Daily Prelims Newsletter(UPSC)|24 April 2021 | RaghukulCS

Daily Prelims Newsletter For UPSC
| RaghukulCS

24 April 2021

Table Of Contents

Environment
  • Snow Leopard 
Art and Culture 
  • Odissi Dance Form
Governmental Initiatives
  • AIM-PRIME
International Relations 
  • ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) 
  • Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) 

Environment

Snow Leopard

Why in News?

Photographer Ismail Shariff’s photos of snow leopards in the Himalayas have gone viral.

About Snow Leopard:

  • Snow leopards are known to act as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live, due to their position as the top predator in the food web.

Natural Habitat:

  • Mountainous regions of central and southern Asia.
  • In India, their geographical range encompasses both:
    • Western Himalayas: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh.
    • Eastern Himalayas: Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Hemis National park, Ladakh is known as the Snow Leopard capital of the world.

Conservation Status:

IUCN Red List

Vulnerable

CITES

Appendix I

WPA, 1972

Schedule I

Conservation Efforts by India:

  • The GoI has identified snow leopard as a flagship species for the high altitude Himalayas.
  • India is party to the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme since 2013.
  • HimalSanrakshak launched in October 2020 is a community volunteer programme, to protect snow leopards.
  • SECURE Himalaya: A joint programme by
    • Global Environment Facility (GEF)
    • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
    • for conservation of high-altitude biodiversity and reducing the dependency of local communities on the natural ecosystem.
  • Project Snow Leopard, launched in 2009 to conserve snow leopards and their habitat.
  • Snow Leopard is put on the list of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change, GoI.

Art and Culture

Odissi Dance Form

Why in News?

Traditional dance form ofGotipua, the precursorof Odissi, is now facing challenge from Odissi itself.

About Gotipua:

  • It is a traditional dance form associated with the state of Odisha and is known as the precursor of Odissi classical dance.
  • It is performed by young boys dressed as women to praise Lord Jagannath and Krishna.
  • The dance form involves acrobatic movements inspired by the life of Radha and Krishna.
  • The dance of the Gotipuas is accompanied by traditional Odissi music along with the primary percussion instrument being the Mardala.

About Odissi:

  • Odissi dance is one among the eight classical dances of India.
  • It is associated with Odisha and some other parts of eastern India.
  • The dance form has its origin in the temples.
  • The carvings found at the Udayagiri and Khandgiri Monasteries denote that Odissi was patronised as early as the 2nd Century BCE.
  • The steps appear like the waves of ocean, hence symbolises the aspect of water.
  • The classical music and dance form of Odisha was namedOdissi by Odia poet KabichandraKalicharanPattanayak,
    • He was the centre of the cultural revival of Odisha in post-independence India.

Dance Techniques

  • Odissi dance form comprises of:
    • The movement of the head, bust and torso.
    • The accompanying gestures and expressions.
  • The two basic postures of Odissi are:
    • Chowk: a position imitating a square – a very masculine stance with the weight of the body equally balanced.
    • Tribhanga: The tribhanga is a very feminine stance where the body is deflected at the neck, torso and the knees.
  • Odissi dance theme generally deals with love of Radha and Krishna.
  • Odissi dance form also finds mention in the Sanskrit Text – Natya Shastra as Audramagdhi.

Governmental Initiatives:

AIM-PRIME

Why in News?

Recently, under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog launched AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers on Innovations, Market-Readiness & Entrepreneurship).

About AIM-PRIME:

  • It aims to promotescience-basedtechnology ideas to market, through training and guidance over a period of 12 months.
  • AIM has collaborated with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to launch this nationwide programme.
  • It will be implemented by Venture Centre, a technology business incubator hosted by Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research–National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL).
  • Intended Beneficiaries:Technology developers with strong science-based tech business ideas.

About Atal Innovation Mission:

  • It is aGoI’s flagship initiative to promote a innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

Major Initiatives under AIM:

  • Atal Tinkering Labs: Creating problem solving mindset across school children.
  • Atal Incubation Centers: Developing world class startups.
  • Atal New India Challenges: Fostering product innovations as required by various sectors/ministries.

  • Atal Community Innovation Center: To promote community centric innovation in the unserved /underserved regions of the country including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
  • Atal Research and Innovation for Small Enterprises (ARISE): To promote innovation in the MSME industry.

International Relations:

ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

Why in News?

There is a massive protest against the upcoming ASEAN meet, demanding the ASEAN leaders to stand with the people against military rule.

About ASEAN:

  • It is a regional organization established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.
  • The motto of ASEAN: “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
  • ASEAN Secretariat:Jakarta, Indonesia.

History:

  • Established in 1967 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration (ASEAN Declaration) by its founding nations.
  • Founding Nations: Indonesia, Malaysia,Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand.

Institution Mechanism of ASEAN:

  • ASEAN Summit: It is the supreme policy making body of ASEAN. Under the Charter, the Summit should meet twice a year.
  • ASEAN Ministerial Councils: Four important Ministerial Councilsassists the Summit.
  • ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC)
  • ASEAN Political-Security Community Council
  • ASEAN Economic Community Council
  • ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council

Other ASEAN-led Forums:

  • ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): Established in 1993, the 27 member multilateral grouping was developed to facilitate cooperation on political and security issues.
  • ASEAN Plus Three: Established in 1997 to bring together ASEAN’s ten members, China, Japan, and South Korea.
  • East Asia Summit (EAS): Started in 2005, it seeks to promote security and prosperity in the region.It is generally attended by the heads of state from ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. ASEAN plays a central role as the agenda-setter.

Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH)

Why in News?

Fifth session of CCSCH was recently inaugurated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

About CCSCH:

  • CCSCH has been established under Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
  • It wasformed in 2013.
  • Its is mandated to elaborate worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs.
  • India is the host country and Spices Boardunder Ministry of Commerce and Industry is the hostsecretariat for organising the sessions of the committee.

About the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC):

  • It is an intergovernmental body established by joint efforts of UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation in 1963.
  • It was established with the objective of protecting health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade.

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