Current Affairs - PIB News

On 18th March 2021, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has notified draft rules for setting up Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF).The rules lay down the procedure for setting up, authorization and operation of RVSF.

Key Features

• These RVSFs shall be provided access to the VAHAN database and shall be authorized to make entries regarding scrapping of the vehicle & issuance of Scrapping Certificate.
• Other access to NCRB & police database will also be provided for verification of stolen vehicle or vehicle involved in criminal activity, before scrapping a vehicle.
• The rules specify the technical requirements and procedure to be followed by any legal entity for setting up RVSF.
• The Government of India will develop a portal for single window clearance, on which the applicant will apply with documents and fee. State/UT governments would clear the proposal in a time-bound manner, that is, 60 days.
• The application process is proposed to be made seamless, transparent and time-bound for registration, inspection and audit of RVSF.
• The RVSF must take cyber security certifications for safe access to VAHAN database. The registration of an RVSF shall be valid for an initial period of 10 years, and renewable for 10 years at a time.
• Besides the requirement for having certified equipment for de-polluting, de-risking and dismantling End of Life Vehicle (ELV), the RVSF will have to comply with relevant health and safety legislation/regulation and environmental norms laid down by MoEF&CC and CPCB/SPCB for such operations.
• In case the RVSF does not have adequate capability for recycling of hazardous waste (like e-waste, batteries, or for recovery of rare earth metals, etc.), then such materials can be sold to duly authorized recyclers.
• The RVSF, after verifying the original documents from the owner / representative and records of the vehicles, issues the ‘Certificate of Deposit’, which can be used to avail incentives and benefits for purchase of a new vehicle.
• The RVSF shall keep safe custody of cut piece of Chassis Number for a period of 6 months from the date of issue of ‘Certificate of Vehicle Scrapping’ and maintain a copy of all documents for record and examination during audit.

On 15^th March, 2021 the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), has launched Project RE-HAB of creating “bee-fences” to mitigate human – elephant conflicts in the country.

• The pilot project was launched at four locations around village Chelur in Kodagu district of Karnataka.
• These spots are located on the periphery of Nagarhole National Park and Tiger Reserve and prone to human-elephant conflicts.

Objective

• The objective of Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant – Human Attacks using Bees) is to thwart elephant attacks in human habitations using honey bees and thus reducing loss of lives of both, humans as well as elephants.

About Project RE-HAB

• Project RE-HAB is a sub-mission under KVIC’s National Honey Mission.
• While the Honey Mission is a programme to increase the bee population, honey production and beekeepers’ income by setting up apiaries, Project RE-HAB uses bee boxes as a fence to prevent the attack of elephants.

How will it Work?

• The bee boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug or pull causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further. Bee boxes have been placed on the ground as well as hung from the trees to block the passage of elephants.
• It has been scientifically recorded that elephants are annoyed and even frightened of honey bees. Elephants fear that the bee swarms can bite their sensitive inner side of the trunk and eyes. The collective buzz of the bees is annoying to elephants and it forces them to return.
• Elephants, who are the most intelligent animal and carry their memories for long, avoid returning to the place where they have encountered honey bees.

Advantage

• The biggest advantage of Project RE-HAB is that it dissuades elephants without causing any harm to them.
• It is extremely cost-effective as compared to various other measures like digging trenches or erecting fences.

On 10th March 2021, the Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi (PMSSN) as a single non-lapsable reserve fund for share of Health from the proceeds of Health and Education Cess levied under Section 136-b of Finance Act, 2007.

Salient Features of the PMSSN

1. A non-lapsable reserve fund for Health in the Public Account;
2. Proceeds of share of health in the Health and Education Cess will be credited into PMSSN;
3. Accruals into the PMSSN will be utilized for the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare namely,
   • Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
   • Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs)
   • National Health Mission
   • Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)
   • Emergency & disaster preparedness and responses during health emergencies
   • Any future programme/scheme that targets to achieve progress towards SDGs and the targets set out in the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017.
4. Administration and maintenance of the PMSSN is entrusted to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; and
5. In any financial year, the expenditure on such schemes of the MoHFW would be initially incurred from the PMSSN and thereafter, from Gross Budgetary Support (GBS).

Benefits

• The major benefit will be: enhanced access to universal & affordable health care through availability of earmarked resources, while ensuring that the amount does not lapse at the end of financial year.

• The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India under its “Waste to Wealth” Mission launched the “Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship” to recognize students, community workers/self-help groups, and municipal/sanitary workers who are engaged in tackling the enormous challenge of waste management, scientifically and sustainably.
• This fellowship is aimed to empower interested students and citizens to continuously engage in their attempts to reduce waste in cities and rural areas.
• The Waste to Wealth Mission is one of the nine national missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
• The fellowship is an initiative to empower young innovators who are engaged in community work of waste management/awareness campaigns/waste surveys/studies, etc. as Swachhta Saarthis and implement actions to reduce waste for a greener planet.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched City Innovation Exchange (CiX) platform.

• The City Innovation Exchange (CiX) will connect cities to innovators across the national ecosystem to design innovative solutions for their pressing challenges. The platform will ease the discovery, design & validation of solutions through a robust, transparent and user centric process that will reduce barriers for innovators and cities to discover fitting solutions.
• Built on the concept of ‘open innovation’, the platform will help in the flow of ideas ‘outside in and inside out’, enhancing the skills and capacity required to deliver smart urban governance. Through interaction with the Academia and Businesses/Startups, the platform will benefit cities in the transfer of ideas from ‘labs’ to real environment. Similarly, by helping urban governments interact with citizens, the platform will ensure adoption of tested solutions that will be impactful and sustainable.
• The platform in due time will help our cities in adopting solutions that will enhance the quality of life for its residents and significantly improve the Ease of Doing Business.

For transforming iconic heritage, spiritual and cultural places in the country as ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’ under Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) initiative of Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G), the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti has announced the selection of the following Twelve (12) iconic sites under Phase IV of SIP.

1. Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
2. Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh
3. Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan
4. Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan
5. Ramdevra, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
6. Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, Telangana
7. Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
8. Rock Garden, Chandigarh
9. Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
10. Banke Bihari Temple, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
11. Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
12. Kalighat Temple, West Bengal

Objective of SIP: The objective of SIP is to achieve a distinctly higher level of Sanitation/Cleanliness at these places, especially on the peripheries and in approach areas.

• Finance Minister has allocated an amount of Rs. 1220.84 crores for the Department of Fisheries, which is the highest ever annual budgetary support for the Department. This marks a 34% increase over the budget of FY 2020-21. Further, this includes an allocation of Rs. 1000 crores for the flagship scheme of the Department, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme for FY 2021-21, enhanced by 43% from FY 2020-21.
• Substantial investments will be done for the development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres. To start with, 5 major fishing harbours – Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat – will be developed as hubs of economic activity.
• Further, inland fishing harbours and fish-landing centres will also be developed along the banks of rivers and waterways. Finance Minister has laid emphasis on the development of Inland Fisheries and for the first time in the history of the Fisheries sector, riverine harbours and fish landing centres will be constructed along the banks of rivers and waterways. The riverine fishing harbours and landing centres besides providing the aforementioned benefits will also provide the required thrust towards the organization of the inland fisheries sector which has hitherto been unorganized.
• Technologically advanced deep-sea fishing vessels with modern supporting facilities will also be rolled out for optimally harnessing the potential of EEZ and High Seas, thereby doubling incomes of fishermen and other stakeholders.
• This will also facilitate collectivization and registration of fishermen, fish workers and fish vendors associated with the fishing harbours and landing centres into Fish Farmer Producer Organisations (FFPOs).
• Also, a Multipurpose Seaweed Park will be established in Tamil Nadu. India with a 2.2 million sq. km EEZ area and 0.53 sq km continental shelf has enormous scope for seaweed cultivation and development of indigenous seaweed-based industries comprising of value-added products, nutraceuticals, biofuels, bioplastics, etc. which can substantially contribute to the global markets.

• There are presently 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW in operation and one reactor, KAPP-3 (700 MW) has been connected to the grid on January 10, 2021.
• In addition, there are 8 reactors (including 500 MW PFBR being implemented by BHAVINI) totaling to 6000 MW under construction at various stages.
• The Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for construction of 12 nuclear power reactors - 10 indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode & 2 units of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) to be set up in cooperation with Russian Federation.
• On progressive completion of the projects under construction and accorded sanction, the nuclear capacity is expected to reach 22480 MW by 2031.
• The Government has also accorded ‘In-Principle’ approval for five new sites for locating nuclear power plants in future.

• Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL), a Government of India Special Purpose Vehicle, has established Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) facilities with total capacity of 5.33 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) at 3 locations, namely (i) Vishakhapatnam, (ii) Mangaluru and (iii) Padur.
• As per the consumption pattern of 2019-20, the total capacity is estimated to provide for about 9.5 days of crude oil requirement.
• In addition, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in the country have storage facilities for crude oil and petroleum products for 64.5 days, thus the current total national capacity for storage of crude oil and petroleum products currently is 74 days.
• Under Phase II of the SPR Programme, the Government has given ‘in principle’ approval in June 2018 for establishing two additional SPR facilities with total storage capacity of 6.5 MMT at two locations namely (i) Chandikhol in Odisha (4 MMT) and (ii) Padur in Karnataka (2.5 MMT).
• As per the consumption pattern of 2019-20, 6.5 MMT SPR capacity is estimated to provide for about additional 12 days of India’s crude oil requirement.

• During her Budget speech, the Finance Minister announced that Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 will be launched under the “Health and Wellbeing” vertical.
• In this mission, focus will be on complete fecal sludge management, waste water treatment, source segregation of garbage, reduction in single use plastic, reduction in air pollution by effectively managing waste from construction and demolition activities, and bio-remediation of all legacy dumpsites.
• This will be a continuation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), with the following components for funding and implementation across all statutory towns:
  • Sustainable sanitation (construction of toilets)
  • Wastewater treatment, including fecal sludge management in all ULBs with less than 1 lakh population (this is a new component added to SBM-U 2.0)
  • Solid Waste Management
  • Information, Education and Communication, and
  • Capacity building.

Expected Outcomes

At the end of the Mission, the following outcomes are expected to be achieved:

• All statutory towns will become ODF+ certified
• All statutory towns with less than 1 lakh population will become ODF++ certified,
• 50% of all statutory towns with less than 1 lakh population will become Water+ certified,
• All statutory towns will be at least 3-star Garbage Free rated as per MoHUA’s Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free cities,
• Bio-remediation of all legacy dumpsites.