The Sports Authority of India, in association with Education Boards CISCE and CBSE, will host an online program for training of Physical Education (PE) Teachers from CISCE Schools on “Khelo India Fitness Assessment of School Going Children”.

The program, starting August 7, will target 7500 participants across 2615 CISCE schools in two zones.This large-scale training is being organized to assess the fitness levels of the school children and to identify potential future champions from a vast pool of grassroots talent.

This training has been undertaken owing to the Covid19 outbreak where schools have been shut and the new academic session has begun across India in form of online classes or webinars. In this current situation, Training-of-Trainers (TOTs) in their original format and physical assessments of students in schools could not be conducted till children and teachers start going back to schools again.

On August 7, various School Principals or Head of Institutes will be encouraged and motivated and made aware about the need to empower their PE Teachers with knowledge, attitude and skills for undertaking the Khelo India Fitness Assessment through the Khelo India Mobile App (KIMA) besides giving them goals for 2020-21. This session is titled “Whole School Approach to Fitness”.

From August 11 to 14, Training and technical knowhow of the Assessor mobile app will be provided to the school PE teachers. They will be given sessions on the introduction to Khelo India Fitness for School Going Children and Fit India, how to undertake Khelo India battery of tests, the Khelo India Assessments protocols, Talent Identification roadmap, goals for 2020-21 and more.

The training will be provided by selected Master Trainers who had conducted various National and Regional level TOTs, both offline and online, in 2019 and conducted Assessment of their schools

The events include launching of Mobile App & Backend Website for Handloom Mark Scheme, launching of My Handloom Portal, a Virtual Fair and showcasing of Craft Handloom Village, Kullu Posted On: 06 AUG 2020 3:01PM by PIB Delhi

Handloom sector is a symbol of the country’s glorious cultural heritage and an important source of livelihood in the country. The sector is key to women empowerment as over 70% of handloom weavers and allied workers are women.

On the occasion of the 6thNational Handloom Day on 07th August 2020, Ministry of Textiles is organizing a function through Virtual Platform to avoid public gathering considering Covid-19 pandemic. Union Minister of Textiles and Women & Child Development, Smt Smriti Irani will grace the occasion as Chief Guest and Secretary Textiles. Shri Ravi Capoor will be the Guest of Honour for the function. Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Jai Ram Thakur will also be joining the function from Shimla, HP through virtual mode.

In addition, during the function, handloom clusters across India, NIFT campuses, all the 28 Weaver Service Centres(WSCs), National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC), Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC), along with Craft Handloom village at Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Textiles Committee at Mumbai, and Virtual Fairbeing organized by HEPC at Chennai will be connected online. Also, functions befitting the occasion will be organized in all the subordinate offices of Development Commissioner of Handlooms viz. WSCs and NHDC as also in various campuses of National Institutes of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

7th August was chosen as the National Handloom Day to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on the same date in the year 1905. The objective is to generate awareness about Handloom Industry amongst public at large and its contribution to the socio-economic development.

To mark this occasion and to instil pride of workmanship of handloom weaving amongst citizens, social media campaign is planned for the handloom weaving community. Hon’ble Prime Minister has urged that it should be an endeavour on part of all of us to use Indian Handlooms and Handicrafts and also communicate to other people about them. The more the world knows about the richness and diversity of these products, the greater our artisans and weavers will benefit.

Minister of Textiles Smt Smriti Irani has appealed to all Hon’ble Central Government Ministers, Lieutenant Governors, Chief Ministers of States, Members of Parliament and eminent Industrialists with friends and family to express solidarity with the weaving community through their social media accounts so as to motivate others to do the same.

Ministry of Textiles has extended a similar request to Secretaries to the Govt. of India and equivalent level officers. Besides, all the Secretaries of the States, Exports Promotion Councils, Sister Textile Bodies like Central Silk Board, National Jute Board have been requested to amplify the Social Media Campaign under the common hashtag and inspiring associates and employees to embrace handloom fabric. The e-commerce entities, Retail Companies and Designer Bodies have also been requested to promote and amplify the efforts of Ministry of Textiles to promote Handloom products.

