UPSC EXAM QUIZ 10.10.2024

Explanation:

• Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given classical language status to Pali language.
• Pali, which has been the main language of Buddhism, has received wide recognition for its literary and cultural importance by getting classical language status. With this decision, Pali has been included in this category along with four other languages – Marathi, Assamese, Bengali, and Prakrit.

Historical background of Pali language

• The term “Pali Bhasha” or “Pali Language” has been coined in modern times and its exact origin has been a subject of debate among scholars.
• Until the 6th or 7th century, there was no specific language known as Pali.
• The earliest references to Pali are found in the commentaries of the Buddhist scholar Buddhaghosa. Several theories have emerged about the origin of Pali.
• Max Walliser (German Indologist) suggests that Pali is derived from the word pātāl or “padālī”, possibly indicating a connection to the language of Pataliputra.

Explanation:

• The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2024 has been awarded to Alexander Dunn of Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.

Contributions of Alexander Dunn: Dunn has made significant breakthroughs in various fields of mathematics, especially in the following topics:

• Modular forms
• Half-integral weight forms
• Metaplectic forms
• Study of prime numbers and their relationship with integer partitions

SASTRA Ramanujan Prize

• Establishment: The prize was established in the year 2005.
• Obligation: It is awarded by Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) University, Tamil Nadu.
• Prize amount: A cash prize of US$10,000 is awarded along with the prize.
• Age Limit: The award is given every year to mathematicians aged 32 years or younger for their exceptional contributions, particularly those inspired by the work of Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Explanation:

• Free to Think 2024" annual report by the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Academic Freedom Monitoring Project reveals a concerning decline in academic freedom in India over the past decade.
• Academic freedom refers to the right to pursue knowledge and conduct research without interference, supporting the open exchange of ideas and protecting academic integrity.
• SAR is a network of 665 universities across the globe, it investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities.

Key Highlights of the Report

• Significant Decline in Academic Freedom: The report stated that India's academic freedom index score dropped from 0.6 to 0.2 points between 2013 and 2023.
• The report stated that, according to the Academic Freedom Index (AFI), India now ranks as "completely restricted," marking its lowest score since the mid-1940s.

Explanation:

• 2 October 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
• It was launched on 2 October 2014 by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• It is also divided into SBM-Rural for rural areas and SBM-Urban for urban areas.
• An area can be declared open defecation free if not a single person is found defecating in the open at any time of the day.
• Its objective was to make India open defecation free (ODF) by constructing individual and community toilets and implementing waste management systems in school and Anganwadi toilets.
• 10 crore toilets were constructed under the mission and about 6 lakh villages were declared ODF+ on 2 October 2019.
• On completion of five years in 2021, the government launched SBM 2.0, which focused on creating waste-free cities, managing faecal sludge, addressing plastic waste, and improving greywater management.
• Urban India has become ODF, with all 4,715 urban local bodies (ULBs) becoming fully ODF.

Explanation:

• India participated in the 44th Session of the Codex Committee on Foods for Nutrition and Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) in Germany, making significant contributions to global food safety and nutrition standards.
• The CCNFSDU is a unit of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which is responsible for developing global standards for special dietary foods such as infant formulas, dietary supplements and medical foods.
• The CAC, established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), along with its 189 Codex members (including India), sets international food standards to protect consumer health and ensure fair trade practices.
• At the 44th Session of the CCNFSDU, India highlighted that the existing Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) documents of 2001 and 2002 on probiotics are two decades old and require revision in view of scientific advancements.