Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 10 July 2022

::National::

Forest (Conservation) Rules consistent with Forest Rights Act: BhupenderYadav

Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022, do not dilute or infringe upon provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, Union environment minister BhupenderYadav has clarified. In a note posted on social media, Yadav on Sunday said the rules notified on June 28 are consistent with FRA and emphasise compliance with its provisions.
HT first reported the rules were notified for the constitution of a five-member project screening committee in each state and Union Territory (UT) for an initial review proposal involving the diversion of forest land. The committees will meet at least twice monthly and advise the governments on projects in a time-bound manner.
The notification shifted the onus of ensuring rights of forest dwellers to state governments. Compliance with FRA was earlier mandatory before the Centre granted stage II forest clearance to any project. This has also changed and drew flak from activists.
Yadav’s clarification came after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited the rules and accused the Centre of disempowering tribals living in forest areas in the name of ease of doing business for a chosen few. “…once forest clearance is granted everything else becomes a mere formality and almost inevitably no claims will be recognised and settled.”
Yadav maintained the Centre’s approval is merely a prior go-ahead and it does not directly lead to non-forestry use of forest land. “It is actually the State Government diversion order issued subsequently which authorises [the] use of forest land for intended purposes and hand over the land to the user agency.”
Yadav said the process envisaged in FRA and new rules framed thereunder are more likely to be parallel with other statutory processes. “...it is not de-linked from the compliance of FRA, 2006 and does not inhibit the commencement of processes envisaged in other statutory laws...”
In a tweet, Union tribal affairs minister ArjunMunda said the states have been tasked with granting compensation and the ministry regularly reviews the implementation of FRA. He called allegations that the government is trying to snatch the rights of the tribals baseless and added they were being made as part of a futile attempt to divert the attention from the fact that the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate, DraupadiMurmu, is a tribal.

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::International::

India to surpass China as most populous country in 2023: UN Report

India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country next year, according to a UN report released on the occasion of World Population Day. The World Population Prospects 2022 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, said that the global population is projected to reach eight billion by mid-November, around 8.5 billion in 2030, and 9.7 billion in 2050. With the global population growing at its slowest rate since World War II, it is projected to peak at around 10.4 billion during the 2080s and to stay at that level until 2100.
“This year’s World Population Day (July 11) falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” UN Secretary-General AntónioGuterres said.
“At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another,” he added.

::Economy::

Paytm's Apr-Jun loans disbursal jumps nine-fold to Rs 5,554 crore

Digital financial services firm Paytm's loan disbursement jumped nearly nine-fold to Rs 5,554 crore through 84.78 lakh transactions in the April-June quarter, reaching an annualised run rate of Rs 24,000 crore, the company said in a BSE filing.
The company had disbursed 14.33 lakh loans worth Rs 632 crore in the year-ago period.
"Our lending business (in partnership with top lenders) continues to witness accelerated growth with disbursements through our platform now an annualised run rate of over Rs 24,000 crore in June. The number of loans disbursed through our platform grew 492 per cent y-o-y to 8.5 million loans in the quarter ending June 2022, while the value of loans disbursed grew 779 per cent y-o-y to Rs 5,554 crore," Paytm said.
The company said that it is seeing increases in average ticket size due to the scale-up of the personal loans business in particular.
The total merchant payment volume or the GMV (gross merchandise value) of the company more than doubled to Rs 2.96 lakh crore from Rs 1.47 lakh crore a year ago.
Paytm's average monthly transacting users (MTU) for the quarter ending June 2022 increased by 49 per cent on a year-on-year basis to 7.48 crore from 5 crore.
"For the month of June alone, the MTU stood at 75.9 million," the filing said.

Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh see lag in paddy acreage

The southwest monsoon has picked up pace strongly across most parts of the country, but sowing of paddy — the foodgrain grown the most during the kharif season — has still not kept pace.
One main reason for the shortfall in acreage till July 8 could be less than average rains in the early part of the season, which has delayed planting of the crop, as paddy fields require a good amount of water for healthy planting. A shift towards other competing crops could be another factor.
There is still time, and paddy planting in some parts of the country goes on till mid-August, but unless there is a quick pullback, there could be some concerns on the final harvest.
This could be a reason why Food Minister PiyushGoyal, in a recent meeting, directed states to encourage farmers to bring more area under paddy this time.

::Science and tech::

Researchers rediscover oak tree thought to be extinct

According to a new study, botanical researchers revealed that oak tree once were thought to be extinct, and now are in immediate need of conservation within Big Bend National Park in Texas.
Researchers headed by The Morton Arboretum and United States Botanic Garden (USBG) were thrilled to find a lone Quercustardifolia (Q. tardifolia) tree standing about 30 feet tall, though it is in poor condition. First described in the 1930s, the last living specimen was believed to have perished in 2011.
"This work is crucial to preserve the biodiversity that Earth is so quickly losing," said Murphy Westwood, Ph.D., vice president of science and conservation at The Morton Arboretum. "If we ignore the decline of Q. tardifolia and other rare, endangered trees, we could see countless domino effects with the loss of other living entities in the ecosystems supported by those trees," she said. According to Westwood, Q. tardifolia is considered one of, if not the rarest oak in the world.
Scientists anticipate that by studying why this tree is going extinct they may be able to protect other organisms from the same fate. Whether or not this specimen of Q. tardifolia can be saved remains in question.
The team that made the discovery on May 25, 2022, described a dire scene. The trunk is scarred by fire and shows signs of severe fungal infection. A drought or fire has the potential to end its life, say the scientists who also report that climate change makes this outcome more likely every year. The group is now working with the National Park Service to reduce the immediate wildfire threat to the tree, and conservationists in this collaborative are moving quickly to return to search for acorns and to attempt propagation, the process of breeding specimens from a parent plant.

::Sports::

List of all records Djokovic scripted with record-equalling haul at Wimbledon

It wasn't for the first time that Novak Djokovic lost the first set at Wimbledon 2022. MatteoBerrettini had pulled off a similar back in the 2021 final while ninth seeded Cameron Norrie and Janik Sinner had emulated the same in the semi-final and quarterfinal round against the Serb as did Nick Kyrgios in the 2022 final.
But all four suffered a similar fate as Djokovic scripted yet another incredible come-from behind win on Sunday on Centre Court as he beat the unseeded Australian 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) to claim his fourth successive Wimbledon crown.
“I lost words for what this trophy means. It has always been and always will be the most special tournament. Realising a childhood dream in winning this trophy. Every year it gets more meaningful, I am really blessed. The most special court in the world. I am extremely happy and grateful to be here,” he said after the win.