Six states, Centre sign pact on Renuka multipurpose project

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

Context:

         ★ Six northern states and Centre signed a MoU on Friday to construct a Rs 4,596.76 crore dam in Uttarakhand that will provide water to New Delhi and other beneficiary states.

         ★ The dam, named Renukaji, is a multipurpose project located in Giri river of Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

 

The Renuka Multipurpose Dam Project:

        ★ The Renuka dam project has been conceived as a storage project on the Giri river (a tributary of the Yamuna) in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

        ★ The project envisages making a 148-metre-high dam for supplying water to Delhi and other basin States. It will also generate 40 MW of power.

        ★ After the construction of the dam, the flow of the Giri river will increase by about 110%, which will help meet the drinking water needs of Delhi and other basin States.

        ★ Water from the Renuka dam will be used by U.P., Haryana and National Capital Territory of Delhi from Hathnikund barrage, by the NCT of Delhi from Wazirabad barrage and by U.P., Haryana and Rajasthan from the Okhla barrage.

        ★ The origins of the project in fact go back to May 1994, when the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the utilisation and allocation of the waters of the upper Yamuna River which included the Renuka storage dam to be constructed in Sirmour district of HP.

        ★ The project was scheduled for completion by November 2014. The project construction was stayed by the National Environment Appellate Authority/National Green Tribunal in 2010-11 due to objections on the Environment Clearance granted to the project.

                                                                                                       Source:- Times of India

SC lifts stay on stalled Chardham projects

 

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

Context:

         ★ The Supreme Court on Friday lifted its stay on certain stalled projects under the government’s ambitious Chardham development plan, which proposes to provide all-weather connectivity to the four holy towns of Uttarakhand.

         ★ The court said the stay will however continue on those projects which are yet to begin under the plan till the environment clearance is taken by the authorities.

           

More about the news:

        ★ ‘Char Dham’ project to provide all-weather connectivity of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath

        ★ There are 53 separate and independent projects under the ‘Char Dham’ programme out of which work is on for 28 projects while 25 are yet to start under the scheme which is spread over 900 km.

        ★ The projects include widening of roads, construction of bypass, tunnels, bridges and road side drain among other things.

 

Background:

        ★ The project was opposed by some NGOs and local residents of Uttarakhand saying the construction work would damage the environment and disturb the ecological balance.

        ★ They contended that EIA clearance was not taken before the construction.

        ★ Their plea, however, was rejected by the National Green Tribunal which held that the statutory EIA under the Environment Protection Act was not required in view of exemption granted through notification issued in 2013.

 

Chat Dam project:

           ★ The project involves developing and widening 900-km of national highways connecting the holy Hindu pilgrimage sites of; Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri at an estimated cost of Rs.12,000 crores.

           ★ The highway will be called Char Dham Mahamarg(Char Dham Highway) and the highway construction project will be called as Char Dham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana (Char Dham Highway Development Project).

           ★ The roads will be widened from 12m to 24m and the project will involve construction of tunnels, bypasses, bridges, subways and viaducts.

                                                                                                                                    Source:- The Hindu

ISRO cranks up Gaganyaan project

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of Space

 

Context:

       ★ The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has set up a Human Space Flight Centre to implement Gaganyaan Project

 

More about the news:

      ★ The Centre will be in charge of all human-related programme at the ISRO, including the Gaganyaan project

      ★ Scientist Unnikrishnan Nair has been named director of the centre. He had earlier led ISRO’s Advanced Space Transportation Programme

      ★ The project director for Gaganyaan will be R Hutton, who is now project director for the PSLV programm        e.

           

Gagayaan:        ★ Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the basis of the Indian human spaceflight program.        ★ The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capability.        ★ In its maiden crewed mission, Indian Space Research Organization’s largely autonomous 3.7-tonne capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km (250 mi) altitude for up to seven days with a three-person crew on board.        ★ The crewed vehicle is planned to be launched on ISRO’s GSLV Mk III in 2022. This HAL-manufactured crew module had its first uncrewed experimental flight in 2014.

 

Future Launch:

       ★ ISRO also announced the launch of India’s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 in in mid-April 2019

                  ☆ Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, will be launched on board the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-3.

                  ☆ Chandrayaan 2 will orbit around the moon to study its conditions and collect data of its topography, mineralogy and exosphere.

