{"id":39067,"date":"2025-03-12T19:37:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=39067"},"modified":"2025-03-13T19:21:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:51:44","slug":"news-in-short-12-march-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-03-2025\/news-in-short-12-march-2025","title":{"rendered":"News In Short-12-03-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Chagos Archipelago<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus : GS 1\/ Places In News<\/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>India has supported Mauritius&#8217; claims of sovereignty over <strong>Chagos Archipelago.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About Chagos Archipelago<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a group of islands <strong>comprising 58 islands<\/strong>, lying roughly 500 km to the south of the <strong>Maldives archipelago<\/strong> in the Indian Ocean.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These islands were uninhabited until the late <strong>18th century<\/strong>, when the French brought in laborers from Africa and India to work in newly-established coconut plantations. In 1814, <strong>France ceded the islands to the British<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 1965, the UK constituted the <strong>British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)<\/strong>, of which the Chagos Islands were a central part.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chagos was attached to Mauritius<\/strong>, another British colony in the Indian Ocean, for administrative purposes. But when Mauritius gained independence in 1968, Chagos remained with Britain.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mauritius <strong>claims sovereignty over Chagos<\/strong>, citing historical ties before British colonial rule.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its largest <strong>atoll \u2013 Diego Garcia \u2013 <\/strong>hosts a major <strong>US military base.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"b7ecf0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"441\" height=\"517\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Chagos-Archipelago-pic.png\" alt=\"Chagos-Archipelago\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-39068\" style=\"--dominant-color: #b7ecf0; width:331px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Chagos-Archipelago-pic.png 441w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Chagos-Archipelago-pic-256x300.png 256w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 441px) 100vw, 441px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Parvatmala Pariyojana<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Infrastructure<\/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 Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister has approved two major ropeway projects in Uttarakhand under the <strong>National Ropeways Development Programme \u2013 Parvatmala Pariyojana.<\/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>Parvatmala was announced in the 2022 Budget under the <strong>Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Implemented by National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aims to develop 250+ ropeway projects covering 1,200 km in five years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of Ropeways<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Addresses connectivity challenges in remote &amp; hilly areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Boosts tourism &amp; economy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provides a direct aerial route, bypassing difficult terrains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Minimal deforestation and land degradation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: PIB<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Soil Fertility Mapping<\/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&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Soil fertility maps have been generated for 351 villages across 34 districts in Maharashtra.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Soil Fertility Maps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Soil fertility maps provide location-specific data, allowing farmers to apply fertilizers more efficiently, avoiding overuse or underuse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Soil &amp; Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI<\/strong>) generates digital soil fertility maps using<strong> geo-spatial techniques<\/strong> and <strong>Soil Health Card (SHC) data.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These maps guide farmers in using fertilizers and soil amendments efficiently, reducing wastage and improving economic outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know ?<\/strong><br>&#8211; Geospatial techniques, including remote sensing &amp; AI based tools, are used in Soil Fertility Mapping.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; The SHC soil sampling point is geo-coded using GPS, the sample is assigned a unique QR Code, and this QR code is retained during analysis in soil testing labs.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Logistical, technical, and infrastructure barriers exist in remote and hilly areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Village Level Soil Testing labs and mini-labs are addressing these challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Importance&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mapping identifies soil degradation and nutrient deficiencies, helping farmers address these issues through balanced fertilizer use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Other Related Schemes<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Soil Health &amp; Fertility Scheme<\/strong>: The scheme promotes Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), combining chemical fertilizers, organic manures, and bio-fertilizers to improve soil health and productivity.<br>&#8211; <strong>Soil Health Card (SHC): <\/strong>SHCs provide information on soil nutrient status (low, medium, high) and recommendations for nutrient application to improve soil health.<br>1. Parameters tested include pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, and micronutrients.<br>2. SHC data is made available to farmers, who can download their SHC by entering their registered mobile number.<br>3. The Soil Health &amp; Fertility Scheme is available to all States &amp; UTs in India.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Source :PIB<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Evolution of Computer Mouse<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS 3\/Science and Technology<\/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 computer mouse is essential for personal computing, allowing users to interact with virtual objects through graphical interfaces.