Current Affairs 8 September 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India & UK Conducts Counter Ransomware Exercise for 26 Nations

To prepare the energy sector organisation to deal with ransomware attack, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) of India and the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) in collaboration with BAE Systems successfully designed & conducted the Cyber Security Exercise, a virtual ransomware drill for 26 Countries.

• The exercise is being conducted as part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI)-Resilience Working Group which is being led by India under the leadership of National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC).
• The exercise focuses on Energy sectors organisation in which each National Cyber Crisis Management Teams of the CRI Partner Nations deals with the a ransomware attack on multiple electricity distribution companies.

Aim:

• The exercise aims to simulate a large, wide-spread cyber security incident affecting organisations within a country. 
• This exercise was designed to support the mission of the CRI, and aims to allow participating CRI Members to test their capability to respond to a major ransomware incident. 
• The exercise demonstrates the benefit of sharing information and collaborating during a major incident and provide opportunities for the CRI Nations to share their approaches to countering ransomware.

About the Exercise:
i.The exercise has been facilitated by BAE systems and through the Immersive Labs platform.
ii.The theme of the exercise was based on the energy sector in which the respective National Cyber Crisis Management Teams of the CRI Partner Nations will have to deal with a ransomware attack on multiple electricity distribution companies.

• These energy sector companies are responsible for the distribution of electricity to domestic customers and are the last link to the public supply.

iii.The exercise explored the complexity of decision-making around response to ransomware on Critical National Infrastructure.

Key highlights:
All 26 invitees for the exercise are from CRI Partner Nations and their respective organisations that includes Cyber Security, National Crisis Management, National Security Policy, Critical National Infrastructure and Law Enforcement Agencies.

Additional info:
Cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure have increased significantly in the recent past and India has observed a 70% increase in ransomware activities in the 4th quarter of 2021.

MoEF&CC gives 2-year Extension to Thermal Power Plants on SO2 normsi.The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has extended the deadlines for Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) to install pollution control technologies and comply with new SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide) emission norms.
ii.The deadline for the power plants within a 10-km radius of Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) and cities with a population of more than 10 lakh has been extended from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024.
iii.Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is all set to generate electrical energy on a utility scale by tapping steam gushing from the earth’s bowels at Puga, a distant valley situated at an altitude of over 14,000 feet, off the street to Chumar, Ladakh on the de-facto border with China.
About Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC):
Establishment– 1956
CMD– Rajesh Kumar Srivastava (Additional Charge)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

National level committee for drafting National Cooperation Policy Document Constituted; Chaired by Suresh Prabhu

On September 6, 2022, the Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)  constituted a 47-member National level committee for drafting of the National Cooperation Policy Document. It will be under the Chairmanship of former Union Cabinet Minister, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu.

• This upcoming policy will realize the vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samriddhi’, and will have a holistic approach from PACS upwards.

The Central government created a new Ministry of Co-operation on July 6, 2021. The vision of this Ministry is ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ i.e. to achieve overall prosperity in India, and to strengthen cooperatives by bringing transparency, modernization, and creating competitiveness.
Key Points:
i.The members of the committee from all parts of India and comprises experts of the cooperative sector; representatives of National / State / District & Primary Cooperative Societies; Secretaries (Cooperation) & Registrars of Cooperative Societies of States / UTs; and Officers from Central Ministries / Departments.
ii.The existing National Policy on Cooperatives, was formulated in 2002 with the objectives of facilitating all round development of cooperatives and providing necessary support for their efficient working.

• On the other hand, this new National Cooperation Policy document is being formulated with a view to fulfilling the mandate given to the new Ministry of Cooperation, and to strengthen the cooperative movement in India.
• This policy will help cooperatives to realize their potential with appropriate policy, legal and institutional framework.

iii.Currently, India has around 8.5 lakh co-operative societies with a member base of around 29 crore.

Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST): A new I-STEM initiative Launched

On September 5, 2022, a new I-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map) initiative called ‘Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST)’ was launched by Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI).