In the face of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, and inability to hold conventional marketing events such as exhibitions, melas, etc., the Government is providing online marketing opportunities to weavers and handloom producers. By taking a step towards realizing “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, Handloom Export Promotion Council is organizing a Virtual Fair. The fair will connect more than 150 participants from different regions of the country showcasing their products with unique designs and skills.

The Indian Textile Sourcing Fair will be open on 7, 10 and 11th August. The show has already attracted considerable attention of the International Buyers. Exquisite Patolas, Paithanis, Ikats, Kandangis, Maheshwaris, Venkatagiris and numerous other GI tagged products will be on display for the International buying community to source their products directly from the masters themselves.

The schedule of activities for the National Handloom Day function being organized by the Ministry of Textiles on 07th August 2020 includesa presentation showcasing the Craft Handloom Village, Kullu, being established in association with District Administration, Kullu. Other events include launching of Mobile App & Backend Website for Handloom Mark Scheme (HLM), launching of My Handloom Portal, inauguration of Virtual Fair on linking Handloom exporters with prospective buyers being organized by HEPC at Chennai.

The first National Handloom Day was held on 7th August 2015 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Chennai. On this day, the handloom weaving community is honoured and the contribution of this sector in the socio-economic development of this country is highlighted. The resolve to protect our handloom heritage and to empower the handloom weavers and workers with greater opportunities is reaffirmed.The Government endeavours to ensure sustainable development of the handloom sector thereby empowering our handloom weavers and workers financially and instilling pride in their exquisite craftsmanship.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a new version of the India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) with new functionalities and features. Open to the public, and accessible through the web portal www.indiawris.gov.in, this portal contains information related to Water Resources through dashboards for rainfall, water levels & discharge of rivers, water bodies, ground water levels, reservoir storages, evapotranspiration and soil moisture, as well as modules on water resources projects, water bodies, hydro-met data availability and tools for GIS layer editing.

Water is key to life and development. Judicious use of water resources assumes utmost importance, particularly when increasing population, urbanization and related development creates additional pressure on available resources. Good planning of any resource requires a strong data base and a reliable information system. To address this need, the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), under the National Hydrology Project, launched the first version of India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) in July, 2019. Since then, a number of new functionalities and features have been added into the system.

India WRIS is, at present, receiving data from many central and state agencies like CWC, CGWB, IMD, NRSC, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat etc. on regular basis. Data from other agencies is also being integrated into the system, so that it becomes a comprehensive platform for any data related to water and land resources. The MoJS has established a dedicated organization, National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) to maintain and update India WRIS.

The basis for all hydro-met observation data is the Water Information Management System (WIMS). Through a secured login, Central and State Water Agencies can enter, analyse, validate and manage data for water level (Both Surface Water & Ground Water), flow, water quality, sediment and many climate parameters. The system includes time series data obtained through manual readings as well as telemetry data received by means of GPRS or satellite.

Through this portal, any stakeholder can visualize the information in a user friendly manner, as well download the information in the form of excel reports and graphs. The key features of the system are Water information easily made available to users and general public, for decision makers, water managers, farmers & experts, Direct access to hydro-met information from Central and State agencies, Real-time data available with one click, Variety of modules for different needs, Latest technologies, continuous development and improvement.

Various user groups can utilize the information as follow like farmers and farmer Welfare Associations can plan crops and cropping pattern based on the rainfall, water availability in storages and ground water aquifers and with changing times the associations can involve youth for utilizing the data appropriately as real time data is available on this web site. Individuals can use the data as per their requirement, to know the availability of water in their locality, ground water level, Level of water in the nearby river and such many facts.

Planners and Administrators can utilize this data of their States, Basins for proper utilization of water and to reduce the impact of Flood and Drought. Decision support System (DSS) can be developed. Researchers can utilize the data for water related studies and Modelling purposes as the data frequency required for such studies is available.

The virtual tour will showcase 77 artworks of Abanindranath Tagore from reserve collection of NGMA Posted On: 06 AUG 2020 6:44PM by PIB Delhi

National Galary of Modern Art, New Delhi will organise the virtual tour titled “The Great Maestro | Abanindranath Tagore” to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Abanindranath Tagore on 7th August 2020.

