RAJASTHAN
- Rajasthan risks running out of water: Study
- Rajasthan could reel under extreme water crisis in the coming years with the per capita water (PCW) availability going down from 2028 billion cubic metre (BCM) in 1951 to 637 BCM in 2016, state government figures say. The study prepared by the water resources department stated that during the said period, the population swelled from 1.76 crore to 7.01 crore while water sources remained the same. It said the state will fall into ‘Absolute Scarcity’ category by 2021 with its per capita water availability being further reduced to 531 BCM. It indicates the failure of the consecutive governments to conserve depleted water resources. The falling PCW will lead to the severe crises forcing the state to curtail supply for irrigation to meet drinking water needs.
- Though the falling per capita water is a nation-wide phenomena, the national average is far better than the state. While the national average PCW was 1820 BCM in 2001, the state average was 840.
- The state has prepared a master plan for restoration of 1793 water bodies at a cost of Rs 149.48 crore under MGNREGA. The state is also working on three intra-basin water transfer schemes namely Rajasthan Canal Project, Sabarmati—Jawai and Bhranini-Banas to utilise the ground and rainwater effectively.
- The government documents say they have created 23158 rooftop rainwater harvesting structures along with 16948 mini-percolation tanks for conserving water. The biggest exercise the government is intending to do is encourage the cultivators to use sewage treatment plant water.
INTERNATIONAL
- Global Tiger Day: 29 July
- Global Tiger Day is being celebrated across the world on 29 July.
- This day is observed every year to create awareness about tiger conservation and protection of the natural habitat of tigers.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the results of the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation in New Delhi.
- India conducts the All India Tiger Estimation every four years.
NATIONAL
- Nepal invited to become partner country for Gita Jayanti Mahotsav 2019
- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has invited Nepal to be the partner country for this year’s ‘Gita Jayanti Mahotsav’.
- The Mahotsav is scheduled to be held at Kurukshetra from December 3 to 8.
- Haryana has been celebrating Gita Jayanti Mahotsav for the last three years and every year a country is invited to become the partner country for the mega event.
- A seminar on the revered Shrimad Bhagavad Gita will be organised as part of the celebration on December 6, and the devotees and scholars from Nepal can participate in it.
- National Data Quality Forum: launched by ICMR
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s National Institute for Medical Statistics (ICMR-NIMS) partnership with Population Council, launched the National Data Quality Forum (NDQF).
- They will integrate learnings from scientific and evidence-based initiatives and guide actions through periodic workshops and conferences.
- Its activities will help establish protocols and good practices of data collection, storage, use and dissemination that can be applied to health and demographic data.
- The launch was attended by representatives from the government, academic institutions, technology and developmental partners working towards strengthening the data ecosystem in the country.
- GST Council to decide on tax cut on electric vehicles this week
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chair the 36th meeting of the GST Council through videoconferencing in Delhi.
- It is the first GST Council meeting after the Union Budget placed before the parliament in July 5
- The GST Council is expected to announce its decision lowering tax rates for electric vehicles solar power projects and rationalisation of GST rates on lottery.
- The several sops for the electric vehicle (EV) sector includes income tax exemption and reduction in custom duties for certain components
- The government is expected to push for a GST rate cut on EVs from 12% to 5%.
The issue of GST rate cut on EVs earlier sent to a rate fitment committee to a rate fitment committee.
- The Modi government wants to encourage domestic manufacturing of e-vehicles.
The GST rate for petrol and diesel cars and hybrid vehicles is already at the highest bracket of 28% plus cess.
- Union cabinet approved to dissolve NIMH and merge it with ICMR National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH)
- The government has approved to dissolve National Institute of Miners’ Health (NIMH) and merge it withIndian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister.
- National Institute of Miners Health (NIMH) is an autonomous institute that functions underMinistry of Mines (MoM).
- The amalgamation will absorb all the employees of NIMH in NIOH in similar post/pay scale as the case may be so that their pay be protected.
- Govt inks MoU with industry body to streamline delivery of services under Ayushman Bharat
- The centre’s flagship healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat implementing agency inked an MoU with industry body NATHEALTH.
- The partnership between National Health Authority (NHA) and the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH)
- Themain aim is to streamline all innovations it increases the efficacy of service delivery of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
- The collaboration provides an industry interface for testing innovations, providing mentorship and creating channels for facilitating support required for scaling these innovations.
- The main purpose to increase the efficacy of the health service delivery.
The main objective of the joint initiative is to provide and enable a healthcare innovation ecosystem that supports healthcare innovators and provides them opportunities to partner and scale.
- The MoU aims at enabling an ecosystem for the industry partners within the NATHEALTH network to participate in piloting, testing, adopting, funding and scaling innovations.
- Around 26 Lakh peoplehave availed treatment so far in several hospitals across the country
- The insurance scheme aims to provide a health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10.74 crore vulnerable families.
- The scheme provides cashless and paperless access to services
Over 15,000 hospitalsand health care providers have been impaneled across the country under the scheme.
- Kaiga Atomic Energy station performed continuing operation for 962 days
- Indiaenhanced with Atomic energy and replacing fossil fuel.
Nuclear power is the fifth-largest source of electricity in India after coal, gas, hydroelectricity and wind power. - India has 22 nuclear reactorsin operation in 7 nuclear power plants
They have a total installed capacity of 6,780 MW. - The nuclear power produced a total of 35 TWh supplied 3.22% of Indian electricity in 2017.7 more reactors are under construction. They got a combined generation capacity of 4,300 MW.
- The remarkable achievements in the nuclear power sector during the last three years included
- Setting of World Record in the continuous operation of 962 days by Unit-1 of Kaiga Generating Station among nuclear power plants of all technologies.
Completion of 50 years of safe operation of Units 1&2 of Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS-1&2) are currently the oldest reactors in operation in the world.
- The nuclear power capacity of 1000 MWby the completion of KKNPP- 2 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
- The First Pour of Concrete (FPC) in KKNPP-3&4 (2X1000 MW) at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
- Ground break for KKNPP-5&6(2X1000 MW) at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu.
- The environmental clearance from MoEF&CC for setting up nuclear power plants at Chutka in Madhya Pradesh.
- The administrative approval and financial sanction of ten (10) indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode & two (02) units of Light Water Reactors (LWRs)
- The agreements with foreign countries for nuclear power corporation.
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