Current Affairs Exam

The Geological Survey of India has initiated seven lithium exploration projects in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.

About Lithium:

Lithium (Li), chemical element of Periodic Group 1 (Ia) in the periodic table, the alkali Metal group, and the lightest of the solid Elements.

The metal itself soft, white, & shiny and its several alloys and compounds are manufactured on an industrial scale.

The most common application for lithium is in rechargeable batteries for cell phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, and electric vehicles.

Lithium is also used in some non-rechargeable batteries, include clocks, pacemakers, toys.

From India, 14 tiger saves have gotten the accreditation of the Worldwide Protection Guaranteed Tiger Norms (CA|TS), on the event of Global Tiger Day on July 29, 2021. The Public Tiger Preservation Authority (NTCA) perceived the ‘BaghRakshaks’ for their endeavors in ensuring Tigers and woodlands. The NTCA’s quarterly bulletin STRIPES was likewise delivered during the occasion.

The 14 tiger stores of India that have gotten esteemed worldwide accreditation from CA|TS are:

Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Nadu; Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka; Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Kerala; Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, West Bengal; Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh; Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar; Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra; Satpura, Kanha and Panna Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh

Preservation Guaranteed | Tiger Norms (CA|TS) :

CA|TS has been settled upon as an accreditation instrument by the worldwide alliance of Tiger Reach Nations (TRCs) and has been created by tiger and ensured region specialists.

Formally dispatched in 2013, it sets least norms for successful administration of target species and energizes the appraisal of these guidelines in significant protection regions.

CA|TS is a bunch of standards that permits tiger locales to check if their administration will prompt fruitful tiger preservation.

The Worldwide Tiger Discussion (GTF), a global NGO dealing with tiger preservation, and World Natural life Asset India are the two carrying out accomplices of the Public Tiger Protection Expert for Felines appraisal in India.

Russia-India joint military exercise INDRA will be held in Russia’s Volgograd, in August 2021.

About Exercise INDRA:

The exercise will involve a joint force conducting counter-terror operations against international terror groups under a United Nations mandate

The INDRA series of exercises started in 2003 as bilateral naval exercises conducted alternately between both the countries. However, the first joint tri-service exercise was conducted in 2017.

The most recent joint tri-Services exercise between India and Russia took place in India in December 2019. It was held concurrently in Babina (near Jhansi), Goa and Pune.

The 36th version of CORPAT between India and Indonesia is being hung on 30 and 31 July 2021, in the Indian Sea area. The Indian Maritime Boat (INS) Saryu, a natively fabricated Seaward Watch Vessel and Indonesian Maritime Boat KRI Bung Tomo is embraced composed watch (CORPAT).

The essential point of CORPAT is to keep the Indian Sea Area free from any danger for business delivery, global exchange and lead of real sea exercises. CORPATs assist with building comprehension and interoperability among naval forces and work with the organization of measures to forestall and smother Unlawful Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug dealing, sea psychological warfare, furnished burglary and theft.

A high-level Government panel of the Union Ministry of Social and Empowerment on Wednesday claimed that with the conversion of most of the insanitary latrines into sanitary latrines under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the problem of manual scavenging has been eliminated in the country.

But at the same time, it admitted that only 508 districts out of the total 766 districts in the country have declared themselves free from the inhuman practice.

This was disclosed at the eighth meeting of the Central Monitoring Committee held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Dr Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment to review the implementation of the Prohibition of EMPLOYMENT as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The Committee noted that with the conversion of most of the insanitary latrines into sanitary latrines under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the problem of manual scavenging was eliminated. Presently there is no evidence of the continuation of the practice of manual scavenging.

Out of these, 22,294 willing identified manual scavengers/dependants have been provided Skill development training and Capital Subsidy has been released in respect of 2,313 manual scavengers/dependants who have availed bank loans for self-employment projects. In addition to this, 641 Safai Karmacharis and their dependents have been sanctioned capital subsidy for sanitation related projects to minimise death during sewer and septic tank cleaning, the statement further said.