• This program will cater to women with a STEM background and empower them to contribute to the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.

What is I-STEM?
It is a national web portal for sharing research equipment/facilities and is the umbrella under which many programs for promoting collaborations in R&D (Research & Development) and technological innovation among and between academia and industry, especially startups, are underway.
How will the WEST initiative be utilized?
i.Through the WEST initiative, I-STEM will provide a separate platform to scientifically inclined women researchers, scientists, and technologists for pursuing research in basic or applied sciences in frontier areas of science and engineering.
ii.Women can join the WEST program and explore opportunities to become stakeholders in various domains and pursue careers in R&D at various levels: technicians, technologists, scientists, and entrepreneurs.
iii.There will be Skill Development programs which will provide training for women with S&T backgrounds to brush up on their abilities. This initiative will also help bring women back into S&T (Science & Technology) domains after a career break.
iv.The current support being provided to S&T startups by women entrepreneurs by I-STEM will be enhanced. The access to R&D facilities and R&D software platforms (COMSOL, MATLAB, LABVIEW, AUTOCAD) available through the I-STEM portal will form a strong support network for women entrepreneurs in S&T.
Key Points:
i.Addition, a digital consortium “Connect Quickly” for online discussion and immediate support has also been established through the I-STEM WhatsApp and Telegram platforms.
ii.A dedicated team of women will ensure the successful implementation of the WEST initiative.
iii.Click Here for more information about WEST.

7th Edition of Bengaluru Space Expo 2022 Held in Bengaluru, Karnataka  

The 7th biennial international Exhibition and Conference “Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX-2022)” was held from September 05-07, 2022 at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organized it in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), and the Space Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

The International Conference on Space 2022 was held alongside the exclusive exhibition.
International Conference On Space 2022
Theme: ‘Nurturing the NewSpace in India’
Aim: To provide an ideal platform to Indian and International space agencies and companies, to showcase their strength & capabilities in the space arena; network and explore the opportunities of partnerships.
The conference was held with Australia serving as a Country Partner, the United Kingdom (UK) serving as a Focus Country, and the Netherlands serving as a Guest Country.
About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Chairman – S. Somanath
Establishment – 1969
>> Read Full News

MoRT&H Unveils First Prototype of Drone for Human Organ Transport; DCGI Approves 1st Intranasal Vaccine for Covid-19Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H) Nitin Gadkari unveiled India’s first prototype of drone transportation of human organs to facilitate quick organ transplant in hospitals.

• Chennai-based MGM Healthcare co-developed a drone technology capable of carrying organs up to a distance of 20 km initially.

Key highlights:
i.The other projects such as road infrastructure projects like the Bharatmala Pariyojana, a new umbrella programme for highways sector, will also help in the transportation of organs across India.
ii.Fact – Until now, the MGM Healthcare has treated over 350 ECMO patients which is the highest in India and the team had also performed over 100 paediatric transplants and over 4,600 interventional cases, free of cost in association with Aishwarya Trust, ‘Caring for Little Hearts’ and completed over 220 procedures under the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s scheme.
DCGI Approves India’s First Intranasal Covid-19 Vaccine by Bharat Biotech
On 8th September 2022 Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the Indian drug regulatory authority approved First intranasal vaccine shot, iNCOVACC (also known as BBV154) by Bharat Biotech Internatinal Limited against Covid-19 for primary immunisation for the 18-plus population.
Highlights:
i.The vaccine, iNCOVACC can be used as a primary dose for the non-vaccinated and also as a booster dose for people who had completed vaccination with 2 doses of Covishield or Covaxin.

• Note – More than 86 crore Indians have received 2 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines and the third shot remains low with just about 17 crore population.

ii.This vaccine was developed in partnership with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, United States (US) which had designed and developed the recombinant adenoviral vectored constructs and evaluated them in preclinical studies for efficacy.
iii.Bharat Biotech conducted the preclinical safety evaluation, manufacturing scale up, formulation and delivery device development along with human clinical trials.
About iNCOVACC:
i.The intranasal vaccine, iNCOVACC produces local antibodies in the upper respiratory tract that reduces the infection and transmission of Covid-19 with great potential.
ii.The new vaccine enables faster development of variant specific vaccines and also the easy nasal delivery enables mass immunisation to protect from emerging variants of concern.
iii.This vaccine can be stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius which is easy for storage and distribution.
Note – The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has granted permission to conduct a phase-3 clinical trial, which will be conducted in almost 9 sites.

