Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 15 November 2021

::NATIONAL::

Graded Response Action Plan

In view of deteriorating air quality, National Capital Region has been directed to be ready toimplement actions under GRAP.
The plan was formulated after several meetings that the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), which has since been dissolved, held with state government representatives and experts. The result was a plan that institutionalised measures to be taken when air quality deteriorates.

About:

GRAP has a graded action plan, for example, there are some measures, such as enforcing ban on garbage burning and increasing mechanised sweeping, which come into effect when the air quality is between moderate and poor.
If air turns very poor, actions such as ban on diesel generator sets and increasing parking rates comes into effect, alongside the restrictions and actions in the moderate to poor category.
If air quality reaches the severe+ stage, GRAP talks about shutting down schools and implementing the odd-even road-space rationing scheme. A decision on implementing odd-even as not been made so far.
GRAP is essentially a step-by-step guide for what to do when air in Delhi-NCR gets heavily polluted.

What GRAP suggests:
Severe+ or Emergency

(PM 2.5 over 300 µg/cubic metre or PM10 over 500 µg/cu. m. for 48+ hours)
Stop entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities)
Stop construction work
Introduce odd/even scheme for private vehicles and minimise exemptions
Task Force to decide any additional steps including shutting of schools

Severe

(PM 2.5 over 250 µg/cu. m. or PM10 over 430 µg/cu. m.)
Close brick kilns, hot mix plants, stone crushers
Maximise power generation from natural gas to reduce generation from coal
Encourage public transport, with differential rates
More frequent mechanised cleaning of road and sprinkling of water

Very Poor

(PM2.5 121-250 µg/cu. m. or PM10 351-430 µg/cu. m.)
Stop use of diesel generator sets.
Enhance parking fee by 3-4 times.
Increase bus and Metro services.
Apartment owners to discourage burning fires in winter by providing electric heaters during winter.
Advisories to people with respiratory and cardiac conditions to restrict outdoor movement.

Moderate to poor

(PM2.5 61-120 µg/cu. m. or PM10 101-350 µg/cu. m.)

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Ordinances to extend tenure of ED, CBI directors

Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may now continue in their jobs for up to five years if the government desires.
Two ordinances signed by President Ram Nath Kovind have virtually extended the tenures of the chiefs of the two agencies for up to five years. Both posts currently have a fixed tenure of two years.

About:

The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act and The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Act have been amended to give the government the power to keep the two chiefs in their posts for one year after they have completed their two-year terms.
This one-year extension, the amendment says, can continue to be given until the officers complete five years as the chiefs of the agencies.
The CBI is governed by The DSPE Act; The CVC Act lays down the term of office of the Director of Enforcement.
The ordinance comes days before the extended tenure of ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra is scheduled to end. Mishra is supposed to step down on November 19 after three years in the post.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

US inflation and impacton India

The United States’ Labor Department reported that retail inflation had spiked to 6.2 per cent in October.
India’s National Statistical Office (NSO) data showed that retail inflation rose to 4.5 per cent for the same month.

What is inflation rate?

It is the rate at which prices increase over a given period.
Typically, in India, the inflation rate is calculated on a year-on-year basis.
In other words, if the inflation rate for a particular month is 10 per cent, it means that the prices in that month were 10 per cent more than the prices in the same month a year earlier.
If in the same month of the coming year, the inflation rate was to go up to 15 per cent, it implies that something that was priced at Rs 100 in the same month last year, and at Rs 110 this year, will be priced at Rs 126.5 next year.
A high inflation rate erodes the purchasing power of people. Since the poor have less money to withstand fast-rising prices, high inflation hurts them the hardest.

Why is US inflation a matter of concern?

On the face of it, Indians may not find a 6.2 per cent inflation rate a very sharp increase in prices.
But in the US, this data is the largest year-on-year increase in the last three decades.
Another way to put this data in perspective is that the Federal Reserve (or Fed), the US central bank, targets an inflation rate of just 2 per cent.

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Integrated Check Posts

Five new Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) will be set up on the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal to ensure better connectivity and security.

About:

In total 7 ICPs will be set up in West Bengal which will strengthen border security and boost trade with India’s neighbouring countries.
These include 5 ICPs on the Indo-Bangladesh border and one ICP each on borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
The five ICPs on the Indo-Bangladesh borders will be set up at Changrabandha in Cooch Behar, Phulbari in Jalpaiguri, Hilli in South Dinajpur, Mahadipur in Malda and Gojadanga in North 24-Parganas.
One ICP will be set up at Panitanki in Darjeeling district bordering Nepal and another at Jaigaon in Alipurduar bordering Bhutan.

::ECONOMY::

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Grameen

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi transferred the 1st instalment of PMAY-G to more than 1.47 lakh beneficiaries of Tripura.
More than Rs 700 crore were credited directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries on the occasion.
Taking in to account unique geo-climatic condition of Tripura, the definition of ‘kuccha’ house has been changed specifically for the state, which has enabled such a large number of beneficiaries living in ‘kutcha’ houses to get assistance to construct a ‘pucca’ house.
The PMAY-G was established with the goal of providing pucca houses to all homeless poor people in rural areas.

::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

Octacopter

The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru has developed an indigenous, medium class multi-copter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or Drone that can transport essential supplies to remote locations during exigencies.
This Octacopter with eight propellers has advanced flight instrumentation systems, on board embedded computers, and latest generation sensors for versatile applications like agricultural pesticide spraying, crop monitoring, mining survey, magnetic Geo survey mapping among others.
The drone was successfully used in Bengaluru to deliver 50 vials of Covid 19 vaccines along with syringes in a special container from Chandapura Primary Health Centre to Haragadde Primary Health Centre.
The drone that can carry a payload of 15 kgs with a hovering endurance of 40 minutes and can fly at an operational altitude of 500 meters above the ground level.

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::MISCELLANEOUS::

Salim Ali

On 13th November is the 125th Birth Anniversary of Salim Ali popularly known as “Birdman of India”.He Got awarded by Padma Vibhushan in 1976.
Contrary to Gandhian Idea of Ahimsa (Non-Killing), Salim Ali had took practical and pragmaticapproach for long-term conservation (killing birds for research).
Played a crucial role in the setting up of the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Rajasthan), and conservation of Silent Valley National Park (Kerala).
He was associated with Bombay Natural History Society (Mumbai based non-government forconservation and pan-India wildlife research.
He published ‘The Book of Indian Birds’. Later on, wrote ‘Handbook of The Birds of India andPakistan’- most comprehensive documentation of birds of the subcontinent.
First non-British to receive the Gold Medal of the British Ornithologists’ Union in 1967.