                                                                                                                                   Source:- The Hindu

#MeToo: time limit on filing complaints likely to be relaxed

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE -  mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

 

Context:

         ★ A government sub-committee formed in the wake of the #MeToo movement to recommend ways to prevent sexual harassment at workplace is likely to propose waiving the three-month time limit for victims to file complaints as laid down under the law.

 

More about the news:

         ★ The Committee is also likely to propose that members of Internal Committees be treated on a par with “public servants” as defined under Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code so that they have immunity from prosecution.

         ★ “It will ensure that the members don’t get entangled in court cases,”

 

Background:

        ★ The Centre has recently established a Group of Ministers to recommend measures to effectively implement the law against sexual harassment at the workplace and to strengthen the legal and institutional framework in response to the #MeToo campaign.

        ★ Home Minister Rajnath Singh will head the GoM, which includes Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi.

        ★ The GoM will come up with a comprehensive plan within three months and devise ways to ensure its time-bound implementation, an official statement said.

        ★ Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar had resigned recently after several journalists accused him of misconduct and harassment when they worked with him in different media organisations.

                                                                                                                                  Source:- The Hindu

Cycling helps user, economy: study

 

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context:

        ★ Cycling for short distance trips can yield an annual benefit of Rs1.8 trillion to the economy.

 

Key findings of the Study:

         ★ According to analysis conducted by The Energy Resources Institute (Teri), cycling regularly for an average distance of 3.5 km for just 120 days can help avoid 4,756 premature deaths.

         ★ More than half of India uses “non-motorised” forms of transport, such as walking and cycling, to travel to work, followed by two-wheelers (18%) and buses (16%)

         ★ Cycle sales have risen only 1% in a decade as opposed to a 9% rise in cars and two wheelers but still cyclists in cities constitute nearly 40% of those who travel more than 21 km for work the same as those who commute a similar distance by car.

         ★ Substituting just half the short distance work trips, which are undertaken by two-wheelers and cars, with cycles, could result in massive savings about 27 billion from fuel expenditure and 0.35 Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (MTOE) in terms of energy,

         ★ At present, the cheapest bicycle available in India costs around Rs2,500-Rs5,000, which accounts for 15% of the annual per capita income in rural areas. In comparison, the cheapest bicycle in China accounts for only 2.5% of the annual per capita income in rural areas

         ★ Lack of dedicated cycling lanes, as well as poorly maintained roads, in several cities, cycling is fraught with danger in India.

 

Suggestions:

         ★ The government should reduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) on cycles that cost less than Rs 5,000.

         ★ Promote manufacturing of bicycles because it absorbs unskilled labour, and discourage personal motorised vehicles through congestion charges, increased cost of parking, and a pollution tax.

                                                                                                                                      Source:- The Hindu

8 people from India have joined Al Qaeda wing: NIA

GS PAPER - 03 INTERNAL SECURITY - Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism

 

Context:

         ★ Around eight men from Kerala and Karnataka are said to have joined Jabat Al-Nusra, a former Al Qaeda outfit, in Syria, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) official said.

         ★ This is the first time that the NIA agency has filed a case against Indians for joining a terrorist outfit other than the Islamic State in Syria.

        

 

National Investigation Agency (NIA) :

            ★ National Investigation Agency (NIA) is a central agency founded by the Indian Government to combat terror in India. It is the dedicated Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.

            ★ The organization deals with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states.

            ★ The Agency came into survival with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 by the Parliament of India.

 

Vision:

        ★ The National Investigation Agency aims to be a thoroughly professional investigative agency matching the best international standards.

        ★ The NIA aims to set the standards of excellence in counter terrorism and other national security related investigations at the national level by developing into a highly trained, partnership oriented workforce.

        ★ NIA aims at creating deterrence for existing and potential terrorist groups/individuals.

        ★ It aims to develop as a storehouse of all terrorist related information.

                                                                                                                                       Source:- The Hindu

U.S. President promises changes to H-1B visas

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

 

Context:

          ★ U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he is planning changes to the H-1B programme that grants temporarily visas to highly educated immigrants who work in specialty occupations such as technology or medicine

 

More about the news:

         ★ “H1-B (sic) holders in the United States can rest assured that changes are soon coming which will bring both simplicity and certainty to your stay, including a potential path to citizenship,” Mr. Trump said on Twitter. “We want to encourage talented and highly skilled people to pursue career options in the U.S.”

