To make viewers virtually explore the unexplored destination, create awareness about the hidden destinations in Chhattisgarh, unique culture, tribal heritage and festivals, the Ministry of Tourism’s celebrated Dekho Apna Desh webinar series showcased the “HIDDEN TREASURES OF CHHATTISGARH” on 09.06.2020. Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series is an effort to showcase India’s rich diversity under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme.

The 30th session of the Dekho Apna Desh webinar series on 09th June,2020 was moderated by Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General , Ministry of Tourism. P. Anbalagan, Secretary (Tourism & Culture), Government of Chhattisgarh, set the background for the session with his introductory remarks and the session was presented by Jaspreet Singh Bhatia, Founder, Icecubes Holidays, Jeet Singh Arya, Founder, Unexplored Bastar and Thommen Jose, Author & Blogger. The three presenters virtualised and highlighted the unexplored destinations and unique cultural and heritage wealth of Chhattisgarh.

Mr. Jaspreet Bhatia set the tone of the session by highlighting some of the key facts of the states and its immense tourism potential. Chhattisgarh, carved out of Madhya Pradesh came into being on 1 November 2000 and is 9th largest state in India . Being Central Eastern state of India, it borders 7 states, 44% of land covered by forest, 34% of tribal population. With 3 National parks, 11 Wildlife sanctuaries, 1 Bio-sphere reserve it is one of India’s greenest state and well connected with rest of the country by air, rail and road network.

Some of the best waterfalls of country are in Chhattisgarh, few of them are Chitrakote, Amritdhara, Pawai, Machli etc., Chhattisgarh is also blessed with three shaktipeeths Champaranya, Rajim and Sheorinarayan. Wrought iron, bell metal and terracotta are famous handicrafts of Chhattisgarh. Mr. Jeet Singh Arya took the audience to a virtual tour of Bastar. Bastar is one of the unexplored destinations which is in south of Chhattisgarh. Bastar region has spectacular scenic views, roads and hidden waterfalls. Bastar region has more than 15 waterfalls. Kotumsar caves, which are largest series of caves after Meghalaya are in Chhattisgarh. Bastar Dussehra world’s longest festival which is celebrated for 75 days has a different story related to goddess Dhanteswari. Gond’s, Madiya, Muriaya’s are some of the tribes making Bastar as the land of indigenous tribes. Handicrafts history dates back to Harappan civilization the technique used is lost wax technique. Third largest lord Ganesha statue in the world which made of a single sand stone. Cave paintings with 12000 years of history are in Bastar region.

Mr. Thommen Jose presented the following lesser known places of tourist interest and experiences that Chhattisgargh offers

• Karkabhat – Megalithic burial site generally ignored by tourists. Studies conducted in the area have identified 3 types of menhirs- Conical, pointed obliquely and bifurcated like a fish tail.

• Dipadih – Temple complex dating back to the 7th Century is probably the best kept archaeological secret of Chhattisgarh. Excavated stone pillars have been erected along the path next to the entrance on which are exhibited the mythological creatures.

• Ghotul – It is both an ancient tribal system of education as well as the campus with its own system of hierarchs.

• Sonabai- Famous bas relief ornamentation works of Chhattisgarh got its roots when Sonabai made little toys for her son Daroga Ram to lull him to sleep.

• Tribal games – Cock fighting

The Ministry of AYUSH in association with Prasar Bharati is organizing a daily telecast of the Common Yoga Protocol on DD Bharati from the11th of June 2020. The CYP sessions will be telecasted daily in the morning from 08:00 a.m. to 08:30 a.m. The sessions will also be simultaneously available on the social media handles of the Ministry. This half an hour session will cover all the major aspects of the Common Yoga Protocol.

This telecast is being organized with an objective to familiarize the masses with the Common Yoga Protocol by providing them an audio-visual demonstration of the same through the distance mode. Prior acquaintance with the Common Yoga Protocol will help the people to be fully prepared and ready for active participation in IDY 2020.

The CYP sessions on the television can be used by the masses as a reference source for learning different aspects of Yoga and reap the benefits through daily Yoga practise.