Director General of NGMA Shri Adwaita Charan Gadanayak said, “It gives me an immense pleasure to present the works of art of Abanindranath Tagore through this virtual tour titled “The Great Maestro – Abanindranath Tagore”, organized to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Abanindranath Tagore on 7th August 2020.

The NGMA takes pride in 99 works of art created by the iconic artist which are a part of prestigious collection. This virtual tour presents the 77 works of art from the prominent artworks of Abanindranath Tagore from reserve collection of NGMA, grouped in a series of four different themes of (i) Portraits and Characters, (ii) Tradition with Sensibility, (iii) Individual Style, (iv) Landscape of Interiority.

Shri Adwaita Charan Gadanayak also added, “I take pride of the tireless effort of our entire IT Cell to conceive and conceptualize the idea of launching this Virtual Tour and design and develop the same to facilitate our esteemed visitors with such prestigious collection of NGMA. I would urge our esteemed visitors to explore the works of art of Abanindranath Tagore through this virtual tour”.

This virtual tour also includes ‘Jeevansmriti’ to throw light into the memory lane and ‘Quiz’ based on the life and the works of the Great Maestro. Visitors can ‘Join the Conversation’ on the first cultural media platform launched under the banner of NGMA at https://so-ham.in/the-great-maestro-abanindranath-tagore/ and contribute your ideas and views.

Abanindranath Tagore is a singular figure in modern Indian art. Abanindranath painted a range of subjects. He had a leaning towards painting images with historic or literary allusions. He liked to paint sets of images dealing with a theme or a text such as the 'Arabian Nights' or the 'Krishna Leela'. He also enjoyed painting theatrical subjects. Literature and drama held great respect for him and he was an elegant and accomplished writer. As a modernist at heart who was guided more by his sensibility than his training, he transformed the post-Renaissance academic realism into which he was trained with his series of contacts with oriental art into something more supple and responsive to the imaginative flights of his mind.

​​​​​​​Food Corporation of India moved total 139 LMT food grains during March 2020 to June 2020

5.4 lakh fair price shops distributed food grains to beneficiaries with precautionary measures like staggered distribution timings, maintaining hygiene and maintaining social distancing Posted On: 06 AUG 2020 7:36PM by PIB Delhi

During the period 24th March to 30th June 2020, Food Corporation of India under Department of Food & Public Distribution moved a total of about 139 LMT food grains using nearly 5,000 rakes and nearly 14.7 LMT through 91,874 trucks across the country.

For ensuring supply of allocated quantity for Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands the food grains were moved though ships. Support of other Ministries such as Railways and Shipping augmented by Indian Air Force have played a crucial role in making these operations smooth and successful. The employees of the FCI, CWC, CRWC, State Warehouses and State/UT Civil Supplies Departments/Corporation have all worked in perfect coordination to make it all possible.

For the distribution of food grains to beneficiaries, a network of about 5.4 Lakh Fair Price Shops (FPSs) was utilised across the country, where all precautionary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 protocol, such as social distancing, use of face masks, hand sanitizers, availability of soap and water to maintain hand hygiene, staggered distribution timings, frequent sanitization of ePoS devices, etc were followed in each State/UT, besides use of innovative practices for giving foodgrains to beneficiaries while ensuring social distancing at all times.

Despite challenges in biometric authentication of beneficiaries on ePoS devices, many States/UTs like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, etc. ensured biometric authentication of beneficiaries after following requisite safety protocol to ensure rightful targeting of beneficiaries.

Independent surveys conducted by MicroSave Consulting, Dalberg, etc., in various parts of the country, have shown very high level of satisfaction among the beneficiaries, with regards to the distribution of food grains under PM-GKAY. The programme implementation was rigorously monitored at every level including the Hon’ble Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and all implementation issues of States/UTs were quickly resolved to ensure the success of the PM-GKAY.

Earlier, in March 2020, pursuant to the announcement of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, the Department had started the implementation of “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY)” for a period of three months i.e. April, May and June 2020, so that the poor and vulnerable beneficiaries under NFSA do not suffer on account of the non-availability of food grains during the unprecedented time of crisis.

