UPSC Quiz – 2024 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 12th July 2024

The current criteria evolved by the government to determine the declaration of a language as a classical language are

·       It should have high antiquity in its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1,500-2,000 years.

·       A body of ancient literature or texts that is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.

·       The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community.

·       The said language and literature should be distinct from its modern format; there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.

·       Once a language is notified as a classical language, the Education Ministry provides certain benefits to promote it, which include two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in the said languages.

·       Apart from this, a centre of excellence for studies in the classical language is set up, and the University Grants Commission is requested to create a certain number of Professional Chairs in Central universities for the languages that get the classical tag.

Classical Languages in India:

·       Till date, six languages have been conferred the status of ‘Classical Language’ in India.

·       The first language to be accorded that status is Tamil, which was declared a classical language back in 2004.

·       In the following year, Sanskrit was accorded with the status.

·       In 2008, Telugu and Kannada were conferred with the status, followed by Malayalam in 2013.

·       Odia is the latest addition to the list and received status in 2014.

·       The BGRL in Karad, Maharashtra, is a specialised institute under theMinistry of Earth Sciences mandated to execute India’s sole scientific deep-drilling programme.

·       Under BGRL, the aim is to drill the earth’s crust to a depth of 6 km and conduct studies to help expand the understanding of reservoir-triggered earthquakes in the Koyna-Warna region of Maharashtra.

·       This region has been experiencing frequent earthquakes since the Shivaji Sagar Lake, or the Koyna Dam, was impounded in 1962.

·       BGRL’s 3-km-deep pilot borehole in Koyna is complete; the Ministry of Earth Sciences is committed to reaching a depth of 6 km.

·       It employs a unique drilling strategy—a hybrid of mud rotary drilling and air hammering.

Benefits of a deep-drilling mission:

·       Scientifically drilled boreholes can be a hub of direct, unique in situ experiments and observations and monitor a region’s fault lines and seismic behaviour.

·       They also provide exact and fundamental knowledge of the composition of the earth’s crust, structure, and processes, and help validate models based on surface studies.

·       Thus, it can inform a range of societal problems related to geohazards and geo-resources.

·       It can also help expand scientific know-how and technological innovation, especially in seismology (the study of earthquakes).

·       It can also spur the development of tools and equipment for drilling, observation, data analysis, sensors, etc.

·       The Mackenzie River system is the second largest river system on the North American continent, after only the Mississippi-Missouri River system.

·       It is also Canada’s largest and longest river basin and is the 10th largest river basin in the world.

·       The Mackenzie River system flows along a course of 4,241 kilometers from its headwaters in the Finlay River to its drainage into the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean.

·       The Mackenzie itself is 1,025 miles (1,650 km) long. The river is generally wide, mostly from 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) across, and in island-dotted sections, 3 to 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 km) wide.

·       The Mackenzie and its tributaries together drain an area of about 1.8 million sq.km, which represents about 20% of Canada’s total land area.

·       Its lake-covered triangular delta measures more than 120 miles (190 km) from north to south and is about 50 miles (80 km) wide along the Arctic shore.

·       The Peace, Athabasca, and Liard Rivers are some of the most important tributaries of the Mackenzie.

·       A number of lakes, like the Lake Athabasca, Great Slave Lake, and Great Bear Lake, also form notable parts of the Mackenzie River system.

·       It aids to promote technology development using the start-ups created and nurtured in the country.

·       It is an initiative of Ministry of Defence.

·       It encourages and enables MSMEs and start-ups to develop innovative solutions for further technological advancement.

·       This initiative is in keeping with the ‘the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Start-up India’ policies of the India.

·       It is a unique national scheme to encourage and enable MSMEs and start-ups to develop innovative solutions that GRSE may incorporate for further technological advancement.

·       Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman (AYDMS) aims to recognize media efforts in promoting and spreading awareness about yoga.

·       AYDMS 2024 will honour excellence in Yoga coverage across three main categories such as Print, Television, and Radio.

Categories – 33 awards across three categories:

·       11 for Best Media Coverage in Yoga in Newspaper

·       11 for Best Media Coverage in Yoga in Electronic Media (TV)

·       11 for Best Media Coverage in Yoga in Electronic Media (Radio)

·       Languages – Awards cover 22 Indian languages and English.

·       Eligibility – Open to all media houses/companies in print, radio, and TV registered with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

·       Evaluation period – Content created and published/broadcast from “June 12 to 25, 2024”.

·       Criteria – Contribution to knowledge about yoga

·       Promotion of yoga for mental, physical, and spiritual health

·       Judging – An independent jury will decide the winners.