PM hails Gujarat''s Dhordo for being awarded as Best Tourism Village by UNWTO

United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

• It is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism.
• Functions: It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
• It was established in 1975.
• Members: Membership of the UNWTO includes 159 countries.
• Official languages: The official languages of UNWTO are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
• Organisation structure:
  • General Assembly: It is the principal gathering of the World Tourism Organization. It is composed of full members and associate members. It meets every two years.
  • Executive Council: It is UNWTO''s governing board. It is composed of 35 members elected by the General Assembly in a ratio of one for every five full members. It meets at least twice a year.
• Headquarter: Madrid, Spain

Best Tourism Villages initiative

• It was launched in 2021 by UNWTO.
• It is part of the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme.
• The programme works to foster development and inclusion in rural areas, combat depopulation, advance innovation and value chain integration through tourism and encourage sustainable practises.

Triplex ELISA for Assessing Durability of Taenia solium Seropositivity after Neurocysticercosis Cure

Neurocysticercosis

• It is a parasitic infection of the central nervous system and is caused by the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium.
• Humans become infected after consuming undercooked food, particularly pork, or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs, or through poor hygiene practices.
• Taeniasis is the intestinal infection of the adult tapeworm.
• When left untreated, a more serious condition known as cysticercosis develops as T. solium larvae invade body tissues.
• When larvae build up in the central nervous system, muscles, skin, and eyes, it leads to neurocysticercosis.
• It is the most severe form of the disease and a common cause of seizures worldwide.
• Symptoms
  • Most often, neurocysticercosis in other areas or organs of the body may remain asymptomatic.
  • But when the condition affects the brain, it causes severe symptoms like seizures or epilepsy.
• Treatment: It is mainly treated symptomatically and by management of seizures by anticonvulsants.

Billions of snow crab deaths off Alaska coast linked to marine heatwave

Snow crabs

• The snow crab is named after the climate where it lives: the coldest parts of the North Atlantic Sea and the Northern Pacific Ocean, where the water temperature is always below 4°C.
• Appearance: On top they are brownish in color and underneath they are lighter. Their eyes are green or greenish blue.
• Males and females can be distinguished by the shape of their abdominal flaps. On males this flap is triangular, and on females it is broadly rounded.
• Distribution: These are found off the coast of Alaska in the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas.
• Habitat: Usually, cold, arctic water makes ideal habitat for snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio).

Bering Sea

• It is bordered by the US state of Alaska to the east and northeast, the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Far Eastern region of Russiain the west, and the chain of the Aleutian Islands in the south.
• It is connected with the Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait in the north.
• The Bering Sea can be divided into two equal portions: a shallow area along the continental shelf in the northern and eastern parts of the sea, and a deeper area in its southwestern part.
• This deeper portion of the sea is divided by ridges into three basins, namely the Aleutian Basin, the Bowers Basin, and the Komandor Basin.
• The deepest point of the Bering Sea is located in the Bowers Basin at a depth of 4,097 m.
• The two rivers which drain into the sea are the Anadyr and the Yukon River.

Third project 15b indigenous destroyer imphal delivered to indian navy

Yard 12706 (IMPHAL)

• The ship is constructed using Indigenous Steel DMR 249A and is among the largest Destroyers constructed in India, with an overall length of 164 metres and a displacement of over 7500 tonnes.
• The ship is propelled by a powerful Combined Gas and Gas Propulsion Plant (COGAG), consisting of four reversible Gas Turbines, which enables her to achieve a speed of over 30 knots (approx 55 Kmph).
• The ship is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare.
  • It is armed with supersonic Surface-to-Surface ‘Brahmos’ missiles and ‘Barak-8’ Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles.
  • Towards undersea warfare capability the Destroyer is fitted with indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors, prominently the Hull mounted Sonar Humsa NG, Heavy weight Torpedo Tube Launchers and ASW Rocket Launchers.
• It is more versatile than the previous classes of Destroyer and Frigates in Naval inventory.
• It has all-round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft will enable it to operate independently without supporting vessels, and also to function as the flagship of a Naval task force.

