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Dated : 2 March 2020

Topic Covered :

US – TALIBAN DEAL

Why in news?
US-Taliban signed a deal to pave way for the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan.

Highlights :
1. The U.S. signed a deal with the Taliban on Saturday that could pave the way for a full
withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan over the next 14 months and
represents a step towards ending the 18-year-war in the nation.
2. The deal was signed in the Qatari capital Doha by U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad
and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
3. The U.S. said it is committed to reducing the number of its troops to 8,600 from the
current 13,000 within 135 days of signing the deal.
4. The deal also provides for a prisoner swap. Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000
Afghan security force prisoners would be exchanged by 10 March, when talks
between the Taliban and the Afghan government are due to start.
5. The US will also lift sanctions against the Taliban and work with the UN to lift its
separate sanctions against the group.

Source : HINDU AND BBC

CHINTAN BAITHAK

Why in news?
“Chintan Baithak” is being held by the Ministry of Shipping in Mamallapuram where Vice
President of India interacted with the chairpersons of major Port Trusts.

Highlights :
1. The Vice President of India called upon all the Chairpersons and administrators of
Ports across the country to make ports more energy-efficient and environment-
friendly. He stressed that such efforts were needed to counter climate change, one of
the biggest challenges faced by the world.
2. He praised India’s 7516 km long coast, its 12 major ports and 200 non-major ports to
the nation’s growth story, and opined that India has an excellent opportunity for port-
led development as ports were inevitable for exports and imports.
3. He also appreciated the Sagarmala port-led development initiated by the Government
of India and said that it was the best step towards creating greenfield ports,
modernizing the existing ports, and also for empowering the coastal community by
generating employment opportunities.
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4. The Vice President advised the ports to adopt best practices to effectively utilize their
financial resources to derive maximum benefits. For this to happen he suggested them
to reduce logistics cost, dredging expenditure and also improve turnaround time.
5. The Vice President asked ports to take an active part in programs such as Swachh
Bharat and extend support to local authorities in maintaining the cleanliness of the
city or town.

Source : PIB

CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION

Why in news?
Days after the Supreme Court green-lighted the introduction of cheetahs in India, the top
scientist at the laboratory for saving extinct species says it will be a challenge.

Highlights :
1. India has been planning to reintroduce Cheetah in wild since a decade. However, as
per a report of centrally empowered committee, India doesn’t have the required
habitat and prey density.
2. The court recently gave the nod to the National Tiger Conservation Authority to re-
introduce African cheetahs, nearly 10 years after the plea was made.
3. Sites where they were planned to be reintroduced: Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary
and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
4. Cheetahs are good antelope hunters. Antelopes are adapted to dry conditions.
Historically, we have not cared for grasslands as we planted trees for our
requirements. We had extensive flat areas, but these are gone
5. IUCN Status: Critically endangered.

RaIDer-X

Why in news?
RaIDer-X, a new explosive detection device, was unveiled at the National Workshop on
Explosive Detection (NWED-2020) in Pune

Highlights :
1. RaIDer-X has the capability to detect explosives from a stand-off distance.
2. The data library can be built in the system to expand its capability to detect a
number of explosives in pure form as well as with the contaminants.
3. Bulk explosive in concealed condition can also be detected by the device.
4. RaIDer-X has been co-developed by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory
(HEMRL) Puneand Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Source : PIB
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PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PFMS)

Why in news?
India’s finance minister praised the PFMS for empowering India to be accountable,
responsive and transparent.

Highlights :
1. It is an end-to- end solution for processing payments, tracking, monitoring,
accounting, reconciliation and reporting.
2. Administered by the Department of Expenditure.
3. It is implemented by the Controller General of Accounts.
4. It provides scheme managers a unified platform for tracking releases and monitoring
their last mile utilisation.
5. PFMS is also used for DBT payments under MGNREGA and other notified schemes of
the Government of India.
6. PFMS is also used for DBT payments under MGNREGA and other notified schemes of
the Government of India.
7. The line ministries/departments utilise this platform to monitor the utilisation of
funds provided to the implementing agencies and state governments.

Source : Indian Express and PIB

KALASA BANDURI NALA PROJECT

Why in news:
Its cost has increased from ₹94 crores (2000) to ₹1,677.30 crores (2020) due to the ongoing
river water dispute of Mahadayi/Mandovi river among Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

Highlights :
1. About Mahadayi/ Mandovi river:
a. Mahadayi river rises in the Western Ghats, from the Bhimgad Wildlife
Sanctuary in Khanapur taluk of Karnataka’s Belagavi district. F
b. lowing westward, it enters Goa from Sattari taluk of North Goa districts.
c. A number of streams join the flow of the river to form the Mandovi which is
one of two major rivers that flow through Goa. It joins the Arabian Sea at
Panaji.
d. The Mahadayi river, also spelt Mhadei or Mahadeyi, stretches 111-km. Over
two-thirds of the river’s stretch lies in Goa (76km). The Mandovi is important
for Goa also because it is one of the few sweet-water sources at the state’s
disposal. Most of Goa’s 11 rivers contain salt water and Mandovi ensures
water security as well as being an important place to source fish for the state.
e. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa.
Mandovi joins with the Zuari at a common creek at Cabo Aguada, forming
the Mormugao harbour.
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2. About the project:

a. It was originally planned in 1989, but Goa raised objection to it. It is undertaken
by the government of Karnataka to improve drinking water suppy in
Belagavi, Dharwad, and Gadag. It involves building across Kalasa and Banduri,
two tributaries of the Mahadayi river to divert water to the Malaprabha river
(a tributary of Krishna river).

Source : Hindu

EURASIAN OTTER, FISHING CAT AND SMOOTH COATED OTTER

Why in news?
Eurasian otter has been found in Chilika Lake. Researchers also found fishing cat and smooth
coated otter.

Highlights :
1. FISHING CAT
a. IUCN Status –
Endangered
b. The fishing cat is a
medium-sized wild cat of
South and Southeast
Asia. It is the state
animal of West Bengal.
c. They live foremost in the
vicinity of wetlands,
along rivers, streams,
oxbow lakes, in swamps
Figure 1 : Fishing Cat
and mangroves.
2. EURASIAN OTTER
a. IUCN Status – Near Threatened
b. Habitat - Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine
3. SMOOTH COATED OTTER –
a. Smooth-coated otter was sighted for the first time in the mangrove forest
near the Krishna wildlife
sanctuary (KWS) in Krishna
district, Andhra Pradesh.
b. In all, seven otters were
sighted in the mangrove
forests and brackish water
channels of
Eelachetladibba and
Lankevennedibba and
Figure 2 : Eurasian Otter
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other areas outside the KWS.

c. The presence of the otter is a key indicator for rise of the mangrove cover in
the KWS. About smooth-coated Otter
d. The smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is a species of otter, the
only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale.
e. Otter is a carnivorous
mammals. The fur of
this species is smoother
and shorter than that
of other otters. It is
distributed throughout
South Asia and South
East Asia.
f. The otter lives in rivers,
lakes, peat swamp
forests, mangroves and
estuaries. It uses
swamps as natal den
sites and nursery
during the breeding
Figure 3 : Smooth Coated Otter
season in early winter.
g. Otters are social and
hunt in groups. The male otter is polygamous and mates with up to the four
females.
h. It has been categorised ‘vulnerable’ in the red data book of International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Source : Hindu and IUCN