Global Cooperative movement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was <strong>established in 1895<\/strong> as a non-profit international association to advance the cooperative social enterprise model.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ICA\u2019s General Assembly meets <strong>every year<\/strong> whereas global conferences happen <strong>every two years.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2053315\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minister of State for Tourism, Kerala pledged to replace a statue of Sakthan Thampuran that was knocked over by a state transport bus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29264"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29270,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29264\/revisions\/29270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}