Measures to conserve Western Ghats

Union Environment Ministry has extended measures to conserve the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. It will be delayed by another six months. Deadline to notify new rules have been extended till June 30, 2022

Earlier deadlines were set to expire on December 31, 2021.

On December 31, environment ministry issued a notification to amend Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986. In rule 5 (3) (d), December 31, 2021, will be substituted by June 30, 2022.

This clause is applicable to or restrictions imposed by government on the location of industries or carrying the processes and operations in an area.

The government seeks to prohibit or restrict industrial and developmental activities across 37% of the area in the mountain range. It accounts for an area of 59,940 sq km, over five states.

Zero Tillage Technology

Zero is an agricultural practice. It maintains permanent Soil cover. It increases natural biological processes that occur in the soil. It improves sustained crop production and increases soil Nutrition. There is no soil disturbance.

Tillage is land preparation. Tilling of land means agitating the soil particles by overturning, digging and stirring. This is done to kill Weeds, crop residues and to aerate the soil. However, tilling destroys natural structure of the soil. If greater soil area is exposed to sunlight (which usually happens while tilling with the help of tractors), the moisture retaining capacity of soil is lost. On the other hand, zero tillage skips the tilling process. Here the crop seed is sown without land preparation. And the seeds are drilled into the soil.

District Level Good Governance Index

The Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is to get a district level https://exam.pscnotes.com/good-Governance“>Good Governance Index. The index is modelled on Good Governance Index 2021.

The index will assess the governance in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is to be calculated considering 58 indicators in ten different sectors. The Centre for Good Governance (CGG) provided the technical support to create the framework of the index. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is to prepare the index.

The index is to be calculated based on the performance of the districts in 10 sectors such as Citizen Centric Governance, public safety and judiciary, welfare and development, economic governance, public Infrastructure and utilities, public Health, Human resource development, commerce and Industry and Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and allied sector.

It was first announced at the regional conference organised by DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) in Uttar Pradesh. The DARPG operates under the Ministry of Personnel, public grievances and pension. It is the nodal agency for administrative reforms and public grievance redressal.

Census 2021 Updates

The first phase of the census and data collection for updating the National Population Register (NPR) has been postponed at least until September 2022, according to the Central Government.

Highlights:

District, sub-district, taluka, tehsil, and Police station boundaries were frozen in December 2021, but this was postponed until June 2022.

The census cannot be conducted without the administrative unit boundary limits being frozen. It is completed at least three months in advance.

Between two censuses, all jurisdictional changes in an administrative area must be covered in order for administrative units to be finalized.

The number of districts has increased from 640 in 2011 to 736 in 2021, according to provisional data compiled by the Registrar General of India (RGI).

RCEP Indonesia Stance

On August 25, 2021, India’s Trade Minister, Muhammad Lutfi, presented his case to Indonesia’s lower house of parliament for ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic PARTNERSHIP (RCEP) trade agreement.

Highlights:

Minister argued in his statement to DPR Commission VI that the RCEP will benefit Indonesia.

In the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, it also promises to strengthen its role in regional supply chains and improve the country’s economic performance.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a between Australia, Brunei, China, Cambodia, Japan, Indonesia, Laos, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, which includes Australia, Brunei, China, Cambodia, Japan, Indonesia, Laos, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The RCEP does not include India or the United States. The 15-member bloc accounts for 30% of the global Population and 30% of the global GDP.

PM interacts with Gram Panchayats & Pani Samitis on Jal Jeevan Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with Gram Panchayats and Pani Samitis or Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSC) on Jal Jeevan Mission On October 2 via video conferencing.

Highlights:

The Prime Minister will launch the Jal Jeevan Mission App for improving awareness among stakeholders and also launch Rashtriya Jal Jeevan Kosh.

Jal Jeevan Kosh is where any person, institution, corporation, or philanthropist, be it in India or abroad, can contribute to assist provide water connection in every rural household, school, other public institution.

Nation-wide Gram Sabhas on Jal Jeevan Mission also will happen on 2 October. The Gram Sabhas plan and manage village water systems and work towards long-term water security.

Pani Samitis has a key role in planning, implementation, management, operation, and maintenance of village water system systems, thereby providing clean water to each household on a daily and long-term basis.

IFSCA to form Committee On Sustainable Finance.

FSCA has made a committee to recommend ways for the expansion of Sustainable Finance Hub.

Highlights

The committee is headed by C.K. Mishra, Former Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest & https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change with 10-members, who will recommend ways to develop a sustainable financial hub.
The committee has members from the sustainable finance sectors.

GIFT City

GIFT-City means Gujarat International Finance Tec-City. it’s in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
It is the primary International Financial Services Centre in India.
GIFT-City is seen as a worldwide hub for sustainable finance and an opening to bring Foreign Trade to India.
This committee was found out because raising financial Resources for global climate change adaptation and its mitigation needs the active participation of international investors.

IFSCA

International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) was found out by the govt of India in 2020, to develop and regulate international financial services centers in India.
The main goal of IFSCA is to market easily doing business across IFSC and to supply a world-class regulatory environment.

Mitra Shakthi – India Sri Lanka Bilateral Joint Exercise On 4 October

Affairs:India Sri Lanka, a bilateral joint exercise called Mitra Shakti’s 8th edition was conducted from 4 October to 15 October at Ampara in Sri Lanka.

Highlights:

In the joint exercise, all arms contingent of 120 personnel from the Indian Army will participate alongside the battalion of the Sri Lankan Army.

Mitra Shakthi was conducted to push close relations between the armies of India and Sri Lanka.

It also seeks to reinforce interoperability and share best practices to counter insurgency and terrorism operations.

It will involve tactical level operations at the sub-unit level.

Operations were held in a global Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism Environment.
The exercise will act as the Catalyst to bring synergy and cooperation at the grassroots. A level between the Indian and Sri Lankan Army.

Beijing Embassy Celebrates Gandhi Jayanthi

Gandhi Jayanthi was celebrated by both Indian and Chinese people in the Embassy of Beijing, China.

Highlights

Ambassador Vikram Misri paid floral tributes to Father of the Nation Gandhi on his 152nd birth anniversary at Jintai Art Museum in Beijing.

Embassy of India, Beijing organized a cultural program to celebrate and remember the thoughts of Mahatma.

Swami Vivekanand Cultural Centre (SVCC) of the Embassy conducted cultural programs where Chinese students performed Bhajan Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram guided by SVCC teachers.

Gandhis Quotes were told by Children from Dachang Xingfu School. 2 October also marks the celebration of a special week of events of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – Indias 75 years of independence.