Tata Motors launched India’s 1st CNG Powered Truck with ADAS 

On 5th September 2022, Tata Motors launched India’s 1st Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) truck in the Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle (M&HCV) with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company had launched 5 CNG-powered trucks in 28 and 19-tonne nodes.

• Tata Motors made an additional launch of advanced Intermediate & Light Commercial Vehicle (I&LCV) trippers and trucks for the logistics and infrastructure sectors.
• The Trucks were equipped with a collision mitigation system, lane departure warning system and driver monitoring system.
• Additional safety features offered in the vehicle are Driver Monitoring System (DMS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

India Witnesses reduction in Pupil-teacher Ratio over last 10 years

According to the annual report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), India has faced an acute shortage of Pupil-Teacher Ratio over the last 10 years.

• The Ministry of Education gave the ratio, that Primary School pupil-teacher ratios came down to 26.3 in 2020-2021 from 43 in 2010-2011.
• Upper Primary school pupil-teacher reduced to 18.9 in 2020-2021 from 33 in 2010-2011.
• UNESCO’s (3rd edition) state of education report for India 2021, titled ‘No Teacher, No Class’ focuses on teachers, around 1.1 lakh schools in India are single-teacher entities.
• As per the data, a total of 11.16 lakh teaching positions in schools lie vacant in India (69% are in rural areas).

BANKING & FINANCE

Ombudsman disposed of 32% more Complaints against Insurers in 2021-22Insurance ombudsman disposed of 32% more complaints i.e. 40,527 complaints against insurance firms in 2021-22 year-on-year across India as compared to 30,596 in 2020-21.
Key Points:
i.Out of the total complaints, the Delhi office alone settled 3,830 complaints in 2021-22, or 9.4% of the all India figure.

• Of this, almost 30%, or 1,129 complaints, related to health insurance.

ii.The break-up for 2021-22 is not available, complaints relating to health insurance made up a third of the total number cases disposed of by ombudsmen in 2020-21, a period marked by the first wave of Covid-19.
iii.60% of the complaints resolved by ombudsman in 2021-22 were through conciliation and the remaining through awards.
iv.81% of the complaints were against private insurers and the rest against LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) and PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) general insurers.
About Insurance Ombudsman:
It is an alternative mode of settling insurance disputes, constituted under rules framed by the Ministry of Finance in 2017. The other routes include moving consumer courts, which are time consuming and expensive. No fee is charged for approaching ombudsmen.
i.There are at present 17 Insurance Ombudsman in different locations and any person who has a grievance against an insurer may make a complaint to the ombudsman.
ii.In order to approach the ombudsman, the complaints must first move the insurer’s grievance cell. If he does not receive a satisfactory resolution within a month, he can approach the ombudsman concerned.
iii.An Ombudsman can resolve the complaints through conciliation or through an award. The award is binding only on the insurance company, not the consumers. This means the consumer can challenge the award in court.

ESAF SFB Launches ‘Rainbow Account’ For Transgender CommunityESAF Small Finance Bank (ESAF SFB) has introduced a “Rainbow Savings Account” specifically for the transgender community, in an effort to promote a trans-friendly or inclusive labour culture

• It was introduced during the logo launch event for Rainbow Savings Accounts, which was organized in collaboration with Navodaya Movement.

