Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

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India, Maldives ties on the brink again

News

• Bilateral relations between India and Maldives are on the brink once again as the deadline for India to withdraw its two helicopters has passed and the issue of visas for thousands of Indian job-seekers remains unresolved.

Beyond News

• The visas of more than 26 Indian Navy personnel operating the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) were valid till June 30. However, Male has refused to extend their visas and has already asked India to take back the two ALHs.

Background:

• The two helicopters were gifted by India in 2013 and one was operated by the Indian Coast Guard and the other by the Indian Navy. The validity for the Coast Guard helicopter had expired earlier this year but the helicopter still remains there.
• End of May, the visas of Navy personnel were extended by one month after intervention of External Affairs Minister.
• Maldives Ambassador to India said there had been no news on whether the issue over the helicopters had been resolved, adding that the matter was being handled “directly in Male.”
• Hundreds of Indians say their jobs may be on the line as tensions between the two countries continue.
• MEA sources admitted that they had received several complaints about difficulties faced by Indians in obtaining Maldivian work permits and the matter was being pursued officially.
• Meanwhile, most companies in the Maldives are routinely calling for job applicants who are “not Indian nationals.”

2021 census data to be stored electronically

News

• The data collected during the 2021 Census will be stored electronically, the first time since the decennial exercise was conducted in 1951 in Independent India.

Beyond News

• The schedules and other connected papers shall be disposed of totally or in part by the Director of Census Operations, after creating an electronic record of such documents.
• A Home Ministry spokesperson said till now the “schedules” (a tabular form containing details of individuals), carried by enumerators to households, were being stored in a physical form at the government’s storehouse in Delhi.
• It is based on these schedules that the relevant statistical information on population, language, and occupation are sorted and published.
• The records running into crores of pages were occupying space in government office and it has now been decided that they will be stored in an electronic format. Any tampering with the data will invite punishment under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
• The RGI issued the notification as the process for the 2021 Census kicks in.
• An individual’s household data is not published by the RGI. They are published in the form of tables on the Census website. The data is preserved for 10 years and then it is destroyed. From now on it can be stored forever in electronic format.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Astronomers capture image of a planet’s birth

News

• Astronomers say they’ve captured the first confirmed image of a planet forming in the dust swirling around a young star.

Beyond News

• Planet appears as a bright spot in the snapshot taken using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile.
• Miriam Kepler of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany said hints of baby planets have been detected before, but astronomers weren’t sure whether those observations might simply be features in the swirling dust.
• Scientists describe the planet, located about three billion km from the star PDS 70, as a gas giant bigger than Jupiter.
• It has a cloudy atmosphere and a surface temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius.

NGT directs NBCC not to cut any trees till July 19

News

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Centre and NBCC (India) Limited to maintain ‘status quo’ and not fell any trees for the redevelopment project in south Delhi colonies till July 19.

Beyond News

• A Bench also directed NBCC to make a categorical statement on how many trees are to be felled for the project.
• The green panel also issued notices to the MoHUA, NBCC, Central Pollution Control Board, Central Public Works Department, civic bodies and others. It has sought replies from the authorities before July 19.
• The directions came while the green panel was hearing three different petitions seeking a stay on the felling of trees.
• One of the petitions alleged that environmental clearances for the project were granted without taking into account the adverse affects of felling of trees.
• The contention of the applicant is that the project activity involves felling of more than 17,000 trees, which will destroy the ecology and adversely affect the environment.
• The Delhi High Court had on June 25 asked how the national Capital could afford felling of trees for the housing project. During the hearing, the NBCC gave an undertaking that it will not cut any trees till July 4.
• Noting that the matter is being heard at the High Court, the Tribunal noted that the proposal of the project proponent to fell several trees, whether be it 17,000 more or less, is likely to seriously impact the environment unless proper impact assessment is done.

The petitioners also asked for the trees to be incorporated within the existing plans for redevelopment.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-04

At least 5 of 192 buildings identified for heritage tag have ‘vanished’

News:

• As heritage conservation experts get ready to document 192 heritage buildings, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) officials have discovered that several of these buildings have already been pulled down for redevelopment.

Beyond News:

• However, the reality is that at least five heritage buildings on the list of 192 buildings that remain to be documented have already been demolished and redeveloped in the past few years.
• Among them are the old buildings housing the Sacred Heart Church on Pantheon Road, Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallajah Road and Chennai Central Prison, which have been pulled down and redeveloped.
• Urban planning expert said that the Old Jail building on Prakasam Road had vanished. The building is on the list of heritage buildings yet to be documented.
• Stressing on the need for documentation of all heritage buildings, a delay in notification of the buildings in the Gazette has led to a rapid loss of heritage buildings across the city.
• As many as 65 owners of heritage buildings have already opposed the move to put their buildings on the heritage list.

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