Under this special scheme, about 81 Crore NFSA beneficiaries covered under both categories of NFSA, namely Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Householders (PHH), are being provided with an additional quota of free-of-cost foodgrains (Rice/Wheat) at a scale of 5 Kg per person per month, over and above their regular monthly entitlements.

Accordingly, on 30th March 2020, the Department had conveyed State/UT-wise total allocation of about 121 Lakh MT of foodgrains (about 40 LMT per month) to all States/UTs and FCI for distribution to all NFSA beneficiaries during the period of three months April-June’ 2020 (i.e. Phase-I of the scheme).

As per reports available from FCI, all States/UTs combined have lifted about 118 LMT (99%) of three-month foodgrains from FCI depots/central pool. Further, all States/UTs combined have reported a distribution of over 111.52 LMT (93.5%) of allocated foodgrains for the period April-June 2020 as per following details:

37.5 LMT (94%) each in the months of April and May 2020 covering about 75 crore beneficiaries in each month. 36.54 LMT (92%) in the month of June covering about 73 crore beneficiaries.

In addition to 112 startups already funded for a sum of Rs. 1185.90 lakhs, 234 startups in the agriculture and allied sectors will be funded for a sum of Rs. 2485.85 lakhs Posted On: 06 AUG 2020 4:59PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Government accords very high priority to the agriculture sector. In order to contribute directly and indirectly to enhancing the income of farmers by providing opportunites to them and to provide employment to youth, start-ups are being encouraged.

A component, Innovation and Agri-entrepreneurship Development programme has been launched under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in order to promote innovation and agripreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem.These start-ups are in various categories such as agro-processing, artificial intelligence, digital agriculture, farm mechanisation, waste to wealth, dairy, fisheries etc.

DAC&FW has selected 5 Knowledge Partners (KPs) as Centres of Excellence. These are - (1) National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, (2) National Institute of Agricultural Marketing(NIAM) Jaipur, (3) Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Pusa, New Delhi,

(4) University of Agriculture Science , Dharwad, Karnataka and (5) Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat, Assam 24 RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) from across the country have also been appointed.

The following are the components of this scheme: Agripreneurship Orientation - 2 months duration with a monthly stipend of Rs. 10,000/- per month. Mentorship is provided on financial, technical, IP issues etc.

Seed Stage Funding of R-ABI Incubatees – Funding upto Rs. 25 lakhs (85% grant & 15% contribution from the incubatee). Idea/Pre-Seed Stage Funding of Agripreneurs – Funding up to Rs. 5 lakhs (90% grant and 10% contribution from the incubatee).

The institutes issue calls for application for their programmes and based on a rigorous process of selection through various stages and a training of two months, the final list of start-ups that are to be funded through grants-in-aid are finalised. Training on technical, finance, intellectual property, statutory compliance issues etc. is provided. Mentoring of start-ups through monitoring of milestones and timelines is part of the programme.

Some start-ups that are being incubated offer the following solutions - Activx Animal Health Technologies branded as Vetzz, is a network of Veterinary Doctors which provides immediate connect with customers i.e animal owners via real time tele consultation and doorstep visits.

SNL Innovations - InnoFarms provides fruit and vegetable pulp processed directly at the farm using an in-house developed monoblock fruit processing platform (on-wheels) to convert fruits to pulp with shelf life of up to 1 year with complete traceability from farm to customer.

EF Polymer developed an Eco-Friendly Water Retention Polymer with an aim to solve the water scarcity crisis for farmers. This startup made a super absorbent polymer designed to absorb water in the soil, retain it for a long time, and supply to the crops as required.

Among the start-ups that have been selected are several start-ups led by women such as A2P Energy Solution that uses AI to track waste bio-mass and then works with farmers to collect it. On one side it generates additional income for farmers and on the other side A2P converts the collected biomass into Next Gen biofuels like energy pellets, green coal and bio oil.

Kyari Innovations is working on mitigating human wildlife conflict pan India and internationally. They have created an innovative product called ANIDERS- Animal Intrusion Detection and Repellent System. This device works like a mechanized scarecrow that can protect farmlands from animal intrusions.

Agsmartic Technologies, has a vision to improve crop yield by precise irrigation and disease management though a data driven approach by using AI, IoT and computer vision. Their product Croplytics® is a combination of hardware and software solution that integrates ground sensor data and satellite imagery to translate data into actionable information for creating a precise model for irrigation.

