Current Affairs 20th Aug 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

StudyIQ offers Daily Current Affairs and Important News for the UPSC Exam 2024. Check here for Current Affairs of 20th Aug 2024 for the UPSC Exam and State PSC Exam.

Table of Contents

Waggle Dance

Context: Two scientists have raised concerns about “problematic behaviour” in papers on honeybee communication co-authored by Dr. Mandyam Srinivasan (Neuroscientist).

About Waggle Dance

The waggle dance is a form of communication used by the honeybees (Apis mellifera)
It is used to convey information about the location of resources like food, water, or nesting spots to other members of their colony.
It is one of the most intricate forms of bee dance communication, which communicates the bearing, distance as well as the quality of a resource.
Duration of waggle run indicates distance to the food source.
Angle of waggle run shows direction relative to the sun.

Do you Know?

Round Dance of Bees

The round dance is used for food sources 25-100 metres away from the hive or closer.
Scout bee of the colony performs the circular dance.
In a round dance, the forager bee first circles to the right and then to the left.
The round dance does not give directional information.
Bees watching the dance detect the fragrance of the flower left on the dancing bee.

Current Affairs 20th Aug 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam_5.1

UPSC PYQ

Q. Which of the following organisms perform waggle dance for others of their kin to indicate the direction and the distance to a source of their food? (2023)

(a) Butterflies
(b) Dragonflies
(c) Honey Bees
(d) Wasps

Answer: C

Alternate Investment Fund

Context: In a recent notification SEBI allowed Category I, and II AIFs to borrow

About Alternate Investment Fund (AIF)

AIFs are funds that pool capital from investors to invest in asset classes such as real estate, venture capital and private and public equity.
An AIF under the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012 can be established or incorporated in the form of a trust a company or a limited liability partnership or a body corporate.
- Most of the AIFs registered with SEBI are in trust form.

Under SEBI Guidelines, AIFs Operate in 3 Categories

Category I: AIFs invest in start-up or early-stage ventures or other areas which the government considers as economically desirable.
- Examples: Startups, MSMEs, Infrastructure funds.
Category II: AIF includes real estate funds, private equity funds, and funds for distressed assets. Such funds are prohibited from raising debt except for meeting day-to-day requirements.
Category III: AIFs are those investing with a view to make short-term returns and include hedge funds.

Minimum Number of Investors

No scheme of an AIF (other than an angel fund) shall have more than 1000 investors.
In the case of an angel fund, no scheme shall have more than forty-nine angel investors.

Chaudhary Kumbharam Lift Canal

Context: The Yamuna River water is expected to arrive soon in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region.

The Chaudhary Kumbharam Lift Canal at present supplies 1,500 cusecs of water to some areas of Shekhawati.

About the Chaudhary Kumbharam Lift Canal

Inaugurated: July 15, 2013.
Purpose: To deliver fresh water from the Himalayas to Rajasthan.
Developed: As part of the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project.
Beneficiary Districts: The districts benefiting from the project are Hanumangarh, Jhunjhunu, and Churu.