Daily Current Affairs: 17 Aug 2021

e-Emergency X-Misc Visa

(Topic- GS Paper II–International Relation, Source-The Hindu)

Why in the news?

Recently, the Home Ministry of India has announced a new category of electronic visa called 'e-Emergency X-Misc Visa' has been introduced to fast-track visa applications for Afghans' entry into India.

About e-Emergency X-Misc Visa

Objective

It has the objective to fast-track the applications of Afghans who want to come to India because of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.
MHA reviews visa provisions because of the current situation in Afghanistan

Note :

The Ministry of External Affairs has also set up a special Afghanistan cell to coordinate repatriation and other requests from the war-ravaged country, where the security situation deteriorated after Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Insured person scheme

(Topic- GS Paper II–Social Security, Source-the Hindu)

Why in the news?

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has notified the Insured person scheme for the dependents of ESI insured persons in case of death due to COVID-19.

About the Insured person scheme

It is a scheme for the dependents of ESI insured persons in case of death due to COVID-19.
It would give a minimum of ₹1,800 a month.

Beneficiaries

The scheme would cover the families of the insured who had been registered on the ESIC portal for at least three months before being diagnosed with COVID-19 and had been in employment on the date of diagnosis.
In case of death due to COVID-19, the spouse, son up to 25 years of age, unmarried daughter and widowed mother of the insured would be eligible for the relief.
The scheme, which would be effective for two years from March 24, 2020, would provide for 90% of the average daily wages of the insured to be paid to dependents.

‘Rice provided under govt schemes to be fortified by 2024'

(Topic- GS Paper II–Polity and Governance, Source-Livemint)

Why in the news?

Prime Minister has announced to provide fortified rice to the poor under its various schemes by the year 2024.

About Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS)

The Department of Food and Public Distribution has approved the “Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on fortification of rice and its distribution through Public Distribution System.”
The scheme was approved in February 2019 and allocated a total budget outlay of ₹174.6 crore for three years from 2019-20.

Financial Assistance

The Scheme is funded by the Government of India in the ratio of 90:10 in respect of North Eastern, Hilly and Island States and 75:25 in respect of the rest of the States.
Further, the Govt. has also advised all states and to distribute fortified wheat flour through PDS.
The Pilot Scheme focuses on 15 districts, preferably 1 district per State.
So far, 15 States, i.e., Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh have consented for implementation of the Pilot Scheme.
Out of these States, Maharashtra and Gujarat have already started distribution of fortified rice under PDS in the Pilot Scheme from February 2020.

Lag in implementation

The existing pilot scheme to distribute fortified rice through the Public Distribution System in 15 districts has only been implemented in five districts so far, although more than half the project duration is over.
These five states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh.
The remaining 10 States have only now identified their respective districts, and will soon start distribution, but less than one-and-a-half years remain in the scheme period.

Operation Blue Freedom

(Topic- GS Paper II–Polity and Governance, Source-The Hindu)

Why in the news?

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will flag-off ‘Operation Blue Freedom – Land World Record at Siachen Glacier.

About Operation Blue Freedom

The Government of India has permitted a team of people with disabilities to scale Siachen Glacier.
The selected people from across the country with disabilities are trained by a team of Armed Forces veterans: ‘Team CLAW’.
These selected will undertake an expedition till Kumar Post (Siachen Glacier) to create a new World Record for the largest team of people with disabilities to reach the world’s highest battlefield.
It is aimed to harness the immense productive potential of people with disabilities.

Significance

It will create a new World Record for the largest team of people with disabilities to reach the world’s highest battlefield.
It will firmly place India on the global stage as a leader in empowering Divyangjans.
It will set a benchmark for other nations to emulate.

TAPAS (Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services)

(Topic- GS Paper II–Polity and Governance, Source-PIB)

Why in the news?

The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment has launched an online portal named TAPAS (Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services).