To eliminate hazardous cleaning, stop deaths of sewer and septic tank workers and ensure their safety and dignity, a Scheme National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) has been formulated.

It will be implemented in all 4800 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country, during thethree years till 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 349.70 crore. (MS Act, 2013). This important Central Act was enacted by the Parliament in September, 2013 and came into force in December, 2014. It aims at complete elimination of the manual scavenging in its various manifestations and comprehensive rehabilitation of the identified manual scavengers.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha aunched India’s first Tele-MANAS Chatbot for the .

The initiative will ensure round-the-clock Services of Health Counsellors, Clinical Psychologists and Consultants.

The Lieutenant Governor also inaugurated the ‘J&K Health Conclave’ on Mental Health and Non-Communicable Diseases at Srinagar. On the occasion, J&K Health and Medical Education Department inked Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre and NIMHANS.

The MoU inked between J&K Health and Medical Education Department and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre will provide significant technical support to improve cancer care services in the UT and help us to establish Preventive Oncology Service, Day Care Centres and Palliative Care Service at District Hospitals.

Per capita spending on the Health sector in J&K is among the highest in the country. During upgradation or building new Infrastructure, we have focused on three factors- effectiveness, accessibility and resilient system, the Lt Governor said.

In an effort to forge closer DEFENCE ties, the seventh edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2023 (JIMEX 23) hosted by the INDIAN NAVY is being conducted at and off Visakhapatnam from July 5-10. This edition marks the 11th anniversary of JIMEX, since its inception in 2012.

JIMEX 23 will witness the participation of INS Delhi, Indias first indigenously built guided missile destroyer, INS Kamorta, an indigenously designed and built anti-submarine warfare corvette, fleet tanker INS Shakti, a submarine, maritime patrol aircraft P8I and Dornier, ship-borne helicopters and fighter aircraft. JMSDF will be represented by the guided missile destroyer JS Samidare and its integral helicopters.

The BharatNet Project’s implementation strategy has been revised.

Highlights:

The Cabinet approved the revised BharatNet implementation strategy through Public Private PARTNERSHIP mode in 16 states across the country.

The programme will be expanded to include all inhabited villages outside of Gram Panchayats (GPs)

The revised strategy also includes the creation, upgrade, operation, maintenance, and utilisation of BharatNet by the concessionaire, who will be chosen through a competitive international bidding process.

The Cabinet has given in-principle approval to cover all inhabited villages in the remaining states/UTs of the country. The Department of Telecommunications will work out the details separately.

The first fintech cohort of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), AIM-iLEAP, has concluded.

About AIM iLEAP:

This programme under the Atal Innovation Mission gives AIM-backed start-ups access to , markets, and investors.

The fintech cohort was formed through a series of thematic virtual demo days organised by AIM in collaboration with Startup Rseau and Visa as part of the AIM-iLEAP (Innovative Leadership for entrepreneurial agility and profitability) initiative.

The AIM-iLEAP programme invites technology start-ups from a wide range of functions to present their solutions to the corporate leadership and innovation team in order to enable market access and industry partnerships.

The Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme was approved by the .

About the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme:

It is a reform-based and results-oriented scheme to improve the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of all DISCOMs/Power Departments, with the exception of Private Sector DISCOMs.

The scheme envisages providing conditional financial assistance to DISCOM to strengthen the supply Infrastructure.

Assistance will be based on meeting pre-qualification criteria and basic minimum benchmarks achieved by DISCOM. These will be evaluated according to an agreed evaluation framework related to financial improvement.

Rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach, each state would develop its own action plan for implementing the scheme.

The scheme proposes to incorporate the ongoing schemes of IPDS, DDUGJY, and PMDP-2015 for the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The scheme will be available until 2025-26.

REC Limited and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) serve as nodal agencies for the scheme’s implementation.

The scheme focuses on improving farmers’ electricity supply and providing them with daytime electricity through solarization of agricultural feeders.