NEWS TODAY

VISIONIAS

20th MAY, 2021

Ganga ghats in Varanasi

Temples of Kancheepuram

in Tamil Nadu

Six Indian sites, under the care of Archaeological Survey of India, have been shortlisted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be classified as world heritage sites.

There are about 84 ghats in Varanasi that extend from Assi to Raj Ghat.

Also known as “The City of Thousand Temples”, Kanchipuram is an important holy pilgrimage for Hindus. Important temples are:

Satpura Tiger Reserve Located in the south of the river Narmada.It is part of the Deccan bio-geographic zone of India.Satpura, meaning 'seven folds', forms a watershed between Narmada and Tapti River and is triangular in shape. It is one of the oldest forest reserves with a well-established tradition of scientific management of forests.

The ghats have a spiritual significance for Hindus but they offer space for people of other religions to pray too.

This took the total number of proposals from India to 48.

The Alamgir mosque on Panchaganga Ghat was built by Mughal emperor Aurangazeb.

Ekambareswarar Temple (Dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, built by the Pallava Dynasty in the sixth Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple (Dedicated to the Shiva, it’s one of the earliest examples of Pallava architecture),Kamakshi Amman Temple (Temple’s history often associated with Adi Shankara, the patron saint of the Kamakoti Mutt.Varadaraja Perumal Temple (Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, which are the most sacred Vaishnavite shrines spread across the country),Trilokyanatha Temple (It is one of the few Jain temples that feature a predominantly Dravidian style of architecture)

The Jain ghat has three temples, while Sarnath, 10 kilometres from Varanasi, is where Buddha delivered his first sermon on dharma.

SIX INDIAN SITES ADDED TO TENTATIVE UNESCO HERITAGE LIST SITES

Prominent forts are: Shivneri (the birthplace of Shivaji); Raigad (the capital fort rebuilt for the coronation of the Maratha king), Torna (the first fort of the Maratha empire), Salher-Mulher, Panhala, Pratapgad, Lohagad, Sindhudurg, Padmadurga (Kasa), Vijaydurg and Kolaba.

Maratha military architecture in

MaharashtraOne of the largest prehistoric megalithic settlements where some funerary monuments are still intact.There are different types of megalithic monuments at Hirebenkal like Dolmens – 3-sided chambers, with or without port-holes, and with large stone slabs called capstones forming their roofs.

Buried and semi-buried dolmens called cists and dolmenoid cists are sometimes found arranged in circles.

Hire benkal megalithic site in

Karnataka

It is part of Narmada River valley in Jabalpur

Dhuandhar waterfall at Bhedaghat gives the epic view of smoke coming out of the river.Several dinosaur fossils have been found in the Narmada valley particularly in Bhedaghat-Lametghat area of Jabalpur.This is also famous for marble. Marbles of the Bhedaghat area have different shades like white, grey, pink and bluish grey giving additional beauty to the marble rocks.

Bhedaghat is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of India.Bhedaghat-Lametaghat of Narmada

Valley in Madhya Pradesh

Satpura Tiger Reserve in

Madhya Pradesh

TRAI ISSUES CONSULTATION PAPER ON ‘ROADMAP TO PROMOTE BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY AND ENHANCED BROADBAND SPEED’

As per the latest data by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), there is a wide gap between wireless (747.41million) and fixed-line broadband (FLB) subscriptions (47.77million).However, FLB offers benefits like higher reliability, low latency and higher speed.

Issues with FLB:

Policy measures to improve availability and affordability of fixed broadband services

This makes it suitable for accessing cloud-based enterprise applications, electronic communications, video streaming, online gaming, online education, tele-health etc.As per Ookla speed test global index 2020 report, India ranked 129th among 138 nations in terms of mobile broadband speed and 75th among 174 countries in FLB.

Restricted access to building complexes and societiesHigher cost of installation and maintenance of FLB infrastructurePoor demand due to high cost

misuse by the licensees through misappropriation of revenues,whether the license fee should be exempted on all kind of revenues earned by the licensees from fixed-line networks,Duration of such exemption.Amount of DBT for each connection,maximum duration of subsidy and.how to identify a particular segment of the subscribers.Need a uniform, simple, and efficient process which can be used by States/ Local-Bodies for granting access to public places and street furniture.

Incentivize fixed-line infrastructure creation in the country through Exemption of License Fee on the revenues earned from fixedline broadband.

Promoting proliferation of fixed-line broadband by providing direct benefit to consumers for usage of fixed-line Broadband services.

Granting access to public places like government buildings and street furniture at reasonable cost.

Measure Related concerns

VISIONIAS

VISIONIAS‘Infrastructure’ status

for exhibition and convention centres

Extension of Validity of Registration Certificates issued under FCRA, 2010

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)

Gives industries access to cheaper foreign currency funding through the external commercial borrowing route. Sector get credit at competitive rates and on long-term basis with enhanced limits.

