Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Himalayan tremor predicted in near future

News

• Growing warnings by scientists of an impending high-magnitude earthquake in the Himalayas have got further credence from yet another study by Indian researchers.

Findings

• The new study, says the enormous stacking up of strain in the region portends at least one earthquake of magnitude 8.5 or more in one of the overlapping segments of the central Himalayas anytime in the future.
• The researchers critically evaluated existing databases along with the data from two newly explored locales – Mohana Khola in far western Nepal and Chorgalia, which falls within the Indian border, to determine the timing of the last faulting event on the frontal thrust of the central Himalayas.
• The researchers followed the local geology and structural map published by the Geological Survey of India, besides using Google Earth and imagery from Indian space agency ISRO’s Cartosat-1 satellite.
• The present study underlines the fact after this massive earthquake, the frontal thrust in the central Himalayas (covering parts of India and eastern Nepal) has remained seismically quiet for 600 to 700 years, implying enormous build-up of strain in the region.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

U.K. suspends fast-track visa scheme for wealthy investors

News

• Anti-corruption campaigners have welcomed a decision by the British Home Office to temporarily suspend a fast-track visa scheme for wealthy investors that has been used by many Indians but have called for urgent action against those found to have invested suspicious wealth in the U.K.

Beyond News

• The British government will suspend the Tier-1 (Investor) visa, which enables its holders to gain a swift route to settlement in the U.K, until new safeguarding rules are brought in in 2019.
• Eighty-two Indian nationals applied for an investor visa through this route between 2008 and March 2018, according to Transparency International.
• The scheme, which is open to those who invest at least £2 million in U.K. government, shares or businesses, offers a faster route to settlement in the country. Those who invest over £10 million can apply to settle after two years, while those who invest over £5 million can do so in three years.
• While the U.K. government had sought to position the visa scheme as part of its strategy to attract the “brightest and the best”, campaigners have long warned that it provided a means for the super wealthy internationally to launder money in the U.K.
• In 2015, Transparency International identified over 3,000 individuals and their families the “vast majority” of whom were from Russia and China who had been granted these so-called “golden” visas with “little to no checks done” on the source of the wealth. In some cases, applicants were awarded visas even before opening a U.K. bank account.
• Indians were among the top five groups to be awarded the visa between 2008 and March 2018 alongside China (1,278), Russia (815), the U.S. (187), and Hong Kong (132). Among the changes set to be brought in are comprehensive audits by regulated auditors of the applicants’ financial and business interests, as well as checks that they have had full control of the funds for at least two years.

NGT imposes cost on Karnataka govt for failing to curb pollution in water bodies

News

• Coming down heavily on the Karnataka government for failing to “protect and rejuvenate” Bellandur, Agara and Varthur lakes, the National Green Tribunal directed the state government to transfer ₹500 crore to an escrow account.
• The amount shall be utilised for execution of action plans to clean the water bodies.

Beyond News

• The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palika (BBMP) has been directed to deposit an environmental compensation of ₹25 crore.
• The state government has also been asked to identify officials who have failed to execute previous orders of the tribunal.

India inks pact with Iran to pay crude bill in rupee

News

• India has signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil it imports from the Persian Gulf nation in rupees.

Beyond News

• The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed following the U.S. letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic state.
• Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC).
• Half of these funds would be earmarked for settling payments for exports of Indian goods to Iran.
• Under U.S. sanctions, India can export foodgrains, medicines and medical devices to Iran.
• India had won the exemption after it agreed to cut imports and escrow payments.
• India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, has since then restricted its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonne or 15 million tonne in a year (300,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonne (452,000 barrels per day) bought in 2017-18 financial year, sources said.
• India, the world’s third biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80% of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10% of total needs.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

‘Air pollution cause of 1 in 8 deaths’

News

• India, with 18% of the world’s population, has a disproportionately high 26% of the global premature deaths and disease burden due to air pollution.

Beyond News

• One in eight deaths in India was attributable to air pollution in India in 2017, making it a leading risk factor for death.
• This is according to the first comprehensive estimates of reduction in life expectancy associated with air pollution in each State.

Findings

• The key findings from the paper include the fact that 12.4 lakh deaths in India in 2017 were due to air pollution, which included 6.7 lakh deaths due to outdoor particulate matter air pollution and 4.8 lakh deaths due to household air pollution.
• Over half of the deaths due to air pollution were in persons less than 70 years of age. In 2017, 77% population of India was exposed to ambient particulate matter PM2.5 above the recommended limit by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• The report states that the highest PM2.5 exposure level was in Delhi, followed by the other north Indian States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana.
• Further, the study states that the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), attributable to air pollution in India in 2017 for major non-communicable diseases were at least as high as those attributable to tobacco use.
• The average life expectancy in India would have been 1.7 years higher if the air pollution level were less than the minimal level causing health loss, with the highest increases in the northern States of Rajasthan (2.5 years), Uttar Pradesh (2.2 years) and Haryana (2.1 years), recommending that variations between the States in the exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution should be taken into account while planning policies to reduce this exposure and its health impact.

Kerala to get ₹3,048 crore as flood relief

News

• A High Level Committee, headed by Home Minister approved the additional assistance of ₹3048.39 crore to Kerala, ₹131.16 crore to Nagaland and ₹539.52 crore to Andhra

Beyond News

• The Kerala government had sought ₹4,700 crore as compensation from the Central government for the damage caused by the floods, which was termed as the worst in a century.
• At least 488 people died in Kerala due to the rains and floods this monsoon, which hit 14 districts of the State.
• The meeting of the Committee was held to consider the additional Central assistance to Kerala, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh, which were affected by floods, landslips and Cyclone Titli, respectively.
• In case of any natural calamity beyond the coping capacity of a State, the State government submits a detailed memorandum indicating sector-wise details of damage, and the requirement of funds for relief operations of an immediate nature.
• According to existing guidelines, the Central government sends an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) for an on-the-spot assessment of damage and additional requirement of funds.
• The IMCT report is considered by the Sub-Committee of the National Executive Committee (SC-NEC) headed by the Union Home Secretary in conformity with the norms, and then by a high-level committee, chaired by the Home Minister for approving the quantum of additional assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

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