Apart from the above mentioned 6 startups, there are many more with innovative solutions to improve the farming eco system and augment farm household incomes.

In all, a total of 346 startups in the agriculture and allied sectors are being funded for a sum of Rs. 3671.75 lakhs in this phase. This fund will be released in instalments. These start-ups were trained for two months at 29 agribusiness incubation centres (KPs & RABIs) spread across India. These start-ups will lead to employment to youth. Besides, they, directly and indirectly, will contribute to enhancing the income of farmers by providing opportunities to them.

Context: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan recently unveiled a new political map that includes all of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Sir Creek and Junagadh. Pak Foreign Minister said that the new map reflects the aspirations of the people.

India’s response: India has dismissed the map as an “exercise in absurdity” that made “untenable claims” to territories in India. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. India also said that the release of the new map confirms Pakistan’s “obsession with territorial aggrandizement” supported by cross-border terrorism.

The timing of the release of new map: The map has been released a day before the first anniversary of Indian government’s August 5 decisions rolling back special status of J&Kand the bifurcation of the state into two UTs.

The move also appears to be a tit-for-tat for India’s inclusion of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir as part of the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir, and of Gilgit Baltistan as part of Ladakh in the new map the government released on November 2.

Let us look at the important regions now: Where is Sir Creek? Sir Creek is a 96-km strip of water disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch marshlands.

Originally named Ban Ganga,Sir Creek is named after a British representative. The Creek opens up in the Arabian Sea and roughly divides the Kutch region of Gujarat from the Sindh Province of Pakistan.

What’s the related dispute? The dispute lies in the interpretation of the maritime boundary line between Kutch and Sindh.

Pakistan claims the entire width of the estuary, while India says the demarcation should be in the middle. In its support, India cites the Thalweg Doctrine in International Maritime Law,which states that river boundaries between two states may be divided by the mid-channel if the water-body is navigable.

What about Junagadh? Junagadh is in coastal Gujarat. It was a part of the Kathiawar region. It decided to join India in 1947 and the decision was formalised through a Plebiscite in 1948. This was, however, not accepted by Pakistan then, but was overtaken by the first India-Pakistan war over Kashmir that began at the end of October 1947 and continued for over a year.

Context: The Delhi High Court has asked Delhi Police and Zee News to respond to a plea by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra challenging the summons and framing of charges against her in a defamation case filed by the news channel and its editor.

What’s the issue? The case relates to Ms. Moitra’s June 25, 2019 speech in Parliament on the ‘Seven Signs of Fascism’ and a TV show run by the news channel and other subsequent developments.

Zee News has filed the defamation complaint against Ms. Moitra for allegedly making statements against the channel to the media. What is defamation? Defamation is the communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual person, business, product, group, government, religion, or nation.

In India, defamation can both be a civil wrong and a criminal offence. The difference between the two lies in the objects they seek to achieve. A civil wrong tends to provide for a redressal of wrongs by awarding compensation and a criminal law seeks to punish a wrongdoer and send a message to others not to commit such acts.

Legal provisions: Criminal defamation has been specifically defined as an offence under section 499 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Civil defamation is based on tort law (an area of law which does not rely on statutes to define wrongs but takes from ever-increasing body of case laws to define what would constitute a wrong). Section 499 states defamation could be through words, spoken or intended to be read, through signs, and also through visible representations.

Section 499 also cites exceptions. These include “imputation of truth” which is required for the “public good” and thus has to be published, on the public conduct of government officials, the conduct of any person touching any public question and merits of the public performance.

Section 500 of IPC, which is on punishment for defamation, reads, “Whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.”

Misuse of the law and concerns associated: The criminal provisions have often been used purely as a means of harassment. Given the cumbersome nature of Indian legal procedures, the process itself turns into punishment, regardless of the merits of the case. Critics argue that defamation law impinges upon the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression and that civil defamation is an adequate remedy against such wrongs.

Criminal defamation has a pernicious effect on society: for instance, the state uses it as a means to coerce the media and political opponents into adopting self-censorship and unwarranted self-restraint.

