Purple Revolution

ECONOMY

Recently, Jammu & Kashmir’s lavender cultivation has been used to emphasize the Purple Revolution in CSIR’s Republic Day Tableau.

Context:

Tableau displays the CSIR Lab-to-Market success story under the Viksit Bharat theme.

About Lavender Cultivation:-

• The Purple Revolution, also known as the Lavender Revolution, was started in 2016 by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The Purple Revolution was spearheaded by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Aroma Mission.

Objectives:–

• to encourage the production of essential oils from aromatic crops.
• to make it possible for Indian farmers and the fragrance sector to lead the world.
• to help farmers increase their earnings, make use of their waste land, and keep grazing and wild animals away from their crops.
• gave female farmers a job
• By offering incentives to farmers to switch from other imported alternatives to the native aromatic crop, the government hopes to encourage the growth of lavender harvests.
• The CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP) is the nodal laboratory for the Aroma Mission. One of the objectives was to give free lavender seedlings to farmers who were growing lavender for the first time.
• The government reimbursed those who had previously planted the crop $5–$6 per plant.

Significance:-

• The scent industry and Indian farmers are anticipated to benefit from it.
• About 5,000 farmers and young businesspeople have been employed by lavender farming in geographically isolated parts of J&K.
• It will encourage the growing of aromatic crops for the essential oils that the scent industry needs.

India and France Relations

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

At Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President of the French Republic recently met with the President of India.

Context:

• As he welcomed President Macron to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President stated that it is a historic occasion and a testament to the strength of our alliance and friendship that the leaders of two nations would be honored guests in each other’s subsequent National Day parades and festivities.

About Relations Between France and India:

• In the Indo-Pacific, France and India have long been strategic allies.
• In 1947, diplomatic ties were established between the two nations.
• In 1998, the relationship was elevated to a strategic level.

Defense:

• One of India’s most important allies in building an independent defense industry and technological basis is France.
• France and India have pledged to work together on the co-production and co-development of cutting-edge defense technologies, even for the benefit of other nations.
• In 2005, a deal was made to have six Scorpène submarines built in India with French assistance.
• There has been a government-to-government agreement for 36 Rafale aircraft.

Economic:-

• about USD 12 billion in bilateral trade in 2021–2022.
• The eleventh-largest foreign investor in India is France.

Science and Technology:-

• In 2018, the two nations finalized a Joint Vision for Space Cooperation for the first time.
• Regarding nuclear energy, the two presidents need to discuss the status of their collaborative efforts to build Jaitapur, Maharashtra, the largest nuclear park in the world.
• Ten years or so ago, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and Areva inked an agreement to build six 9.6 GW nuclear power reactors, known as European Pressurized Reactors. The talks are still ongoing.

Environment:-

• India and France jointly launch the International Solar Alliance.
• By 2022, France is willing to provide an additional $861.5 million for solar projects in poor nations.

Bilateral military exercises:-

• Exercise Army of Shakti
• Work out Varuna (Navy)
• Air Force Exercise Garuda (IMEX 22)

Tax-GDP ratio

ECONOMY

In FY-2023, the direct tax-to-GDP ratio reached a 15-year high.

Context:

• According to time-series statistics issued by the Ministry of Finance’s Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the direct tax-to-GDP ratio increased to a 15-year high of 6.11 percent in the fiscal year 2022–2023.

About tax-GDP ratio:-

• The tax to GDP ratio calculates the amount of taxes collected relative to the GDP of the nation.
• It displays the percentage of taxes paid on the total amount of output produced in the nation.
• The effectiveness of a nation’s government in managing its financial resources is gauged by the tax-to-GDP ratio.
• The size of a nation’s tax revenue in relation to its GDP is determined by the tax-to-GDP ratio.
• The nation’s financial situation is better the greater the tax-to-GDP ratio.
• The ratio of direct taxes collected to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country is known as the direct tax-to-GDP ratio.
• A direct tax is one that is imposed directly on the income, profit, or revenue of a taxpayer. This tax is paid to the government and is nontransferable.

Implications of increase in direct tax-GDP ratio:-

• The state can spend more on public goods, welfare, national security, and other areas thanks to an increase in direct tax collections.
• Both the borrowing and the fiscal deficit can be decreased.
• Increased revenue from taxes gives the government more money to spend on social programs.
• Reduced reliance on regressive indirect taxes is anticipated.
• The degree of socioeconomic inequality will decline.

