RTI Amendment Bill passed amid protests in Rajya Sabha

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

The Rajya Sabha has passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
The bill amends the RTI Act 2005.

Key Features :

The Bill changes the terms and conditions of service of the CIC and Information Commissioners at the centre and in states.
The Bill states that the central government will notify the term of office for the CIC and the ICs.
The Bill states that the salaries, allowances, and other terms and conditions of service of the central and state CIC and ICs will be determined by the central government.

Source :- PIB

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram is an initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribal population by harnessing the wealth of forest i.e. Van Dhan.

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras initiative:

The Van Dhan Scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED.
The scheme will be implemented through Ministry of Tribal Affairs as Nodal Department at the Central Level and TRIFED as Nodal Agency at the National Level.
The initiative aims to promote MFPs-centric livelihood development of tribal gatherers and artisans.
It mainstreams the tribal community by promoting primary level value addition to MFP at grassroots level.
Significance: Through this initiative, the share of tribals in the value chain of Non-Timber Forest Produce is expected to rise from the present 20% to around 60%.

Source :- PIB

Kochi hosts global meet on shark trade

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate

Context :

International shark meet was held in Kochi,Kerala on July 24,2019.

International shark meet :

The global conference was jointly organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
The meeting aimed to bring together the scientific community in the spectrum to describe various methodologies being transpired and adopted in research works and to develop a set of common guidelines for all the shark fishing countries.
The meeting stressed on the need for mapping and understanding the full value chain of shark species to secure sustainability of commercial fishery and markets which would benefit both the stakeholders and the resources.

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) :

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute was established by Government of India on February 3rd 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and later it joined the ICAR family in 1967.
The institute is headquartered at kochi.

Source :- The Hindu

Earth is warming at a faster pace than in the last 2,000 years: study

GS PAPER - 01 GEOGRAPHY - geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps)

Context :

According to studies published in the journals Nature and Nature Geoscience, world temperatures rose faster in the late 20th century than at any other time in the last 2,000 years.

Key Findings :

The paper published in Nature Geoscience examined rates of surface warming, averaged over sub-periods each a few decades long.
The researchers had used data compiled from nearly 700 temperature indicators such as tree rings, sediment cores, coral reefs, modern thermometer readings etc.
The findings of the study suggest that in modern human history temperatures rose the fastest and most consistently in the late 20th century marked by unprecedented anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
The study also found that pre-industrial temperature fluctuations were largely driven by volcanic activity.

Source :- The Hindu

solar rooftop installations

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

Union minister for New and Renewable Energy Informed Rajya Sabha about the initiatives for installation of solar panels on the rooftop of houses.

Grid Connected Rooftop Solar programme :

The ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing Grid Connected Rooftop Solar programme.
The Government has set a target of installing 40 GW of grid connected rooftop solar capacity in the country including Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) by year 2022.

Objective :

To promote the grid connected SPV rooftop and small SPV power generating plants among the residential, community, institutional, industrial and commercial establishments.
To mitigate the dependence on fossil fuel based electricity generation and encourage environment friendly Solar electricity generation.
To create enabling environment for investment in solar energy sector by private sector, state government and the individuals.
To create enabling environment for supply of solar power from rooftop and small plants to the grid.
To encourage innovation in addressing market needs and promoting sustainable business models and ensures employment opportunities.
To provide support to channel partners and potential beneficiaries, within the framework of boundary conditions and in a flexible demand driven mode.
To create a paradigm shift needed for commoditization of grid connected SPV rooftop applications.
To support consultancy services, seminars, symposia, capacity building, awareness campaigns, human resource development, etc.
To encourage replacement of diesel, wherever possible.

Source :- PIB

YAMUNA WATER CONSERVATION PROJECT

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

The National Green Tribunal approved the Delhi government’s Yamuna water conservation project.

Yamuna Water Conservation Project :

The project aims at conserving water in the floodplain between Palla on the Delhi-Haryana border and Wazirabad to deal with the water shortage in the capital, particularly during summers.
The project involves the creation of small ponds in the floodplains which will store water from the overflowing Yamuna during the monsoon season.

Background :

The project was first recommended in NGT’s 2015 order, ‘Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna Rejuvenation Plan’.
Various academic institutions, such as IIT Delhi, NIH, CGWB, IIT Bombay, WAPCOS and Delhi University, also indicated the potential to store huge amount of water on the floodplain.

