{"id":39551,"date":"2025-03-21T20:26:39","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=39551"},"modified":"2025-03-21T20:27:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:57:06","slug":"news-in-short-21-march-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-03-2025\/news-in-short-21-march-2025","title":{"rendered":"News In Short-21-03-2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Project Pari<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS 1\/Culture&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 Ministry of Culture&nbsp; is committed to preserving public art installations created under the <strong>Public Art of India (PARI) project.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Project PARI (Public Art of India)&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is an initiative launched by the <strong>Ministry of Culture<\/strong> to celebrate and enhance the public art scene in India.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"bbb4ad\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/project-pari.png\" alt=\"project-pari\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-39553\" style=\"--dominant-color: #bbb4ad; width:411px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/project-pari.png 601w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/project-pari-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is executed by the <strong>Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Gallery of Modern Art.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It showcases India&#8217;s diverse regional art forms, such as Phad, Thangka, Gond, and Warli, through over 200 artists.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At present, the \u2018Public Art of India\u2019 (PARI) project has been implemented only in Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It aims to stimulate dialogue and reflection through public art that blends India\u2019s rich cultural heritage with contemporary themes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is a part of continuous effort of the Government in blending India\u2019s rich cultural history with contemporary themes in public art by providing incentives to the talented artists.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: PIB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>World Happiness Report 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Human Geography<\/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 Wellbeing Research Centre has released the <strong>World Happiness Report 2025.<\/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>Published by<\/strong>: University of Oxford\u2019s Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Parameters: <\/strong>Social support, GDP per capita, health, life expectancy, freedom, generosity and perception of corruption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ranking: <\/strong>Finland<strong> <\/strong>emerged as the \u2018happiest\u2019 country again, followed by Denmark and Iceland.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Afghanistan<\/strong> ranked the lowest followed by Sierra Leone and Lebanon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India ranked 118 out of 147 <\/strong>countries, India&#8217;s lowest ranking was 144 on the list in 2012, while its scores peaked in 2022 at 94.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/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?&nbsp;<\/strong><br>&#8211; The <strong>UN declared March 20<\/strong> as the <strong>International Day of Happiness in 2012.<\/strong><br>&#8211; The concept of World Happiness Day was <strong>first proposed by Bhutan <\/strong>in the <strong>1970s<\/strong>, a country known for prioritizing <strong>Gross National Happiness<\/strong> over Gross Domestic Product.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/rest-of-world\/international-day-of-happiness-theme-of-2025-significance-all-you-need-to-know\/articleshow\/119239137.cms\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TOI<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Indo-U.S. Cultural Property Agreement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus :GS 2\/IR<\/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 Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) has been signed with the United States of America (USA).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Indo-U.S. Cultural Property Agreement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It aims to prevent smuggling of Indian antiquities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The agreement aligns with <strong>Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention<\/strong>, which enables countries whose cultural patrimony is in jeopardy from pillage to seek international cooperation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is preventive in nature and has no timelines or target numbers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>So far, 588 antiquities have been repatriated from the USA, out of which 297 received in 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has provision for fostering cooperation and mutual understanding in the matters of technical assistance, illicit trade and pillage of cultural property.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India collaborates with different international organizations including UNESCO and INTERPOL as per requirement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Do you Know?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Initiatives like the<strong> Kashi Culture Pathway and the New Delhi Leaders\u2019 Declaration (NDLD) 2023<\/strong> underscore the growing international consensus on the urgent need to combat illicit trafficking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source :PIB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Unified Pension Scheme for Central Govt. Staff Notified<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/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>The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)<\/strong> has issued the regulations for the<strong> operationalisation of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) under the National Pension System (NPS).<\/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>Effective Date: <\/strong>The new regulations take effect from April 1, 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enrollment Deadline:<\/strong> Employees must choose to enroll in UPS within three months from April 1, 2025.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Once enrolled, the decision is final and cannot be reversed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eligibility:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Existing central government employees in service as of April 1, 2025, and covered under NPS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New recruits joining central government services on or after April 1, 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Former employees who were under NPS but retired or voluntarily retired on or before March 31, 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monthly Contribution:<\/strong> 10% of basic pay (including non-practising allowance, if applicable) + dearness allowance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Government Contribution:<\/strong> The central government will match the subscriber\u2019s 10% contribution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Additional Contribution: <\/strong>The government will contribute an extra 8% of the combined basic pay and dearness allowance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Guaranteed Payout: <\/strong>A minimum payout of Rs 10,000\/month is assured after 10 years of qualifying service.