Today in History (Apr 25^th, 1809)

The Treaty of Amritsar, which settled Indo-Sikh relations for a generation, was concluded between Charles T. Metcalfe, representing the British East India Company, and Ranjit Singh, head of the Sikh kingdom of Punjab.

Let’s revise

A) India celebrates National Panchayati Raj Day on_______

1. 23 April
2. 22 April
3. 24 April
4. 25 April

Ans. (c)

B) Which one is not the example of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)?

1. Hair oil, soap
2. Fairness Cream, hair oil
3. Washing Machine, Refrigerator
4. Toiletries, Baby food products

Ans. (c)

C) What is the full form of FSSAI?

1. Food Standard Security Agency of India
2. Food Safety Service Agency of India
3. Food Safety and Standard Authority of India
4. Food Security and Service Agency of India

Ans. (c)

D) Which one is the Administrative Ministry for the implementation of FSSAI?

1. Ministry of Consumer Affairs
2. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
3. Ministry of AYUSH
4. Ministry of Social Welfare

Ans. (b)

E) What is the full form of NABARD?

1. National Agriculture Bank for All round Rural Development
2. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
3. National Authority and Band for Agriculture and Rural Development
4. None of the above

Ans. (b)

F) NABARD was established in the year_____

1. 1981
2. 1982
3. 1983
4. 1988

Ans. (b)

G) ‘Climate Strategy 2030’ has been introduced as the blue print for green financing by______

1. NABARD
2. RBI
3. SBI
4. Ministry of Finance

Ans. (a)

H) NABARD operates under which ministry of government of India?

1. Ministry of Finance
2. Ministry of Economic Affairs
3. Ministry of Agriculture
4. Ministry of Panchayati Raj

Ans. (a)

I) Doha is a city in which of the country?

1. Qatar
2. Iran
3. Dubai
4. UAE

Ans. ()a

J) __________has a military wing, known as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades that has conducted many anti-Israel attacks in both Israel and the Palestinian territories since the 1990s.

1. Al Qaida
2. ISIS
3. HAMAS
4. Hijb-ul Mujahedeen

Ans. (d)

Summary of Today’s News

Denying the Women Child Care Leave (CCL) is violation of Constitution: Supreme Court (SC)

• A bench of the SC directed the government of Himachal Pradesh to review its policies on CCL concerning working mothers, especially mothers of children with special needs.
• Court observed the state as the employer of a working mother, cannot ignore the responsibilities of mothers at home while she is serving the state.
• Participation of women in workforce is a constitutional entitlement protected by Article 15 of the Constitution.
• Article 15 provides that State shall not discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them.
• Maternity benefits given for delivering the child were not sufficient and are perhaps distinct from the concept of CCL

Key Points About Child Care Leave (CCL)

• Rule 43-C of the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 provides for 2 years (730 days) of Child Care Leave to female employees
• It is to take care of their children less than 18 years of age.
• This leave can be used for any child-related needs like exams or illness. ♦
• State of Himachal Pradesh has not adopted these provisions of CCL.
• There’s no age limit in case of disabled child.

Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017

• Provides for 26 weeks of paid maternity leave to women workers.
• Out of these 26 weeks, not more than 8 weeks shall be preceding the expected date of delivery.

Pulicat Lake

Tamil Nadu government is planning to denotify a sizeable area of Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary.
• Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary is the second-largest bird sanctuary in India.
• The sanctuary cuts across Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.
• Second largest brackish water lake in India after Lake Chilika in Odisha.
• Sriharikota Island separates lagoon from Bay of Bengal.
• Sriharikota is renowned as India’s rocket launch pad and is home to Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
• Supports largest congregation of Flamingos.
• The lake runs parallel to the Bay of Bengal and has a sand bar, making it a lagoon of its own kind.

ASEAN Future Forum

External Affairs Minister for India participated virtually in the first ‘ASEAN Future Forum’, held in Hanoi, Vietnam.
• It was proposed by Vietnam at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in 2023.
• It is a common platform for ASEAN member states as well as partner countries to share new ideas and policy recommendations. It aims to contribute to promoting and shaping ASEAN’s development path
• ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is an intergovernmental organization.
• It was founded in 1976 following the Bangkok Declaration.
• The headquarters of ASEAN is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• It has 10 members Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam

Miyawaki Method

• The Miyawaki technique is an urban afforestation method by turning someone’s backyard into a forest. Hence Option 3 is correct.
• Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, that helps build dense, native forests in a short time.
• It has revolutionized the concept of urban afforestation by turning backyards into mini-forests.
• This method includes planting trees (only native species) as close as possible in the same area which not only saves space, but the planted saplings also support each other in growth and block sunlight from reaching the ground, thereby preventing the growth of weeds.
• The saplings become maintenance-free (self-sustainable) after the first three years.
• The Miyawaki method helps create self-sustaining vegetation within 2 to 3 years, whereas a traditional procedure takes nearly 100 years.
• The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.