PM – World Environment Day

In News: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the World Environment Day event on June 5th.

Context:

  • World Environment Day (WED) is an annual event celebrated across the Globe to create awareness on Environmental issues. It was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972, to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on Humans interfering with the Environment.
  • The theme for this year’s event is ‘promotion of biofuels for a better environment’.
  • The Prime Minister released the “Report of the Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025”.
  • He also launched the ambitious E-100 pilot project in Pune for the production and distribution of ethanol across the country.
    • He said that the Government has resolved to meet the target of 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol by 2025.
    • Most of the ethanol manufacturing units are mostly concentrated in 4-5 states where sugar production is high but now Food Grain Based Distilleries are being established to expand this to the whole country.
    • Modern technology based plants are also being set up in the country to make ethanol from agricultural waste.
  • The Prime Minister said that India is a strong proponent of climate justice and is moving ahead with a lofty global vision like the founding of International Solar Alliance for realizing the vision of One Sun, One World, One Grid and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure initiative.

World Environment Day 2021 – Efforts of Indian Navy

In News: The Indian Navy has adopted a comprehensive ‘Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap (INECR)’ for synergising the aim of ‘Blue Water Operations with a Green Footprint’.

Context:

  • Towards Environmental Conservation: Some of the noteworthy initiatives of Indian Navy towards ‘Clean and Green Navy’, with all social distancing/ COVID 19 protocols in-force are as follows:
    1. Indian Navy commissioned one of its largest solar plant with a capacity of 3MW at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala in July 2020. Another 2MW solar power plant was installed at Naval Station Karanja, Mumbai in July 2020.  With this, the overall installed solar plant capacity at Naval Stations is 11 MW.
    2. 30,000 saplings have been planted towards continuous afforestation to mitigate an estimated 630 tonnes of CO2 / year. Further, viability of setting up urban forests concepts such as Miyawaki forests, coastal afforestation including restoration of mangroves is being emphasised to match the theme of World Environment Day 2021- ‘Ecosystem Restoration’.
    3. A mangrove plantation drive was conducted along the Venduruthy channel on the occasion of ‘World River day’, in which approximately 200 saplings were planted.
    4. HQSNC with INS Venduruthy, engaged in the preservation of the environment and energy conservation which bestowed the station with the prestigious ‘Golden Peacock Environment Management Award (GPEMA) for the year 2020 in Government (Defence) sector.
    5. The progressive adoption of Battery Operated E-Vehicles for transportation of men and material has marked the reduction of dependence on fossils fuels thus reducing carbon emissions. Further, to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel based vehicles, units observe ‘No Vehicle Days’ regularly.
  • With a view to reduce the overall carbon footprint and to bring down the effects of global warming, Indian Navy is ‘Geared Up and Committed’ to march towards pursuance of Green Initiatives, realizing the national aim, to ensure a ‘Greener and Cleaner future for our next generations’.

Department of Fisheries – Concrete steps to protect Aquatic Ecosystem

In News: In view of recognizing the urgency to protect aquatic habitats and ensuring optimal utilization national resources, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has undertaken the following initiatives.

  1. “Blue Revolution”, the flagship scheme of the Department, launched in the year 2015, aimed to achieve economic prosperity of the country and the fishers and fish farmers as well as contribute towards food and nutritional security through full potential utilization of water resources for fisheries development in a sustainable manner, keeping in view the bio-security and environmental concerns.
  2. As part of Blue Revolution scheme, various environment friendly technologies were adopted for safeguarding of our aquatic ecosystem.
    1. Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) technology was introduced. It is an eco-friendly, water efficient, and is a highly productive intensive farming system, with zero environmental impact.
    2. Likewise, Sea Cages for marine fish culture were promoted and supported, Seaweed cultivation has also been promoted, fish lean/ban period have been implemented during the breeding season amongst many other initiatives.
    3. Solar panel units for producing energy to operate water pumps, aerators and carrying out other fisheries related activities were provided assistance under the Blue Revolution Scheme.
  3. Government of India launched a flagship scheme of “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)” in May 2020, with highest ever estimated investment of Rs. 20,050 crore under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat package.
    1. PMMSY aims to promote sustainable fish production systems/methods with minimal environmental impacts to support more crop per drop. 
    2. Integrated Modern Coastal Fishing Villages will be developed under PMMSY with investment of Rs. 750 crore.
  4. The Fishery Survey of India (FSI) is also developing new fishing practices and gears that will help in minimizing the physical and biological degradation of marine ecosystem.

It is thus the endeavor of the Department of Fisheries that the growth of the fisheries sector be recognized not only for its contribution towards the growth of the Indian economy but also for outcomes that are economically, socially and environmentally inclusive.

Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 for States and Union Territories

In News: Union Education Minister approved the release of Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 for States and Union Territories of India. The Government has introduced the Performance Grading Index with a set of 70 parameters to catalyse transformational change in the field of school education.