Every year, the 21st of June is celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Yoga (IDY). This year, the IDY arrives in the middle of a health emergency. Yoga is especially relevant in this situation, since its practice leads to both physical and mental wellbeing. Of particular importance in these difficult times are the following two proven benefits which the public can gain from Yoga:

a) Positive impact on general health and immunity enhancement, b) Its globally accepted role as a stress buster.

In the previous years, IDY was perceived as a celebration of India’s culture and tradition. This year, in these special circumstances, it will be a search for good health and peace of mind. Hence the focus this year will be on doing Yoga at home on Yoga Day, i.e., on 21st June 2020. The Ministry of AYUSH would be making available various resources in the electronic, digital and other media to facilitate people to learn Yoga using them. Numerous online resources are already made available by the Ministry on the Yoga Portal and its social media handles.

As in the previous years, the harmonious mass practice of Yoga of IDY 2020 will take place on the 21st of June 2020 at 07:00 a.m., however, people will join the same from their respective homes. It is also expected that adherents, practitioners and followers of Yoga will also join the digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at this time with their Yoga demonstration (which will be based on Common Yoga Protocol, as in previous years) in a spirit of harmony.

Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) has been at the heart of IDY since the beginning. CYP was developed by a group of leading Yoga gurus and experts and it includes safe practices to improve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of the population. It is one of the most popular Yoga programmes across the world and is widely performed every year on the International Day of Yoga. It is designed to be easily adoptable by the majority of the people irrespective of age and gender and can be learnt through simple training sessions and online classes (Individuals facing health issues are advised to consult a physician before taking up Yoga practice).

Micro Irrigation Fund corpus of Rs. 5000 crore also created with NABARD for special and innovative projects and incentivising micro irrigation beyond the provisions under PMKSY-PDMC Posted On: 10 JUN 2020 12:28PM by PIB Delhi

Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare is implementing ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY- PDMC). The PMKSY- PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation systems. Drip micro irrigation technique not only helps in water saving but also in reducing fertilizer usage, labour expenses and other input costs.

For the current year, annual allotment of Rs. 4000 crore has already been allocated and conveyed to the State Governments. The State Governments have identified the beneficiaries to be covered under the programme. Fund release to some of the States is already under process for the year 2020-21.

Further, Micro Irrigation Fund corpus of Rs. 5000 crore has been created with NABARD. The objective of the fund is to facilitate the states in mobilizing the resources for expanding coverage of Micro Irrigation by taking up special and innovative projects and also for incentivising micro irrigation beyond the provisions available under PMKSY-PDMC to encourage farmers to install micro irrigation systems.

So far, Micro Irrigation Funds have been released to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for Rs. 616.14 crore and for Rs.478.79 crore, respectively through NABARD. The area covered under these projects is 1.021 lakh ha. in Andhra Pradesh and 1.76 lakh ha. in Tamil Nadu.

The World Accreditation Day (WAD) is celebrated on 9th June every year to highlight as well as promote the role of accreditation in trade & economy.

The theme for WAD 2020 is “Accreditation: Improving Food Safety”, as decided by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), the two accreditation boards of the Quality Council of India (QCI), organised a Webinar to commemorate the event, in which all concerned stakeholders participated.

Madhya Pradesh State presented the Annual Action Plan for 2020-21 for consideration and approval of National Committee chaired by Secretary, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti in partnership with States aims to provide adequate drinking water of prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024. This Mission focusses on ‘service delivery’, not on infrastructure creation.

The Mission was announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his last Independence Day speech. With an objective to bring improvement in lives of rural people and to reduce the drudgery of rural women especially girls, this Mission expects to bring reforms in drinking water sector. A budget of whopping ₹ 3.60 lakh Crore has been allocated for this transformational programme.

Government of India approved ₹1,280 Crore for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the State in 2020-21. With an amount of ₹244.95 Crore as unspent balance and this year's Central allocation and matching State share, ₹3,093 Crore will be available with the State this year.

Under this life changing Mission, Madhya Pradesh has planned to have 100% Functional Household Tap Water Connection (FHTC) by 2023-24. Out of 1.21 Crore rural households in the State, 13.52 lakh households are already provided with tap connections.