Significance:-

• One important gauge of the state of the economy is the tax-to-GDP ratio.
• This represents a healthy fiscal climate by signifying the effectiveness of tax collection and the expansion of the tax base.

Agulhas long-billed lark

Environment and Ecology

According to recent research, the Agulhas long-billed lark is surviving and adapting despite farming taking over their South African breeding sites.

Context:

• Due of its limited distribution, the Agulhas long-billed lark offers tourist opportunities and contributes to South Africa’s distinctive biodiversity.

About Agulhas long-billed lark:-

• Termed as Certhilauda brevirostris in science.
• This little bird is a passerine.
• There is only one Agulhas long-billed lark in the world: South Africa.
• It primarily builds its eggs on the ground in the Renosterveld fynbos, a type of vegetation that is severely threatened by agricultural expansion and is covered in grasses and wild spring flowers.
• It is a resident breeder that is native to the Western Cape of South Africa.
• Its limited range, which spans a maximum of 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi), is centered on the Agulhas arable farmlands, east of the Hottentots-Holland mountain range to Mossel Bay.
• The Agulhas long-billed lark has a length of 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in).
• Its bill is quite bent and it has long tails.
• Its head and back are striped buff-grey, and its closed wings are grey.
• The breast and flanks have dark striping, while the underparts are cream in color.

Conservation status:-

• IUCN: Near-threatened

Bharat Ratna

• Recent announcements state that former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur will receive a posthumous Bharat Ratna.

Context:

• After winning the 1952 elections, Karpoori Thakur became a legislator for the first time and served in that capacity until his final Assembly election in 1985.
• From December 1970 to June 1971 again from December 1977 to April 1979, Bihar had Thakur as its chief minister. He is popularly known as the “voice of the oppressed and the downtrodden.”
• He is also referred to as “jannayak” and is credited with starting the OBC and EBC reservations movement in the nation.
• In 1978, while serving as chief minister, Thakur imposed a tiered reservation policy in defiance of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, a significant part of the Janata Party government at the time.

About Bharat Ratna:-

• The nation’s highest civilian honor is the Bharat Ratna.
• It is given in honor of the greatest caliber of outstanding service or performance in any endeavor undertaken by humans.
• The Prime Minister of India makes proposals for Bharat Ratna to the President of India.
• It is not required to make official proposals for Bharat Ratna.
• There can be no more than three Bharat Ratna Awards given in a single year.
• The winner of the award receives a medallion and a certificate signed by the president upon presentation.
• There is no financial grant associated with the prize.
• According to Article 18(1) of the Constitution, the recipient’s name cannot have the award prefixed or suffixed.

Sovereign AI

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• India has been developing its own “sovereign AI” lately.

Background:-

• India has positioned itself as a nation that has developed and implemented technology-driven governance solutions on a large scale.

About Sovereign AI:-

• In the context of artificial intelligence (AI), sovereignty is the capacity of a country to exert control and authority over AI technology created, used, or implemented within its borders.
• A country’s goal to safeguard its interests, assure moral AI use, advance national security, spur economic growth, and keep control over vital AI applications and infrastructure is highlighted by sovereign AI.
• To guarantee adherence to moral principles, data privacy, security, and accountability, governments must establish policies, laws, and regulations controlling AI research, development, and application.
• To promote innovation and competitiveness, nations must create complete policies that include investment plans, talent development, ethical standards, and goals for AI development.
• Information You need to be sovereign.
• The development of AI tools for surveillance, defense, and national security is referred to as sovereign AI.
• When developing and using AI, ethical issues must be taken into account.(A new international AI ethics norm)

India and Sovereign AI:-

• The Indian government is working to create autonomous AI, highlighting the need to build an indigenous AI ecosystem instead of depending entirely on major international entities like Google and Meta.
• The goal is to employ AI to boost the economy and provide approved AI computing infrastructure for a range of applications.
• Along with competing in generative AI models, real-world applications in language translation, healthcare, agriculture, and governance will also be the focus.
• An India Datasets platform has been suggested by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, India, as part of the National Data Governance Framework Policy.
• The platform’s goal is to contain anonymized and non-personal datasets that have been gathered from Indian individuals by Central government agencies.
• In order to promote artificial intelligence (AI), data-led research, and startups in India, the goal is to make this non-personal data available to companies and researchers in the nation.