What has the Supreme Court said? In Subramanian Swamy vs Union of India case 2014, the Court approved the Constitutional validity of sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in the Indian Penal Code, underlining that an individual’s fundamental right to live with dignity and reputation “cannot be ruined solely because another individual can have his freedom”.

In August 2016, the court also passed strictures on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for misusing the criminal defamation law to “suffocate democracy” and, the court said, “public figures must face criticism”.

Context: Three organisations representing the Bru community displaced from Mizoram have rejected the sites proposed by the Joint Movement Committee (JMC), an umbrella group of non-Brus in Tripura, for their resettlement.

What’s the issue? The JMC had on July 21 submitted a memorandum to the Tripura government specifying six places in Kanchanpur and Panisagar subdivisions of North Tripura district for the resettlement of the Brus who fled ethnic violence in Mizoram since 1997. The JMC also proposed settling 500 families at most in these places.

However, the organisations representing the Bru Community have opposed the involvement of non-Brus in JMC.

What’s the demand now? Resettle some 6,500 families in clusters of at least 500 families at each of the sites of their choice —seven in North Tripura district and five in the adjoining Dhalai district. The sites proposed by the JMC, they said, are unconnected by road and electricity and too far from hospitals, schools and other facilities.

Who are Brus? The Brus, also referred to as the Reangs, are spread across the northeastern states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram.

In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups that do not consider them indigenous to the state.

Permanent solution to the crisis: The centre, in January 2020, signed a historic pact for permanent solution of Bru refugees’ issue.

The agreement was between Union Government, Governments of Tripura and Mizoram and Bru-Reang representatives to end the 23-year old Bru-Reang refugee crisis.

Highlights of the agreement: Under the agreement, the centre has announced a package of Rs. 600 crore under this agreement. As per the agreement the Bru tribes would be given land to reside in Tripura.

A fixed deposit of Rs. 4 lakh will be given to each family as an amount of government aid. They will be able to withdraw this amount after two years.

Each of the displaced families will be given 40×30 sq ft residential plots. Apart from them, each family will be given Rs. 5,000 cash per month for two years. The agreement highlights that each displaced family will also be given free ration for two years and aid of Rs. 1.5 lakh to build their houses.

Context: Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) have developed an equipment-free fluoride ion detection and quantification in drinking water with the naked-eye. It can be operated by non-experts for household use to evade Fluorosis-based disorders.

How it works? The technology involves a push-pull chromophore based on 2,3-disubstituted 1,1,4,4-tetracyano-1,3-butadienes (TCBDs) that changes color upon exposure to fluoride ion.

What is fluorosis? Fluorosis is a crippling disease resulting from deposition of fluorides in the hard and soft tissues of body due to excess intake of fluoride through drinking water/food products/industrial pollutants over a long period.

It results in dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, and non-skeletal fluorosis. According to WHO, the fluoride concentration in drinking water should not exceed 1.5mg/l.

Context: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has set stringent conditions for commercial groundwater use. The order came on a plea seeking direction to check depleting groundwater level in the country.

NGT has also struck down the Central Ground Water Authority’s (CGWA) 2020 guidelines, saying they were against the law. The 2018 version of the guidelines had been struck down by the NGT last year.

Conditions set by NGT: Industries must expect a complete overhaul in the manner in which the permits are issued for the extraction of groundwater for commercial activities. They must ensure that all the conditions are complied with. The tribunal has specifically banned the general permission for the withdrawal of groundwater, especially to the commercial entities without an environment impact assessment.

Permits must be for the specified quantity of water and must be monitored with digital flow metres and audited every year by the third parties. Strict actions, including prosecution and blacklisting, must be taken against those who will fail the audit.

All overexploited, critical and semi-critical (OCS) assessment units must undergo water mapping. Authorities are given three months to make water management plans for all the overexploited, semi-critical, and critical areas.

Concerns associated with these conditions: As per some of the experts, these directions have put rigorous requirements on the businesses at a time when they have been trying to find their way amid COVID-19.

The restrictions make access of groundwater very difficult. The move by NGT has also been interfering with the legislative functions of the Jal Shakti Ministry.

