Breach of privilege: Dhankhar seeks report on 12 Opposition MPs

• This committee consists of 15 members in Lok Sabha ( 10 in case of Rajya Sabha) nominated by the Speaker (Chairman in case of Rajya Sabha).
• In the Rajya Sabha, the deputy chairperson heads the committee of privileges.
• Powers and Functions:
• The committee examines every question involving a breach of privilege of the House or of the members or of any Committee thereof referred to it by the House or by the Speaker/Chairman.
• It also determines with reference to the facts of each case whether a breach of privilege is involved and makes suitable recommendations in its report.
• It also states the procedure to be followed by the House in giving effect to its recommendations.
• When a question of privilege is referred to the Committee by the House, the report of the Committee is presented to the House by the Chairman or, in his absence, by any member of the Committee.
• Where a question of privilege is referred to the Committee by the Speaker, the report of the Committee is presented to the Speaker who may pass final orders thereon or direct that it be laid on the Table of the House.
• The Speaker/Chairman may refer to the Committee any petition regarding the disqualification of a member on the ground of defection for making a preliminary inquiry and submitting a report to him.
• The procedure to be followed by the Committee in these cases is so far as may be the same as in applicable to questions of breach of privilege.

Two Alexandrine parakeets seized from actor''s home in Tamil Nadu

• It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries and regions.
• These birds are highly intelligent and are known to be excellent talkers, making them very popular pets.
• These parakeets are diurnal social birds. They usually live in small flocks but form larger groups in areas where food is abundant or at communal roosts.
• They are widespread in South and South-East Asia where they live in forests, woodlands, agricultural lands, and mangrove forests.
• Conservation status:
• IUCN: Near Threatened
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule IV

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

There are Six Schedules in this act. These Schedules give a different standard of protection.

• The Listed breeds and types of animals in Schedule I and part II of Schedule II get supreme protection. Offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
• For example Himalayan Brown Bear, Indian Elephant etc.
• The Listed breeds and types of animals in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also secured, but the penalties are comparatively much lower.
• For example, Barking Deer, Falcons, Kingfisher, Tortoise etc.
• Schedule V includes the animals which can be hunted.
• For example, Common Crow, Mice, Rats, Fruit Bats etc.
• The plants, trees and crops mentioned in Schedule VI are banned from Cultivation and Planting. For example, Kuth, Red Vanda, Pitcher Plant etc.

NHPC raises Rs 996 crore through issuance of non-convertible bonds

• A private placement is a sale of bonds to select investors and institutions instead of the open market.
• Typically, a private placement is defined as an issuance of securities to less than 50 persons.
• Investors in privately placed bonds usually include wealthy individuals and entities, mutual fund providers, insurance companies, and banking and financial institutions.
• Unlike a public offering, private placements are exempt from having to file an offer document with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for comments.
• A private placement may not involve any form of general announcement, solicitation, advertising, seminar, or meeting to publicize such an offering.
• Advantages:
• It is a cost and time-effective method of raising funds.
• It can be structured to meet the needs of entrepreneurs and investors.
• It has easier compliance formalities.
• In India, the majority of corporate fund raises have been through private placement.
• Issue of securities through private placement route is governed by SEBI (Issue and Listing of Debt Securities) Regulations, 2008.

non-convertible bonds

• It is a financial instrument issued by Corporates for specified tenure to raise resources/funds through public issue or private placement.
• They cannot be converted into equity shares or stocks, hence called non-convertible.
• It is a fixed-income instrument same as a bank fixed deposit, and can be traded on stock exchanges.
• Interest can be earned monthly/quarterly / annually / cumulative, and on maturity principal amount is paid to the bondholder.
• They are a popular form of investment tool among investors because of their higher returns, liquidity, low risks, and higher interest rates than convertible debentures.

Jaadui Pitara'': Education minister launches learning-teaching material for foundational years

• The ‘Jaadui Pitara’ or ‘Magic Collection is a play-based learning material for children in the age group of three to eight years.
• It is launched by the Union Ministry of Education.
• It has been designed on the motto of ''''learning through play'''', as envisaged in the new National Education Policy (NEP).
• It comprises of playbooks, toys, puzzles, posters, flashcards, storybooks, and worksheets, as well as reflecting the local culture, social context, and languages.
• It is designed to pique curiosity and accommodate the diverse needs of learners at the foundational stage.
• It is developed under the curricular goals of National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) as recommended by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The resources on ‘Jaadui Pitara’ will be digitally available on DIKSHA platform – portal and mobile app.
• The pitara is available in 13 Indian languages.

National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS)

• It is one of the four National Curriculum Frameworks (NCFs).
• It is India''s first-ever integrated Curriculum Framework for children between ages 3-8.
• It is a direct outcome of the 5+3+3+4 ‘curricular and pedagogical’ structure that NEP 2020 has recommended for School Education.
• NCF-FS has been developed by NCERT through an extensive consultative process with States & Union Territories up to grass root level and various institutions and organizations.