Project 15B

• Project 15B (P15B) / Visakhapatnam-class is the latest destroyer design currently under construction for the Indian Navy.
• These ships have been designed indigenously by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi.
• Each ship spans 163 meters in length and 17.4 meters in beam and displaces 7,300 tonnes.
• These ships will be propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speed in excess of 30 knots.
• According to the Indian Navy, the P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, seakeeping, stealth, and maneuverability.

ENC video confers with foreign navies for MILAN 24

Milan Exercise

• MILAN is a biennial multilateral naval exercise.
• It was incepted by the Indian Navy in 1995.
• Originally conceived in consonance with India''s ''Look East Policy, MILAN expanded in ensuing years with the Government of India''s ''Act East Policy'' and Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative to include participation from other Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs).
• The harbour phase of MILAN 24 will comprise an International Maritime Seminar, City Parade at RK Beach, Swavlamban Exhibition, Subject Matter Expert Exchange, and Milan of Young Officers. Ships, Maritime patrol aircraft, and submarines of Friendly Foreign Countries would participate in the sea phase along with Indian Navy units.
• They will involve large-force manoeuvres, advanced air defence operations, Anti-submarine warfare, and Anti-surface warfare operations.
• MILAN 22 was conducted at/ off Visakhapatnam from February 25 Feb - 04 Mar 22 and witnessed participation from 39 countries.

Tourism To Be Developed In Sahyadri Tiger Reserve

Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR)

• Location: It is located in the Sahyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra.
• The reserve spreads over Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, forming the northern portion, and Chandoli National Park, forming the southern part of the reserve. STR was created by merging the areas of these two forests in 2007.
• The region of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve includes the area around the Koyna Dam, the Warna River, and many other small rivers and streams originating from the Western Ghats and flowing to the east.
• History:
  • The history of the area dates back to the Maratha Empire**,** and many forts built or captured by the first Maratha Emperor Shivaji Bhonsle can be found here.
  • The legendary temple from which Shivaji received the Bhavani Sword from divine providence is also said to be among the many ruins in this region.
• Habitat:
  • The total area of STR is undulating, with steep escarpments along the western boundary.
  • The most distinct feature of the Tiger Reserve is the presence of numerous barren rocky and lateritic plateaus, locally called “Sadas”, with less perennial vegetation and overhanging cliffs on the edges, along with numerous fallen boulders with dense thorny bushes.
  • STR is the only place where climax and near-climax vegetation are plentiful and prospects of adverse anthropogenic influence in the future are minimal.
• Flora:
  • The forest cover here is that of moist evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist, and dry deciduous vegetation.
  • There are many medicinal and fruit-bearing trees along with the commercial hard wood trees in the reserve.
• Fauna:
  • The main carnivores are the tiger, leopard, and some lesser cats along with the wolf, jackal, and wild dog.
  • The large herbivores are several deer species like Barking Deer, Sambar, and other large and small animals like Indian Bison, Sloth Bear, Mouse Deer, Giant Indian Squirrel and Macaque.

BSE increases transaction charges on the derivative segment from November 1

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

• It is the oldest and largest stock exchange in India.
• It was established in 1875 as the Native Share and Stock Brokers'' Association.
• In 1957, the Indian Government gave recognition to the BSE under the Securities Contracts Regulations Act.
• It is located on Dalal Street, Mumbai, and lists over 6000 companies.
• BSE boasts a variety of trading options in equity, fiat, debt instruments, derivatives, and mutual funds.
• In addition, it offers multiple trading services like clearing, settlement, risk management, and investor awareness.
• How does the BSE work?
  • The BSE employs an advanced, electronically managed trading portal to facilitate financial trades.
  • The exchange allows shareholders to place orders online without requiring external help from industry experts.
  • This process is possible through the direct BSE market access offered by the portal.
  • Investors can trade on the BSE share market via a brokerage fir For this, they need to pay a pre-determined price to the broker.
  • The direct investment option is only for a section of investors with bulky BSE transactions to their credit.
  • The BSE stock exchange has the Bombay Online Trading Platform (BOLT) to ensure a safe trading experience.
  • The BSE Sensex stocks follow a T+2 transaction settlement scheme which implies that each transaction on the exchange takes two days to complete processing.
  • BSE market complies with the regulatory guidelines imposed by SEBI to ensure investors’ safety and capital market efficiency.

