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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 06 January 2022

::NATIONAL::

Gandhi Sagar Dam

A new CAG report has warned about Gandhi Sagar Dam on Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh is in need of immediate repair.It is recognized as one of the five watersheds of national significance.

Key highlights:

Absence of regular checks, non-functional instruments and choked drains are the major problems plaguing the dam for years.
Gandhi Sagar was assigned in Category II of the dam inspection report.
Dams with major deficiencies, which may lead to complete failure / partial failure and need attention at once, fall under Category I.Those with mild to moderate impairments, which are correctable but require immediate attention, fall into Category II.
The CAG report mentions the existence of a category I dam but does not name it. As many as 27 other smaller dams of MP were in Category II.

About:

Gandhi Sagar Dam was constructed in 1960 to provide drinking water to several districts of Rajasthan and generate 115 megawatts of electricity. It has been breached several times in recent years, causing flooding in downstream areas, showed reports.
Three districts in the state — Sheopur, Morena and Bhind, with an approximate collective population of 4.35 million (as per the 2011 Census) — lie downstream the dam.
The state dam safety organisation (SDSO), the department responsible for its maintenance, did not comply with recommendations by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Dam Safety Inspection Pane (DSIP) on remedial measures.

Row erupts over move to free temples from Karnataka govt’s control

Karnataka government would bring a Bill in the next Assembly session to free temples from government control.

The numbers

Karnataka has about 34,563 temples under the state’s Hindu Religious Institutions And Charitable Endowments Department, or the Muzrai Department. Of them, 205 fall under Category A, which covers temples with annual revenues more than Rs 25 lakh; 139 under Category B, for those with annual revenues between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh; and the rest under Category C.
Under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act and Rules, after deducting their expenditures, the A and B grade temples are supposed to contribute 10% and 5% of their funds respectively to the Muzrai Department. The money is to be used for development of the temples.
A source in the Muzrai Department said that while temples which generate large revenues would be happy about the decision, the move is going to hit the ones that earn less as they are dependent on government support.
In 2020-21, the Muzrai Department sanctioned about Rs 208.29 crore for development of temples across the state. Of this, Rs 15.33 crore, the highest, was allotted to former chief minister B S Yedyiurappa’s home district.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India on track to surpass China as third largest ethanol consumer by 2026

India is on course to outshine China as the world’s third largest ethanol consumer by 2026 as it accelerates the transformation towards a clean energy ecosystem with the objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2070.
Ethanol demand in India tripled between 2017 and 2021 with consumption expected at 3 crore litres in the last calendar year.

About:

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from various plant materials collectively known as “biomass.”
It is a clear, colourless liquid that has a higher-octane number than gasoline, providing premium blending properties.

Impressive progress:

The agency noted that India made “impressive progress” in increasing ethanol blending. Ethanol blending rates with gasoline have also increased.
In 2017, blending stood at 2 per cent, but by the summer of 2021 it touched 8 per cent, putting the country on track to achieve 10 per cent blending this calendar year.
Clear GHG performance requirements and sustainability criteria will also help ensure ethanol production reduces emissions and avoids other impact.
India estimates that ethanol blending has reduced its GHG emissions by 19 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-eq) since 2014 and its ethanol roadmap notes the need to supplement sugarcane, a water-intensive crop, with less water-intensive feedstock.

Fixed rates:

India is currently guaranteeing fixed rates for ethanol according to the feedstock it is produced from.
At present, public sector oil marketing companies are selling 10 per cent ethanol blended petrol. The average ethanol blending percentage in petrol for Ethanol Supply Year (December 2020-November 2021) was 8.1 per cent. Similarly 5 per cent biodiesel is blended as per availability.

India, Israel in talks for free trade agreement

India is in dialogue with Israel for concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
The announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both sides are currently in talks to mark the occasion with high-level visits and new agreements.

About:

Relations between the two countries started right after the creation of the State ofIsrael in 1948 and reached its peak with the establishment of full diplomaticrelations in 1992.
In 2017, during the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel, therelationship was upgraded to strategic partnership.

Key areas for cooperation:

Economic: India is Israel’s third-largest trade partner in Asia and seventh largest globally.
Agriculture: Both countries have signed a three-year work program (2021-2023) for development in Agriculture cooperationto benefit local farmers.
Defence & Security: Israel has been among India's top three arms suppliers for the last five years.
Cultural Relationship: There are approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian-origin in India.

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::ECONOMY::

Surety bonds

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has released final guidelines to ensure orderly development of surety insurance business in India.
The IRDAI (Surety Insurance Contracts) Guidelines, 2022 will come into effect from April 1, 2022.

What is a Surety Bond?

A surety bond is a mechanism to transfer risk for businesses. It assures the project owner (typically a government entity) that the assigned contractor will perform the task as per the contract clause.
The surety company pays the project owner the promised amount (as per the contract) in the event of a default. The company charges a fee to the contractor to write the surety bond.

What is the benefit to a contractor, infra player?

By issuing the surety bond, the contractor does not have to furnish a hefty bank guarantee. The bank guarantee blocks a huge amount. Surety bonds create a level playing field, empower the small and medium contracts to bid for a project at par with a large contractor with financial muscle.
The final guidelines are on expected lines focusing on the overall risk management framework for the insurers.
Allowing the surety insurers to work alongside the Banks and other financial institutions to share risk-related information & technical expertise will help foster a robust ecosystem and prevent contagion.

::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

IHU or University HospitalInstitutes

France reported new variant of CoVID - called IHU or University Hospital Institutes.
A variant is a viral genome (genetic code) that may contain one or more mutations.
It can be detected a polymerase chain reaction analysis, hence lesser need of genome sequencingfor its identification.
The IHU variant that the researchers mention is B.1.640 which, according to global databases, wasfirst discovered way back in January last year.
The one that the French researchers found among people in November has now been classifiedas a sub-lineage B.1.640.2.

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