The State plans to provide tap connections to 26.27 lakh households in rural areas in 2020-21. While planning for universal coverage of households, priority is given to water scarce areas, quality-affected areas, SC/ ST dominated habitations/ villages, aspirational districts and Sansad Adarsh Gramin Yojana villages, particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.

Potable water supply to water quality-affected habitations is a top priority under JJM and the State intends to provide potable water in 395 such habitations by making provision of household tap connections and community water purification plants.

Following true spirit of 73rd Amendment of the Constitution, under JJM, local village community/ Gram Panchayats and/or user groups are being involved in planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of water supply systems in villages to ensure long-term sustainability to achieve drinking water security.

In all villages, IEC campaign along with community mobilization is to be taken up to make Jal Jeevan Mission truly a people’s movement. Voluntary organisations, self-help groups are roped in for community mobilization for their active participation in planning, implementation as well as operation & maintenance of water supply schemes meant for them.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission, emphasis is being given on water quality surveillance through active participation of frontline functionaries as well as involving the community i.e. in every village, 5 persons especially women are being trained. School and college students are being encouraged to use the Field Test Kits to test the quality of water being provided in the rural areas. Every source needs to be tested once every year for physical and chemical parameters and twice for bacteriological contamination.

In every Gram Panchayat, GP or their sub-committee i.e. Village Water & Sanitation Committee or Paani Samitis have been constituted for planning at village level. Based on Village Action Plans of villages, the Annual Action Plan for the State has been finalized.

State is ensuring convergence of funds from various sources like MGNREGS, 15th Finance Commission Grants to rural local bodies, SBM, CAMPA, District Mineral Development Fund, Local Area Development Fund, etc. for taking up works related to strengthening of water resources, aquifer recharge, grey water management, etc.

It’s the endeavour of the Government to provide tap connections in rural households on priority basis during prevailing CoVid-19 pandemic situation, so that rural people don’t have to go through the hardship of fetching water from public stand-posts and standing in long queue.

Government intends that the poor and marginalized sections of the society get water through tap connections inside their house premises and avoid going to standposts and ensuring social distancing, thereby keeping the rural communities safe from being infected.

With summer in full swing, monsoons fast approaching, and country grappling with COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more imperative to provide livelihood to the migrant workers who have returned to their native villages.

These migrants are basically skilled and semi-skilled ones, whose services could be effectively utilized in villages by providing jobs related to water supply especially plumbing, fitting, water conservation works, etc. in every village to ensure sufficient ground water availability leading to water security, water availability for agriculture and most importantly will help in provision of drinking water to every rural household.

As of now there is no vaccine or drug available to combat novel coronavirus. Mask, physical distancing and frequent handwashing are the only ways that can save lives. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also given recommendations on the kind of mask that is most suitable for protection against coronavirus.

But wearing mask for a long time may cause suffocation and proper handling of mask is tricky too. To address a few of such issues, Dr Marshal and his team at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), have developed an anti-microbial five-layered face mask.

This face mask can annihilate pathogenic microorganisms that are stuck to its outer surface and thereby limit the spread of secondary infections. “The mask that is available in the market currently acts as a filter to stop the entry of microbes to oral and nasal airways but does not have any effect on the microbe stuck to the mask surface,” said Dr Marshal, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, IIT (BHU), while speaking with India Science Wire.

This shortcoming in masks could be dangerous for medical and paramedical staff due to the presence of higher viral or bacterial load on their outer surface. Dr Marshal’s team addresses this problem by stacking different layers of nanometal conjugated with protonated amine matrix.

The first layer of the mask can degrade any type of RNA, the next layer is anti-microbial, the third one is for air filtration, and the fourth and fifth layers are ‘comfortable layers’, which will remain close to the nose and mouth. “Copper and silver are de-transition elements and as per our knowledge they can degrade this virus and all the other members of SARS virus. We took a cocktail combination of copper, copper oxides, silver, and activated charged silver, which can help degrade RNA,” said Dr Marshal.

For degradation testing, the researchers took the RNA of lung cells as novel coronavirus propagates rapidly in the lungs. The RNA of other cells were also extracted. “We have extracted both cancerous and non-cancerous cells too. We have checked the degradation of these molecules.