Validity extension (up to 30.09.2021) is applicable to NGOs whose registration certificates have expired/expiring during the period between September 29, 2020 and September 30, 2021.This has been done in light of exigencies arising out of COVID-19 situation and to ensure smooth transition to the amended Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) regime.The home ministry has also announced that existing FCRA account holders have to now open the FCRA account in the New Delhi Main Branch (NDMB) of the State Bank of India (SBI) which can be done by NGOs by June 30 or earlier.

Significance of Infrastructure status.

Infrastructure tag no longer involves significant tax breaks.

It is implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.It has two components: Setting up new AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) and Upgradation of government medical colleges in various states.

New AIIMS (All India Institutes of Medical Sciences) started under PMSSY are providing advanced COVID Care in States.PMSSY is a Central Sector Scheme, was announced in 2003 to address imbalances in availability of tertiary care hospitals and improve medical education in the country.

AIM-ICDK Water Innovation Challenge

Digital water management solutions, Solutions for monitoring and prevention of leakage in city water supply,

Waste water management across rural belts and urban settlements, Rainwater harvesting in rural and urban settlements, andSafe and sustained drinking water.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in partnership with Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK) concluded the global finals of the Next Generation Water Action (NGWA) Water Innovation Challenge.Innovative ideas were invited in following challenge areas:

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has registered over 23% jump in the subscriber base under its two flagship pension schemes at 42.7 mn by the end of April 2021.About PFRDA

The two flagship pension schemes run by it are- National Pension Scheme and Atal Pension Yojana.

It was established in 2003 through a Union Government resolution (later PFRDA Act in 2013) to promote, develop and regulate pension sector in India

The Alamgir mosque on Panchaganga Ghat was built by Mughal emperor Aurangazeb.

GOVERNMENT RAISES SUBSIDY ON DI-AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE (DAP) FERTILISER BY 140%

WORLD’S LARGEST ICEBERG BREAKS OFF IN ANTARCTICA

Rise in DAP prices was due to sharp increase in input material phosphoric acid and ammonia by 60%-70%

Coupled with hike in diesel prices, the input cost may increase for farmers May increase inflation

Urea is being provided to the farmers at a statutorily notified Maximum Retail Price (MRP)For Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers, Government is implementing Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS)

The higher subsidy will allow fertiliser companies to sell DAP at the old rate of Rs 1,200 against the new price of Rs 1,900 per bag that was applicable from April 1, 2021.

This entails an additional cost of Rs 14,775 crore to the central government’s annual existing subsidy for chemical fertilisers of about Rs 80,000 crore.Reason to increase subsidy

Issues: farmers use excessive DAP leading to poor soil health; increase fiscal deficitGovernment of India is making available fertilizers, namely Urea and 22 grades of Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers including Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/ importers. 

Antarctica ice sheet is warming faster than the rest of the planet, causing melting of snow and ice covers as well as the retreat of glaciers, especially around the Weddell Sea.

Tipping points are thresholds where a tiny change could push a system into a completely new state.

Iceberg A-76, measures around 170 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide, calved from the western side of the Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica and is now floating on the Weddell Sea.

Also, A recent report published in journal Nature has predicted that Antarctica is headed for a climate tipping point by 2060 if emissions aren’t curbed.

Reasons for melting of Antarctica: Human-caused global warming; Shifting wind patterns linked to climate change.

Globally, there are nine “tipping points” where a changing climate could push parts of the Earth system into abrupt or irreversible change.Nine tipping points are Amazon rainforest; Arctic sea ice; Atlantic circulation; Boreal forests; Coral reefs; Greenland ice sheet; Permafrost; West Antarctic ice sheet; Part of East Antarctica.

Benefits available as ‘infrastructure’ projects would only be available for projects with a minimum built-up floor area of 1,00,000 square metres of exclusive exhibition space or convention space or both combined.

Impact: Antarctic contains about 90 percent of the planet’s ice, enough to raise global sea levels 200 feet.

ALSO IN NEWS

Action taken to address Antarctica climate change:Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems at all Antarctic stations, coordination of transport and logistics strategic planning about new facilities can bring about regional and global environmental benefits as well as cost savings.

Antarctic Treaty Parties should lead by example in the global effort in addressing climate change.

Implementation of climate adaptation strategies include establishing protecting areas which are less likely to change such as the Ross Sea, biosecurity measures etc. through expansion and improvement of CCAMLR’s (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP) and the establishment of a Southern Ocean Sentinel program.

Under the environmental protocol of the Antarctic Treaty (1959), India has set up three research stations -Dakshin Gangotri (1983-84); Maitri (1988); Bharati (2015) - up till now.