Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ramappa Temple, UNESCO Heritage sites
Mains level: Ancient temple architecture
The Union Minister for Culture, Tourism has unveiled the UNESCO World Heritage Listing plaque at Ramappa – Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple in Palampet.
Rudreswara Temple
- The Rudreswara temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.
- It is also known as the Ramappa temple, after the sculptor who executed the work in the temple for 40 years.
- The main temple is flanked by the collapsed structures of the Kateshwarayya and Kameshwarayya temples in Palampet, about 220 km from Hyderabad.
- An inscription dates the temple to 1135 Samvat-Saka on the eighth day of Magha (January 12, 1214).
- It is India’s 39th UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Total 40 in number after Dholavira).
Its architecture
- The temple complexes of Kakatiyas have a distinct style, technology, and decoration exhibiting the influence of the Kakatiyan sculptor.
- The temple stands on a 6 feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars, and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that attest to the unique skill of the Kakatiyan sculptors.
- The foundation is built with the “sandbox technique”, the flooring is granite, and the pillars are basalt.
- The lower part of the temple is red sandstone while the white gopuram is built with light bricks that reportedly float on water.
- European merchants and travelers were mesmerized by the beauty of the temple and one such traveler had remarked that the temple was the “brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan”.
Surviving through ages
- According to the temple priest, some of the iconography on the temple was damaged during the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1310.
- Treasure hunters vandalized the rest.
- But the biggest test for the temple was an earthquake in the 17th century (one of the biggest was that of 7.7-8.2-magnitude on June 16, 1819).
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom? (CSP 2017)
(a) Kakinada
(b) Motupalli
(c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)
(d) Nelluru
Post your answers here.
Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific, or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
- The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
- To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
- It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
- The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
- The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee
- The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund, and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
- It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
- India is NOT a member of this Committee.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GIS Energy Map
Mains level: Not Much
The NITI Aayog has launched the Geospatial Energy Map of India.
What is the GIS Energy Map?
- NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India.
- The GIS map provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country.
- It enables visualization of energy installations such as conventional power plants, oil and gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks.
- It also provides district-wise data on renewable energy power plants and renewable energy resource potential, etc through 27 thematic layers.
Significance of the map
- The map attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks.
- It is a unique effort aimed at integrating energy data scattered across multiple organizations and presenting it in a consolidated, visually appealing graphical manner.
- It leverages the latest advancements in web-GIS technology and open-source software to make it interactive and user-friendly.
Benefits offered
- The map would provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country.
- It will be useful in planning and making investment decisions.
- It will also aid in disaster management using available energy assets.
- This may also help in resource and environmental conservation measures, inter-state coordination on infrastructure planning including different corridors of energy and road transport highways.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Central Public Sector Enterprises, Its categories
Mains level: Profit making CPSEs
The Centre has accorded ‘Maharatna’ status to the state-owned Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC), thus giving PFC greater operational and financial autonomy.
About PFC Ltd.
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC) is an Indian financial institution under the ownership of Ministry of Power.
- Established in 1986, it is the financial backbone of Indian Power Sector.
- PFC is the 8th highest profit making Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) as per the Department of Public Enterprises Survey for FY 2017–18.
- It is India’s largest NBFC and also India’s largest infrastructure finance company.
Benefits of Maharatna Status
- This new status will enable PFC to offer competitive financing for the power sector, which will go a long way in making available affordable & reliable ‘Power For All 24×7’.
- This will also impart enhanced powers to the PFC Board while taking financial decisions.
- It can make equity investments to undertake financial joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries and undertake mergers and acquisitions in India and abroad.
- It can also structure and implement schemes relating to personnel and Human Resource Management and Training.
- It can also enter into technology Joint Ventures or other strategic alliances among others.
Back2Basics: Central Public Sector Enterprises
- The CPSEs are run by the Government under the Department of Public Enterprises of Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
- The government grants the status of Navratna, Miniratna and Maharatna to them based upon the profit made by these CPSEs.
