Today’s Current Affairs Update: “ProxyGyan IAS Express”
Date: 31 July 2024.
1. National Culture Fund
2. Right to be forgotten
3. Saffron Crop
4. Mekedatu Reservoir Project
5. Oropouche Fever
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National Culture Fund • News: Recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism highlighted the achievements of the National Mission for Manuscripts and the National Culture Fund. • Establishment: Government of India had set up National Culture Fund (NCF) as a Trust on 28th November, 1996 under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890. • Purpose: To mobilize extra resources through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for promoting, protecting, and preserving India's tangible and intangible cultural heritage. • Objectives: • Conservation and Maintenance: Administer and apply the Fund for the conservation, maintenance, promotion, protection, preservation, and upgrading of monuments, whether protected or otherwise. • Training and Development: Provide training and facilitate the development of specialists and cultural administrators. • Museum Development: Facilitate the creation of new museums and additional space in existing museums to accommodate or create new and special galleries. • Documentation: Document cultural expressions and forms that are fading or facing extinction. • Features: o. Governing Council: Chaired by the Minister of Culture, with a maximum of 25 members responsible for policy decisions. • Executive Committee: Headed by the Secretary (Culture), with a maximum of 11 members, responsible for policy execution. • Tax Benefits: Donations to the NCF are eligible for a 100% tax benefit under Section 80G (ii) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 o. CSR Eligibility: Activities covered under Schedule VII No. (v) of the Companies Act, 2013, which includes the protection of national heritage, art, and culture, restoration of historical sites, and promotion of traditional arts • Audit: Annual accounts audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
2. Right To Be Forgotten
• News: Recently, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case whose outcome will likely shape the contours of the "right to be forgotten" in India.
• What Is The Right To Be Forgotten?
• 'Right to be forgotten' is also known as the 'right to erasure' in European information privacy regulation.
•. The right to be forgotten can be described as the right to remove one's digital footprint (from Internet searches, etc.) where it violates the right to privacy.
• It deals with individual rights to have a control of the use of their personal data, including photos, videos, etc and have it removed from the records of organisations..
• What Is The Status In India?
o. In India, 'right to be forgotten' is considered as a part of the right to privacy, which is a fundamental right granted to Indian citizens under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• However, there are no specific clauses in the Indian laws governing 'right to be forgotten'
• Statutory Framework:
• In India, there is currently no specific statutory framework that prescribes the right to be forgotten.
• However, the right has been acknowledged in various legal contexts, including the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 and various court rulings.
• The Personal Data Protection Bill 2019:
• The Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill 2019 addresses the right to be forgotten by granting individuals the ability to restrict or prevent the continued disclosure of their personal data under the following conditions:
• Purpose Served: The data has served the purpose for which it was collected.
• Consent Withdrawal: The data was collected with the individual's consent, which has since been withdrawn.
• Legal Non-compliance: The data was collected contrary to the PDP Bill or any prevailing law.
• Court Rulings:
• Supreme Court Ruling in K.S. Puttaswamy(2017): The Supreme Court of India recognized that the right to privacy includes the right to control one's existence on the internet. This landmark judgment laid the groundwork for the right to be forgotten by emphasizing individual control over personal data.
• Delhi High Court Rulings:
2019: The Delhi High Court affirmed that the right to be forgotten and the right to be left alone are inherent aspects of the right to privacy.
2021: The court extended the right to be forgotten to criminal cases by allowing the removal of search results related to an American law student who was acquitted of narcotics charges.
• Orissa High Court Ruling (2020): The court acknowledged that the right to be forgotten involves complex practical and technological challenges, highlighting the need for extensive debate and clearer regulations.
3. Saffron Crop:
• News: Faced with declining production, many saffron farmers in Kashmir are converting their fields into apple orchards or growing mustard.
• Cost and Popularity: Saffron is one of the costliest herbal spices globally and is commonly referred to as "Red Gold" or the "Golden Condiment."