We have tested this in solution base and in coating base methods. This testing showed that the RNA was getting degraded. After this, we have optimised it,” said the researcher. The mask has hydrophobic surface on the outer layer to deflect water droplets containing the viruses. Patent has been applied for the product.

India has been in lockdown since March 25, 2020. During this time, activities not contributing to the production and supply of essential goods and services were completely or partially suspended. Passenger trains and flights were halted. The lockdown has severely impacted migrants, several of whom lost their jobs due to shutting of industries and were stranded outside their native places wanting to get back.

Since then, the government has announced relief measures for migrants, and made arrangements for migrants to return to their native place. The Supreme Court of India, recognising the problems faced by migrants stranded in different parts of the country, reviewed transportation and relief arrangements made by the government.

On June 9, the Court directed central and state governments to complete transportation of remaining stranded migrants and expand focus of relief measures to facilitate employment for returning migrants. In this blog, we highlight some facts about migration in India, summarise key relief measures announced by the government and directives issued by the Supreme Court for the migrant population in relation to the lockdown.

Overview of Migration Migration is the movement of people away from their usual place of residence, across either internal (within country) or international (across countries) borders. The latest government data on migration comes from the 2011 Census. As per the Census, India had 45.6 crore migrants in 2011 (38% of the population) compared to 31.5 crore migrants in 2001 (31% of the population). Between 2001 and 2011, while population grew by 18%, the number of migrants increased by 45%. In 2011, 99% of total migration was internal and immigrants (international migrants) comprised 1%.[1]

Patterns of migration Internal migrant flows can be classified on the basis of origin and destination. One kind of classification is: i) rural-rural, ii) rural-urban, iii) urban-rural and iv) urban-urban. As per the 2011 census, there were 21 crore rural-rural migrants which formed 54% of classifiable internal migration (the Census did not classify 5.3 crore people as originating from either rural or urban areas). Rural-urban and urban-urban movement accounted for around 8 crore migrants each. There were around 3 crore urban-rural migrants (7% of classifiable internal migration).

Another way to classify migration is: (i) intra-state, and (ii) inter-state. In 2011, intra-state movement accounted for almost 88% of all internal migration (39.6 crore persons).1

There is variation across states in terms of inter-state migration flows. According to the 2011 Census, there were 5.4 crore inter-state migrants. As of 2011, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the largest source of inter-state migrants while Maharashtra and Delhi were the largest receiver states. Around 83 lakh residents of Uttar Pradesh and 63 lakh residents of Bihar had moved either temporarily or permanently to other states. Around 60 lakh people from across India had migrated to Maharashtra by 2011.

Reasons for internal migration and size of migrant labour force As of 2011, majority (70%) of intra-state migration was due to reasons of marriage and family with variation between male and female migrants. While 83% of females moved for marriage and family, the corresponding figure for males was 39%. Overall, 8% of people moved within a state for work (21% of male migrants and 2% of female migrants).

Movement for work was higher among inter-state migrants- 50% of male and 5% of female inter-state migrants. As per the Census, there were 4.5 crore migrant workers in 2011. However, according to the Working Group Report on Migration, the Census underestimates the migrant worker population. Female migration is recorded as movement due to family since that is the primary reason. However, many women take up employment after migrating which is not reflected in the number of women moving for work-related reasons. [2]

According to the Economic Survey, 2016-17, Census data also underestimates temporary migrant labour movement. In 2007-08, the NSSO estimated the size of India’s migrant labour at seven crore (29% of the workforce). The Economic Survey, 2016-17, estimated six crore inter-state labour migrants between 2001-2011. The Economic Survey also estimated that in each year between 2011-2016, on average 90 lakh people travelled for work.

