IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

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FAME 2 scheme

News:

The Department of Heavy Industry has approved the sanction of 5595 electric buses to 64 Cities, State Government Entities, State Transport Undertakings (STUs) for intra-city and intercity operation under FAME India scheme phase II in order to give a further push to clean mobility in public transportation.

Aim: To boost electric mobility and increase the number of electric vehicles in commercial fleets.

Beyond News:

It has also been proposed to provide one slow-charging unit for every electric bus and one fast-charging station for 10 electric buses
•FAME India is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan.
[ FAME focuses on 4 areas i.e. Technology development, Demand Creation, Pilot Projects and Charging Infrastructure]
•The Department of Heavy Industry has approved the sanction of 5595 electric buses to 64 Cities

Source: PIB india

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-Kusum)

News:

The Centre’s new Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-Kusum) scheme is not a “silver bullet” to overcome challenges of irrigation supply, subsidy burden on discoms and farmer distress, according to a report from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based non-profit.

Beyond News:

• It is a ₹1.4 lakh-crore (around $2 billion) scheme for promoting decentralised solar power production of up to 28,250 MW to help farmers.
• It would provide extra income to farmers, by giving them an option to sell additional power to the grid through solar power projects set up on their barren lands.
• It would help in de-dieselizing the sector as also the DISCOMS.

Challenges: The scheme of installing solar plants on farm land will benefit only the wealthy farmers, as it requires large investment or the ability to lease land for 25 years.

Source: Down to Earth

Inter-state portability of ration card

News

• In a bid to implement ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’across the country by June 1, 2020, the Centre kick-started inter-state portability of ration cards between Telangana-Andhra Pradesh as well as Maharashtra-Gujarat.

Inter-state portability of ration card

• Beneficiaries living in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh can buy their quota of ration from the Public Distribution System (PDS), also called ration shops, in either of the two States. Similar would be the case in Maharasthra and Gujarat.
• Seven States, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tripura, at present are testing intra-portability of ration cards, which means beneficiaries can lift their quota of ration from any PDS located within a State.
• At present, the government supplies 5 kg of subsidised foodgrain to each person per month to over 81 crore people via 5,00,000 ration shops in the country, costing the exchequer about ₹1.4 lakh crore annually.
• Foodgrain via ration shops are supplied at a highly subsidised rate of ₹3/kg for rice, ₹2/kg for wheat and ₹1/kg for coarse grains via the PDS as per the National Food Security Act.

Source: The Hindu

President gives assent to UAPA Bill

News

• President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to legislation under which individuals can be declared terrorists and their properties seized.

UAPA Bill

• The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 also provides for putting a travel ban on such individuals once they are declared terrorists.
• Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar are likely to be the first two to be designated as terrorists under the legislation, the Ministry official said.

Source: PRS india, PIB india

Every child to get Rotavirus vaccine

News

• The Health Ministry has drawn an ambitious plan under the 100 days agenda of the newly elected government, wherein it has been decided to provide Rotavirus vaccine to every child across all States and Union Territories by September, 2019.

Beyond News:

• In India, every year, 37 out of every 1,000 children born are unable to celebrate their 5th birthday, and one of the major reasons for this is diarrhoeal deaths. Out of all the causes of diarrhoea, Rotavirus is a leading cause of diarrhoea in children less than 5 years of age.
• It is estimated that Rotavirus cause 8,72,000 hospitalisations; 32,70,000 outpatient visits and estimated 78,000 deaths annually in India.

Rotavirus vaccine

• Rotavirus diarrhoea can be prevented through vaccination. Other diarrhoea can be prevented through general measures like good hygiene, frequent hand washing, safe water and safe food consumption, exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation.
• Rotavirus vaccine was introduced in 2016 in a phased manner, beginning with 4 States initially and later expanded to 7 more States. The vaccine is now available in 28 States/Union Territories. It is expected to be available in all 36 States/Union Territories by September 2019.

Source: The Hindu

Two UTs to come into existence on October 31

News

• President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to a legislation for bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, and two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh – will come into existence on October 31.
• October 31;the birth anniversary of the country’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was instrumental in the merger of about 565 princely States into the Union of India following Independence.

Union Territories

• In both the Union Territories, key subjects such as law and order will be with the Centre.
• The UT of Jammu and Kashmir will have a Lieutenant Governor and the maximum strength of its Assembly will be 107, which will be enhanced to 114 after a delimitation exercise.
• Twenty-four seats of the Assembly will continue to remain vacant as they fall under Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
• The current effective strength of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is 87, including four seats falling in Ladakh region, which will now be a separate UT without a legislature.
• The UT of Ladakh will have Kargil and Leh districts.
• The Act said Jammu and Kashmir UT will have reservation in the Assembly seats.
• It also said that the Lok Sabha will have five seats from the UT of J&K, while from Ladakh the Lower House of Parliament will have one seat.

Source: The Hindu

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

India to seek boost to protection status of 5 species at CITES

News

• India has submitted proposals regarding changes to the listing of various wildlife species in the CITES secretariat meeting, scheduled later this month in Geneva, 

CITES

• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international treaty to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants do not threaten their survival.

Animal species facing a high risk of international trade

• The proposals submitted are regarding changes in the listing of the smooth-coated otter, small-clawed otter, Indian star tortoise, Tokay gecko, wedgefish and Indian rosewood.
• The country seeks to boost the protection of all the five animal species as they are facing a high risk of international trade.
• For the Indian rosewood, the proposal is to remove the species from CITES Appendix II. The species covered by CITES are listed in three appendices on the degree of protection they require.
• India is among the parties proposing the re-listing of the star tortoise from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I. The species faces two threats: loss of habitat to agriculture and illegal harvesting for the pet trade.
• With regard to the two otter species, India, Nepal and the Philippines have proposed that the listing be moved from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I for the more endangered species. A similar proposal has been made to include the Tokay gecko in Appendix I.

Source: The Hindu

Maharashtra to set up task force on climate change

News

• In the wake of an unprecedented flood-like situation and record rainfall this season, the State government will constitute a task force comprising local and global experts to study impact of climate change on Mumbai.

Task force

• The task force will study measures taken against flooding and unplanned reclamation in cities such as Venice, Geneva and London, and coordinate with the European Climate Change Programme of the European Union to prepare a blueprint.
• The task force will be set up by the environment department in coordination with Mumbai First, a not-for-profit, policy-influencing think tank.
• The task force will also study patterns of climate change and steps taken by leading countries such as the Netherlands, which has taken a lead in flood management and measures against climate change.

Source: The Hindu

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