Facts in News

Indian Polity 

Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)

Syllabus: GS 2/Government Policies & Interventions

• The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)has brought high-speed internet to some of the remotest tribal hamlets deep inside the Nilambur jungle in Kerala 

About 

• It has been implemented through NGOs in the country since 1967 with 100% grants from the Government of India. 
• It is formerly known as Shramik Vidyapeeth.
• The JSS scheme was transferred from the Ministry of Education (erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development) to the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship in July 2018.
• At present, 233 JSSs in 25 States and 3 Union Territories are functional. 
  • The annual coverage of the beneficiaries is around 4 lakh, out of which 85% are women.
• Jan Shikshan Sansthans are registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. 
  • The affairs of Jan Shikshan Sansthan are managed by the respective Board of Management approved by the Government of India.

Mandates: 

• To provide vocational skills in non-formal mode to non-literate, neo-literates, persons with a rudimentary level of education up to 8th and school drop-outs up to 12th standard in the age group of 15-45 years.
• The priority groups are women, SC, ST, minorities and other backward sections of the society.

Significance: 

•  Over two-thirds of India’s population comprises rural citizens.
  • JSS uplifts this rural population economically by imparting essential skills training, thereby enabling local trades to grow and creating new opportunities for the natives of the region.

Defence

Hindustan 228 Aircraft

Syllabus: GS 3/Defence

• Recently, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had successfully carried out ground run and low-speed taxi trials of a commercial aircraft `Hindustan -228’ for ‘Type Certification’ by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
• The type certification by the DGCA will enable HAL to get an international certification for the aircraft. 

About 

• The 19-seater Hindustan-228 or the Do-228 is the first major attempt in India to develop a small civil transport aircraft after the 14-seater Saras aircraft development program at the National Aeronautics Laboratory which was shelved in 2009 on account of multiple problems in its development.
• It is built on the existing frame of the German Dornier 228 defence transport aircraft used by the defence forces. 
• HAL has produced a total of 125 Dornier 228 under license at Kanpur since 1983.
  • In 2017, the DGCA cleared HAL Do-228 to be used for civilian flights.
• Features: 
  • It is a highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft.
    • It is a multi-role utility aircraft built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications. 
  •  It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport, third level services and air-taxi operations, coast guard duties and maritime surveillance.
• Modification: 
  • In February 2020, HAL received the modification document for the HAL Do-228 upgraded civil aircraft from DGCA at the DefExpo in Lucknow. 
  • HAL Do-228-201(Upgraded) civil aircraft is equipped with a digital cockpit which will ensure more accurate readings, precise information and ergonomic data displays with feedback loops and capability for self-check to alert pilots in emergencies.

                                                       Image Courtesy: HAL

Status of the Saras civilian aircraft project 

• NAL Saras, a 14-seater aircraft was perhaps the first attempt to build a commercial carrier which received approval in 1999 by the government after the Russians who were supposed to co-develop the aircraft backed out. 
• The Sarus-named after the Indian crane made its first flight on May 29, 2004. 
• The project was halted in 2009 following a major crash that killed three test pilots. 
• However, the current government has now revived the project after approving certain modifications to the cockpit and cabin formation.
•  Saras will be used as a test aircraft for the development of Saras Mk2, a 19-seater transport aircraft. 
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has already started work on the design of the indigenous next-gen commuter transport aircraft, to be used for the Government’s UDAN scheme.

Biodiversity and Environment

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve

Syllabus: GS3/ Conservation

• Recently, the Delhi High Court asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to consider as a representation a plea seeking to stop the alleged illegal construction of bridges and walls within the tiger breeding habitat of Corbett Tiger Reserve.

About Corbett Tiger Reserve

• Location: Nainital, Uttarakhand.
  • Spans over an extent of 520 square km.
  • The whole area comprises hills, marshy depressions, riverine belts, grasslands and a large lake.
  • Rivers: Ramganga, Kosi & Sonanadi.
• Established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, Corbett has the glory of being India’s oldest and most prestigious National Park.
• It is a part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, a Project Tiger Reserve.
  • It is honoured as the place where Project Tiger was first launched in 1973.
• Flora
  • According to the Botanical Survey of India, Corbett has 600 species of plants comprising trees, shrubs, ferns, grass, climbers, herbs and bamboo.
  • More than 75% of the total area of Corbett is dominated by Sal forests.
• Fauna
  • Apart from Royal Bengal Tiger, it is also home to a sizable population of the endangered Asiatic elephant and other critically endangered species including the Gharial.
  • Mammal species include Asiatic Black Bear, Hog Deer, Walking Deer, Sambar, Sloth Bear, etc., a diversity of aqua fauna and birdlife with approximately 600 species including the great pied hornbill, white-Backed Vulture, Hodgson’s bush chat, etc. and reptiles like mugger Crocodiles, the king Cobra, etc.

Governance

Yuktdhara: New Geospatial Planning Portal

Syllabus: GS2/ Issues Relating to Development/ Welfare Schemes

• The Government has launched a new geospatial planning portal, ‘Yuktdhara’, that will help in facilitating new MGNREGA assets using remote sensing and geographic information system-based data. 
• The word ‘Yukt’ is derived from ‘Yojanam’ (planning) and ‘Dhara’ indicates flow.

About

• The initiative is a culmination of untiring joint efforts of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Ministry of Rural development made towards realising a Government to Government (G2G) service for rural planning in support of decentralized decision making. 
• Previously launched, ISRO’s Geoportal Bhuvan is presently a de-facto geospatial platform for several developmental planning activities across India.
• Objective:
  • This platform will serve as a repository of assets, Geotags created under various national rural development programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act, (MGNREGA), Integrated Watershed Management Programme, Per Drop More Crop and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana along with field photographs.
  • It will integrate a wide variety of thematic layers, multi-temporal high-resolution earth observation data with the analysis tool.
  • Planners will be able to analyse previous assets under various schemes and facilitate the identification of new works using online tools. Prepared plans will be then evaluated by appropriate authorities under State Departments.x

• Significance:
  • Yuktdhara based plans will be prepared by grass root functionaries and verified by appropriate authorities for relevance and resource allocation. This would ensure quality of plan and enable a long term monitoring of the assets created over the years.

ISRO’s Geoportal Bhuvan

• It is also called the Indian version of Google Maps, is a multi-purpose end-user satellite application platform.
• This software application allows the users to explore a 2D/3D representation of the surface of the Earth.
• Using BHUVAN, users can chart routes, plot areas, view terrain profile and overlay images
• By using MapmyIndia maps and applications instead of the foreign map apps, users can better protect their privacy.

Geospatial Information

• Geospatial information is geography and mapping. It is basically place-based and locational based information. 
• Geospatial planning is the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) that accurately store, collect, display and retrieve vast amounts of information in a spatial context.

Place In News

Panjshir Valley

Syllabus: GS2/ Geography/ Places In News

• The Panjshir Valley is in north-central Afghanistan, near the Hindu Kush mountain range.
• It is divided by the Panjshir River and Panjshir means “Five lions”.
  • There is a legend that in the 10th century 5 brothers built a dam for king Mahmood Ghaznavi in the valley to prevent floods from damaging people’s homes. Hence it was named valley of 5 lions (after those 5 brothers).
• The valley is home to Afghanistan’s largest concentration of ethnic Tajiks.
• The valley is also known for its emeralds, which were used in the past to finance the resistance movements against those in power.