Sensex

• Sensex is the benchmark index of the BSE.
• It was launched on January 1, 1986, as a basket of 30 stocks representing the country''s largest, financially-sound companies listed on the BSE.
• The term ‘Sensex’ is a blend of words ‘Sensitive’ and ‘Index’ and was coined by stock market expert Deepak Mohini.
• The Sensex reflects the movements in the Indian stock market. It is considered the benchmark index of the Indian stock market.
• How is the Sensex calculated?
  • It was calculated based on the market capitalisation, or “Full Market Capitalisation”, when it was launched but shifted to a "Free-float Market Capitalisation" methodology from September 1, 2003.
  • Free-float is the proportion of total shares issued by the company that is readily available for trading to the general public. It does not take into account promoters’ holdings, government holdings, and other shares that will not be available in the market for trading in the ordinary course of events.

Derivatives

• A derivative is a contract between two parties which derives its value/price from an underlying asset.
• The commonly used assets are stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities and market indices.
• These instruments allow investors and traders to speculate on the price movements of the underlying asset without owning it directly.
• The value of the underlying assets keeps changing according to market conditions. The basic principle behind entering into derivative contracts is to earn profits by speculating on the value of the underlying asset in future.
• Derivatives serve various purposes, including hedging against risks, providing leverage, and facilitating price discovery.

Jet streams discovered on Jupiter that are as fast as ''category 5'' storms on Earth

Jet Streams

• Jet streams are bands of strong wind that generally blow from west to east all across the globe.
• Earth has four primary jet streams: two polar jet streams, near the north and south poles, and two subtropical jet streams closer to the equator.
• They impact weather, air travel, and many other things that take place in our atmosphere.
• What causes Jet Streams?
  • Jet streams form when warm air masses meet cold air masses in the atmosphere.
  • The Sun doesn’t heat the whole earth evenly. That’s why areas near the equator are hot and areas near the poles are cold.
  • So when Earth’s warmer air masses meet cooler air masses, the warmer air rises up higher in the atmosphere while cooler air sinks down to replace the warm air.
  • This movement creates an air current, or wind.
  • A jet stream is a type of air current that forms high in the atmosphere.
• They are located about five to nine miles above Earth’s surface in the mid to upper troposphere, the layer of Earth’s atmosphere where we live and breathe.
• Speed:
  • On average, jet streams move at about 110 miles per hour.
  • But dramatic temperature differences between the warm and cool air masses can cause jet streams to move at much higher speeds - 250 miles per hour or faster.
  • Since these hot and cold air boundaries are most pronounced in winter, jet streams are the strongest during both the northern and southern hemisphere winters.
• How do Jet Streams Affect Weather?
  • They play a crucial role in shaping weather patterns. They can affect the movement of weather systems, such as high-pressure and low-pressure areas, and influence the direction and intensity of storms.
  • Storms tend to follow the edge of the jet stream, where the difference between cool and warm air creates the turbulent conditions for storms.
• How do Jet Streams Affect Air Travel?
  • Airplanes also fly in the mid to upper So, if an airplane flies in a powerful jet stream and they are traveling in the same direction, the airplane can get a boost.
  • That’s why an airplane flying a route from west to east can generally make the trip faster than an airplane traveling the same route from east to west.

