17.06.23 Daily [Uttarakhand] UKPSC Current Affairs

Theurban development minister Prem Chand Aggarwalallotted houses to a total of 794 beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) of Kanakpur and Kashipur through the online lotterysystem on Wednesday. Aggarwal said that the department is currently working on the construction of 17,304 houses in 21 projects after getting approval from the central government. He said that various authorities have proposed 3,104 residential units for economically weaker sections (EWS) in five projects while 14,200 houses have been proposed by the housing and development board in a total of 16 projects.

He said that a total of 464 houses have been constructed and made available to the beneficiaries by the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) so far. The board is also working on the construction of 14,200houses for EWS. He said that these schemes were approved by the central government but work on the project got delayed due to legal problems, and it started in March last year.He said that in the said projects, land with housing is being made available to the board by the private developer at the rate of Rs Six lakh per house out of which Rs1.50 lakh are being given as a grant by the central government and Rs one lakh as a grant by the .

The remaining amount of Rs 3.5 lakh is given by the beneficiaries. He said that these amounts are released to the developer from time to time according to the progress of the work after checking the quantity and quality of the construction done by him. He said that the government has fixed a target for the completion of the construction works to transfer the houses to the beneficiaries before September 2024. He said that the beneficiaries are being selected with complete transparency through the online lottery after registration in the central governments portal as per the rules.

he corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure on Environment protection in Bengal has remained lower than that in Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra,Andhra Pradesh,BiharandAssamsince 2014-15, revealsministry of corporate affairsdata, compiled in a report by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). But Climate vulnerability in Bengal is higher than that in many of the states. The document evaluated agro Forestry, conservation of <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/natural-Resources“>Natural Resources and environment sustainability from 2014-15 to 2020-21.

Bengal received Rs 54.7 crore as CSR funds in the last seven years for green causes, it being a negligible amount compared to what the government spent on account of natural calamities. In 2022-23, Bengals expenditure on natural calamities was Rs 14,230 crore.

Amid a political slugfest over the Centre disallowing states from buyingwheatandricefrom the stock held by the , the government on Thursday s aid the decision was taken to ensure enough stock of foodgrains to meet requirements and for market interventions to help curb price rise and not aimed at any particular state.

TheKarnatakagovernment, which has promised to give 10kg foodgrain to the poor every month, has accused the Centre of hatching a conspiracy to derail the free rice scheme in the state. Besides Karnataka,Tamil Nadu,West Bengaland Telangana are some of the states that would be impacted by this decision as they provide free foodgrains to people who are not covered under the National Food SecurityAct (NFSA). The central government provides 5kg of free foodgrain per month to nearly 80 crore poor under the NFSA.

A recent global report released on World Oceans Day on June 8 highlights the alarming impact of Noise Pollution on marine wildlife due to the increasing number of marine vehicles and underwater surveys. The report, by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), provides practical guidance on reducing noise pollution from shipping, seismic airgun surveys, and pile driving.

The report emphasizes that anthropogenic noise can cause direct injuries and auditory threshold shifts in marine animals, impairing their Communication, ability to detect threats, and find food, sometimes resulting in death. It also states that marine wildlife, including migratory species and their prey, rely on Sound for essential life functions such as communication, prey and predator detection, and orientation.

Regarding seismic airgun surveys, the report emphasizes the need for quieter alternatives like Marine Vibroseis, which produces controlled, lower-frequency seismic signals, reducing the threats posed to marine life. Mitigation measures are also outlined for situations where these alternatives cannot be employed.

The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry is in the process of setting up a Index (HDI) for the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) to assess their social and economic situation following implementation of various welfare programmes for them across the country.

HDI is a statistical tool used to measure the overall achievement in social and economic dimensions of the targeted beneficiaries. There are around 28 lakh PVTGs in the country, as per the latest data shared by the States.

“The index will concentrate on the PVTG Population which is estimated to be around 28 lakh. The aim is to understand how government schemes have benefited the PVTGs to uplift their lifestyles and livelihood. The research work will also look into the areas where improvement is required.

Munda said under the PVTGs Mission, 15,000 crore rupees will be spent in three years, focusing on improving basic facilities in the far-flung villages such as clean drinking water, sanitation, improved access to Education, Health, road and telecom connectivity, and sustainable livelihood opportunities. He said, there are one lakh 12 thousand tribal-dominated villages in the country and the government has set a target to develop 36,000 villages as a model village.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has granted approval for Indias proposal to establish a memorial wall at the United Nations Headquarters, dedicated to honouring fallen peacekeepers. The resolution received overwhelming support from nearly 190 countries, marking a remarkable achievement for Indias initiative.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed their appreciation for the approval. The Prime Minister took to Twitter to thank the countries for their support, stating, Delighted that the Resolution to establish a new Memorial Wall for fallen Peacekeepers, piloted by India, has been adopted in the UN General Assembly. The Resolution received a record 190 co-sponsorships. Grateful for everyones support.

The resolution welcomed the initiative of member states to establish at a suitable and prominent place at United Nations Headquarters in New York a memorial wall to honor the memory of fallen peacekeepers, giving due consideration to the modalities involved, including the recording of the names of those who have made the supreme sacrifice.

India is the third-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping, with over 6,000 military and Police personnel deployed across various missions worldwide. Indian peacekeepers have made significant sacrifices, with 177 personnel having lost their lives, the highest number among all troop-contributing countries.