- The Maharatna category has been the most recent one since 2009, other two have been in function since 1997.
|
Maharatna |
Navratna |
Miniratna Category-I |
Miniratna Category-II |
| Eligibility |
Three years with an average annual net profit of over ₹2,500 crore
OR
Average annual Net worth of ₹10,000 crore for 3 years
OR
Average annual Turnover of ₹20,000 crore for 3 years
|
A score of 60 (out of 100), based on six parameters which include net profit, net worth, total manpower cost, total cost of production, cost of services, PBDIT (Profit Before Depreciation, Interest and Taxes), capital employed, etc.,
AND
A company must first be a Miniratna and have 4 independent directors on its board before it can be made a Navratna |
Have made profits continuously for the last three years or earned a net profit of ₹30 crore or more in one of the three years |
Have made profits continuously for the last three years and should have a positive net worth. |
| Benefits for investment |
₹1,000 crore – ₹5,000 crore, or free to decide on investments up to 15% of their net worth in a project |
Up to ₹1,000 crore or 15% of their net worth on a single project or 30% of their net worth in the whole year |
Up to ₹500 crore or equal to their net worth, whichever is lower |
Up to ₹300 crore or up to 50% of their net worth, whichever is lower |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Geographical Indication
Mains level: Not Much
In Tamil Nadu, the Karuppur kalamkari paintings and the Kallakurichi wood carvings recently received the geographical indication (GI) tags.
[A] Kallakurichi Wood Carvings
- The Kallakurichi wood carvings are a unique form of wood carving practiced in Tamil Nadu.
- It involves the application of ornamentation and designs, derived from traditional styles by the craftsmen.
- They are mainly practiced in Kallakurichi, Chinnaselam and Thirukkovilur taluks of Kallakurichi district.
[B] Karuppur Kalamkari Paintings
- Kalamkari paintings are done on pure cotton cloth, predominantly used in temples for umbrella covers, cylindrical hangings, chariot covers and asmanagiri (false ceiling cloth pieces).
- Documentary evidence shows that kalamkari paintings evolved under the patronage of Nayaka rulers in the early 17th century.
Back2Basics: Geographical Indication
- A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
- GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
- GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
- The tag stands valid for 10 years.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UFill
Mains level: NA
The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has launched an automated fuelling technology -UFill- to ensure that its customers have a better experience at outlets.
What is UFill?
- UFill functionality, which has been described as swift, secure and smart, has been launched in 65 cities and will soon be launched across the country.
- It does not need any app download, and is payment app agnostic.
- Customer can use any payment app already downloaded on his/her phone.
- It offers real time QR and voucher code through SMS and is accepted at all BPCL Fuel Stations where the functionality is enabled.
Key features
- UFill aims to improve customer’s turn-around time (TAT) at fuel outlet and increase transactional transparency, thereby providing enhanced retail like experience.
- The technology provides the customer with control of fuelling as well as touch less pre-payment solution.
- There is no need to check zero before fuelling or final reading, the dispensing unit will automatically dispense the exact quantity of fuel.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified mass emission standards for E 12 (12% Ethanol with Gasoline) and E15 (15% Ethanol 12 with gasoline) fuels.
What is the news?
- The ministry has notified test standards for vehicles compliant with ethanol-blended fuel variants E12 and E15.
- The ministry made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to put “clearly visible stickers” on every vehicle informing about its compatibility to the level of ethanol blend (E12, E15, E20).
- Currently, India is using E10 fuel (petrol blended with 10% ethanol).
Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme
- Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme was launched in January, 2003 for supply of 5% ethanol blended Petrol.
- The programme sought to promote the use of alternative and environment-friendly fuels and to reduce import dependency for energy requirements.
- OMCs are advised to continue according priority of ethanol from 1) sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup, 2) B-heavy molasses 3) C-heavy molasses and 4) damaged food grains/other sources.
- At present, this programme has been extended to whole of India except UTs of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from 01st April, 2019 wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10%.
Why ethanol blending?
- Agricultural waste management: Ethanol blending will solve the problem of agricultural waste as well as sugar rates due to excess production, therefore providing security to sugarcane farmers.
- Reducing emission: It can help accomplish dual goal of strengthening energy security with low carbon emission.
- Enhanced participation: It will enable local enterprises and farmers to participate in the energy economy.
- Reducing import bill: It is another significant benefit. India imports 85% of crude oil.
- Fuel efficiency: Ethanol blending increases octane number thereby increasing fuel quality in terms of anti-knocking tendency (engine sound)
Also read:
[RSTV ARCHIVE] Ethanol Blending: Significance & Road Ahead
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NPK fertilizers, Soil Health Card
Mains level: Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates for P&K Fertilizers for the year last quarter of the year 2021-22.