About TAPAS Portal

It has been developed by the National Institute of Social Defence and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

About TAPAS

It is a standard MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform with course material such as filmed lectures and e-study material.
It is the initiative of the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Aims

It aims is to provide access to lectures by subject experts, study material and more, but in a manner that it supplements the physical classroom without compromising on the quality of teaching.

Objective

The main objective of introducing the course modules is to impart training and enhance the knowledge and skills for the capacity building of the participants.
It can be taken up by anyone who wishes to enhance his or her knowledge on the topics and there is no fee for joining.

Courses offered

It will provide five basic courses

Drug (Substance) Abuse Prevention,
Geriatric/Elderly Care,
Care and Management of Dementia,
Transgender Issues
Comprehensive course on Social Defence Issues.

IndiGau: India’s first Cattle Genomic Chip

(Topic- GS Paper III–Science and technology, Source-AIR)

Why in the news?

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology has recently released “IndiGau’, India’s first Cattle Genomic Chip .

About IndiGau

It was developed by the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NAIB), Hyderabad which is an autonomous institution under the aegis of the Department of Biotechnology.
IndiGau is purely indigenous and the largest cattle chip of the world.

Significance

The chip will have practical utility in the Governments schemes to achieve the goal of conservation of our breeds with better characters.
It will also help towards doubling farmers' income by 2022.
It helps in the conservation of pure varieties of indigenous cattle breeds like, Gir, Kankrej, Sahiwal, Ongole etc.

Karez’ system

(Topic- GS Paper III–Environment, Source-Down To Earth)

Why in the news?

Recently, the Afghanistan People are worried about the Karez’ system after the Taliban has already taken provincial capitals as well as Afghanistan's third-largest city of Heart.

About Qanat / Karez system

It is a water harnessing technology that originated in Iran/Persia.
It soon spread to many Persian, Arab and Turkic lands.
It even came to the Indian Subcontinent during the 800-year-old Islamic Period.
The karez technology taps into the groundwater sources (or natural springs) and transports it through an underground tunnel to the settlement, ending in the surface canal and/or pools in the village for various uses.

Karez and Afghanistan

Karez systems cover eight per cent of irrigated land in Afghanistan.
They are the only source of water in the majority of rural communities in the southern and southwestern regions of Afghanistan.
The Karez is found in 38 countries worldwide and most of these are concentrated in the Middle East region.

India and Karez’ system

The Karez’ system was brought in the Indian Subcontinent during the Bahamani Sultanate, founded by Alaudin Bahman Shah.
It later broke into five other Sultanates: Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar and Berar.
Kutty, who has studied the Karezes of Karnataka, described the beauty of the first Karez system in India that was built in the city of Bidar during the reign of Bahamani Sultan Ahmad Shah Wali (1422-1436), who shifted the capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.
By the 15th century, Bijapur city had a network of pipelines through which everyone got a 24×7 supply of water.

Wild balsams

(Topic- GS Paper III–Environment, Source-The Hindu)

Why in the news?

Researchers have recently identified three new species of wild balsam in Kerala, of which two have been named after Communist veteran and former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and the former health minister K.K. Shailaja.

About Wild balsams

The species, belonging to the genus Impatiens (family Balsaminaceae).
These were spotted in the Western Ghats region of southern Kerala and the Idukki district during floristic surveys.
Plants of this genus are popular as 'Kashithumba' in Malayalam.

Conservation status

All three species can be classified as Critically Endangered (CE) as per the IUCN Red List.
The genus Impatiens is represented by more than 210 taxa in India.
Over 106 species are endemic to the Western Ghats, of which 80% are endangered.

Ivory Coast declares first Ebola outbreak in 26 years

(Topic- GS Paper III–Science and technology, Source-Down to Earth)

Why in the news?

According to the World Health Organization, Cote d'Ivoire declares the first Ebola outbreak in 26 years and became 3rd African country to do so in 2021.
The other two countries are Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo too had declared an outbreak in 2021.

About Ebola

Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.

Transmission

From wild animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats) to humans and then spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
It is thought that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola, virus hosts.
People can get the virus through sexual contact as well.

About Côte d'Ivoire