IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-01

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UNESCO expert to visit Ramappa temple

News

• An expert of the UNESCO is scheduled to visit the historic Ramappa temple and assess its claims for inclusion in the World Heritage site list.

Ramappa temple

• According to the inscriptions found on the temple, it was built in the year 1213 CE by a general of the Kakatiya empire Recherla Rudra during the reign of Kakatiya King Ganapathi Deva.
• Local lore suggests that it took nearly 40 years for sculptor Ramappa and his team to build the Lord Sri Ramalingeswara temple.
• Expert will also visit other historic monuments like the Thousand Pillar Temple and the Warangal Fort.
• This temple is known for unique features like floating bricks, sand box foundations and exquisite carvings.
• The State government and NGOs have been striving to secure World Heritage tag for the temple.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

60% PM-JAY money was paid for tertiary care

News

• Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) which completed an year has recorded 46.4 lakh hospital treatments worth ₹7,500 crore with 60% of the amount being spent on tertiary care.

Purpose of the scheme was high cost should not deter any person or family to avoid treatment.

 PM-JAY Objective: to ensure improved healthcare delivery, through a combination of government hospitals and strategic purchasing of services from private hospitals, in health care deficit areas.

10 crore beneficiary cards

• This has resulted in saving of over ₹12,000 crore to the beneficiary families. Currently, 32 States and Union Territories are implementing the scheme and more than 10 crore beneficiary cards have been issued.
• PM-JAY is the flagship scheme of the government with an aim to bring quality healthcare to around 50 crore poor and vulnerable Indians. The scheme gives annual healthcare benefits of up to ₹5 lakh for every entitled family.
• More than 18,236 hospitals have been empanelled across India to ensure optimal accessibility to the eligible families. Out of the total hospitals empanelled, 53% are private, especially multi-specialty.
• There are 9 hospital admissions every minute across the hospitals in India.
• PM-JAY provides cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service. Under PM-JAY, for the hospitals, vast majority [85%] of the claims have been paid within time.

Andhra Pradesh releases Krishna water to Chennai

News

• With Kandaleru reservoir receiving a steady inflow, Krishna water was released for Chennai’s water needs.

Water needs

• Initially, 500 cusecs will be released. The discharge will be scaled up to 2,000 cusecs gradually after assessing the canal carrying capacity and for any breaches en route.
• Water would reach Poondi reservoir, which is the storage point of Krishna water in five or six days through Kandaleru Poondi canal.
• Kandaleru reservoir now has a storage of 12.8 thousand million cubic feet. The release of Krishna water is significant to improve the storage in Chennai’s dry reservoirs and water supply.

More habeas corpus cases in J&K High Court

News

• The J&K High Court is witnessing a growing number habeas corpus cases in the wake of the crackdown that began in Kashmir valley.
• The “unprecedented situation” in the valley is holding back the Court from issuing any orders for relief in cases of detentions.

Habeas corpus 

• The HC data, showed that only 15 and 26 habeas corpus cases were filed before the court in June and July, respectively. The number shot up to 120 in August and about 115 in the first three weeks of September.
• Interestingly, no Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the past two months.

Centre institutes highest civilian award for contribution to India’s unity, integrity

News

• The Centre has instituted the highest civilian award for contribution to India’s unity and integrity in the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Highest civilian award

• The award, comprising a medal and a citation, would not be conferred posthumously except in very rare and highly deserving cases.
• No monetary grant or cash reward would be attached to the award and not more than three awards would be given in a year.
• The award would be announced on the occasion of National Unity Day the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel on October 31.
• The award seeks to recognise notable and inspiring contributions to promote the cause of national unity and integrity and to reinforce the value of a strong and united India.
• It will be conferred by the President by a sanad under his hand and seal, and presented by him in a presentation ceremony along with the Padma award presentation ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the statement said.
• An award committee would be constituted by the Prime Minister, which would include the Cabinet secretary, principal secretary to the PM, secretary to the President, Home Secretary as members and three-four eminent persons selected by the PM.
• Any Indian national or institution or organisation based in India would be able to nominate an individual for consideration for the award. Individuals as well as State governments and Union Territory administrations may also send nominations.
• All citizens, without distinction of religion, race, caste, gender, place of birth, age or occupation, would be eligible for the award.