An aspirant from rural agrarian background is quite habitual to hear about NPK 10-26-26, 20-20-0-13 & 12-32-16. They often get to find the plastic gunny bags mentioning this!
Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS)
- The NBS Scheme for fertilizer was initiated in the year 2010 and is being implemented by the Department of Fertilizers.
- Under the scheme, a fixed amount of subsidy decided on an annual basis is provided on each grade of subsidized P&K fertilizers, except for Urea based on the nutrient content present in them.
- It is largely for secondary nutrients like N, P, S and K and micronutrients which are very important for crop growth and development.
- In India, urea is the only controlled fertilizer and is sold at a statutory notified uniform sale price.
What is NPK?
- So now that you know what the numbers on fertilizer mean, you need to know why NPK is important to your plants.
- All plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to grow. Without enough of any one of these nutrients, a plant will fail.
- Nitrogen (N): It is largely responsible for the growth of leaves on the plant.
- Phosphorus (P): It is largely responsible for root growth and flower and fruit development.
- Potassium (K): It is a nutrient that helps the overall functions of the plant perform correctly.
- Knowing the NPK values of fertilizer can help you select one that is appropriate for the type of plant you are growing.
What NBS provides?
- Fixing MRP of NPK fertilizers: The scheme allows the manufacturers, marketers, and importers to fix the MRP of the Phosphatic and Potash fertilizers at reasonable levels.
- Maintaining stock level: The MRP will be decided considering the domestic and international prices of P&K fertilizers, inventory level in the country and the exchange rates.
- Inflation control: The NBS ensures that an adequate quantity of P&K is made available to the farmers at a statutory controlled price.
Issues with NBS
- Leaves urea: Urea which the most widely used, is left-out in the scheme and hence it remains under price control as NBS has been implemented only in other fertilizers.
- Cost on exchequer: Fertilizer subsidy is the second-biggest subsidy after food subsidy.
- Costs on Economy and Environment: The NBS policy is not only damaging the fiscal health of the economy but also proving detrimental to the soil health of the country.
- Black marketing: Subsidised fertilizers is getting diverted to bulk buyers/traders or even non-agricultural users such as plywood and animal feed makers.
Back2Basics: Soil Health Card (SHC)
- Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme is promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- An SHC is meant to give each farmer soil nutrient status of his/her holding and advice him/her on the dosage of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments, that s/he should apply to maintain soil health in the long run.
- SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings.
- It will be made available once in a cycle of 2 years, which will indicate the status of soil health of a farmer’s holding for that particular period.
- The SHC given in the next cycle of 2 years will be able to record the changes in the soil health for that subsequent period.
Parameters of SHC:
- N, P, K (Macro-nutrients)
- Sulfur (S) (Secondary- nutrient)
- Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micronutrients)
- pH, EC (Electrical conductivity) , OC (Organic content)
Try this PYQ:
The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at:
- expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
- enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
- checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Indian Space Association (ISpA)
Mains level: Commercial space exploration in India
The PM has launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA), an industry body consisting of various stakeholders of the Indian space domain.
Indian Space Association (ISpA)
- The ISpA is a premier industry association of space and satellite companies, which aspires to be the collective voice of the Indian space industry.
- It will be headed by retired Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, who will be its Director General.
- It will target to undertake policy advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the Indian space domain. It will engage with the government and all its agencies.
Why is the formation of ISpA significant?
- Million-dollar industry: Governments across the world have poured millions of dollars to push the envelope in term of exploring the edges of the space.
- Collaborated research: With time, governments and government agencies collaborated to explore newer planets and galaxies in search of life forms that exist outside Earth.
- Private players involvement: In the recent past, private sector companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin have taken the lead in spaceflight.
- Easing workload on ISRO: Though India too has made significant strides in space exploration over time, state-run ISRO has been at the centre and front of this progress.
What does ISpA aim to achieve?
- Supplementing space research: One of the main goals of the organisation is to supplement the government’s efforts towards making India a global leader in commercial space-based excursions.
- Commercial space exploration: ISpA said it would engage with stakeholders across the ecosystem for the formulation of an enabling policy framework which fulfills the government vision of leading commercial space exploration.
- Establishing global linkages: ISpA will also work towards building global linkages for the Indian space industry to bring in critical technology and investments into the country to create more high skill jobs.