         ★ Trump, who has sought to limit legal immigration, in April 2017 ordered a reform of the U.S. visa programme to benefit educated and highly skilled workers.

           

H-1B Visa        ★ The H-1B category is an expedient and lawful method to bring foreign-born professionals temporarily to the United States, and therefore one of the most widely sought after visa classifications for employment in the United States.        ★ The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa in the United States; it allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations.        ★ H-4 visa is a work permit issued to the spouses of H1-B visa holders under a special order by the previous Obama administration.        ★ H-4 visa allows work permits for spouses who otherwise could not be employed without waiting for their spouses to receive permanent resident status, a process that can take a decade or longer.

                                                                                                                       Source:- The Hindu

AI beats doctors at detecting early stage cervical cancer

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights

 

Context:

         ★ According to a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found precancerous cells with 91% accuracy as compared to 69% By expert review or Conventional screening.

 

Key findings :

        ★ Artificial intelligence may be poised to wipe out cervical cancer, after a study showed on Thursday that computer algorithms can detect pre-cancerous lesions  far better than trained experts or conventional screening tests.

        ★ According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women with an estimated 570,000 new cases globally in 2018.

        ★ Despite major advances in screening and vaccination, which can prevent the spread of human papillomavirus which causes most cases of cervical cancer, those gains have mainly benefited women in rich nations.

        ★ Some 266,000 women died of cervical cancer globally in 2012, 90% of them in low-and middle-income nations, according to the WHO.

        ★ The AI technique, called automated visual evaluation, found precancerous cells with 91% accuracy, according to a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

        ★ In comparison, a human expert review found 69% of pre-cancers, while conventional lab tests like Pap smears found 71%.

 

Clinical trials:

       ★ The goal is to roll out the technology in the next three to five years, enrolling more patients in clinical trials worldwide.

       ★ The technology has not been patented on purpose, he said. The aim is to keep costs low so that women most in need can benefit.

                                                                                                                                        Source:- The Hindu

Musk unveils prototype of Mars-bound rocket

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of  Space

 

Context:

         ★ SpaceX Unveils Prototype of Starship, SpaceX’s Mars-Bound Rocket

 

More about the news:

        ★ SpaceX has unveiled the first pictures of a rocket called Starship that may one day carry people to the Moon and Mars.

        ★ SpaceX currently launches regular supply missions to the astronauts living at the International Space Station, using its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo capsule.

        ★ It is now working on a new Dragon crew capsule that could start carrying people to the orbiting outpost

        ★ Other Musk ventures include OpenAI, Neuralink and the Boring Co., which focuses on infrastructure and tunnels.

                                                                                                                                      Source:- The Hindu

‘Oceans are heating up at a fast pace’

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

 

Context:

        ★ The world’s oceans are heating up at an accelerating pace as global warming threatens a diverse range of marine life and a major food supply for the planet, researchers said on Thursday.

 

More about the news:

         ★ Oceans are heating up 40% faster on average than a United Nations panel estimated five years ago.

         ★ A warmer ocean is contributing to increasingly destructive weather patterns around the world

         ★ More than 90 percent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed into the oceans

         ★ Ocean temperatures are much less variable than surface temperatures, which can swing greatly from year to year, and therefore give a clearer signal of global warming

 

Consequences of Ocean warming:

On Climate:

          ★ The implication of faster ocean warming is that the effect of carbon dioxide on global warming is greater than it was expected. It is already known that adding CO2 to the air was warming the world very rapidly.

          ★ Greater warming will mean increased water demand for crops and forests and pastures, more stress on irrigation and urban water supplies, and reduced food production.

          ★ More water demand means more forest fires and smoke, shorter winters with less mountain snowpack, and increased stress on ecosystems, cities and the world economy.

 

Higher Sea Levels

         ★ When water heats up, it expands. Thus, the most readily apparent consequence of higher sea temperatures is a rapid rise in sea level.

         ★ Sea level rise causes inundation of coastal habitats for humans as well as plants and animals, shoreline erosion, and more powerful storm surges that can devastate low-lying areas.

 

Stronger Storms

            ★ The effects of higher ocean temperatures in the form of stronger and more frequent tropical storms and hurricanes/cyclones is already seen in Indian oceans recently.

