Also in News

Posted 12 Apr 2024

8 min read

Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB)

FSIB has recommended Sanjay Shukla for post of managing director of National Housing Bank.

About FSIB
- Constituted in 2022 under Department of Financial Services (Ministry of Finance), by Central Government replacing Bank Board Bureau.
- Secretariat of Bureau currently comprises of Secretary and five officers.
- Purpose
  - Recommending persons for appointment as whole-time directors and non-executive chairpersons on Boards of financial services institutions like Public Sector Banks, Public Sector Financial Institutions, and Public Sector Insurance Companies.
  - Advising on certain other matters relating to personnel management in these institutions.

Joint statement issued by Japan and USA recently opposed any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo of the Senkaku Islands by China.
- Japan and China have long-running dispute over these islands.

About Senkaku Island:
- Also known as Diaoyu in Chinese.
- Senkaku Islands are located in the East China Sea approximately 410 km west of Okinawa Island.
- Largest island: Uotsuri Island.

Global Society for Preservation of Baobabs and Mangroves has initiated a mission to rejuvenate baobab trees.

About Baobab Tree (Genus: Adansonia)
- Long-lived deciduous, small to large trees from 20 to 100 ft tall with broad trunks and compact tops.
- Grows in Africa, Madagascar and Australia.
- Also found in Mandu, in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
- Also known as upside-down tree, because in dry season they are devoid of leaves, and their bare grey and gnarled branches resemble roots.
- Fiber from bark is used to make rope, cloth, musical instrument strings etc.

For the first time in India, Eurasian otter was radio-tagged in Satpura tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh).
- Other two otter species found in India – Smooth-coated otter and Asian small-clawed otter.

About Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra)
- Conservation Status:
  - IUCN: Near threatened
  - Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I
  - CITES: Appendix I
- Distribution:
  - Found in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
  - In India, found in northern, northeast, and southern regions.
- Characteristics: Brown Fur, adapted for aquatic lifestyle with webbed feet and ability to close small ears and nose under water.

Several states are using SURAKSHA platform for disbursing subsidies to horticulture farmers under the CDP.
- CDP is a component of the central sector scheme of National Horticulture Board (NHB).

About CDP-SURAKSHA
- SURAKSHA stands for ‘System for Unified Resource Allocation, Knowledge, and Secure Horticulture Assistance’.
- It allows an instant disbursal of subsidies to farmers in their bank account by utilising the e-RUPI voucher from the NPCI.
- Its key features are database integration with PM-KISAN, UIDAI validation, geotagging, geo-fencing etc.
- CDP-SURAKSHA allows access to farmers, vendors, Implementing Agencies, Cluster Development Agencies etc.

Fresh proposals under S&T-PRISM program have been invited by Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre, Nagpur.

About Promotion of Research and Innovation in Start-ups and MSMEs in mining, mineral processing, metallurgy, and recycling sector (S&T PRISM):
- Ministry: Ministry of Mines (MoM).
- Objective: To promote ecosystem for research, design, development, IPR creation, pilot project and manufacturing in Mining, Mineral Processing, Metallurgy and Recycling.
- Implementing Agency: JNARDDC, autonomous body under MoM.
- Sub-components: Startup funding with grant upto Rs. 2 crore and Setting up of incubation centres with grant upto Rs. 10 crore.

India’s share of global pool of Web3 developers has increased from 3% in 2018 to 12% in 2023.

About Web 3
- It is the third generation of World Wide Web. It enables peer-to-peer transactions and interactions without intermediaries.
- Web3 provides a version of web where users have a financial stake and more control over web.
- Enables people to control their own data.
- Includes cryptocurrencies, Non-Fungible Tokens etc.
- In web3 world, there can be blockchain based social networks.
- Operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.

Apple has issued warnings to users in India and other countries of potential "mercenary spyware" attacks.

About Mercenary Spywares:
- Mercenary spywares are designed to remotely infiltrate and compromise smartphones and other devices without the knowledge or consent of the users.
- These targets specific individuals and can be used to monitor movements, communications and steal private data.
- Some of mercenary spywares include Pegasus, FinSpy and Galileo.

Spyware:
- It is malicious software or malware that is installed on a computing device without end user’s knowledge and monitors or steals sensitive information.