Article 19(1)(e) of the Constitution, guarantees all Indian citizens the right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India, subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of the general public or protection of any scheduled tribe. However, people migrating for work face key challenges including: i) lack of social security and health benefits and poor implementation of minimum safety standards law, ii) lack of portability of state-provided benefits especially food provided through the public distribution system (PDS) and iii) lack of access to affordable housing and basic amenities in urban areas. 2

Poor implementation of protections under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 (ISMW Act) The ISMW Act provides certain protections for inter-state migrant workers. Labour contractors recruiting migrants are required to: (i) be licensed, (ii) register migrant workers with the government authorities, and (iii) arrange for the worker to be issued a passbook recording their identity. Guidelines regarding wages and protections (including accommodation, free medical facilities, protective clothing) to be provided by the contractor are also outlined in the law.

In December 2011, a report by the Standing Committee on Labour observed that registration of workers under the ISMW Act was low and implementation of protections outlined in the Act was poor. The report concluded that the Central government had not made any concrete and fruitful efforts to ensure that contractors and employers mandatorily register the workers employed with them enabling access to benefits under the Act.

Lack of portability of benefits Migrants registered to claim access to benefits at one location lose access upon migration to a different location. This is especially true of access to entitlements under the PDS. Ration card required to access benefits under the PDS is issued by state governments and is not portable across states. This system excludes inter-state migrants from the PDS unless they surrender their card from the home state and get a new one from the host state.

Lack of affordable housing and basic amenities in urban areas The proportion of migrants in urban population is 47%.1 In 2015, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs identified migrants in urban areas as the largest population needing housing in cities. There is inadequate supply of low-income ownership and rental housing options. This leads to the spread of informal settlements and slums. The Prime Minister Awaas Yojana (PMAY) is a central government scheme to help the economically weaker section and low-income group access housing.

Assistance under the scheme includes: i) slum rehabilitation, ii) subsidised credit for home loans, iii) subsidies up to Rs 1.5 lakh to either construct a new house or enhance existing houses on their own and iv) increasing availability of affordable housing units in partnership with the private sector. Since housing is a state subject, there is variation in approach of States towards affordable housing.2

Steps taken by the government with regard to migrant labour during the lockdown During the lockdown, several inter-state migrant workers tried to return to their home state. Due to the suspension public transport facilities, migrants started walking towards their home state on foot. Subsequently, buses and Shramik special trains were permitted by the central government subject to coordination between states.[3],[4] Between May 1 and June 3, more than 58 lakh migrants were transported through specially operated trains and 41 lakh were transported by road. Measures taken by the government to aid migrants include-

Transport: On March 28, the central government authorised states to use the State Disaster Response Fund to provide accommodation to traveling migrants. States were advised to set up relief camps along highways with medical facilities to ensure people stay in these camps while the lockdown is in place.

In an order issued on April 29, the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed states to co-ordinate individually to transport migrants using buses. On May 1, the Indian Railways resumed passenger movement (for the first time since March 22) with Shramik Special trains to facilitate movement of migrants stranded outside their home state. Between May 1 and June 3, Indian Railways operated 4,197 Shramik trains transporting more than 58 lakh migrants. Top states from where Shramik trains originated are Gujarat and Maharashtra and states where the trains terminated are Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.[5] Note that these trends largely correspond to the migration patterns seen in the 2011 census data.

Food distribution: On April 1, the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs directed state governments to operate relief camps for migrant workers with arrangements for food, sanitation and medical services. On May 14, under the second tranche of the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the Finance Minister announced that free food grains would be provided to migrant workers who do not have a ration card for two months.

The measure is expected to benefit eight crore migrant workers and their families. The Finance Minister also announced that One Nation One Ration card will be implemented by March 2021, to provide portable benefits under the PDS. This will allow access to ration from any Fair Price Shop in India.

Housing: The Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan also launched a scheme for Affordable Rental Housing Complexes for Migrant Workers and Urban Poor to provide affordable rental housing units under PMAY. The scheme proposes to use existing housing stock under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Housing Mission (JnNURM) as well as incentivise public and private agencies to construct new affordable units for rent. Further, additional funds have been allocated for the credit linked subsidy scheme under PMAY for middle income group.

Financial aid: Some state governments (like Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh) announced one-time cash transfers for returning migrant workers. UP government announced the provision of maintenance allowance of Rs 1,000 for returning migrants who are required to quarantine.

Directions by the Supreme Court The Supreme Court reviewed the situation of migrant labourers stranded in different parts of the country, noting inadequacies and lapses in government response to the situation.