            ★ Warmer surface water dissipates more readily into vapor, making it easier for small ocean storms to escalate into larger, more powerful systems.

 

On Ocean organism:

           ★ Ocean organism most vulnerable to temperature change.

           ★ Ocean warming leads to deoxygenation – a reduction in the amount of oxygen dissolved in the ocean – and sea-level rise – resulting from the thermal expansion of sea water and continental ice melting. The rising temperatures, coupled with ocean acidification (the decrease in pH of the ocean due to its uptake of CO2), affect marine species and ecosystems

           ★ Due to temperature change reef bleaching will start. Bleaching slows coral growth, makes them susceptible to disease, and can lead to large-scale reef die-off.

           ★ Other organisms affected by temperature change include krill, an extremely important link at the base of the food chain

           ★ Research has shown that krill reproduce in significantly smaller numbers when ocean temperatures rise. This can have a cascading effect by disrupting the life cycle of krill eaters, such as penguins and seals—which in turn causes food shortages for higher predators.

 

Other Consequences

          ★ Warmer sea temperatures are also associated with the spread of invasive species and marine diseases.

          ★ If an ecosystem becomes warmer, it can create an opportunity where outside species or bacteria can suddenly thrive where they were once excluded. This can lead to forced migrations and even species extinctions.

          ★ Warmer seas also lead to melting from below of polar ice shelves, compromising their structural integrity and leading to spectacular shelf collapse

                                                                                                                                      Source:- The Hindu

Hurrying through a legislation [ Editorial / Opinion]

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

 

Context:

         ★ Parliament ended the penultimate session of this Lok Sabha with both Houses passing the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019.It enables 10% reservation in education and employment for economically weaker sections.

         ★ The process by which this was done illustrates the collective failure of parliamentarians to review the government’s proposals and hold it to account.

 

Laps in Indian parliamentary Procedure:

       ★ Lok Sabha require every Bill to be circulated at least two days ahead of introduction. This is to give time for MPs to read the Bill and discuss it (or make objections) when the vote on the motion to introduce the Bill is taken up.   

               ☆ However, in the case of 124th Amendment, the bill was not circulated

       ★ When unstarred questions was tabled which is whether the government “exploring the scope of providing reservation for poor candidates from forward communities for education and employment” was denied by Minister.

               ☆ Unstarred questions do not allow for follow-up questions. This is why they are more conducive for getting answers on queries related to data/information.

       ★ The usual practice is to refer Bills to the respective standing committee of Parliament. This step allows MPs to solicit public feedback and interact with experts before forming their recommendations. In the case of this Constitution Amendment this scrutiny mechanism was bypassed.

       ★ No time for discussion – There was hardly any time between its introduction and final discussion.

       ★ Barring a few small parties, none of the larger Opposition parties asked for the Bill to be carefully considered by a parliamentary committee not even in Rajya Sabha.

 

British Contrast:

         ★ For instance, recently, a member of the ruling Conservative Party wanted to move an amendment bill to set a deadline for the Prime Minister to put forward new plans if she loses the Brexit vote next week and when the government objected that such amendments can be moved only by a Minister, the Speaker differed on this and said that every member had a right to move an amendment.

         ★ This case reflects three ways how Britain have better Bill passage mechanism

                         ☆ First, the absence of an anti-defection law, which allow each MP can vote her conscience.

                         ☆ Second, In Britain it is known exactly how each MP voted because they are recorded. In India, most votes (other than Constitution Amendments that need a two-thirds majority to pass) are through voice votes, just 7% of other Bills had a recorded vote over the last 10 years.

                         ☆ Third, in above case the Speaker insisted on the supremacy of Parliament in Britain, and allow a motion against the wishes of the government.

 

Way forward:

          ★ Parliament has a central role to secure the interest of citizens. It is the primary body of accountability that translates the wishes and aspirations of        citizens into appropriate laws and policies.

          ★ The need of the hour is for greater and effective utilization of Parliamentary Committees to strengthen Parliament as a deliberative body which can ensure effective oversight.

          ★ Each day a specific time-frame shall be maintained for discussion of any new or urgent issues in concurrence with the Speaker. The Opposition could also be allotted a couple of hours at the starting or at the end of the day to put their views forward.

          ★ Need to address each of the issues discussed above to strengthen Parliament and protect our democracy.

                                                                                                                               Source:- The Hindu

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