Who are the stakeholders in this organisation? How will they contribute?
- ISpA will be represented by leading domestic and global corporations that have advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies.
- It has taken off with several Indian and international companies betting on it as the next frontier to provide high-speed and affordable Internet connectivity to inaccessible areas as well.
- This includes SpaceX’s StarLink, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s OneWeb, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, US satellite maker Hughes Communications, etc.
- OneWeb, for example, is building its initial constellation of 648 low-earth orbit satellites and has already put 322 satellites into orbit.
Why is satellite-based Internet important in India?
- The expansion of the Internet in India is crucial to the Modi government’s dream of a digital India where a majority of government services are delivered directly to the customer.
- The government aims to connect all villages and gram panchayats with high-speed Internet over the next 1000 days through BharatNet.
- However, internet connectivity in hilly areas and far-flung places of Northeast India are still a challenge.
- To overcome this, industry experts suggest that satellite Internet will be essential for broadband inclusion in remote areas and sparsely populated locations where terrestrial networks have not reached.
- Satellite communications remain limited to use by corporates and institutions that use it for emergency use, critical trans-continental communications and for connecting to remote areas with no connectivity.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: River Ranching
Mains level: Fisheries development
The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, is set to launch the River Ranching Programme in Uttar Pradesh under the Namami Gange Programme.
What is River Ranching?
- River Ranching is a form of aquaculture in which a population of a fish species (such as salmon) is held in captivity for the first stage of their lives.
- They are then released, and later harvested as adults when they return from the sea to their freshwater birthplace to spawn.
Objective
The key objectives of the program are:
- To sustain and conserve the biodiversity in the river.
- Facilitate regular stocking of fingerlings of cultivable carps to enhance productivity
- Increase fish production
- Enhance income and livelihood opportunities to communities’ dependent on these resources
Why need such a program?
- River ranching helps in achieving sustainable fisheries, reducing habitat degradation, conserving biodiversity, maximising social-economic benefits and would also remove factors causing pollution.
- In this activity, different species of fish are released in the river, which destroy factors that increase the level of nitrogen.
- These fishes will also aid in maintaining the cleanliness of the river as they feed on organic remnants.
Where is the scheme being launched?
- In Uttar Pradesh, about 15 lakh fish fingerlings of native carp species shall be simultaneously released into the river in 12 districts by the department.
- These districts include Bulandshahr/Hapur, Hardoi, Bijnor, Amroha, Fatehpur, Kanpur, Badayun, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Ghazipur.
- Four other states namely Uttarakhand, Orissa, Tripura and Chhattisgarh will also witness the launching of nationwide River Ranching program.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Digital Livestock Mission
Mains level: Not Much
The Union Minister of State Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying unveiled the National Digital Livestock Mission Blueprint.
National Digital Livestock Mission
- The NDLM would be a digital platform developed by Dept. of Dairy and Animal Husbandry on the foundation of the existing Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health (INAPH).
- It aims to create a farmer-centric, technology-enabled ecosystem where the farmers are able to realize better income through livestock activities with the right information.
- The bedrock of NDLM will be the unique identification of all livestock, which will be the foundation for all the state and national level programmes including domestic and international trade.
- The farmers will be able to effortlessly access the markets, irrespective of their location or holdings through this digital platform as a wide-range of stake-holders will be connected in this ecosystem.
- This system will also include robust animal breeding systems, nutrition, disease surveillance, disease control programmes and a traceability mechanism for animals and animal products.
Why need such mission?
- The livestock sector has a unique combination of being the backbone of rural livelihood.
- The growth would have been a lot better if there were concerted efforts to harmonise programmes across the country in order to create an ecosystem that is conducive for growth of the sector.
- This has been the main idea behind the deployment of NDLM, keeping the welfare of the farmer at the core.
Back2Basics: National Livestock Mission
- National Livestock Mission is an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- The mission, which commenced from 2014-15, has the objective of sustainable development of the livestock sector.
- NABARD is the subsidy channelising agency for following schemes, under Entrepreneurship Development & Employment Generation (EDEG) component of National Livestock Mission.
- Poultry Venture Capital Fund (PVCF)
- Integrated Development of Small Ruminants and Rabbit (IDSRR)
- Pig Development (PD)
- Salvaging and Rearing of Male Buffalo Calves (SRMBC)
- Effective Animal Waste Management
- Construction of Storage Facility for Feed and Fodder
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: High Ambition Coalition (HAC)
Mains level: NA
India has officially joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, a group of more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect 30×30.