Source :- Business Standard

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26th JULY 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

RTI Amendment Bill passed amid protests in Rajya Sabha

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras

Kochi hosts global meet on shark trade

Earth is warming at a faster pace than in the last 2,000 years: study

solar rooftop installations

YAMUNA WATER CONSERVATION PROJECT

RTI Amendment Bill passed amid protests in Rajya Sabha

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

The Rajya Sabha has passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The bill amends the RTI Act 2005.

Key Features :

The Bill changes the terms and conditions of service of the CIC and Information Commissioners at the centre and in states.

The Bill states that the central government will notify the term of office for the CIC and the ICs.

The Bill states that the salaries, allowances, and other terms and conditions of service of the central and state CIC and ICs will be determined by the central government.

Source :- PIB

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram is an initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribal population by harnessing the wealth of forest i.e. Van Dhan.

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras initiative:

The Van Dhan Scheme is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED.

The scheme will be implemented through Ministry of Tribal Affairs as Nodal Department at the Central Level and TRIFED as Nodal Agency at the National Level.

The initiative aims to promote MFPs-centric livelihood development of tribal gatherers and artisans.

It mainstreams the tribal community by promoting primary level value addition to MFP at grassroots level.

Significance: Through this initiative, the share of tribals in the value chain of Non-Timber Forest Produce is expected to rise from the present 20% to around 60%.

Source :- PIB

Kochi hosts global meet on shark trade

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate

Context :

International shark meet was held in Kochi,Kerala on July 24,2019.

International shark meet :

The global conference was jointly organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

The meeting aimed to bring together the scientific community in the spectrum to describe various methodologies being transpired and adopted in research works and to develop a set of common guidelines for all the shark fishing countries.

The meeting stressed on the need for mapping and understanding the full value chain of shark species to secure sustainability of commercial fishery and markets which would benefit both the stakeholders and the resources.

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) :

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute was established by Government of India on February 3rd 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and later it joined the ICAR family in 1967.

The institute is headquartered at kochi.

Source :- The Hindu

Earth is warming at a faster pace than in the last 2,000 years: study

GS PAPER - 01 GEOGRAPHY - geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps)

Context :

According to studies published in the journals Nature and Nature Geoscience, world temperatures rose faster in the late 20th century than at any other time in the last 2,000 years.

Key Findings :

The paper published in Nature Geoscience examined rates of surface warming, averaged over sub-periods each a few decades long.

The researchers had used data compiled from nearly 700 temperature indicators such as tree rings, sediment cores, coral reefs, modern thermometer readings etc.

The findings of the study suggest that in modern human history temperatures rose the fastest and most consistently in the late 20th century marked by unprecedented anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

The study also found that pre-industrial temperature fluctuations were largely driven by volcanic activity.

Source :- The Hindu

solar rooftop installations

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

Union minister for New and Renewable Energy Informed Rajya Sabha about the initiatives for installation of solar panels on the rooftop of houses.

Grid Connected Rooftop Solar programme :

The ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing Grid Connected Rooftop Solar programme.

The Government has set a target of installing 40 GW of grid connected rooftop solar capacity in the country including Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) by year 2022.

Objective :

To promote the grid connected SPV rooftop and small SPV power generating plants among the residential, community, institutional, industrial and commercial establishments.

To mitigate the dependence on fossil fuel based electricity generation and encourage environment friendly Solar electricity generation.

To create enabling environment for investment in solar energy sector by private sector, state government and the individuals.

To create enabling environment for supply of solar power from rooftop and small plants to the grid.

To encourage innovation in addressing market needs and promoting sustainable business models and ensures employment opportunities.

To provide support to channel partners and potential beneficiaries, within the framework of boundary conditions and in a flexible demand driven mode.

To create a paradigm shift needed for commoditization of grid connected SPV rooftop applications.

To support consultancy services, seminars, symposia, capacity building, awareness campaigns, human resource development, etc.

To encourage replacement of diesel, wherever possible.

Source :- PIB

YAMUNA WATER CONSERVATION PROJECT

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

The National Green Tribunal approved the Delhi government’s Yamuna water conservation project.

Yamuna Water Conservation Project :

The project aims at conserving water in the floodplain between Palla on the Delhi-Haryana border and Wazirabad to deal with the water shortage in the capital, particularly during summers.

The project involves the creation of small ponds in the floodplains which will store water from the overflowing Yamuna during the monsoon season.

Background :

The project was first recommended in NGT’s 2015 order, ‘Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna Rejuvenation Plan’.

Various academic institutions, such as IIT Delhi, NIH, CGWB, IIT Bombay, WAPCOS and Delhi University, also indicated the potential to store huge amount of water on the floodplain.

Source :- Business Standard

UPSC CLASS PPT

26^thJULY 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS