Why was this scheme launched?

This scheme was launched by the central government with the aim of encouraging entrepreneurship from the grass-root level so that job creation and economic empowerment can be fostered especially among the ST, SC, and women entrepreneurs of the country.

Accomplishments of this scheme

• Under this scheme over 1.33 lakh new job-creators and entrepreneurs have been facilitated.
• Over 1 lakh women entrepreneurs have been benefited under this scheme in the last six years.
• Under this scheme, Rs. 30,160 crores have been sanctioned by the government to a total of 1,33,995 accounts up to 21^st March 2022.
• Out of the total sanctioned accounts, 6,435 accounts belonged to ST borrowers with Rs 1373.71 crore sanctioned and 19,310 accounts belonged to SC borrowers with Rs 3976.84 crore sanctioned.
• To 1,08,250 women entrepreneurs who held accounts, Rs. 24809.89 crore has been sanctioned.
•  

Overview:

• Vinay Mohan Kwatra is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and has 32 years of experience working in a range of assignments.
• From 2015 to 2017, he has worked in the Prime Minister’s office and then went to France as the ambassador of India.

Overview:

• G Asok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was also present during the launch event.
• The launch event was also attended via virtual mode by the representatives of more than 100 District Ganga Committees (DGC).

The objective of this dashboard

The digital dashboard has been launched with the aim of helping the DGCs in enhancing the connection between the people and the River Ganga.

About District Ganga Committees

The District Ganga Committees were constituted in all the Ganga River basin districts with the aim of placing a mechanism to ensure the participation of the people in pollution management and cleaning of the River Ganga and its tributaries.

Responsibilities of the DGCs

The DGCs utilize the assets created under Namami Gange for the rejuvenation of the River and monitor any sewage falling into the River. DGCs also form partnerships with other organisations to help in rejuvenating the River Ganga. It also monitors that no untreated solid or water waste flows into the Ganga River. It also helps in mitigating the climate change effects, and the protection of wetlands, biodiversity’s, etc.

Overview:

• In accordance with India’s international commitments, the amendment bill was passed to prohibit the financing of the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
• The 2005 Act prohibited the transport, manufacturing, and transfer of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

The reason for amending the act

The amendment of the act is necessary as in recent times, the various regulations that are in place and are related to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery system’s proliferation by international organizations have increased.  The Financial Action Task Force also has sanctioned the financing of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems proliferation.

Overview:

• As per the records of the Indian Nursing Council, there is around 33.41 lakh registered nursing personnel in India.
• This includes 23,40,501 registered midwives and nurses, 56,854 lady health visitors, and 10,00,805 nurse associates (9,43,951 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives).

Allopathic doctors

As of November 2021, in the country, there are 13,01,319 allopathic doctors who are registered with the National Medical Commission and the State Medical Councils as of November 2021.

Doctor-Population ratio

In the country, the doctor-population ratio is 1:834 assuming that there are 5,65,000 AYUSH doctors and 80 percent registered allopathic doctors. Also, in the country, there are 2,89,000 registered dentists and 13,00,000 healthcare and allied professionals.

About UNHRC

The UNHRC is an inter-governmental body under the United Nations. It is responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights across the world. The UNHRC also investigates human rights breaches and addresses various human rights issues. On 15^th March 2006, this council was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The UNHRC replaced the earlier formed United Nations Commission on Human Rights. There are 47-member states in the UNHRC and they serve for three years. They cannot be re-elected immediately after serving two consecutive terms. Federico Villegas is the current president of the UNHRC.

The process of removal of a country

The UNGA can suspend any Council member that committed human rights violation during its membership term. A two-thirds majority vote is required by the General Assembly to suspend a member.

Suspension of Russia

The United States first moved the resolution to suspend Russia over its military aggression in Ukraine. The resolution to remove Russia was titled ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council’. Under this resolution, grave concerns regarding human rights abuses committed by Russia in Ukraine were highlighted. The campaign to suspend Russia started after photos and videos of civilians killed by the Russian army in Bucha came to the fore.

Overview:

• The newly discovered planet has been dubbed K2-2016-BLG-0005Lb.
• This exoplanet has been discovered by an international astrophysicist’s team using data obtained that was obtained by NASA’s Kepler space telescope.
• The Kepler Space Telescope has detected around 2700 planets in the Milky Way galaxy.
• The newly discovered planet is located 17,000 light-years away from Earth.

How was this planet spotted?

Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and a gravitational microlensing method was used by the scientists to spot this twin of Jupiter. The scientists spotted the planet after it temporarily magnified and bent the light from a background star.

Overview:

• To the first 10,000 buyers, 25 percent off of MRP up to Rs 5,500 as a purchase incentive will be provided.
• To the first 1000 individual owners of e-cycles, an additional incentive of Rs 2,000 will be provided.
• A purchase incentive of 33 percent of MRP up to Rs 15,000 per vehicle will also be provided by the government to the first 5,000 e-cargo cycles buyers to support e-commerce drivers and food delivery.
• With all these incentives, Delhi has become the first state/UT to promote e-cycle in the nation.

Scrapping incentives

Scrapping incentives will also be provided to the buyers of cargo e-cycles and e-cycles. The incentive under Scrapping Incentive will be up to Rs 3,000 per vehicle, for the purpose of deregistering and scrapping old two-wheelers that are registered in Delhi.

Overview:

• The study is titled ‘Managing Forest Fires in a Changing Climate.’
• This study found that in the past two decades there has been a ten-fold increase in forest fires.
• The study has also found that over 62 percent of the states in India are vulnerable to high-intensity forest fires.
• Significant forest fires, in the last month, have been reported in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan.
• The recent Sariska Tiger Reserve forest fire in Rajasthan was also reported to be unseasonal, with high temperatures causing the fire to spread.

Most vulnerable states in India

The CEEW study has found that the states of Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and the north-eastern states barring Sikkim are most vulnerable to high-intensity forest fires due to rapid climate change. In 2019, a Forest Survey of India report stated that in India 36 percent of the forest cover falls in forest fire-prone zones.

What percent of Indian districts are extreme climate event hotspots?

According to this study of the CEEW, over 75 percent of the districts in India are hotspots for extreme climate events, and over 30 percent of districts are hotspots for extreme forest fires.

In the last two decades, which Indian state had the highest number of forest fire incidences?

In the last two decades, Mizoram has had the highest number of forest fire incidences. Over 95 percent of the districts of the state are forest fire hotspots.

About Flood-prone districts

This study also reported that the earlier flood-prone districts of India have now become drought-prone. This is due to a climate change-related swapping trend.

Recommendation of this report

The report has recommended that forest fires should be treated as “natural disasters” and must be included under the National Disaster Management Authority so that they can be properly managed.