High Ambition Coalition (HAC)
Aim: To promote an international agreement to protect at least 30 % the of world’s land and ocean by 2030
- The HAC is an informal group of approximately 61 countries within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- It is committed to advancing progressive proposals on climate ambition.
- The HAC was founded by the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 2014 with the aim of ensuring the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, was as ambitious as possible.
- The Republic of the Marshall Islands serves as the convener and secretariat of the HAC.
- The global 30×30 goal is currently a centerpiece of the treaty.
Members
- HAC members currently include a mix of countries in the global north and south; European, Latin American, Africa and Asia countries are among the members.
- India is the first of the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to join the HAC.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Central Asian Flyway
Mains level: NA
The two-day meeting of 30 range countries of Central Asian Flyway has begun.
What is Central Asian Flyway?
- Central Asian Flyway (CAF) is a flyway covering a large continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean and the associated island chains.
- It comprises several important migration routes of waterbirds, most of which extend from the northernmost breeding grounds in Siberia to the southernmost non-breeding wintering grounds in West Asia, India, the Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
- The CAF range is essentially centred on one of the three major wintering areas of waterfowl in the Old World, namely the Indian subcontinent, the other two being Africa.
- There are also the African-Eurasian Flyway (AEWA) to the west, and south-east Asia in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAF) to the east.
- These wintering areas are geographically separate, and present entirely different ecological, historical and cultural situations.
Range countries
- The flyway covers 30 countries of North, Central and South Asia and Trans-Caucasus.
- India is the core country of the CAF and supports 257 species of water birds.
Major migratory birds
- Critically Endangered – northern bald ibis, white-bellied heron, Baer’s pochard
- Endangered – greater adjutant
- Vulnerable – black-necked crane, Indian skimmer, lesser adjutant, masked finfoot, Socotra cormorant, wood snipe
- Near Threatened – black-headed ibis, lesser flamingo, pygmy cormorant, white-eyed gull
Why designate such flyways?
- Approximately one in five of the world’s 11,000 bird species11,000 bird species migrate, some covering enormous distances.
- Conserving migratory birds requires cooperation and coordination along the entire flyway between countries and across national boundaries.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Road Safety Board
Mains level: Road safety issues in India
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has notified the constitution of the National Road Safety Board.
National Road Safety Board
- The NRSB will be constituted of a panel of seven members and a chairman, with the members having experience in the fields related to road safety, traffic regulation, urban planning, civil engineering and police enforcement and investigation.
- Additionally, the board will also comprise of technical committees to look into a variety of aspects of road safety from civil engineering to vehicle construction and safety equipment.
Why need such board?
- Along with the rapid expansion and up-gradation on the road network and the enforcement of higher safety standards for vehicles, the Government is now actively looking into the safety of roads too.
Terms of reference
- The Head Office of the Board shall be in the National Capital Region and the Board may establish offices at other places in India.
- The Board shall be responsible for promoting road safety, innovation and adoption of new technology and for regulating traffic and motor vehicles.
For this purposes, inter alia, the Board shall formulate
- specific standards for road safety, traffic management and road construction for hilly regions
- guidelines for capacity building and development of skills for traffic police, hospital authorities, highway authorities, educational and research organizations and other organizations
- guidelines for establishing and operating trauma facilities and para-medical facilities, for consideration by the Central Government
- provide technical advice and assistance to the Central Government, State Governments and local authorities on road safety and traffic management
Key provision: Protection of Samaritans
- The board aims to promote Good Samaritans and good practices in road safety and traffic management
- Good Samaritans who rescue victims of serious road accidents and rush them to a hospital within the golden hour will now be rewarded with ₹5,000.
- They will also be eligible for a cash prize of ₹1 lakh which will be given to 10 such Samaritans in a year.
- It has been felt that there is a need to motivate the general public through cash awards and certificates to help the road accident victims in emergency situation and to boost their morale.
- The categories of accidents that will make one eligible for the award will include those that result in a major surgery or minimum three days of hospitalisation or brain and spinal cord injuries.
Do you know?
The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GI, Mihidana
Mains level: NA
The first consignment of GI-tagged sweet dish Mihidana sourced from Bardhaman, West Bengal has been exported to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
About Mihidana
- Mihidana, described as the micro cousin of the traditional Boondi, is derived from two words, Mihi meaning fine, and Dana, meaning grain.
