Short News Article

Polity and Governance (GS-II)

Wayanad, the first district to provide basic documents tribals

Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents and facilities to all tribes’ people.

Details:

• The district administration has attained this achievement by providing 1, 42,563 services to as many as 64,670 tribal beneficiaries as part of the Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitisation (ABCD) campaign. 
• There are 26 campaigns across the district so far with the support of the Revenue and Tribal Development departments.
• The basic documents include Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth/death certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts and health insurance.
• The campaign is aimed at ensuring basic documents to all citizens belonging to the Scheduled Tribes communities and these documents are digitalised and saved in DigiLocker accounts opened for them.
• Other services such as income certificates, ownership certificates, age certificates, and applications for new pensions are also provided at the camps organised under the programme.

Environment (GS-III)

Alien plants threatening tiger habitats

Several alien invasive plants growing together can have a detrimental effect to the biodiversities in tiger habitats, a new study has found.

About the study:

• It highlighted that there are many negative impacts of multiple co-occurring alien plants on biodiversity.
• The study is the first of its kind in India and was published in journal Forest Ecology and Management by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). 
• The plants can put pressure on native forage plants and drive away wild herbivores, the food source for the big cats. 
• The invasive alien varieties include Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorous, Prosopis juliflora, etc, introduced during British colonisation. 
• Lantana alone has pervasively invaded 44 per cent of India’s forests.
• The study was conducted in Kanha Tiger Reserve, comparing un-invaded native forests with old-growth invasions of single and multiple alien plants.
• The researchers evaluated the differences in soil parameters, native grasses, herbs, shrubs, tree regeneration, habitat use by mammals, herbivory, bird occurrence, etc. 

International Relations (GS-II)

India, Egypt to hold dialogue on defence ties

In the view of the visit of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, as the chief guest of Republic day celebration, India and Egypt are likely to seal around half a dozen agreements and focus on strengthening ties.

Details of the event:

• The expected dialogues can be on defence, security and new energy initiatives.
• The Egypt has shown a pragmatic diplomacy in arenas such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation where Cairo has increasingly maintained a cautious position while responding to Pakistan’s aggressive campaign on Kashmir. 
• As a symbol of closer military ties, the Republic Day parade is on track to have a contingent of 180 personnel from the Egyptian armed forces this year.
• During the state visit of Mr. El Sisi, a postage stamp will be released, portraying the multifaceted partnership between the two countries over the last 75 years.