PM Modi conferred the ‘Global Goalkeeper’ award for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

News

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the ‘Global Goalkeeper’ award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by his government.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

PM Modi announces $150 mn line of credit to Pacific island nations for climate-related projects

News

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a $150 million line of credit to the group of Pacific island nations for undertaking solar, renewable energy and climate related projects based on their requirement.

$150 million line of credit

• Prime Minister also announced a total allocation of $12 million to the member states towards implementation of high-impact developmental project in the area of their choice.
• The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. This is the first time he has met the leaders of the PSIDS on the margins of UNGA in a plurilateral format.
• In addition, a concessional Line of Credit of $150 million which can be availed by the PSIDS for undertaking solar, renewable energy and climate related projects based on each country’s requirement was announced, according to a press release issued here.
• The meeting deliberated on a wide range of issues, including sharing of development experiences for attainment of SDGs, enhancing cooperation in renewable energy, joining the newly launched Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, capacity building, implementation of projects under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund and a roadmap for future India-PSIDS cooperation.

No more waste mounds on Siachen glacier

News

• Since January 2018, nearly 130 tonnes of waste has been brought down from the Siachen Glacier and disposed of, Army sources said.

Siachen Glacier

• Based on a 2018 concept note on waste management on the glacier, the Army has made bringing down waste a part of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for troops.
• On an average, 236 tonnes of waste is generated every year on Siachen glacier. There is now a SOP, for every link patrol or administrative column to bring the waste down.
• In the past, waste disposal work was fragmented and intermittent, but the Army is looking to cut waste in the rations and utilities delivered on the glacier, and make Siachen garbage free in 12-15 years.
• India has held the glacier’s dominating heights since it occupied them in 1984 under ‘Operation Meghdoot’.
• The 130 tonnes disposed of include 48.4 tonnes of biodegradable garbage, 40.32 tonnes of non-biodegradable, non-metallic waste and 42.45 tonnes of metallic scrap. The biggest challenge was the high altitude as most posts were located between 18,000 and 21,000 feet.
• The three types of wastes are disposed of differently. Biodegradable waste consists of cartons and packets rolled using baling machines.
• For the non-biodegradable, non-metallic waste, three incinerators have been set up at Siachen base camp, Partapur, and near Bukdang village, at 10,000 feet.

Brazil arrests 63 people, issues fines of $8.7 million for Amazon fires

News

• Brazil’s Defence Minister said that 63 people were arrested and issued fines amounting to $8.7 million after the military was sent to fight raging fires in the Amazon rainforest.

Fires in the Amazon rainforest

• The military made 571 land and 250 air raids to combat the fires in the rainforest, a major absorber of carbon dioxide that’s home to one of Earth’s most concentrated and extensive collections of biological diversity.
• Based on research (INPE), Brazil in August recorded 30,901 fires in the Amazon region, almost triple the 10,421 recorded in the same month in 2018.

New IPCC report warns of dire threat to oceans

News

• With representatives from nearly 200 countries at the United Nations Climate Summit underway in the United States, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) the apex referee for scientific evidence on the impact of global warming made public a special report that underlined the dire changes taking place in oceans, glaciers and ice-deposits on land and sea.

Findings

• The report updates scientific literature available since 2015 when the IPCC released its comprehensive 5th Assessment Report and summarises the disastrous impacts of warming based on current projections of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• It is virtually certain that the global ocean has warmed unabated since 1970 and has taken up more than 90% of the excess heat in the climate system (high confidence).
• Since 1993, the rate of ocean warming has more than doubled. Marine heatwaves have very likely doubled in frequency since 1982 and are increasing in intensity.
• The Southern Ocean accounted for 35%–43% of the total heat gain in the upper 2,000 m global ocean between 1970 and 2017, and its share increased to 45%–62% between 2005 and 2017.
• The ‘Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’was prepared following an IPCC Panel decision in 2016 to prepare three Special Reports and follows the Special Reports on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR1.5), and on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL).
• The 1.5°C report was a key input used in negotiations at Katowice, Poland last year for countries to commit themselves to capping global temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of the century.

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