Performance Grading Index:

  • The PGI helps the States/UTs to pinpoint the gaps and accordingly prioritise areas for intervention to ensure that the school education system is robust at every level.
  • The PGI for States and Union Territories was first published in 2019 with reference year 2017-18.
  • The PGI – States/UTs for 2019-20 is the third publication in this series.
  • The index monitors the progress that the States and Union Territories have made in school education with regard to learning outcomes, access and equity, infrastructure and facilities, and governance and management processes.
  • Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala topped the index with Meghalaya and Ladakh at the bottom with Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have all scored higher than 90% in the Education Ministry’s Performance Grading Index.
  • Gujarat dropped from second to eighth rank in the index, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are the only States which have seen actual regression in scores over this period.
  • The new Union Territory of Ladakh was included separately for the first time in this edition, and had the lowest score of just 545.

Life and works of K A Abbas

In News:

  • Films Division is remembering the acclaimed film maker-producer, screen writer, novelist, playwright, short story writer and journalist Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, popularly known as K A Abbas, on his 107th birth anniversary by screening a biopic, I Have Something to Say.
  • Known for directing award winning social-realist films like Dharti Ke Lal, Saat Hindustani, Pardesi, Shehr aur Sapna and Do Boond Paani and also for screen-writing Jaagte Raho, Awara, Neecha Nagar, Shree 420, Mera Naam Joker and many other popular films, his films were deeply rooted in interest of common man and their concerns. 
  • K A Abbas is also remembered for his literary works in Urdu, English and Hindi, including the best known fictional work, Inquilab.
  • “I Have Something to Say” is the biopic of K A Abbas which is being streamed from 7th June, 2021.

Obesity can be sensed before child becomes overweight

In News: A recent paper by researchers from St. John’s Medical College and Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research has found that in India, metabolic indicators of obesity (abnormal blood sugar or blood lipids) are seen well before a child becomes obviously overweight by anthropometry.

Context:

  • While the biggest problem in India is perceived to be under-nutrition, where children have weight and height well below the World Health Organisation reference for their age (undersize), a worry has begun to surface that there is also an increase in overweight children.
  • The most recent survey available, the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS), done in 2016-2018, shows that there are 35% stunted and 33% thin (underweight) children among those under five in India, but also about 5% overweight.
  • The paper suggests that all children need to be evaluated by blood metabolic biomarkers, in addition to the standard anthropometry (height and weight) markers.
  • Metabolic markers of obesity are measured by blood sampling, where an increase in blood sugar or blood lipids has damaging consequences for tissues through glycation (as in diabetes) or through the deposition of lipids in blood vessels.
  • These are also referred to as cardio-metabolic risk factors, as they substantially increase the propensity to develop related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, heart attack, angina, stroke and diabetes”.
  • The authors pointed out that, anthropometric indicators are used to drive nutrition policy. However, there are serious implications for how we feed children both in terms of quantity as well as quality of food.

Govt. keen on implementing Labour Codes

In News: The Labour Ministry had envisaged implementing the four codes on industrial relations, wages, social security and occupational health safety and working conditions from April 1, 2021.

Context:

  • The Ministry had even finalised the rules under the four codes. But these could not be implemented because many States were not in a position to notify rules under these codes in their jurisdiction.
  • Once the wages code comes into force, there will be significant changes in the way basic pay and the provident fund of employees are calculated.
  • These four labour codes will rationalise 44 Central labour laws.
  • Labour is on the Concurrent List of the Constitution and, therefore, both the Centre and the States have to notify rules under these four codes to make them the laws of the land in their respective jurisdictions.
  • Under the new wages code, allowances are capped at 50%. This means half of the gross pay of an employee would be basic wages. Provident fund contribution is calculated as a percentage of the basic wage.

NPR slips valid for long-term visas: MHA

In News: Migrants belonging to six non-Muslim minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, while applying for long-term visas (LTVs), can also produce National Population Register (NPR) enrolment slips as proof of the duration of their stay in India, according to a Union Home Ministry manual.

Context:

  • The NPR number is part of an illustrative list of more than 10 documents that could be provided to apply for an LTV, which is a precursor to acquiring Indian citizenship either by naturalisation or registration under Section 5 and 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, for the six communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Christians and Buddhists — from the three countries.
  • The special provision of LTVs for Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan and Afghanistan was first made in 2011.

National Population Registry:

  • The NPR was first compiled in 2010 simultaneously with the decadal Census exercise and later updated in 2015. It already has a database of 119 crore residents.
  • The NPR is a register of usual residents linked with location particulars down to the village level and is updated periodically “to incorporate the changes due to birth, death and migration”.

Srabani Nanda – 100m in 11.36 seconds – Fastest Indian

In News:

  • Srabani Nanda, currently the most active Indian athlete in the world, has emerged as the fastest Indian woman this year.
  • The 30-year-old from Odisha clocked a personal best 11.36s while running against some of the world’s best at the NACAC New Life Invitational Meet in Florida, the US.
  • Jamaican Elaine Thompson, the Rio Olympics 100 and 200m champion, won the event in 10.87s while American Tianna Bartoletta, the long jump gold medallist in Rio, was second in 10.96.
  • With her 11.36s, Nanda replaces S. Dhanalakshmi, who clocked 11.38s in the Federation Cup in Patiala in March, as the Indian leader in the event this season. Dutee Chand (11.44) and Hima Das (11.63) occupy the next two spots.

Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix

In News:

  • Sergio Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a two-lap shootout after championship leader Max Verstappen crashed.
  • Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel took second for Aston Martin after an impressive drive after qualifying 11th.
  • Pierre Gasly was third for AlphaTauri.