Why NGT felt these conditions were necessary? No improvements: There was no claim over groundwater levels improving, nor was there a projection for future improvement in the past 23 years of regulation by the CGWB.

India was at the bottom of the water quality index, at 120 among 122 countries. Fifty-four per cent of India’s groundwater wells have decreased in levels, with 21 major cities across the country expected to run out of groundwater by 2020.

India extracted the most groundwater. India accounted for 25 per cent of the total annual global water extracted, with the extraction level steadily increasing.

According to ‘Water and Related Statistics 2019’, a report published by the Central Water Commission (CWC), the annual replenishable groundwater resources in India (2017) are 432 BCM, out of which 393 BCM is the annual “extractable” groundwater availability.

Context: The catastrophic explosion at Beirut port on August 4 was caused by over 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate kept in storage for over six years.

What is it? In its pure form, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a white, crystalline chemical which is soluble in water.

Where all is it used? It is the main ingredient in the manufacture of commercial explosives used in mining and construction. It is a common chemical ingredient of agricultural fertilisers. It is also the main component of the explosive composition known as ANFO — ammonium nitrate fuel oil.

When it can cause a fire hazard? Pure ammonium nitrate is not an explosive on its own. It is classified as an oxidiser (Grade 5.1) under the United Nations classification of dangerous goods. If mixed with ingredients like fuel or some other contaminants, or because of some other external factors, it can be very explosive.

The explosion of large storage can happen primarily in two ways: By some type detonation or initiation because the storage comes in contact with explosive mixture. Due to a fire which starts in the ammonium nitrate store because of the heat generated due to the oxidation process at large scale.

How is it regulated in India? In India, its usage is regulated as per The Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012, under The Explosives Act, 1884. The rules also make storage of ammonium nitrate in large quantities in populated areas illegal in India.

For the manufacture of ammonium nitrate, an Industrial licence is required under the Industrial Development and Regulation Act, 1951. A license under the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012 is also required for any activity related to ammonium nitrate.

Health effects: An ammonium nitrate explosion produces massive amounts of nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a red, bad-smelling gas.

It can irritate the respiratory system. Elevated levels of these pollutants are particularly concerning for people with respiratory conditions.

MyGov (mygov.in) is the Government of India’s citizen engagement and crowdsourcing platform. Launched in 2014. It aims to promote active citizen participation in governance and policymaking.

Since its launch on 26th July 2014, MyGov has adopted multiple engagement methodologies like discussions, tasks, innovation challenges, polls, surveys, blogs etc.

Why in News? Goa joins MyGov Citizen Engagement Platform; 12 states had already launched their MyGov Platforms.

Pokkali variety of rice: The pokkali variety of rice is known for its saltwater resistance and flourishes in the rice paddies of coastal Kerala districts.

The uniqueness of the rice has brought it the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and is the subject of continuing research. The organically-grown Pokkali is famed for its peculiar taste and its high protein content.

Context: Observing that adequate steps against dumping of unregulated solid waste on the banks of river Yamuna were not being taken by authorities, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has warned of imposing environmental compensation on the Uttar Pradesh government.

The observations came when the Tribunal was hearing a plea, which alleged that illegal disposal of solid waste on the Yamuna floodplains in Vrindavan was affecting the environment adversely.

Context: Amid Madhya Pradesh government’s push for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for basmati rice, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his personal intervention against allowing this in the larger interest of Punjab and other States which are already basmati GI tagged.

Apart from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and select districts of Jammu and Kashmir have GI tagging for basmati.

What’s the issue? The Chief Minister said India exported basmati to the tune of ₹33,000 crore every year. Any dilution in registration may give advantage to Pakistan (which also produces basmati as per GI tagging) in the international market in terms of basmati characteristics, quality parameters.

Context: India has told China “not to comment on the internal affairs” of other countries, in response to Beijing describing the dilution of Article 370, on the one-year anniversary of the move, as being “illegal and invalid”.

What’s the issue? In response to a question from the Pakistani media, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has repeated its opposition to “any unilateral change to the status quo” in Jammu and Kashmir, echoing its statements on the issue last year.

Context: PM Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for a Hindu temple in the northern city of Ayodhya.