Big Spike In Adenovirus Cases : Bengal

• Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that can cause mild to severe infections throughout your body.
• They can cause a wide range of illnesses, such as the common cold, fever, sore throat, acute bronchitis, pneumonia, pink eye, and acute gastroenteritis.
• There are many different types of adenoviruses, so that people can get infected more than once.
• Adenovirus infections occur throughout the year, but they tend to peak in the winter and early spring.
• Adenoviruses can affect people of all ages, but they’re most common in children younger than 5 years old.
• Most adenovirus infections are mild, but they can be more severe in people with weakened immune systems or existing respiratory or cardiac disease.
• Transmission modes:
• Adenoviruses are very contagious. They can spread from an infected individual to others via close contacts, such as touching or shaking hands.
• Infected particles can also transfer through coughing and sneezing.
• Fecal material can spread the infection via contaminated water, dirty diapers, and poor hand washing.
• Treatment:
• There is currently no specific course of treatment or approved antiviral medication.
• Some medications with proper rest are advised to control the symptoms.

Locals in Dharchula town of Uttarakhand protest against power project, fear Joshimath-like crisis

• It is a proposed hydroelectric project on river Dhauliganga in the Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.
• It has a proposed installed capacity of 165 MW.
• The project involves the construction of a concrete gravity dam of 65 m from river bed level and an underground Power House.
• The project is being implemented by THDC India Limited.

Dhauliganga river:

• Origin: It rises in the vicinity of the Niti Passin the border regions between Garhwal region of Uttarakhand and southwestern Tibet.
• It is one of the important tributaries of Alaknanda, the other being the Nandakini, Pindar, Mandakini, and Bhagirathi.
• It meets the Alaknanda River(the major source stream of the Ganges river) at Vishnuprayag in Uttarakhand.
• Length: The length of this river is about 94 km.
• Tapovan, which is famous for its hot springs, is located on the banks of Dhauliganga.

THDC India Limited:

• THDC India Limited (Formerly Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited) is a company jointly owned by the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• It was registered as a Public Limited Company in 1988 under the Companies Act 1956 to operate and maintain the Tehri Hydro Power Complex and other Hydro Projects.
• It is a Mini Ratna Category-I Enterprise.

Banks, NBFCs stop lending to apps under loan default guarantee model

• What is it? FLDG is a lending model between a fintech and a regulated entity in which a third party guarantees to compensate up to a certain percentage of default in a loan portfolio of the regulated entities (RE).
• Under these agreements, the fintech originates a loan and promises to compensate the partners up to a pre-decided percentage in case customers fail to repay.
• The bank/NBFC partners lend through the fintech but from their books.
• FLDG helps expand the customer base of traditional lenders but relies on the fintech''s underwriting capabilities.

FinTech

• Financial Stability Board (FSB) has defined FinTech as “technologically enabled innovation in financial services that could result in new business models, applications, processes or products with an associated material effect on financial markets and institutions and the provision of financial services”.

Union Agriculture Minister chairs the National Conference on Agriculture for Zaid Campaign-2023

• The objective of the Zaid conference is to review and assess the crop performance during the preceding crop seasons and fix crop-wise targets for the summer season in consultation with State Governments.

Zaid crops

• Zaid or summer crops are grown in the short season between Kharif and Rabi crops, between March and July.
• These crops are mostly grown on irrigated lands and therefore, the farmers do not wait for the monsoon.
• Zaid crops require warm soil and high temperatures (cooling at night) to grow.
• They require warm, dry weather as a vital growth period and longer day length for flowering.
• Most of the vegetables and hybrid cereals are grown in the zaid season.
• Major crops: Paddy, corn; pumpkin, cucumber, tomato; almonds, peanuts, cashews; Gram, lentils, etc.
• Cultivation areas in India: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.
• Zaid crop is significant for farmers as it gives fast cash to the farmers and is also known as a gap-filler between two chief crops, Kharif and Rabi.

Malabar drill to be held off Australia for the first time

• It was started in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between India and US navy.
• The first Malabar Exercise in the Bay of Bengal took place in 2007.
• It was expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
• In 2020, the Australian Navy joined the Malabar Exercise, making it a quadrilateral naval exercise.
• The aim of the Malabar Exercise of India, the US, Japan and Australia is to coordinate for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
• It takes place annually in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans alternatively.
• This exercise includes a diverse range of activities such as fighter combat operations and maritime interdiction operations.

Joint Maritime Exercises of India

• IBSAMAR: It is a maritime exercise held by India, South Africa, and Brazil.
• SIMBEX: India and Singapore.
• SLINEX: India and Sri Lanka.

Oder river ecological disaster that killed hundreds of tonnes of fish in 2022 was human-made

Prymnesium parvum:

• It is a microscopic, single-celled alga with four morphologically distinct forms.
• Three of the forms are scaled, bi-flagellated, and have a flexible, non-coiling, needle-like filament called a haptonema and the fourth form is a scaled, non-motile, siliceous cyst.
• It inhabits a variety of water bodies including rivers, lakes, estuaries, fjords, coastal oceans, and ponds, including eutrophic, alkaline, and brackish waters.
• It can reproduce rapidly and form a nearly monocultural bloom by releasing toxins into the water that immobilize or kill zooplankton and other phytoplankton to increase available food sources.
• It can survive in a range of water temperatures, from 5°C to 35°C, with blooms increasing between 10°C to 27°C.
• It is mixotrophic, supporting its growth with autotrophy (photosynthesis) or heterotrophy if nutrients are scarce.

River Oder

• It originates in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland.
• It constitutes the boundary between Poland and Germany before reaching the Baltic Sea via a lagoon north of the Polish city of Szczecin.