SATHEE: Education Minister to launch assessment platform designed by IIT Kanpur, IISc

• SATHEE is a new initiative by the Ministry of Education in association with IIT Kanpur.
• It provides Indian students with a self-paced interactive learning and assessment platform to prepare for competitive and other exams.
• It will help students gain access to training and coaching for competitive examinations for free.
• SATHEE aims to make the students learn the concepts and focus on their weak topics so they feel confident to give any exams by watching videos prepared by IIT and IISc faculty members.
• It provides free learning resources, including 800 videos in 12 regional languages.
• The platform will also provide regular all-India mock tests to help prepare for competitive exams, in addition to mentorship sessions by IIT and AIIMS students who shall act like SATHEES.
• The interactive programme is currently open for coaching help for JEE and NEET.
• It makes use of an indigenously-developed AI programme called Prutor, which was developed by IIT-Kanpur.

Expedite steps to appoint Appellate Authority members, Delhi HC tells Centre

• The Central Government has been given the power to set up an Appellate Tribunal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
• Composition: The Tribunal consists of a Chairperson and two other Members.
• Qualifications for appointment:
  • A person shall not be qualified for appointment as Chairperson unless he is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court judge or is qualified to be a Judge of the High Court.
  • A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Member unless he/she has been a member of the Indian legal service/Indian revenue service/Indian economic service/Indian Customs and central excise service/Indian Audit and accounts Service.
• Tenure: They are appointed for a term of five years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Functions: Appellate Tribunal has been constituted to hear appeals against the orders of the Adjudicating Authority and the authorities under the PMLA.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002:

• PMLA, 2002 was enacted in January 2003 to prevent money laundering in India.
• Objective:
  • To prevent and control money laundering.
  • To confiscate and seize the property derived from, or involved in, money laundering.
  • To provide punishment for the offense of money laundering.
  • To appoint the Adjudicating Authority and Appellate Tribunal to deal with the matter connected with money laundering.
  • To put obligations on banking companies, financial institutions, and intermediaries to maintain records.
  • To deal with any other issue connected with money laundering in India.
• PMLA empowers certain officers of the Directorate of Enforcement to carry out investigations in cases involving the offense of money laundering and also to attach the property involved in money laundering.

Decoding dengue: India’s first prospective DNA vaccine against disease is promising; but challenges lie ahead

• The DNA vaccine has been in development since 2019 by scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, in collaboration with nine institutions in India, Africa, and the US.

DNA Vaccine:

• DNA vaccines use engineered DNA to induce an immunologic response in the host against bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
• The basic working principle behind DNA vaccine involves the use of a DNA plasmid that encodes for a protein that originated from the pathogen in which the vaccine will be targeted.
• DNA vaccine will avoid extracellular degradation and successfully enter the nucleus of target cells to induce a long-term immune response.
• It is considered to be more stable, cost-efficient, and easier to handle than traditional vaccines.

Dengue disease:

• Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
• The primary vectors that transmit the disease are Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
• The virus responsible for causing dengue is called the dengue virus (DENV).
• It can be transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that the virus can transmit from pregnant mother to baby.
• There is no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue. Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1%.

13th century temple discovered at Pushpagiri Kshetram in Cuddapah district

• 13century Hindu temple ruins have been unearthed amidst a shrub jungle northeast of the Durga temple, atop a hillock in the Pushpagiri Kshetram in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh.

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• The architectural features of the ruins reveal a style that is contemporary to a temple at Vallur, built by the Kayastha rulers.

Kayastha rulers:

• The Kayasthas (1239 AD - 1297 AD) were subordinates to the rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty.
• In the history of the Kakatiyas, the Kayastha played a prominent role both as loyal subordinates and traitors.
• It is believed that they originally belonged to a class of warriors of Western India.
• They ruled the region with Vallur as the capital.
• Some rulers of this community were -Ganagaya Sahini (1239 - 1258 AD), Jannigadeva (1258 - 1268 AD), and Ambadeva II (1272 - 1294 AD). The last ruler was Trupurari II (1294 - 1297 AD).

Pushpagiri Kshetram:

• Pushpagiri is referred to as Hari-Hara Kshetra, as there are a number of temples dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu.
• It is located on the banks of the Pennar river.
• Pushpagiri is also called the second Hampi due to its beautiful architecture.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) commemorates the success of “SWAYATT”, an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions on GeM

• It was launched in February 2019 by the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• It is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women, and Youth advantage through e-transactions on Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
• The intent was to promote the inclusiveness of various categories of sellers and service providers on the portal.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM):

• GeM is an Online Market platform set up under the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in 2016.
• It is a one-stop portal to facilitate online procurement of common-use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments / Organizations / PSUs.
• The purchases through GeM by Government users were made mandatory by the Ministry of Finance.
• It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and speed in public procurement.
• GeM is a completely paperless, cashless, and system-driven e-market place.

