Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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Russia seeks ₹125 crore to carry out repairs on INS Chakra

News

• Russian authorities have demanded over $20 million for rectifying the damage suffered by nuclear submarine INS Chakra, which was dry-docked last week, even as the government is seeking to fix responsibility for the accident.

Beyond News

• According to defence sources, Russia has quoted $20 million (approximately ₹125 crore) for fixing the nuclear submarine’s front portion, which was damaged while the submarine was entering the harbour in Visakhapatnam.
• The developments around INS Chakracome even as the indigenously built nuclear ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant, which had suffered extensive damage because of human error over a year ago, is yet to be back to active sailing. 
• On INS Chakra, Russian officials have conveyed to India that they would be making all the replacement panels in their own facility and would not be using any Indian facilities. 
• The almost 5×5 ft. panels of the sonar dome would be brought to Visakhapatnam and fitted on to the leased submarine.
• Meanwhile, government sources indicate that they want responsibility fixed for the damage suffered by INS Chakra. 

India, Oman agree to isolate sponsors of terror

News

• External Affairs Ministry said that,India and Oman have agreed to isolate the sponsors of international terrorism.

Beyond News

• The declaration on battling terrorism came at the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country during which both sides acknowledged that there was an “inter-linkage” between the stability of the Gulf region and the Indian subcontinent.
• The two sides also emphasised the need to isolate the sponsors and supporters of terrorism and agreed that the international community should take urgent action against all such entities, which support terrorism and use it as an instrument of policy.
• The delegations declared that both sides recognise “the close inter-linkage of the stability and security of the Gulf region with the Indian subcontinent.
• Modi appreciated Oman’s help in dealing with “specific” security challenges, the joint statement mentioned.
• A total of eight MoUs were signed on health, legal cooperation, tourism and military cooperation. Oman said it wanted its scientists to be trained in Indian space research facilities.

HC for drastic action to retrieve temple lands

News

• In a bid to retrieve huge tracts of temple lands that had been either grabbed or under encroachment and to prevent further alienation of such immovable properties, the Madras High Court issued a slew of directions to the State Government as well as the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR &CE) department.

Beyond News

• Justice ordered that public notices be issued forthwith informing land grabbers across the State to surrender the properties voluntarily to avoid penal action under Section 79B of the HR&CE Act of 1959.
• The Secretary, in turn, was ordered to take steps to alter the patta granted in favour of beneficiaries of illegal transfer of land.
• The HR&CE department was also ordered to collate information about temple lands and upload it on its website in four weeks.
• A detailed report on such encroachments should be filed in the court within six weeks.
• Justice directed the HR&CE Commissioner to initiate departmental action against officials and temple trustees responsible for illegal transfer of temple properties.
• Stating that a recent statistics revealed that the extent of temple properties had reduced from 5.25 lakh acres to 4.78 acres in the last five years with nearly 50,000 acres lying with encroachers and land grabbers.

Judge ordered that public notices must be issued directing them to pay the arrears within four weeks or face prosecution under Section 34B of the HR&CE Act.

Alcoholism, poor health care access hit tribal hamlets

News

• A study conducted in the tribal belt of Kuttampuzha in Kerala by the Health Department and the district unit of the National Health Mission (NHM) has identified alcoholism, lack of access to health care services, tobacco use, nutritional problems, unsafe drinking water, and poor sanitation as key problem areas.
• NHM district manager said that,this is for the first time that a detailed study on people’s lives in the tribal belt of the district has been scientifically done.

Findings in the Study

• There is no hunger in the hamlets, the food intake lacks nutrition as the diet includes only rice which is available through the Public Distribution System.
• There is little consumption of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, egg, or milk.
• Other commodities like lentil, spices, and salt are available at the SupplyCo store, which is far away. And, people use the facility less frequently.
• It was also found that 86.3% of the population were anaemic. Among women, 95.9% had anaemia.
• The incomes of most families are from unskilled labour and forest resources like honey, herbs, bamboo, and rubber plantation.
• A major expense is for health care services, for which they shell out nearly ₹500 for a trip to the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC).
• The government offers reimbursement to tribal population for treatment expenses, it is not properly executed.
• Water scarcity is severe.
• The study also found that alcoholism was not prevalent among the older generation. Moreover, they are worried about youngsters taking to alcohol. Here too there is perhaps an opening for intervention, he added.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

India posts marginal increase in forest cover, says report

News

• India posted a marginal 0.21% rise in the area under forest between 2015 and 2017, according to the biennial India State of Forest Report (SFR) 2017.

Beyond News

• The document says that India has about 7,08,273 square kilometres of forest, which is 21.53% of the geographic area of the country (32,87,569 sq. km).
• The forest survey for the first time mapped 633 districts and relied on satellite-mapping.
• Getting India to have at least 33% of its area under forest has been a long standing goal of the government since 1988.
• Earlier this year, the government ceased to define bamboo as a tree to promote economic activity among tribals. The survey found that India’s bamboo bearing area rose by 1.73 million hectares (2011) to 15.69 million hectares (2017).

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