Note: In 2015, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandated banks to add a specific column for “third gender” on all of their forms and applications.
Key features of ‘Rainbow Savings Account’
i.The “Rainbow Savings Account” will have a number of features, such as a high interest rate and advanced debit card capabilities.
ii.Additionally, the account provides a default credit of interest.
About ESAF Small Finance Bank (ESAF SFB)
MD & CEO – Kadambelil Paul Thomas
Established – 2017
Headquarters – Thrissur, Kerala
Tagline – Joy of Banking

IDFC FIRST Bank Joins the Open Network for Digital CommerceOn 6^th September 2022 IDFC FIRST Bank joined the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry(MoCI), to enable early adoption of the network among its customers.
Key highlights:
i.The Bank will enable a platform which will help the buyers to discover sellers in the ONDC Network. The bank has started onboarding small merchants (current account customers) onto a partner app which is registered with ONDC.
ii.The app will support small merchants to carry out transactions over ONDC’s electronic network and set up their digital footprint.
iii.ONDC, a section 8 company was set up to democratise e-commerce which will transform e-commerce from a platform-centric to an open network model that is similar to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for payments.
About IDFC FIRST Bank:
IDFC FIRST Bank was formed by the merger of erstwhile IDFC Bank and Capital First, a Non-Banking financial Company (NBFC).
MD & CEO – V. Vaidyanathan
Establishment – 2018
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

BOI Becomes First PSB to Go Live On New Direct Tax Collection System TIN 2.0Bank of India (BOI) has become the first Public Sector Bank (PSB) to go live with the new Direct Tax Collection System -Tax Information Network, TIN 2.0. (e-filing).

• TIN 2.0 (e-filing) is the official portal of the Income Tax Department, Ministry of Finance.

Tax Information Network, TIN 2.0 (e-filing)
The TIN 2.0 (e-filing) portal was developed by the Income Tax Department as a Mission Mode Project under the National E-Governance Plan.

• This portal aims to offer taxpayers a single window access for income tax-related services including tax payments.

Key Points
i.With this technological integration of BOI on the TIN 2.0 platform, taxpayers will now have a single platform for tax payment and e-filing of tax returns.

• The procedure is simple and fast and it allows taxpayers to make payments at their convenience.

ii.Taxpayers can now make their direct tax payments at any BOI branch across India, as they accept direct tax collection via over-the-counter (OTC) mode.
Recent initiative of Bank of India (BOI)
In July 2022, BOI became the first bank to launch a Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-enabled digital portal for enrollment of National Pension System (NPS) in collaboration with K-fintech.

• The digital approach entails scanning QR codes, Aadhar verification with Digilocker, and payment through UPI.

About Bank of India (BoI):
MD & CEO – Atanu Kumar Das
Establishment – 1906
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Relationship Beyond Banking

Reliance General Insurance & Policybazaar Partners to Launch  Reliance Health Gain PolicyReliance General Insurance has launched Reliance Health Gain Policy, one of its most flexible and popular products on Policybazaar’s online platform to ensure insurance accessibility for all.

• This policy which was launched in May 2022, ensures freedom for customers to choose and personalise their health policies as per their requirements.

Key highlights:
i.Reliance Health Gain Policy is available in 3 different plans that includes Plus, Power and Prime along with certain features to facilitate customisation of policy for each customer.
ii.The policy equips 38 industry-leading features such as, Double Cover that provides twice the amount of sum insured to be used during the same claim; Unlimited reinstatement to restore the base sum insured amount as many times as it gets exhausted during a policy year; Guaranteed Cumulative Bonus, that protects loss of cumulative bonus post claim; the benefit to reduce Pre-Existing disease waiting period from 3 years to 2 or even 1 year.
Note – The non-life insurance penetration in India is about 1 percent of GDP whereas the global average stands at 4.1 percent.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS    

West Bengal to Receive International Travel Award 2023 For ‘Best Destination for Culture’

West Bengal has been accredited the International Travel Award 2023 for Best Destination for Culture by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

• The award will be presented at the World Tourism and Aviation Leaders’ Summit in Berlin, Germany, on March 9, 2023.

Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA)
The Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) is a professional travel writers organisation established in 1998.

• It collaborates with the public and private sectors to encourage sustainable development and enhance the quality of travel and tourism.

