Current Affairs 10-DEC-2023 (The Hindu)

Green Turtles

(D => Pg-11)

Green Turtles

• One of the largest sea turtles in the world.
• Only herbivore species among sea turtles.
• Named for the greenish color of cartilage and fat, not their shells.
• In the eastern Pacific region, green turtles have darker shells, known as black turtles.

Characteristics of Green Turtle

• Diet: Seagrasses and algae, helping maintain seagrass beds and making them more productive.
• Migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches.
• Susceptible to rising sea temperature, with the sex of their offspring dependent on incubation temperature.
• Paddle-like limbs called ‘flippers’ allow the turtle to move quickly and easily through the water.

Distribution

• Tropical and subtropical seas with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
• Also found in the Indian Ocean.
• Rising global temperatures have increased nesting range in the Mediterranean Sea.

Threats

• Loss of habitat, fisheries bycatch, illegal trading of turtles, climate change, etc.

Conservation Status

• IUCN status: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix 1
• WPA Act, 1972: Schedule I

UPSC PYQ 2019 – Prelims

Consider the following statements:

1. Some species of turtles are herbivores.

2. Some species of fish are herbivores.

3. Some species of marine mammals are herbivores.

4. Some species of snakes are viviparous.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, and 4

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

(D => Pg-12)

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 Crime Rates

• Overall crime rate declined in 2022.
• 2022 - 258.1 per lakh population.
• 2021 - 268 per lakh population.
• Crimes against women increased by 4% in 2022 compared to 2021.

Nature of Crimes Against Women

• 31.4% - Cruelty by husband or relatives.
• Kidnapping or abduction.
• Assault with intent to outrage modesty.
• Rape.
• 13,479 cases under Dowry Prohibition Act.

Reasons Behind Rising Crimes Against Women

• Patriarchal society.
• Unchanged male mindsets.
• Societal attitudes despite high education levels.
• Strengthening of regressive value systems.

Increased Registration of Crimes Against Women

• 2022 - Over 4.45 lakh cases registered.
• Nearly 51 FIRs every hour.

Laws Created for Women Safety

• Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956.
• Dowry Prohibition Act 1961.
• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005.
• Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Prevention Act, 2013.

Challenges

• Poor quality of police investigations and delays in the judicial process.
• Low representation of women in the police force.
• More workloads on women officers.
• Slower investigations and convictions in crimes related to women.
• Social factors like illiteracy, poverty, social customs and values, religious beliefs.

Practice Question – Mains GS – II

Discuss the multifaceted challenges in ensuring women's safety in India, considering socio-cultural factors, legal frameworks, and institutional barriers. Evaluate the efficacy of existing laws and policies and suggest comprehensive measures. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

PVTGs (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups)

(D => Pg-12)

PVTGs

• Communities identified as most vulnerable among the Scheduled Tribes.
• Criteria:
  • Pre-agricultural level of technology.
  • Low level of literacy.
  • Economic backwardness.
  • A declining or stagnant population.
• 75 PVTGs spread over 18 states & one Union Territory (Andaman and Nicobar).

Pradhan Mantri-Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)

• Announced under Union Budget 2023-24.
• Aim: to improve the socio-economic status of PVTGs by providing basic facilities.
• Facilities include:
  • Permanent housing.
  • Road connectivity.
  • Piped water supply.
  • Mobile medical units.
  • Hostel construction.
  • Anganwadi facilities.
  • Skill development centres.
  • Electricity connections.
  • Solar street lighting.
  • Bandhan Vikas Kendra.
  • Mobile towers.
• The scheme covers all the 75 PVTGs spread across 22,544 villages in 220 districts.
• Budget: Rs 24,000 crore.

Challenges

• Lack of an accurate and current dataset of the PVTGs populations.

Practice Question – Prelims

Consider the following statements:

1. The term PVTG was first used by the Dhebar Commission in 1960.

2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.

3. Pradhan Mantri-Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) is a centrally sponsored scheme.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None