• Commercial Part: The commercial part of saffron is the stigma, which is the female part of the flower. It is also known as saffron filament, saffron thread, or saffron stigmata.
• Seeds and Regeneration: The seeds of saffron are called corms or bulbs. The saffron plant regenerates through the vegetative multiplication of these underground corms.
• Key Constituents: Saffron contains crocin, picrocrocin, and saffranal, which are important for both medicinal and aesthetic purposes.
• Distribution
• Native Regions: The saffron plant is native to Greece and Asia Minor.
• Current Cultivation: It is now cultivated in various parts of Europe, including Italy, France, and Spain, as well as in China and India.
• Indian Production: In India, approximately 90% of saffron production comes from Kashmir, where it has been cultivated for centuries.
• Required Climatic Conditions
• Elevation: Saffron grows best at elevations of 1,500 to 2,000 meters above mean sea level
• Temperature: It requires specific climatic conditions with summer temperatures not exceeding
35°C to 40°C and winter temperatures ranging from about - 15°C to -20°C.
• Climate Types: Saffron can be grown in dry, moderate, and continental climate types.
• Soil Requirements
• Soil Types: Saffron thrives on loamy, sandy, and calcareous soils.
• Soil pH: It grows best in acidic soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 8.5.
4. Mekedatu Reservoir Project
• News: The Chief Minister of Karnataka recently stated that his government is open to discussions with Tamil Nadu regarding the implementation of the Mekedatuproject across the Cauvery River.
• Purpose:
• The Mekedatu Project is a multi-purpose initiative proposed by Karnataka, aimed at providing both drinking water and power.
• It involves constructing a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
• Location:
o. The project site is approximately 90 kilometers from Bengaluru and 4 kilometers from the border with Tamil Nadu.
• It is situated at the confluence of the Cauvery River and its tributary, the Arkavathi River.
• Construction Details:
• The plan includes building a concrete gravity dam that will be 99 meters high and 735 meters long.
• An underground powerhouse and a water conductor system are also part of the project.
• The expected capacity of the dam is 66,000 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water.
• Once completed, the project is expected to supply over 4 TMC of water to Bengaluru for drinking purposes.
° The estimated cost of the project is around Rs14,000 crores, and it will cover an area of over 5,000 hectares.
• Issues and Concerns:
• Tamil Nadu's Position: Tamil Nadu, as the lower riparian state, has expressed concerns about the project. The state argues that the Mekedatu Project threatens its water requirements.
• Tamil. Nadu contends that the Mekedatu area represents the last point in Karnataka where Cauvery water flows unrestricted into Tamil Nadu. The state views the Mekedatu dam project as an attempt by Karnataka to restrict this free flow of water.
• According to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court order, Tamil Nadu must give its no-objection for any project proposed on the Cauvery River.
5. Oropouche Fever
• News: Brazil's health ministry has confirmed the first-ever deaths due to Oropouche fever, a virus similar to severe dengue.
• Overview of Oropouche Fever:
• Disease Description: Oropouche fever is an emerging zoonotic arboviral disease caused by the Oropouche Virus (OROV).
• Discovery: It was first identified in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
• Transmission:
• Primary Vector: The disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected midge, particularly the Culicoides paraensis midge, or mosquito. o Contributing Factors: Urbanization, deforestation, and climate change contribute to the proliferation of the disease's vectors, increasing the risk of transmission.
• Human-to-Human Transmission: There is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission of Oropouche fever.
• Symptoms:
• Onset and Duration: Symptoms typically begin between four and eight days after being bitten.
• Common Symptoms: The onset is sudden and symptoms usually include fever, headaches, pain, chills, joint stiffness, and occasionally nausea and vomiting.
• Treatment:
• Vaccines and Specific Treatment: There are no vaccines or specific treatments available for Oropouche fever.
• Medical Care: Treatment focuses on controlling symptoms and aiding recovery.
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