PATWA upholds the fundamental principles of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations (UN), and the UNWTO.
Other Global Recognition for West Bengal
The Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, one of West Bengal’s most significant festivals, was added to the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.

• The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage inscribed it during its 16th session in 2021.

Note:
For the second year in a row, World Travel Awards selected the Republic of Cuba as the Caribbean’s Leading Cultural Destination in 2022.

    APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

Queen Elizabeth II appointed Liz Truss as UK’s New Prime MinisterOn 6th September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Conservative Party (Tory Party) leader Elizabeth Truss (Liz Truss) as the 56th Prime Minister(PM) of the United Kingdom(UK) succeeding Boris Johnson, who served as the PM of the UK from 2019 to 2022.

• She has become the 3rd Woman to hold the position. she is also the Conservatives’ 4th prime minister since a 2015 election.
• Liz Truss’s handover of power took place at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.
• Boris Johnson resigned as the head of the UK government in July 2022.

Note:

• For the first time in the Queen’s 70-year reign, the handover of power took place at Balmoral rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
• Liz Truss is the 15th Prime Minister to serve during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Winston Churchill (1952) was the 1st PM under her reign.

Key Highlights:
i. Liz Truss won the Conservative Party leadership contest against Indian-origin former Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Truss was elected by the Conservative Party of 172,000 member to be their lead.
ii. Truss won 81326 votes, compared to Sunak’s 60399 votes afer a 7-week contest to succeed Boris Johnson.

About Elizabeth Truss:
i.Elizabeth Truss(Liz Truss) was elected as the Conservative MP for southwest Norfolk in 2010.s
ii.She has served as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from 2016 to 2017 and served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2017 to 2019.
iii.Prior to her appointment as PM of UK, she served as the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs(since 2019).
iv.In 2019, she was also appointed as the Minister for Women and Equalities.

About United Kingdom (UK):
Capital- London
Currency- Pound Sterling

               SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA & Axiom Signs Second Private Astronaut Mission to Space Station Order

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Axiom Space have signed a mission order for Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), the 2nd private astronaut mission(PAM) to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is scheduled that is to take place in the 2nd quarter of 2023.

• The spaceflight will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and travel to the ISS.

About the mission:
i.The Axiom astronauts will spend around 10 days in the laboratory and will coordinate in-orbit activities for the private astronauts to conduct in coordination with space station crew members and flight controllers on the ground.
ii.Axiom has contracted NASA, international partners, and SpaceX as its launch provider for the transportation of crew members to and from the ISS and also trains the Ax-2 crew members for their flight
About Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2):
i.Background – In December 2021, NASA announced the selection of Axiom Space for negotiations for the second private astronaut mission.
ii.For the Ax-2 mission, Axiom Space will submit 4 proposed crew members and 4 back up crew members to ISS Multilateral Crew Operations Panel for review.

• After the review and approval from NASA and its international partners, the prime crew members for the mission will be named.

iii.Axiom will obtain NASA services such as crew supplies, cargo delivery to space, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use, through both the mission-specific order and Reimbursable Space Act Agreements to conduct the mission

Note:

• On 8th April 2022, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched AX-1 with 4 crew members, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, which was the first-ever fully private crewed mission to launch to the orbiting lab(ISS).
• Inspiration4, a privately chartered spaceflight by Billionaire Jared Isaacman launched by SpaceX in September 2021, was the first crewed orbital mission with no professional astronauts on board(all-civilian spaceflight).
  .

SPORTS

Suresh Raina announces retirement from Domestic Cricket & IPLOn 6th September 2022, Suresh Raina, a former Indian batsman announced his retirement from all forms of cricket including the Indian Premier League (IPL) & Domestic Cricket.  and prepared to play in overseas Twenty 20 (T20) leagues and the Road Safety Series around the world.

• He announced his international cricket retirement on August 15, 2020, less than an hour after MS Dhoni had announced his retirement.