SC clarifies companies can’t claim lower withholding tax under tax treaties without notification

Withholding Tax

• Withholding tax is withheld or deducted from certain types of income, such as wages, dividends, interest, and royalties, when they are paid to the recipient (non-resident individual).
• It is also known as Retention tax.
• The purpose of withholding tax in India is to ensure that the government receives a portion of the income tax owed by the recipient.
• Withholding tax is applicable in the case of payments made to non-resident individuals.
• If the income is paid in India, the person responsible for payments to NRI must deduct the withholding tax at the time of payment or when the amount is credited to the NRI’s account, according to Section 195 of the Income Tax Act.
• The amount of withholding tax in India depends on the type of income, the amount of income earned, and the tax laws of the country where the income is earned.
• The tax rate is decided as prescribed in the Income Tax Act, 1961, or Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), whichever is lower.
• The central government of India collects this tax.
• India has signed DTAAs with many countries to avoid taxing individuals twice for the same income (in India and the partner country). Currently, India has DTAA treaties with more than 80 countries around the world.
• How to determine tax liability for withholding tax?
  • To calculate tax liability, it is important to know the residential status of any person: “Resident Indian” and “Non-Resident Indian”.
  • An individual is considered to be a resident in India for tax purposes if he or she satisfies any of the following conditions:
    • Stays in India for 182 days or more during the financial year, or
    • Stays in India for 60 days or more during the financial year and for 365 days or more during the 4 years immediately preceding the financial year.
  • If an individual does not meet either of these conditions, he or she will be considered a non-resident for tax purposes.
  • Income earned or received in India:
    • If an individual is a resident of India for tax purposes, he or she will be taxed on his or her global income, including income earned or received in India and outside India.
    • If an individual is a non-resident of India for tax purposes, he or she will be taxed only on the income earned or received in India.
  • Citizenship or place of birth:
    • Citizenship or place of birth is not a determining factor for residential status for tax purposes in India.
    • An individual may be a citizen of India or born in India but may still be considered a non-resident for tax purposes if he or she does not meet the criteria outlined above.

Withholding Tax and TDS

• Withholding Tax: It is the amount that is deducted in advance, and the same is deposited with the government before the amount is paid to the payer. It is generally applicable on payments to non – residents, that are foreign transactions.
• TDS (Tax Deducted at Source): A person (deductor) who is required to make a payment of a specific nature to another person (deductee) must deduct tax at source and **send it to the Central Government''**s account. It is applicable on specified transactions under the income tax act, 1961 to both resident and non-resident.
• Both withholding tax and TDS serve the same purpose: to ensure that taxes are collected at the source of income. They are used to ensure tax compliance and prevent tax evasion.

Union, States duty-bound to the pledge to completely eradicate manual scavenging: SC

Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013

• It was passed in 2013 to provide for the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and the rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their families.
• The broad objectives of the act are to eliminate unsanitary latrines, prohibit the employment of manual scavengers and the hazardous manual cleaning of sewer and septic tanks, and maintain a survey of manual scavengers and their rehabilitation.
• Provisions:
  • No person or agency can engage or employ any person for manual scavenging.
  • Any person or agency who engages any person in manual scavenging in violation of the provisions of the MS Act, 2013 is punishable with imprisonment up to 2 years, a fine up to Rs. One Lakh, or both.
  • It outlines the provisions for the rehabilitation of sanitation workers and their families.
  • After a survey of manual scavengers, the local administration must give them a photo identity card with details of their family members and monetary compensation. Their children must get a government scholarship, and they must get a residential plot and money to construct on it.
  • It is also illegal for a sewer or septic tank to be cleaned by a person without the employer providing protective gear and cleaning devices and observing safety precautions.
  • Under the Act, every local authority must make sure that there are no insanitary latrines in its jurisdiction and no manual scavengers are employed. A local authority is a municipality or a panchayat, which is responsible for sanitation in its jurisdiction.
  • Local authorities must construct community sanitary latrines (which don’t require the manual removal of human excreta) and make arrangements for their hygienic upkeep at all times. They must also ensure the use of technological appliances for cleaning sewers, septic tanks and other such spaces in their jurisdictions.
• How do the states ensure the Act is implemented?
  • Every state must have a monitoring committee consisting of the chief minister, the minister representing Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the director-general of police, among other officials.
  • Every state government or union territory administration must send periodic reports to the central government about its progress on implementing this Act.
  • The government has to ensure that local authorities and district magistrates implement the law. For this, a vigilance committee has to be set up at the sub-division, district, state, and central levels.