Supreme Court steps in: Panel of PM, LoP and CJI will choose CEC, ECs

• It is an autonomous and permanent constitutional body responsible for organizing free and fair elections in India.
• The Constitution grants the ECI with the power of direction, superintendence, and control of elections to Parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India, and the office of vice-president of India.
• Powers and responsibilities ECI:
  • Determining the Electoral Constituencies’ territorial areas throughout the country.
  • Preparing and periodically revising electoral rolls and registering all eligible voters.
  • Notifying the schedules and dates of elections and scrutinizing nomination papers.
  • Granting recognition to the various political parties and allocating them election symbols.
  • The Commission also has advisory jurisdiction in the matter of post-election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures.
  • It issues the Model Code of Conduct in elections for political parties and candidates so that no one indulges in unfair practice or there is no arbitrary abuse of powers by those in power.
• Composition: The commission consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
• How are the CEC and ECs currently appointed?
  • Under Article 324 (2), the President appoints the CEC and other
  • The President makes the appointment on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
  • The Constitution does not prescribe any qualifications, academic or otherwise, for appointment to these offices.
  • The tenure of office and the conditions of service of all the commissioners is determined by the President.
  • The tenure of commissioners is 6 years or up to the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
  • The CEC and the two other ECs have the same powers and emoluments, including salaries, which are the same as a Supreme Court judge.
  • All three commissioners have the same right of taking a decision. In case of a difference of opinion amongst the three members, the matter is decided by the Commission by a majority.
• Can CEC and ECs be removed?
  • Article 324 of The Constitution of India mentions the provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of the Election Commission.
  • The CEC is provided with security of tenure. He cannot be removed from his office except in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court.
  • Any other election commissioner or a regional commissioner cannot be removed from office except on the recommendation of the CEC.
• What does the recent Supreme Court ruling say?
  • The CEC and other ECs should be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.

World Wildlife Day: Why is it celebrated on March 3? Know the significance of CITES agreement on its 50th

• It is a United Nations International day to celebrate all the world''s wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet.
• It is celebrated every year on March 3.
• This date was chosen as it is the birthday of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, signed in 1973.
• The theme of World Wildlife Day 2023 is ''Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation''.

CITES:

• CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments.
• Aim: To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
• It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union). It entered into force in July 1975.
• Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties– in other words, they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws.
• The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEPand is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its parties.

Farmers queue up to purchase high-yielding basmati seeds

• It is an improved version of the popular Basmati rice variety, Pusa Basmati 1509 with inbuilt resistance to bacterial blight and blast disease.
• This variety possesses two genes each for bacterial blight resistance, namely, xa13 and Xa21, and blast resistance, namely, Pi54 and Pi2.
• It is an early maturing and semi-dwarf basmati rice variety.
• It has an average yield of 5.7 tonnes/ ha.
• This variety was released for commercial cultivation in 2021.

Uniqueness of Basmati Rice

• It is cultivated in the Himalayan foothillsof the Indian sub-continent and is universally known for its long grain size, fluffy texture, and unique inherent aroma and flavor.

Climatic conditions required for rice cultivation

• Temperature: Between 22-32°Cwith high humidity.
• Rainfall: Around 150-300 cm.
• Soil Type:Deep clayey and loamy soil.
• Top Rice Producing States: West Bengal > Punjab > Uttar Pradesh > Andhra Pradesh

Land mafias damage rampart of ancient fortified city of Sisupalgarh

• It is located near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
• It was once the capital of Kalinga, which is the ancient name of Odisha.
• It is considered one of the largest and best-preserved ancient fortifications inIndia.
• The fortifications are over 2,000 years old and date back to the 3rd or 4th century BC.
• The remains of the fortification were discovered in 1948 by the Indian archaeologist B.B. Lal.
• Features:
  • It was designed and constructed in a complete square shape that was surrounded by defensive walls.
  • Each side spreads for over half a mile, and the interior is full of stone ruins and sculptures.
  • The walls of the fortification are a little over nine meters (30 feet) tall.
  • There were eight gateways into the city, two in each of the four sides of the wall.
  • The gateways were connected by streets in a grid-like arrangement with the palace in the center.
  • The gates were elaborate structures made of brick and stone.
  • There is evidence of stone-lined reservoirs that were likely used for harvesting rainwater.
  • Intelligent traffic management, pedestrian-friendly pathways, grand gateways with guard houses, wide roads, and a vast open space were some of the key features of this ancient city.
  • The city is believed to have a population of around 20,000 to 25,000.