On May 26, the Court issued an order to the central and state governments to submit a response detailing all measures taken by the respective governments for migrant labourers.

On May 28, the Court provided interim directions to the central and state/UT governments for ensuring relief to the migrant workers: i) no train or bus fare should be charged to migrant workers, ii) free food should be provided to stranded migrants by the concerned State/UT government and this information should be publicised, iii) States should simplify and speed-up the process of registration of migrants for transport and those registered should be provided transportation at the earliest and iv) the state receiving migrants should provide last-mile transport, health screening and other facilities free of cost.

Reiterating their earlier directions, on June 5 (full order issued on June 9), the Supreme Court further directed the Central and state/UT governments to ensure: i) transportation of all stranded workers wanting to return to their native place is completed within 15 days, ii) identification of migrant workers is immediately completed and the process of migrant registration be decentralised to police stations and local authorities, iii) records of returning migrant labourers are kept including details about place of earlier employment and nature of their skills, and iv) counselling centres are set-up at the block level to provide information about central and state government schemes and other avenues of employment.

The Court also directed the state/UT governments to consider withdrawal of prosecution/complaints under Section 51 of Disaster Management Act filed against migrant labourers who allegedly violated lockdown orders.

To reserve beds in private and Delhi government hospitals for residents of Delhi. To limit the scope of Covid-19 testing.

What’s the issue? Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced to restrict COVID-19 treatment in Delhi’s private hospitals and those run by the government of NCT only to those with proof of residence in the city.

Besides, the Director General of Health Services Delhi (DGHS), had ruled out testing of asymptomatic contacts of confirmed patients.

Why Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi overruled this decision? Right to Health’ is an integral part of ‘Right to Life’ under Article 21 of the Constitution. While health care is far from being universal in India, positively denying that to someone on the grounds of residency is insensitive and irresponsible.

The NCT is functionally contiguous with Gurugram in Haryana and NOIDA in Uttar Pradesh. Thousands cross these borders for work and other needs including health care. People contribute to tax revenues in three different jurisdictions. And hence there cannot be restrictions.

In his second order, the L-G, pointing out “deviation” from guidelines of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), directed the Delhi government to test asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of confirmed cases as well. It is because deviation in the ICMR guidelines can result in inadequate contact tracing of affected individuals and can result in further spread of COVID-19 in NCT of Delhi.

What has been the government’s argument and the rationale behind this move? Situation in Delhi is already worsening. 5.5 lakh COVID-19 cases are expected by July-end for which 80,000 beds could be needed.

Powers of Lt. Governor to issue such orders: He is empowered to issue such orders in his capacity as chairperson of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). These powers have been conferred under Section 18(3) read with Section 18(2)(d) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

What was the problem with Delhi Government’s order? If this order was implemented, it would have largely had two effects:

It would have denied healthcare to scores of patients from other states who come to Delhi for specialised treatment that is unavailable to them in their hometowns.

It would have led to denial of medical care to even those living and working in Delhi as they don’t have identity proofs of residency in Delhi.

In this regard, the Union Ministry of Jal Sakthi has asked the Chairpersons of the Krishna and Godavari River Management Boards to procure the details of the irrigation projects in Maharashtra and Karnataka, too, and submit them to the Centre in a month.

Need for: The main objective of the exercise appears to be to assess whether surplus water will be available for the new projects in the light of the disputes.

What’s the issue? The two States- AP ans Telangana- share stretches of the Krishna and the Godavari and own their tributaries.

They have embarked on several new projects without getting clearance from the river boards, the Central Water Commission and the apex council comprising the Union Water Resources Minister and the Chief Ministers, as mandated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

But, Telangana government last year filed a complaint against AP government for taking up projects across Krishna river.

The Krishna: It is an east-flowing river.

Originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and merges with the Bay of Bengal, flowing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Tributaries: Tungabhadra, Mallaprabha, Koyna, Bhima, Ghataprabha, Yerla, Warna, Dindi, Musi and Dudhganga.

Godavari River: Rises from Trimbakeshwar near Nasik in Maharashtra and flows for a length of about 1465 km before outfalling into the Bay of Bengal.

