UPSC Prelims Bits For Today (03 August, 2022) | Important Current Affairs in Brief Form For UPSC Prelims

In the ''UPSC Prelims Bits For Today'' article, we focus on UPSC Preliminary exam-oriented current affairs & prepare an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand digest from leading National Newspapers.

Table of Contents

”UPSC Prelims Bits For Today” is every day published in the morning between 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and contains selective current affairs articles. ”UPSC Prelims Bits For Today” covers various topics from UPSC Prelims Syllabus and is very helpful and time managing for UPSC Aspirants. The framing of this daily current affairs compilation article is easy to read and understandable also.

In the ”UPSC Prelims Bits For Today” article, we focus on UPSC Preliminary exam-oriented current affairs covering various sections from leading National Newspapers, PIB, and other various official sources.

Pingali Venkayya

Why In News?

To mark the birth anniversary of Pingali Venkayya on August 2, the Central government has released a special commemorative postage stamp. Ministry of Culture organised “TirangaUtsav” on the occasion of his 146th Birth Anniversary.

Who is Pingali Venkayya?

Freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya was the designer of India’s national tricolour. He was a farmer, a geologist, a lecturer at the Andhra National College in Machilipatnam, and a fluent speaker of Japanese. He was so fluent that he was famously known as ‘Japan Venkayya’.
Venkayya was born on August 2, 1876, at Bhatlapenumarru, near present-day Machilipatnam town in Andhra Pradesh.
A young Venkayya was sent to South Africa to fight in the war as a British Indian Army soldier. It was in South Africa that he was struck by the sense of nationhood the Union Jack inspired among British soldiers.
Venkayya went on to design many models of the national flag. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi approved a design at the Indian National Congress meeting in Vijayawada.
The version presented by Venkayya to the Mahatma had two stripes (green and red) and the Gandhian charkha at the centre. On Gandhi’s suggestion, Venkayya added a white stripe on top, and this became the original Tricolour.
Venkayya’s flag was used informally at all Congress meetings since 1921, but it was not until its 1931 session that the Congress adopted the Tricolour with the colour scheme we have grown up with — saffron, white and green — and the charkha at the centre.
A postage stamp in his honour was released in 2009; the Vijayawada station of the All India Radio was named after him in 2014.

China-Taiwan-US

China-Taiwan-US: Why In News?

US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has angered China.

Where is Taiwan?

Taiwan is an island, roughly 100 miles from the coast of southeast China.
It sits in the so-called “first island chain”, which includes a list of US-friendly territories that are crucial to US foreign policy.

China-Taiwan-US: What is the Issue?

China has condemned US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, calling it “extremely dangerous.”
It is the highest-ranking visit by an American politician to the island in 25 years.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control again.
However, Taiwan sees itself as an independent country, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.
China’s President Xi Jinping has said “reunification” with Taiwan “must be fulfilled” – and has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.

India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA)

India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA): In News

The Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) in its Report has appreciated the role of Digital Technology, which can play a transformational role in modernizing and organizing how rural India performs its agricultural activities.

About India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA)

The government has finalized the core concept of the framework which would lay down the architecture for the federated farmers’ database.
Further, the databases related to the schemes governed by the Department have been integrated.
The IDEA would serve as a foundation to build innovative agri-focused solutions leveraging emerging technologies to contribute effectively in creating a better Ecosystem for Agriculture in India.
This Ecosystem shall help the Government in effective planning towards increasing the income of farmers in particular and improving the efficiency of the Agriculture sector as a whole.

Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign

Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign: Great Marine Traditions of India

India has a rich marine history. Marine activities were first mentioned in the Rigveda and references to the interrelationships of the ocean, sea and rivers can be found in the Indian Puranas.
The diverse evidence from Indian socio-spiritual traditions, literature, poetry, sculpture, painting and from archaeology attest to the great marine traditions of India.
India’s coastline of more than 7,500 km reflects our vast ocean resources. Most importantly, the Indian Ocean is the only ocean named after a country, that is, India.

Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign: About the Campaign

This year on 17th September 2022, the Government of India along with other voluntary organizations, and the local society will run a cleanliness campaign “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” along India’s entire coastline.
The coastal cleanup drive will be carried out at 75 beaches across the country. A 75 days long campaign was launched on 03^rd July 2022 to raise awareness about “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” culminating on “International Coastal Cleanup Day” on 17th September 2022.
It will be the first-of-its-kind and longest-running coastal cleanup campaign in the world with highest number of people participating in it. The participation of common man will convey the message of “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” for the prosperity of not only coastal areas but also other parts of the country.
A mobile app “Eco Mitram” has been launched to spread awareness about the campaign and also for the common people for voluntary registration for the beach cleaning activity on the 17^thSeptember 2022.
Through this campaign, a mass behavioural change among the masses is intended by raising awareness about how plastic usage is destroying our marine life.