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2113486\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Oeko-Tex Certification for Eri Silk<\/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 North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, has obtained Oeko-Tex certification for eri silk from Germany.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Oeko-Tex<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is a worldwide certification for textiles such as yarns, fabrics, buttons, linens, terry cloth, thread, and other accessory materials that tests for harmful substances in raw, semi-finished and finished textile materials and products.<br>&#8211; The Oeko-Tex certification ensures that the final product is safe for human use.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Eri Silk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Silk is a natural protein fiber primarily composed of <strong>fibroin.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is produced by insect larvae to form cocoons.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eri Silk is a pure and genuine form of silk produced by the<strong> Samia Cynthia Ricini worm.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The word &#8220;Eri&#8221; comes from &#8220;erranda,&#8221; the Assamese word for castor, as the worms feed on castor oil plant leaves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is processed without killing the silkworm, making it known as Ahimsa Silk or Non-violent Silk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is known as the <strong>&#8220;father of all cultured and textured silks<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is found mainly in Northeast India (Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh) and some parts of China, Japan, and Thailand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Silk Production in India<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is the <strong>2nd largest producer<\/strong> of Silk in the World.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India is the only country<\/strong> in the world that produces all four major varieties of silk \u2013 <strong>Mulberry, Eri, Tassar, and Muga.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>South India is the leading silk producing area of the country and is also known for its famous silk weaving enclaves like <strong>Kancheepuram, Dharmavaram, Arni,<\/strong> etc.<\/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>Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Economy<\/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 Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) launched under the <strong>National Logistics Policy (NLP) in September 2022<\/strong>, recently achieved a milestone of over<strong> 100 crore API transactions.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is ULIP?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ULIP<\/strong> is a key component of the<strong> National Logistics Policy (NLP), launched in 2022<\/strong>. It&#8217;s also closely linked to the <strong>PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Purpose:<\/strong> To create a single window logistics platform, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs in India&#8217;s logistics sector.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To integrate data from various government and private sector sources, providing real-time visibility of logistics operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is conceptualized<strong> by NITI Aayog.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ULIP is operated by<strong> NICDC Logistics Data Services Ltd. (NLDSL)<\/strong>, a joint venture between the Government of India, represented by the <strong>National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT)<\/strong>, and Japanese IT firm NEC Corporation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: DD News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Caracal<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/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>Rajasthan\u2019s Forest Minister shared a photo to celebrate the<strong> \u201cfirst photographic record\u201d<\/strong> of a caracal in <strong>Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve.<\/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>Appearance: <\/strong>The Caracal is a primarily <strong>nocturnal cat species <\/strong>known for its distinct and pointy ears, which give the animal its name.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The word caracal is derived from the<strong> Turkish word \u2018karakulak\u2019, meaning \u2018black ears\u2019.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"8f7654\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Caracal.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-39552\" style=\"--dominant-color: #8f7654; width:357px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Distribution:<\/strong> They are native to dozens of countries across <strong>Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In<\/strong><strong> India: <\/strong>In recent years, the population of the Caracal has seen a sharp decline in Asia and is estimated to be <strong>not more than 50 in India. <\/strong>They are now <strong>only found in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2021, the National Board for Wildlife and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change added its name to the list of <strong>critically endangered<\/strong><strong> species.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Threats:<\/strong> Habitat loss and hunting by humans.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>IUCN Status: Least Concern (LC).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CITES:<\/strong> It is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), under <strong>appendices I and II.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Location: <\/strong>It is the 3rd tiger reserve in Rajasthan, after Ranthambore &amp; Sariska Tiger Reserves.<br>1. Part of the Vindhyan range, extending from the Chambal River to Kalisindh.<br>2. <strong>It was declared a tiger reserve in 2013.<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Area Includes:<\/strong> Mukandra National Park, Dara Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary, and part of Chambal Sanctuary (from Garadia Mahadev to Jawahar Sagar Dam).<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/caracal-rajasthan-forest-minister-first-sighting-endangered-species-holi-9891107\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ministry of Culture\u00a0 is committed to preserving public art installations created under the Public Art of India (PARI) project.\u00a0<\/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-39551","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\/39551","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=39551"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39556,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39551\/revisions\/39556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}