Basin: The Godavari basin extends over states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in addition to smaller parts in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Union territory of Puducherry.

Tributaries: Pravara, Purna, Manjra, Penganga, Wardha, Wainganga, Pranhita (combined flow of Wainganga, Penganga, Wardha), Indravati, Maner and the Sabri.

What is QS World University rankings? It is an annual publication of University rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)- A british company specialising in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world.

Previously, it was called Times Higher Education – QS world University rankings. The name changed since 2010.

It is the only international ranking to have received the approval of International Ranking Expert Group (IREG).

It rates the worlds top 1000 universities.

How are universities ranked? To rank institutions, QS uses six indicators: Academic reputation. Employer reputation. Faculty/student ratio. Citations per faculty. International faculty ratio. International student ratio.

Performance of Indian Institutions: Top three from India featured in top 200 and their rankings: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay (172), followed closely by Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore (185), and IIT Delhi (193). However, all three have dropped in their rankings compared to the last year.

In total, 21 Indian higher education institutions have found their place among the world’s top 1,000 (It was 24 last year). Of these 21, 14 have fallen in rank over the past 12 months, while four have improved their position.

Indian higher education institutions perform strongly in research quality, even though they fail to increase their academic standing, teaching capacity, and levels of internationalisation at the same rate as their global competitors.

Reasons for poor performance of Indian institutions: Indian institutions got zero score on ratio of international faculty and students. India also scored poorly on faculty- student ratio.

This is because India counts only full-time faculty, whereas American universities include even PhD students who are teaching or research assistants.

What should India do now? The government has already formed a committee on how we can improve the perception of the premier Indian institutes abroad.

The government should now launch a campaign similar to incredible India to change the perception.

How is it being used? UV radiations are normally used to kill microorganisms.

Particularly, UV-C, also known as Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a disinfection method that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill or inactivate microorganisms by destroying their nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions and stops their replication.

UVGI is used in a variety of applications, such as food, air, and water disinfection. Few research studies have found that UVC radiation is also effective in killing coronaviruses on various surfaces, but efficiency is variable for different kinds of surfaces depending on their texture.

What is UV radiation? UV radiation is the portion of the Electro Magnetic spectrum between X-rays and visible light.

The most common form of UV radiation is sunlight, which produces three main types of UV rays: UVA UVB UVC

Key features: UVA rays have the longest wavelengths, followed by UVB, and UVC rays which have the shortest wavelengths.

While UVA and UVB rays are transmitted through the atmosphere, all UVC and some UVB rays are absorbed by the Earth’s ozone layer. So, most of the UV rays you come in contact with are UVA with a small amount of UVB.

The legislation would make sweeping changes designed both to deter police use of force and hold officers more accountable for abuses.

The legislation now needs support from Republicans.

Background: This comes two weeks after the death of George Floyd, the black, unarmed man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The incident sparked nationwide furor over sustained brutality against black Americans.

The bill proposes to: Reform “qualified immunity” for officers, making it easier for people whose constitutional rights were violated to recover damages Change the federal standard of criminal police behavior from “willful” to acting “knowingly or with reckless disregard,” to address the difficulty of prosecuting officers

Start a federal registry of police misconduct and require states to report use of force to the U.S. Justice Department Ban police use of chokeholds and carotid holds, and condition funding for state and local departments on barring the practices

Stop the use of “no-knock” search warrants in drug cases in the U.S., while also making state and local money contingent on stopping use of the warrants Give the Justice Department subpoena power to carry out “pattern and practice” investigations into police department conduct

Provide state attorneys general with grants to carry out pattern and practice probes and create a process for independent investigations into uses of force

Require training on racial bias and implicit bias at the federal level, and condition state and local funding on offering training Curb transfers of military-grade weapons to state and local police Classify lynching as a federal hate crime

Racism in the USA: Despite the civil war over slavery, and the civil rights movement for dignity and equality, systemic discrimination and violence against blacks persists. Racism continues unabated.

What is Racism? Racism is a systematic ideology, a complex set of beliefs and practices that, on the presumed basis of biology, divides humanity into the ‘higher’ us and a lower ‘them’.

