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Current Affairs for IAS Exams -16 January 2023

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 16 January 2023

::NATIONAL::

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation

A meeting of the BIMSTEC Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime held recently.

About:

The program is being hosted by the Government of India in New Delhi and features participation from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The working group on counter terror deals with a few key realms of policy. These include “six Sub-Groups on

(a) Intelligence Sharing
(b) Legal and Law Enforcement
(c) Countering Radicalization and Terrorism
(d) Anti- Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism
(e) Human Trafficking and
(f) Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals.
Background:

BIMSTEC, or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, is a regional grouping of 7 member states which first began meeting in 1997.
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand launched the grouping by signing the Bangkok Declaration.
According to BIMSTEC, cooperation “initially focused on six sectors in 1997 (trade, technology, energy, transport, tourism, and fisheries) and expanded in 2008 to incorporate agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation, counter-terrorism, environment, culture, people-to-people contact, and climate change."

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1200-yr-old miniature stupas found in Nalanda district

Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered two 1200-year-old miniature votive stupas during landscaping activities near Sarai Tila mound on the premises of ‘Nalanda Mahavihara’ a world heritage site in Nalanda district.

About:

The stupas, carved from stone, depict Buddha figures.
These are forms of the stupas, with their distinctive domelike drum, originating in eight cylindrical structures in which the Buddha’s relics were placed after his death.
The stupa shape has become associated with the Buddhist goal of release from the cycles of suffering and rebirth.
The larger ones at Bodhgaya were probably given by visiting kings, while smaller stupas such as this one were offered by monks and lay pilgrims.
In addition to the drum, this stupa has a tiered base and is crowned with a series of stylized umbrellas that symbolize royalty and divine status.
Beginning in the 7th century CE in India, small miniature terracotta stupas became popular as votive offerings.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

Karen ethnic people

Recently, airstrikes by Myanmar’s military on two villages inhabited largely by ethnic Karen killed five civilians.

About:

The Karen are a large and dispersed ethnic group of Southeast Asia.
They trace their origins to the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, or Tibet.
Karen settled in Burma/Myanmar’s southern Irrawaddy Delta area and in the hills along the Salween River in eastern Myanmar and in neighboring Thailand.
The vast majority of Karen are Buddhists (over two thirds), although large numbers converted to Christianity during British rule and constitute about 30 per cent among the Karen.
Their total population has been estimated at around 4 million.
Language: The languages of the Karen are generally considered to be of the Tibeto-Burman family and the main dialects are Pwo and Sgaw.
In Karen society women are often considered inferior or subservient to men and both women and men are encouraged to adhere to strict gender roles.

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World Social Report 2023

It is a flagship publication of Department of Economic and Social Affairs ofUnited Nations Secretariat.
Report builds on framework of Madrid International Plan of Action onAgeing (MIPAA) and explores social and economic opportunities andchallenges that population ageing presents.
MIPAA was adopted at second World Assembly on Ageing in April 2002.

Key findings:

Number of persons aged 65 years or older is expected to double over nextthree decades surpassing 1.6 billion in 2050 (accounting for more than16% of global population).
Northern Africa and Western Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are expectedto experience fastest growth.
Poverty levels at older ages are typically higher among women, due tolower levels of participation in formal labour markets, shorter workingcareers and lower wages compared to men.

Recommendation:

To promote labour market participation, increase productivity, upholdgood health and prevent poverty throughout people’s lifetimes.
Policies to reduce inequality and promote economic security at older ages in a fiscally sustainable manner.

::Economy::

Financial Services Institutions Bureau

Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) recommended MDs for Bank of Baroda and Bank of India.

About:

FSIB is established under Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance:
To recommending whole-time directors and non-executive chairpersons on Boards of financialservices institutions.
Advising on certain other matters relating to personnel management in these institutions.

FSIB replaced Banks Board Bureau.
Composition of FSIB:

Chairperson to be nominated by Central Government.
Ex officio members: Secretary in charge of DFS, Department of Public Enterprises, Chairpersonof IRDAI, Deputy Governor of RBI.
Several part-time members with subject matter knowledge.

Primary role of FSIB:

To identify manpower capabilities and ensure proper selection of talent for senior positions at financial institutions owned by the government.
It is entrusted with making recommendations for the appointment of full-time directors and non-executive chairman of state-run financial services institutions.
The final decision on the FSIB recommendation would be taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.

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::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

Geospatial Hackathon

Union Minister of State Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said, StartUps in new emerging technologies are key to India’s future economy.

About:

Geospatial Hackathon aims to create interest in geospatial tech and specifically build solutions leveraging maps and satellite data for solving India’s problems.
The Department of Science and Technology(DST) under the Minister of Science & Technology in partnership with IIIT Hyderabad and Microsoft has launched this Hackathon.
The Geospatial Hackathon will be divided into 2 parts,

1. The National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board and IIIT Hyderabad brings the Startup Challenge as part of this Hackathon intending to promote the use of geospatial technologies in solving real-world problems and fostering innovation in the Indian geospatial ecosystem
2. The Research Challenge is specific to the problem statements given by DST (Survey of India).) is proposing a Geospatial Data Processing, Solution development, and Servicing Challenge to foster the adoption of geospatial technologies and to promote innovation in India’s Geospatial ecosystem.

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Current Affairs for IAS Exams -16 January 2023