Hoolock Gibbon
Why in News: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has allocated funds for the construction of canopy bridges to facilitate the movement of Hoolock Gibbons, India’s sole ape species, across a railway track that divides its primary habitat in eastern Assam.
About Hoolock Gibbon:
Species Characteristics:
- Gibbons, the swiftest and smallest of all apes, inhabit tropical and subtropical forests across Southeast Asia.
Species Diversity:
- The Hoolock Gibbon is one of the 20 known gibbon species globally.
Geographical Distribution:
- Found in Southeast Asia, including India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and southern China, it is the solitary ape species native to India.
Indian Habitat:
- In India, it resides primarily in Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, predominantly south of the Brahmaputra River.
- The largest population is observed in the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam.
Species Variants:
- It’s divided into two subspecies: the Eastern Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) localized in a specific region of Arunachal Pradesh and the Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) dispersed throughout the northeastern region.
Physical Traits:
- Male and female gibbons are similar in size but exhibit distinct colorations.
- Males feature black fur with striking white brows, while females possess grey-brown fur, darker around the chest and neck.
- Facial features include white rings around the eyes and mouth, creating a mask-like appearance.
Behavioral Characteristics:
- Diurnal and arboreal, they navigate tree canopies using their lengthy arms.
- They form monogamous pairs, living in small family units consisting of males, females, and offspring, and utilize vocalizations for communication, including loud calls to identify individuals within and beyond their family groups.
Intelligence and Social Structure:
- Like all apes, they exhibit high intelligence, distinctive personalities, and strong familial bonds.
- Their lifespan averages around 25 years.
Conservation Status:
- Classified as Vulnerable (Eastern Hoolock Gibbon) and Endangered (Western Hoolock Gibbon) on the IUCN Red List.
- Both subspecies are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Colombo Process
Why in News: For the first time since its establishment in 2003, India has assumed the role of chair of the Colombo Process.
About Colombo Process:
- Purpose and Platform: The Colombo Process functions as a Regional Consultative Process, offering a vital platform for discussions concerning the management of overseas employment and contractual labor among Asian origin countries.
- Exchange of Best Practices: It serves as a forum for the exchange of best practices related to overseas employment management.
Membership Composition:
- Comprising 12 Asian Member States, it includes countries of origin for migrant workers such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- India has been a member since the process’s inception in 2003.
Objectives:
- Share experiences, lessons learned, and best practices in labor migration management.
- Address challenges faced by migrants, countries of origin, and destination, proposing practical solutions for migrant welfare.
- Maximize developmental benefits from organized overseas employment and enhance dialogues with destination countries.
- Monitor and review implementation of recommendations, identifying further courses of action.
- Decision-making operates on a consensus basis, and the process is non-binding.
Coordination and Governance:
- Coordination is overseen through the Permanent Missions of Member States at the United Nations in Geneva.
- Ministerial Consultations, involving ministers from participating countries, discuss and adopt recommendations and action plans.
- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) serves as the Secretariat, providing technical support since the process’s inception.
Thematic Area Working Groups (TAWGs):
Five working groups focus on various thematic areas, each chaired by a member country:
- Skills and Qualification Recognition (chaired by Sri Lanka)
- Fostering Ethical Recruitment (chaired by Bangladesh)
- Pre-Departure Orientation and Empowerment (chaired by the Philippines)
- Remittances (chaired by Pakistan)
- Labour Market Analysis (chaired by Thailand)
Controller General of Accounts (CGA)
Why in News: Recently released data from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) indicates that the government’s fiscal deficit for the fiscal year 2023-24 amounted to 5.63 percent of the GDP, slightly improved from the 5.8 percent estimated in the Union Budget.
About Controller General of Accounts (CGA):
- Role and Authority: Situated within the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance, the CGA serves as the Principal Accounting Adviser to the Government of India.
- Responsibilities: CGA is tasked with establishing and maintaining a robust Management Accounting System and overseeing the preparation and submission of the Union Government’s accounts.
- It holds responsibility for exchequer control and conducts internal audits for the central government.
- Establishment: The CGA’s office was instituted in October 1975 to manage affairs regarding the departmentalization of the Union’s accounts.
Functions of CGA:
Financial Analysis and Policy Formulation:
- CGA conducts monthly and annual analyses of expenditure, revenues, borrowings, and fiscal indicators for the Union Government.
- It devises policies concerning accounting principles, forms, and procedures for both the Central and State Governments.
Administrative Oversight:
- CGA manages the payment, receipt, and accounting processes within Central Civil Ministries/Departments.
- Through its Internal Audit Units, it upholds technical accounting standards and monitors the financial performance and efficacy of various government programs, schemes, and activities.
Banking and Cash Management:
- CGA oversees banking arrangements for government expenditure disbursements and revenue collections.
- It liaises with the Central Bank to reconcile the cash balances of the Union Government.
Coordination and Monitoring:
- CGA coordinates and monitors the submission of corrective action notes on recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports through its web-based Audit Para Monitoring System (APMS).
Pension Administration:
- Additionally, CGA manages the pensions of Central government employees.
Koya Tribe
Why in News: In the Godavari Valley, the Koya tribe confronts a cultural dilemma as incursions by the Special Enforcement Bureau jeopardize their long-standing practice of consuming Mahua liquor, which holds significant cultural value for them.
About Koya Tribe:
Ethnic Diversity: The Koya tribe represents one of India’s few multi-racial and multi-lingual tribal communities.
Geographical Distribution:
- They inhabit various terrains, including forests, plains, and valleys along both banks of the Godavari River in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
- Historically, they are believed to have migrated from Bastar, northern India, to central India.
Language:
- The Koya language, also known as Koyi, belongs to the Dravidian language family, closely linked to Gondi and influenced by Telugu.
- Many Koya individuals are bilingual, speaking either Gondi or Telugu alongside Koyi.
Livelihood:
- Traditionally, they engaged in pastoralism and shifting cultivation, but today, they primarily practice settled agriculture alongside animal husbandry and seasonal forest collections.
- Their staple crops include Jowar, Ragi, Bajra, and various millets.
Social Structure and Customs:
- The Koya society is divided into five subdivisions known as gotras, and individuals are born into clans from which they cannot depart.
- They maintain patrilineal and patrilocal family structures, with the nuclear family being predominant.
- Monogamy is the prevailing marital practice.
- While they follow their ethnic religion, they also worship Hindu deities, with female deities like “mother earth” holding significant importance.
- Community funds and grain banks at the village level provide assistance to needy families and ensure food security.
- They observe burial or cremation rites for the deceased and erect menhirs in their memory.
Cultural Practices:
- Major festivals include Vijji Pandum (seeds charming festival) and Kondala Kolupu (festival to appease Hill deities).
- Traditional dances like Permakok (Bison horn dance) are performed during festivals and marriage ceremonies, characterized by vibrancy and robustness.
