News In Short 30-10-2024

Replicas of the Konark Wheels at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Syllabus: GS1/Art & Culture

Context

• Recently, replicas of the Konark wheels, made of sandstone, have been installed at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre and Amrit Udyan, aiming to showcase and promote India’s historical legacy among visitors.

About the Konark Wheels

• The Konark Wheels, an iconic feature of the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, represents the pinnacle of Odishan temple architecture.
• The temple was constructed in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I (1238-64 CE), the temple is designed in the shape of a colossal chariot carrying the Sun God. 
• The chariot is adorned with 24 intricately carved wheels, each about 12 feet in diameter, symbolising the passage of time and the cycle of life.

Architectural Marvel

• The spokes of the wheels cast shadows that can be used to calculate the time of day with remarkable accuracy. 
• This blend of artistic beauty and scientific precision highlights the advanced knowledge and craftsmanship of ancient Indian architects and artisans.

Source: PIB

Kumbh Mela

Syllabus: GS1/Culture

Context

• Uttar Pradesh is preparing for the 2025 Maha Kumbh.

About

• It is a 45-day religious event that is held once in 12 years.
• It is slated to begin on January 14, 2025.
• Pilgrims come to bathe in sacred rivers, believing it purifies their sins and promotes spiritual liberation.
• The location of the Mela also keeps rotating between four pilgrimages namely:
  • Kumbh Mela in Haridwar on the Ganges in Uttarakhand.
  • Kumbh Mela in Ujjain on the Shipra River in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Kumbh Mela in Nashik on the Godavari River  in Maharashtra.
  • Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati in Uttar Pradesh.
• Each site is chosen as per the astrological positions of the Sun, the Moon and the Jupiter. 
  • The mela is held at the exact time when these three positions are fully occupied, and it is the holiest time in Hinduism.
• Maha Kumbh Mela: It comes once in every 144 years after 12 Purna Kumbh Melas.
  • Maha Kumbh is held only in Prayagraj. 

Source: IE

Mobile App for Birth and Death Registration

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Civil Registration System (CRS) mobile application to “integrate technology with governance”.

Civil Registration System (CRS) App

• The mobile app, prepared by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, is expected to significantly reduce the time required for the registration of births and deaths.
• According to the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, all reported births and deaths in the country occurring from October 1, 2023 are to be digitally registered.
• The digital birth certificates will be a single document to prove the date of birth for various services such as admission to educational institutions, government jobs and marriage registration. 
• The centralized database will also help update the National Population Register (NPR), ration cards, property registration and electoral rolls.

Source: TH

Ayushman Bharat for 70-plus Citizens

Syllabus: GS2/ Health

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the expanded Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme.

About

• The Scheme will apply to all aged 70 and above, irrespective of their socio-economic status, with a benefit cover of Rs 5 lakh per year in empanelled hospitals across India. 
• Under the expanded scheme, senior citizens will get a separate Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card.
• Eligible beneficiaries covered under Private health insurance policies or Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme will also be eligible to avail benefits under PMJAY.
  • Those already availing benefits of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) may have to either choose their existing scheme or opt for PMJAY.

Ayushman Bharat Scheme – It was launched in 2018, by the Government of India with the aim of achieving universal health coverage. It has two key components; 1. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri- Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)  2. Ayushman Arogya Mandir  Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri- Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) – AB PM-JAY is the largest publicly funded health assurance scheme in the world which provides health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. – Coverage: It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days of post – hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines. 1. The beneficiary can visit any empanelled public or private hospital in India to avail cashless treatment. 2. There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender. – Eligibility:  The inclusion of households is based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban areas, respectively.  1. This number also includes families that were covered in the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) but were not present in the SECC 2011 database. – Funding: The funding for the scheme is shared by the Centre and the state in a 60:40 ratio. 1. However, for North-Eastern states, Himalayan states (such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh), and Union Territories, the ratio is 90:10.

Source: BS

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)

Syllabus: GS 2/ IR 

In News 

• Israel’s parliament passed two Bills  to ban the UNRWA from operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

About

• One Bill prohibits UNRWA’s operations in Israel, while the other cuts official ties and removes legal immunity for UNRWA staff.
• UNRWA also designated a terrorist organization, severing all ties with the agency.
• These measures may disrupt aid distribution in Gaza, impacting 2 million Palestinians facing shortages of food, water, and medicine.

UNRWA

• The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was established in 1949 to support Palestine refugees affected by the 1948 War, with operations starting in 1950. 
• It is funded mainly by voluntary contributions from UN member states
• It  provides essential services, including education, health, and emergency relief, to 5.9 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
• It plays a critical role in Gaza’s humanitarian aid distribution and recently implemented an emergency polio vaccination campaign.

