Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 8th Dec 2020

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IASbhai Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020-21 is an initiative to dilute major articles from leading Newspapers in India which are most relevant to UPSC preparation –‘THE HINDU, LIVEMINT , INDIAN EXPRESS’ and help millions of readers who find difficulty in answer writing and making notes everyday. Hence we choose articles on daily basis and analyse them with respect to UPSC PRELIMS 2021.

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HIGHLIGHT INFO:

ORANGE COLOUR: Important for Prelims.

RED COLOUR: Important for Mains.

BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !

BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.

PINK COLOUR: Reports/Themes/Summits.

Page Contents:

Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 8th Dec 2020

Today's Must Read Articles :

FIT INDIA CYCLOTHON

INVESTMENT PROMOTION AWARD 2020

New Zoo : U.P. and Bihar

HEADLINES:

Two new Zoos one each in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh granted recognition by Central government

WHY IN NEWS:

Vision Plan for upgradation of 15 select Zoos to global standards

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Conservation of Flora and Fauna

ISSUE:

An investors summit for zoo management is to bring in corporate sector investment towards modernization next year.

The Environment Minister applauded the good progress in developing a 10-year Vision Plan for the up-gradation of 15 select zoos .
These zoos will be of global standards which is hoped to ‘twin’ top Indian and foreign zoos .

RAJGIR ZOO SAFARI, NALANDA, BIHAR

Rajgir Zoo Safari, in the eastern state of Bihar was granted recognition on December 07, 2020.

There are five safari enclosures and a walk-in proposed in the zoo.

The zoo proposes to house Lion, Bear, Tiger, Leopard .
It also has a mixed safari of common herbivore species such as Spotted Deer, Sambar among others.
The zoo is located close to the historically important Nalanda and is expected to have a high footfall.

SHAHEED ASHFAQUE ULLAH KHAN PRANI UDYAAN, GORAKHPUR, U.P.

Shaheed Ashfaque Ullah Khan Prani Udyaan, Gorakhpur, U.P Bihar was granted recognition on December 07, 2020.
With this, the state of Uttar Pradesh has a total of 9 zoos.
The zoo is situated in the spiritual land of Gorakhpur and has a high visitation.
The zoo aims to create awareness through naturalistic enclosures .

The zoo also aims to create long-lasting visitor experience through state-of-the-art visitor facilities like 4D Theatre, battery-operated train and accessibility to Divyangjan.

IASbhai WINDUP:

The zoo features enclosures for a range of birds, herbivores and carnivores.

SOURCES: THE HINDU | Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 8th Dec 2020

SC nod for Central Vista inauguration

HEADLINES:

SC nod for Central Vista inauguration

WHY IN NEWS:

PM will lay foundation stone on Dec.

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : Parliament

ISSUE:

The Supreme Court allowed the foundation stone laying ceremony of a new parliament building to go ahead as scheduled on December 10

Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 8th Dec 2020

An artist’s impression of the exterior of the new parliament building.

The government gave an undertaking to keep in abeyance the construction or demolition of buildings and the shifting of trees in the Central Vista area for now.

QUESTIONS ON LEGALITY

Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, expressed displeasure with the government for “aggressively” continuing with the construction, demolition and shifting of trees.

The question concerning legality of the Central Vista project was still in court.

IASbhai WINDUP:

Solicitor General apologised to the court and gave an undertaking that no physical changes would be made to the area.

SOURCES: THE HINDU | Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 8th Dec 2020

Only organic farming allowed in Lakshadweep

HEADLINES:

Only organic farming allowed in Lakshadweep

WHY IN NEWS:

Islands are eyeing an expansion of business in coconut and its products

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Agriculture

ISSUE:

About 3 crore coconuts are processed on the island and there is an excess of around 7 crore nuts in Lakshadweep.

COCONUT PRODUCTION : LAKSHADWEEP

OVERVIEW

With the entire Lakshadweep group of islands being declared an organic agricultural area.

The island administration is eyeing an expansion of the traditional business in coconuts and coconut products.

This decision will enhance value addition, better marketing, and round-the-year processing.

AGRICULTURAL AREA

Around 10 crore coconuts are produced on the island in 12,000 small holdings with an average size of 0.25 hectares.
The total acreage under coconuts is around 2,800 hectares.

The nuts are processed now mostly for oil and the islands being declared an organic agricultural area will give a big boost to their business.

At present, only about 3 crore nuts are processed on the island and there is an excess of around 7 crore nuts, which are mostly sold in mainland India.

IDLE FOR SIX MONTHS

The coconut processing industry also works only for about six months a year when the weather is dry.

The period between May and December sees the industry come to a standstill.

The move is expected to increase coconut utilisation from the present level of around 50% to more than 70%.
The business in coconuts and coconut products is worth around ₹75 crore a year now.
The island’s coconut farmers are also expected to benefit from the Union government’s ‘One District One Product’ programme of food processing.

COMMON BRAND NAME

One of the key areas of attention is marketing.

The restrictions on access from other parts of India prevents buyers from reaching the islands to make direct procurements.

The administration will choose a brand name which is common in nature .
Taking this into consideration, the island administration plans to help the farmers market their products .

IASbhai WINDUP:

Ensuring the quality of the raw material and augmented processing facilities with value addition will go a long way in giving a boost to the business.

SOURCES: THE HINDU | Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 8th Dec 2020

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