What can it lead to? It not only sustains a permanent group hierarchy but deeply stigmatises those designated as inferior. This sense of hierarchy provides a motive for say, whites to treat blacks in ways that would be viewed as cruel or unjust if applied to members of their own group. For instance, contact with them is often regarded as contaminating, polluting.

It should therefore be avoided or kept to a minimum. Racism naturalises a person’s belief, character and culture. For example, being uneducated is seen not as socio-economic deprivation but a sign of inherited low IQ; blacks are predatory and are also seen to have an innate streak of savagery, which unless kept down by brute force from time to time, might explode and destroy civilisation.

Need of the hour: Only a peaceful movement to end institutionalised racism, with both blacks and white participants, quite like the recent protests after Floyd’s murder, can break the back of this evil.

Power of High Courts to take up such matters: High Courts, as constitutional courts, were well within their jurisdiction to take cognisance of violation of fundamental rights of migrant workers and we have no doubt that those proceedings shall proceed.

What has the Court said? Migrant workers should not be prosecuted for trying to reach home amid the national lockdown.

States/Union Territories should withdraw all complaints under Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act and other related offences lodged against migrant labourers who are alleged to have violated lockdown measures by moving on roads.

Railways should provide the States with 171 more Shramik Special trains within the next 24 hours to transport migrant workers.

What’s the issue? Society as a whole is moved by the miseries and difficulties being faced by migrant workers. They had set out on foot from big cities for their native villages to escape starvation, unemployment and disease during the pandemic.

But, they are often stopped by the police at various check posts and prevented from entering into their states or villages. This has left them shelterless and made more vulnerable. A migrant worker who walked home would have faced a year in prison or been fined or suffered both if found guilty of obstructing the law under Section 51 of the Act.

What next? Migrant labourers are forced to proceed to their native place after cessation of their employment. They are already suffering. They have to dealt by the police and other authorities in a humane manner.

So, once they are brought back to their homes, the states need to attend the needs of the migrant labourers. These include source of employment, provision of food and ration for them.

Counselling centres should be set up to reach out to them and explain the various schemes framed for their rehabilitation and employment. The centres should freely provide information and even “extend helping hand” to those workers who want to return to their places of past employment.

Context: North Korea has cut off all inter-Korean communication lines with the South, including a hotline between the two nations’ leaders.

The North said this was the first in a series of actions, describing South Korea as “the enemy”.

This move was triggered by South Korean activists who sent anti-Pyongyang messages in balloons across the border.

Key facts: It is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The country is bordered to the north by China and by Russia along the Amnok and Tumen rivers, and to the south by South Korea, with the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two.

It is a massive celebration of the Coral Triangle, the world’s epicentre of marine biodiversity, which encompasses the seas of 6 countries in the Asia-Pacific region: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste.

Objective: The event brings together individuals, organizations, and establishments on one special day of the year to shed light on ocean conservation and the numerous ways to protect and conserve the Coral Triangle.

Coral Triangle is considered as one of the 3 mega ecological complexes on Earth, together with Congo Basin and the Amazon Rainforest. The region contains 76% of all known coral species, 37% of all known coral reef fish species and 53% of the world’s coral reefs.

The first Coral Triangle Day was celebrated on June 9, 2012 in conjunction with World Oceans Day which is celebrated every year on June 8.

Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, CBIC has launched its flagship programme Turant Customs, at Bengaluru and Chennai.

Under this, Importers will now get their goods cleared from Customs after a faceless assessment is done remotely by the Customs officers located outside the port of import.

Now, the goods imported at Chennai may be assessed by the Customs officers located at Bengaluru and vice versa, as assigned by the Customs’ automated system.

Context: Cancelled this year due to COVID 19 pandemic.

About the Award: It is Asia’s highest honour and is often regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

It was established in 1957 by trustees of the New York City based Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Philippine government in the memory of Philippines’ third President Ramon Magsaysay.

It is awarded annually to individuals or organizations from Asia region for their altruistic and philanthropic service.

It carries Medallion bearing the likeness of the late President Ramon Magsaysay, cash prize and a certificate.