About Suresh Raina’s Cricket Career:
i. Raina, the 35-year-old left-handed batsman, from Uttar Pradesh started his career in 2000 as a cricketer and became the 2nd youngest captain in India. He made his debut in a One-Day Internationals (ODI) match against Sri Lanka at Dambulla, Sri Lanka in 2005.
ii. He was the first Indian batsman to register centuries in all 3 formats (Test matches, ODI and (T20I)Twenty20 Internationals ) of the game and was one of the best fielders.
iii. Overall games featured by Raina were in 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is for India in an international career spanned 13 years. He piled up 5615 runs from 226 ODIs and 1605 runs from 78 T20Is. He was also a part of the squad that won the 2011 World Cup (WC) and 2013 Champions Trophy in England and had not played any first-class cricket, Since 2018.
iv. He retired with the scorecard of 6871 runs in 109 first-class matches, 80 runs in 302 list A games, and 8654 runs in 336 T20 matches.
v.He played 13 seasons of the IPL with scores of more than 5,000 runs and won four titles with Chennai Super Kings(2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021).
vi.He played 11 seasons for Chennai Super Kings from 2008 to 2021, scoring 4687 runs in 176 matches.
vii.He led the now-defunct Gujarat Lions for 2 years (2016 and 2017) when Chennai Super Kings were suspended. He played his last IPL in October 2021 against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Awards and Recognition of Suresh Raina:
i. Raina got his “best fielder” award from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of the finals of IPL 2010.
ii. He received the prestigious award ‘Sports Icon’ at the Maldives Sports Awards 2022.
Note: He was nominated alongside 16 international sportspersons.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies 2022 – 7th September 

The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Clean Air for blue skies is annually observed across the globe on 7th September to highlight the importance to raise public awareness to promote and facilitate actions to improve the quality of air.

• 7th September 2022 marks the observance of the 3rd International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. 

The theme of International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2022 is “The Air We Share”.

• The theme focuses on the transboundary nature of air pollution and stresses the need for collective accountability and action.

Background:
In 2019, the Second Committee of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/212 designating the 7th September of every year as the “International Day of Clean Air for blue skies”. 

• The first ever International Day of Clean Air for blue skies was observed on 7th September 2020.

>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Odisha Government notifies Rs 270 crore CHHATA Scheme to improve groundwater Table

The Government of Odisha launched ‘Community Harnessing and Harvesting rainwater Artificially from Terrace to Aquifer’ (CHHATA) Scheme with an investment of Rs 270 crore to implement the rooftop rainwater harvesting system (RRHS).

The scheme was conceptualised to address the increasing stress on ground water and to improve the depleting ground water table.

• On 12th August 2022, the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik has approved to promote RRHS.
• The scheme will be executed by the Directorate of Ground Water Development (GWD) under the Department of Water Resources (DoWR).
• Odisha Government will spend Rs 51.75 crore of Rs 270 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 52.56 crore each in the remaining 4 years till 2026-27.

About CHHATA Scheme:
i. The CHHATA Scheme is to be implemented in 29,500 private buildings and 1,925 government buildings covering 52 water-stressed blocks and 27 urban area of the State.
ii. The target of this scheme has been set to harvest 373.52 crore litres of water in 5 years. Averagely, Rs 54 crore will be spent yearly under CHHATA scheme.
iii. According to the Directorate of GWD, Odisha and Central Groundwater Board (CGWB), South Eastern Region (SER) in 2020, the yearly groundwater recharge of the entire Odisha is 17.08 billion cubic metre (BCM) with yearly natural discharge of 1.37 BCM.
iv. Odisha Government will provide a subsidy of 50% (Rs 55,000) of the cost of the RRHS in order to encourage the public to adopt this scheme in their buildings.
v.According to the guidelines, the person owning a building with roof area less than 200 square metres and not more than 3 floors in the specified civic bodies are eligible to apply under the scheme. 
Note: The monitoring committee of RRHS will be set up at urban local bodies level, which helps to review progress and submit the report to DoWR and respective District Collectors.

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• List of Current Governors in India – AUGUST 2022
• List of Current Chief Ministers in India – AUGUST 2022

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