Source: IE

BRIC-NABI

Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture

Context

• The Union Science and Technology Minister has inaugurated the BRIC-National Agri-Food Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI).

About

• The establishment of BRIC-NABI is a strategic merger between the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), and the Centre of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB),
  • Both are autonomous institutes under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• The facility aims to transform India’s agri-food sector through advanced biotechnology
• The combined expertise of NABI and CIAB will enhance agricultural productivity through innovations such as genetically modified crops with higher yields, better disease resistance, and improved nutritional content.

Source: TOI

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

Syllabus: GS 3/ Economy 

In News 

• Mudra Loan Limit Increased to Rs 20 Lakh Following Budget Announcement.

About PM MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)

• MUDRA stands for Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd, providing financial inclusiveness for marginalized groups under PMMY.
• It  launched on April 8, 2015, to support non-corporate, non-farm small and micro enterprises with loans up to ₹10 lakh.
• Loan Limit Increase: The loan limit was raised to ₹20 lakh in the Union Budget 2024-25, effective from October 24, 2024.
  • Enhanced loans under the new limit are covered by the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU), strengthening the government’s commitment to entrepreneurship.
• Objective: MUDRA aims to nurture India’s young entrepreneurial talent by addressing gaps in the economic ecosystem.
• Loan Categories:Shishu: Loans up to ₹50,000.
  • Kishore: Loans above ₹50,000 and up to ₹5 lakh.
  • Tarun: Loans above ₹5 lakh and up to ₹10 lakh.
  • Tarun Plus: Loans between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh.

Source : PIB 

Bail Provisions Under PMLA

Source: GS2/Polity and Governance

Context

• Delhi High Court has said that the Stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cannot be used as a “tool for incarceration”.
  • The court underlined that bail is the rule and jail an exception.

The Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA)

• It was enacted under Article 253 of the Constitution in 2002 to prevent money laundering and provide for the confiscation of property derived from or involved in money laundering.
• It came into force from 2005, and it was further amended in 2009 and in 2012.
• The offence under the PMLA mainly involves money laundering obtained through criminal activities (e.g., drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption).

Bail Provisions under the Law

• Section 45 of the PMLA, which deals with bail, first states that no court can grant bail for offences under this law, and then proceeds to mention a few exceptions. 
  • The negative language in the provision itself shows that bail is not the rule but the exception under PMLA.
• The provision makes it mandatory to hear the public prosecutor in all bail applications, and when the prosecutor opposes bail, the court is required to apply a twin test.
  • These two conditions are: (i) that there are “reasonable grounds for believing that [the accused] is not guilty of such offence”; and (ii) that “he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail”.

Source: TH

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

Syllabus: GS3/ Agriculture and Economy

Context

• The Union Government has decided to include four new components, Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Vertical Farming, and Precision Agriculture, under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

• It is a Central Sponsored Scheme (CSS) implemented from 2014-15 that promotes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.
• Under MIDH, financial & technical assistance is provided to States/UTs for following major interventions/activities;
  • Setting up of nurseries, tissue culture units for production of quality seed and planting material.
  • Area expansion i.e. Establishment of new orchards and gardens for fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
  • Protected cultivation, i.e. poly-house, green-house, etc, to improve the productivity & grow off season high value vegetables and flowers.
  • Organic farming and certification.
  • Creation of water resources structures and watershed management.
  • Bee-keeping for pollination.
  • Creation of Post Harvest Management and Marketing infrastructure.

Horticulture Sector in India  – In 2022-23, India’s horticulture production was estimated to be 355.48 million tonnes, a 2.39% increase from 2021-22.  – In 2022-23, the area for horticulture production increased by 1.41% from 2021-22. – India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.

Sources:IE

Rajya Vishisht Yojana for Stubble Burning

Syllabus: GS 3/Environment 

In News 

• The Haryana government launched the Rajya Vishisht Yojana to reduce stubble burning incidents.

About Rajya Vishisht Yojana

• Under this scheme, farmers receive financial support for managing crop residue.
• Panchayats are assigned zero stubble burning targets:
• Features :Red zone panchayats get an incentive of 1 lakh rupees for meeting the target.
  • Yellow zone panchayats get an incentive of 50 thousand rupees for meeting the target..
  • Farmers are given an incentive of 1,000 rupees per acre for paddy residue management.

Other related measures for stubble burning 

• The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has prioritized crop residue management to curb air pollution, specifically addressing stubble burning. 
• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) developed a framework for preventing and controlling stubble burning
• The framework has been revised, drawing on learnings from 2021-2023, and updated action plans have been prepared for Punjab, Haryana, and NCR districts of UP for the 2024 paddy harvest season.
•  These plans incorporate in-situ and ex-situ stubble management, IEC activities, and enforcement mechanisms. 

Source : PIB