<\/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 computer mouse, invented by<strong> Douglas Engelbart in 1963<\/strong>, was initially a bulky device with two wheels and a cord, resembling a mouse.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In 1968<\/strong>, the first ball-based mouse was introduced by Telefuken, inspired by a military trackball device.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Xerox Alto in 1973<\/strong> became the first computer with a mouse-driven graphical interface, and Microsoft developed th<strong>e first PC-compatible mouse in 1982.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The optical mouse, developed by J<strong>ean-Daniel Nicoud<\/strong>, replaced mechanical components with LEDs, and later evolved into wireless and laser mice.<\/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>Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS3\/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 Government has approved the continuation of<strong> Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)<\/strong> and <strong>Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme <\/strong>(RWBCIS) till 2025-26.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana(PMFBY)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was introduced in the Kharif 2016 season and is available for all States\/UTs. It is voluntary for both States and farmers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Affordable Premiums: <\/strong>The maximum premium payable by the farmer will be 2% for the Kharif food and oilseed crops.&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For rabi food and oilseeds crop, it is 1.5% and for yearly commercial or horticultural crops it will be 5%. The remaining premium is subsidized by the government.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Comprehensive Coverage<\/strong>: The scheme covers<strong> natural disasters <\/strong>(droughts, floods), pests, and diseases, along with post-harvest losses due to local risks like hailstorms and landslides.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Timely Compensation:<\/strong> PMFBY aims to <strong>process claims within two<\/strong> <strong>months <\/strong>of the harvest to ensure that farmers get the compensation quickly, preventing them from falling into debt traps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technology-Driven Implementation: <\/strong>PMFBY integrates advanced technologies like satellite imaging, drones, and mobile apps for precise estimation of crop loss, ensuring accurate claim settlements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Post-harvest Losses:<\/strong> The Government provides for post-harvest losses on an individual farm basis. The Government offers coverage of up to 14 days (maximum) from harvesting for crops that are stored in \u201ccut and spread\u201d condition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"cac9c3\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"489\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Implementation-of-Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana.png\" alt=\"Implementation-of-Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-39069\" style=\"--dominant-color: #cac9c3; width:347px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Implementation-of-Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana.png 489w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Implementation-of-Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 489px) 100vw, 489px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"9aa783\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"467\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana-achievements.png\" alt=\"Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana-achievements\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-39070\" style=\"--dominant-color: #9aa783; width:365px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana-achievements.png 467w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana-achievements-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Pradhan-Mantri-Fasal-Bima-Yojana-achievements-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know ?<\/strong><br>&#8211; Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) is a weather index-based scheme, which was introduced along with PMFBY.<br>&#8211; The basic difference between the PMFBY and RWBCIS is in its methodology for calculation of admissible claims to the farmers.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Source :PIB<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Africa\u2019s Giant Goliath Beetle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Environment; Species In News<\/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>Recent research has highlighted that two species of Goliath beetles, <strong>Goliathus regius and Goliathus cacicus<\/strong>, are facing the threat of extinction.<\/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>The Goliath beetles (genus Goliathus)<\/strong> are among the <strong>largest insects<\/strong> in the world, with five known species.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They can grow up to <strong>110 mm<\/strong> long. Males possess <strong>Y-shaped horns<\/strong>, whereas females lack horns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are native to the<strong> <\/strong>rainforests of <strong>West and Central Africa<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Larvae (grubs) are <strong>omnivorous<\/strong> and consume both plant debris and animal matter, aiding in nutrient recycling in forests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7d665d\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"284\" height=\"177\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Africas-Giant-Goliath-Beetle.png\" alt=\"Africas-Giant-Goliath-Beetle\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-39071\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7d665d; width:370px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/worlds-largest-insect-africas-giant-goliath-beetle-faces-extinction\/article69293502.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India has supported Mauritius&#8217; claims of sovereignty over Chagos Archipelago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39067","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\/39067","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39067"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39153,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39067\/revisions\/39153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}