Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 18 March 2022

::NATIONAL::

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing Pradhan Mantri-Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana (PM-DAKSH) from 2020-21.

Key highlights:
The yojana comprises through 3Corporations:

National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation for Scheduled Caste

beneficiaries,

National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation for Other Backward Classes/Economically Backward Classes/De-notified tribes beneficiaries and
National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation for Safai Karamcharis including Waste Pickers.

Facilities available to beneficiaries:

Kerala is set to become the first State in the country to introduce carbon-neutral farming methods in selected locations, for which the government has set aside ₹6 crore in the 2022-23 Budget.

About:

Carbon neutral agriculture refers to the net zero balance of emissions andsinks of all the greenhouse gases on farms in terms of their CO2 equivalents,resulting in climate neutral systems.

Need for Carbon neutral agriculture:

It has the potential to reduce current carbon footprint of agriculture roughly 12% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
The method helps to reduce carbon emissions and help carbon to be stored in the soil.
It also helps to enhance food production while controlling and reducing the GHG emissionsfrom agriculture.
It also improves soil fertility and nutrient retention. This, in turn, boosts cropproductivity.

European Union has planned to impose a world-first carbon dioxide emissions tariff on imports ofpolluting goods.

About:

The coverage areas of CO2 emissions costs will be introduced on imports of steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium andelectricity.
The move is aimed at protecting European industry from being undercut by cheaper goods made incountries with weaker environmental rules.
The costs would not kick in until 2026, but a three-year transition phase would begin in 2023.

Concerns:

It may become a protectionist device, unduly shielding local industries from foreign competition in so-called ‘green protectionism’.

A recent study has found that by 2040, northern Europe might become too wet and warm to support permafrost peatlands (frozen,carbon-storing expanses of land).
By 2060, Europe and western Siberia could lose 75 per cent permafrost peatlands under moderate efforts to mitigate climatechange.

About:

Peatlands are a class of wetlands. Term ‘peatland’ refers to thepeat soil and the wetland habitats growing on the surface.
Peatlands occupy only 3 per cent of the global land surface but store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests.
Some peatlands are buried under frozen ground orpermafrost and exist as permafrost peatlands. They arefound in the northern parts of Alaska, Canada, Russiaand parts of northern Europe.
Permafrost is any ground that remains completely frozen -32°F (0°C) or colder - for at least two years straight.

Significance:

The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, in Lok Sabha informed that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has made two Indian Standards pertaining to drinking water, namely, IS 10500:2012 on Drinking Water – Specification and IS 17482:2020 on Drinking Water Supply Management System - Requirements for Piped Drinking Water Supply.

About:

Water Supply is a State subject and it is the responsibility of the State Government/Urban Local Bodies to plan, design, execute, operate and maintain the water supply systems.
BIS quality standards are not mandatory for civic agencies engaged in supplying drinking water to houses across the country.
Since 2019, the Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal to make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality on a regular and long-term basis to every rural household by 2024.
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, as per existing guideline, IS 10500:2012 is to be adopted for ensuring safe drinking water supply and States/ UTs have been advised to carry out testing of drinking water sources once in a year for chemical and physical parameters and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters.

NeVA (Paperless Assembly or e-Assembly) is a concept involving electronic means to facilitate thework of Assembly.

About:

e-Vidhan is re-designated as NeVA and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is Nodal Ministry forrolling out NeVA in all States/ UTs with Legislatures.
e-Vidhanis a Mission Mode Project included in Digital India Programme.
NeVA aims to bring all the legislatures of the country together, in one platform thereby creatinga massive data depository.