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Preliminary Pointers

Bharat NCX 2023

News: Principal Scientific Advisor to GOI Ajay Kumar Sood inaugurates Bharat NCX 2023.

• This is the second Edition of Bharat NCX.
• Sood laid out the importance of Digital Public Infrastructure protection, hardware security needs, and Post Quantum Cryptography.

About Bharat NCX

• NCX stands for National Cyber Security Exercise.
• 1st edition took place in 2022.
• Conducted by: National Security Council Secretariat in strategic partnership with Rashtriya Raksha University.

What?

• It is a comprehensive initiative organized by the Indian government to assess and enhance the country’s cybersecurity preparedness and response capabilities.

Objective

• To provide training to senior executives and technical personnel from government, critical sector entities, public and private organizations on current cyber threats, as well as how to manage and respond to cyber incidents.

Concerned Cyber security areas

• • Intrusion Detection Techniques.
  • Malware Information Sharing Platform.
  • Vulnerability Handling and Penetration Testing.
  • Network Protocols and Data Flows.
  • Digital Forensics.

Other Initiatives

• • National Cyber Security Awareness Month – October (Since 2004).

Mahila Samman Savings Certificate (MSSC)  

News: 18 lakh accounts under Mahila Samman Savings Certificate opened within six months of its launch. 18 lakh accounts to the tune of over 11 thousand crore rupees have been opened.

About Mahila Samman Savings Certificate

• MSSC is a Small Savings Scheme only for Women and Girls offered by the Indian Post Office.
• In case of a minor girl , a guardian of the girl child can open an account.
• Launched: 1st April 2023
• Tenure: 2 Years
• Subscription through: all permitted Public Sector Banks and eligible Private Sector Banks and all Post Offices.
• Provision: Fixed interest Rate of 7.5 percent interest that will be compounded quarterly.
• Associated Ministry: Department of Post, Ministry of Communications.
• Deposit: 1000 Max.-2 Lakhs.
• Partial withdrawal upto 40 % of balance after 1 year of opening date. 

Malnutrition in Children

News: The Women and Child Development Minister launches the Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children.

• Irani said,the government is tackling the issues of malnutrition through the implementation of Poshan Abhiyan.

About Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children

Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children is a comprehensive guide to identify and provide extensive care to malnourished children in the country.

• Ministry: Ministry Women and Child Development.

Steps

• Screening and assessing children’s nutritional status.
• Offering therapeutic and supplementary feeding.
• Ensuring regular monitoring and follow-up care at Anganwadi level.
• Goal: reduce childhood malnutrition and its associated health risks, promoting overall child well-being.

Coverage

• undernutrition causing stunted growth.
• overnutrition leading to obesity and related issues.

About Malnutrition

According to the WHO, malnutrition is a condition that results from deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. This condition encompasses undernutrition (wasting, stunting, and underweight), overnutrition (overweight and obesity), and micronutrient deficiencies.

Kathputli

News: Indian Traditional Kathputli, Puppet and Dances of Rajasthan won hearts of people in Bangladesh.

• A cultural programme showcasing the rich heritage of Indian Traditional Kathputli, Puppet and Dances of Rajasthan was organised at Chhayanat Auditorium in Bangladesh.

About Kathputli

• Kathputli, a traditional puppetry art form, has a rich cultural heritage in India( native to Rajasthan) and neighboring countries.
• Kathputli means a puppet which is made entirely from wood. However it is made out of wood, cotton cloth and metal wire.
• Artistic Tradition: Kathputli involves the use of string or hand puppets to narrate stories, myths, and folklore.
• Themes: Performances cover a wide range of themes, from historical tales to moral fables.

About Kalbeliya Dance

• Traditional dance form originated in Rajasthan.
• Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan Included in UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list in 2010.

Features

• Dance performed by Women and Instruments are played by Males.
• Performed by Specially Kalbeliyas’ ( Nomadic tribes of snake charmers belonging to Rajasthan).

Glacier Melting

News: Dust from Thar Desert significantly impacts glaciers on Tibetan Plateau: Study. According to a study, Glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau are greatly affected by dust from the Thar Desert in India due to the influence of terrain and westerly winds.

About melting of glaciers due to dust

• Reason for melting: The accumulation of dust on a glacier’s surface can diminish its albedo (the fraction of light reflected by the ice), leading to increased absorption of solar radiation. This phenomenon plays a pivotal role in glacier melting.
• Source of Dust: According to study ,Taklimakan Desert and Thar desert are prominent sources.
• Cause of dust on Tibetan Glacier: The dust from the Thar desert, carried aloft by updrafts originating in northwestern India, was then conveyed by westerly winds.

Other Reasons for Glacial Melting

• Global Warming.
• Black Carbon.
• Geothermal Heat.
• Ocean Currents.
• Human Activities: Deforestation, industrial emissions etc

Biodiversity Loss

News: Elusive dancing frogs of Western Ghats among most threatened amphibian species.

• The second Global Amphibian Assessment analyzed 8011 species worldwide.
• 41% of Amphibian species are on the verge of extinction.

About the threat

• Dancing frogs of Western Ghats are threatened.
• Sixty-four species of amphibians, found in the Western Ghats, are on the list of endangered species.
• Munnar in the Western Ghats is identified as a Key Biodiversity Area and an Alliance for Zero Extinction site due to its critical role in preserving threatened amphibians.

About Dancing Frog (Micrixalus Candidus)

• IUCN status: Endangered
• Endemic to Western Ghat.
• Males are smaller in size than Females.