- The dessert is made from powdered Kaminibhog, Gobindobhog and basmati rice, mixed with a small amount of gram flour and saffron for a golden colour.
- It is then blended with water by hand till its colour lightens.
- This mix is then poured through a brass ladle with tiny holes into a pot of ghee and deep-fried.
- The fine fried small rice-like grains are dipped in sugar syrup and drained once soaked.
Back2Basics: Geographical Indication
- A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
- GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
- GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
- The tag stands valid for 10 years.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?
- Banaras Brocades and Sarees
- Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
- Tirupathi Laddu
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Digi-Saksham
Mains level: Various initiaitves for Skilling India
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched DigiSaksham Initiative.
DigiSaksham
- It is joint initiative with Microsoft India is an extension of the Government’s ongoing programs to support the youth from rural and semi-urban areas.
- Through DigiSaksham initiative, free of cost training in digital skills including basic skills as well as advance computing, will be provided to more than 3 lakh youths in the first year.
- The Jobseekers can access the training through National Career Service (NCS) Portal.
- DigiSaksham will be implemented in the field by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSP-I).
Training offered
- Under the initiative, there will be basically three types of training viz. Digital Skills – Self paced learning, VILT mode training (Virtual Instructor led) and ILT mode training (Instructor led).
- The ILT training which is in person training would be conducted at the Model Career Centres (MCCs) and National Career Service Centres (NCSC) for SCs/STs across the country.
- Students will be able to access training in areas like Java Script, Data Visualisation, Advance Excel, Power Bi, HTML, Programming languages, software development fundamentals, Introduction to coding etc.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: REC Mechanism
Mains level: Renewable Energy in India
Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy has given his assent to amendments in the existing Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism.
What are RECs?
- Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) is a policy instrument to catalyze the development of renewable energy.
- It is a market-based mechanism that will help the states meet their regulatory requirements (such as Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs)) by overcoming the geographical constraints on existing renewable potential in different states.
REC Mechanism
- REC mechanism is a market-based instrument to promote renewable energy and facilitate compliance of renewable purchase obligations (RPO).
- It is aimed at addressing the mismatch between availability of RE resources in state and the requirement of the obligated entities to meet the RPO.
- 1 REC is treated as equivalent to 1 MWh.
How many types of RECs are there?
There are two categories of RECs, viz., solar RECs and non-solar RECs.
- Solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on solar as renewable energy source.
- Non-solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on renewable energy sources other than solar.
Sources of revenue under REC mechanism
- Revenue for a RE generator under REC scheme includes revenue from the sale of electricity component of RE generation and the revenue from the sale of environmental attributes in the form of RECs.
What are the proposed changes?
The salient features of changes proposed in revamped REC mechanism are:
- Validity of REC would be perpetual i.e., till it is sold.
- Floor and forbearance prices are not required to be specified.
- The RE generator who are eligible for REC, will be eligible for issuance of RECs for the period of PPA as per the prevailing guidelines.
- The existing RE projects that are eligible for REC would continue to get RECs for 25 years.
- A technology multiplier can be introduced for promotion of new and high priced RE technologies, which can be allocated in various baskets specific to technologies depending on maturity.
- RECs can be issued to obligated entities (including DISCOMs and open access consumers) which purchase RE Power beyond their RPO compliance notified by the Central Government.
- No REC to be issued to the beneficiary of subsidies/concessions or waiver of any other charges.
- Allowing traders and bilateral transactions in REC mechanism.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Export Insurance Account Scheme
Mains level: NA
The Centre has approved the contribution of Grant-in-aid (Corpus) of ₹1,650 Crore to the National Export Insurance Account (NEIA).
National Export Insurance Account Scheme
- NEIA Trust was established in 2006 to promote project exports from India that are of strategic and national importance.
- The NEIA Trust promotes Medium and Long Term (MLT) /project exports.
- It extends (partial/full) support to covers issued by ECGC (ECGC Ltd, formerly known as Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd.) to MLT/project export and to Exim Bank for Buyer’s Credit (BC-NEIA) tied to project exports from India.
Benefits offered
- The capital infusion in NEIA Trust will help the Indian Project Exporters (IPE) to tap the huge potential of project exports in focus market.
- Support to project exports with Indian content sourced from across the country will enhance the manufacturing in India.
- In addition, assuming an average 75% Indian content in the projects, it is estimated that around 12000 workers will move into formal sector.
Performance highlights
- Since inception, NEIA has extended 213 covers, with a consolidated project value of Rs. 53,000 crores, to 52 countries as of 31st August 2021.
- Its impact in enabling project exports has been most significant in Africa and South Asia.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Crop Varieties with Special Traits
Mains level: GM Crops
In an endeavor to create mass awareness for adoption of climate resilient technologies, PM will dedicate 35 crop varieties with special traits to the Nation.
About Crop Varieties with Special Traits
- The crop varieties with special traits have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address the twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition.
- Thirty-five such crop varieties with special traits like climate resilience and higher nutrient content have been developed in the year 2021.
- These special traits crop varieties also include those that address the anti-nutritional factors found in some crops that adversely affect human and animal health.
Which are these varieties?
- Drought tolerant variety of chickpea
- Wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeonpea
- Early maturing variety of soybean
- Disease resistant varieties of rice
- Biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and faba bean
- Pusa Double Zero Mustard 33
- Canola quality hybrid RCH 1 with <2% erucic acid and <30 ppm glucosinolates and
- Soybean variety free from two anti-nutritional factors namely Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and lipoxygenase.
Try answering the PYQ:
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is constituted under the:
(a) Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
(b) Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999
(c) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
(d) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM-SAUBHAGYA Scheme
Mains level: Rural and Urban Electrification
The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – SAUBHAGYA Scheme has successfully completed four years of its implementation.
Progress till date
- 82 crore households have been electrified since the launch of SAUBHAGYA till 31st March, 2021.
About SAUBHAGYA Scheme
- The Saubhagya is a scheme to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas.
- It was launched in September 2017.
- The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is the nodal agency for the operationalization of the scheme throughout the country.
Objective
- To provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas
- To achieve universal household electrification in the country
Beneficiaries of the project
- The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data.
- However, un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 installments through electricity bill.
- The solar power packs of 200 to 300 Wp with battery bank for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas, comprises Five LED lights, One DC fan, One DC power plug.
- It also includes Repair and Maintenance (R&M) for 5 years.
Implementation process
- For the easy and accelerated implementation of the Scheme, modern technology shall be used for household surveys by using Mobile App.
- Beneficiaries shall be identified and their application for electricity connection along with applicant photograph and identity proof shall be registered on spot.
- The Gram Panchayat/Public institutions in the rural areas may be authorised to collect application forms along with complete documentation, distribute bills and collect revenue in consultation with the Panchayat Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies.
Expected outcomes of the scheme
The expected outcome of the Scheme is as follows:
- Environmental upgradation by substitution of Kerosene for lighting purposes
- Improvement education services
- Better health services
- Enhanced connectivity through radio, television, mobiles, etc.
- Increased economic activities and jobs
- Improved quality of life especially for women
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: International Hydropower Association (IHA), Teesta River
Mains level: NA
NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station located in the Himalayan State of Sikkim has been conferred with the prestigious Blue Planet Prize by International Hydropower Association (IHA).
Teesta-V Power Station
- The power station has been built, owned and being operated by NHPC.
- The award has been conferred for its sustainability assessment undertaken by Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) of IHA.
About IHA
- IHA is a London based non-profit membership association operating in 120 countries.
- The IHA membership includes leading hydropower owners and operators, developers, designers, suppliers and consultants.
- The IHA Blue Planet Prize is awarded to hydropower projects that demonstrate excellence in sustainable development.
- The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) is the leading international tool for measuring the sustainability of hydropower projects.
- It offers a way to benchmark the performance of a hydropower project against a comprehensive range of environmental, social, technical and governance criteria.
Back2Basics: Teesta River
- Teesta River is a 414 km long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Bangladesh and enters the Bay of Bengal.
- It drains an area of 12,540 sq km.
- In India, it flows through North Sikkim, East Sikkim, Pakyong District, Kalimpong district, Darjeeling District, Jalpaiguri District, Cooch Behar districts and the cities of Rangpo, Jalpaiguri and Mekhliganj.
- It joins River Brahmaputra at Fulchhari in Bangladesh. 315 km portion of the river lies in India and rest in Bangladesh.
- Teesta is the largest river of Sikkim and the second largest river of West Bengal after Ganges.
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