1. ABPM-JAY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health/Gov. policies for vulnerable sections)

Context: The Union Cabinet has approved health coverage of ₹5 lakh for all senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of their income, under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)

• About: It is also known as Jan Arogya Abhiyaan, or the National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) or Modicare.

oThis initiatives has been created with the goal of aligning with SDG principles, which is “leave no one behind”.

• Ministry:  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
• Implementing Agency: National Health Authority (NHA)
• Aim: To make significant changes in healthcare by addressing all aspects of health (like prevention, promotion, and outpatient care) across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
• Launched under: National Health Policy 2017
• Funding: Centrally Sponsored Scheme  (expenditure incurred in premium payment will be shared between Central and State governments).
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM): It was introduced in 2021 with the aim of issuing Unique Digital Health IDs (UHID) to every Indian citizen. 

oThis initiative facilitates electronic access to health records for hospitals, insurance companies, and citizens as needed.

• Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs.: Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is an account/ number used to link all the health records of a person. 

Eligibility of Government's Free Health Insurance

• Senior citizens aged 70 and above will receive a distinct card under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) for healthcare coverage.
• Those already covered under AB PM-JAY will get an additional top-up of ₹5 lakh per annum specifically for senior citizens in their families.
• Senior citizens who are already getting benets of other public health insurance schemes such as the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), and Ayushman Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) may either choose their existing scheme or opt for AB PM-JAY.

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2. SILICON CARBIDE (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Odisha Chief Minister attended the groundbreaking ceremony for India’s first silicon carbide manufacturing facility in the state, which will be established with an investment of Rs 620 crore.

Silicon Carbide (SiC):

• About: It is a semiconductor base material that consists of pure silicon and pure carbon.
• Widely Used: Silicon carbide is the most widely utilized non-oxide ceramic material.
• Properties:

oHardness: Silicon carbide is an exceedingly hard crystalline compound of silicon and carbon.

oThermal Properties: Exhibits high thermal conductivity, high-temperature strength, low thermal expansion, and chemical resistance, making it ideal for high-temperature bricks and refractories.

oSemiconductor: Silicon carbide is also a semiconductor, bridging the conductivity gap between metals and insulators, making it suitable for high-temperature semiconductor applications.

• Applications:

oIndustrial Furnaces: Used in refractory linings and heating elements for industrial furnaces.

oWear-Resistant Parts: Employed in components for pumps and rocket engines due to its durability.

oSemiconducting Substrates: Utilized in semiconducting substrates for light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

oAbrasives: Primarily used as an abrasive, with hardness only surpassed by diamond, cubic boron nitride, and boron carbide.

• Advantages of SiC

oHigh thermal conductivity

oLow coefficient of thermal expansion

oHigh maximum current density.

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3. SALT PAN LANDS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The controversy surrounding Mumbai's salt pans has intensified, raising questions about their significance for the city's ecology and development.

Salt Pan Lands

• About: It is a naturally forming expanse covered with salt and other minerals. It occurs due to the evaporation of water in a pond/lake/river.
• Found: In coastal areas, when a water body dries up, a vast expanse of land surfaces. This land is covered with a layer of sea salt, minerals and other remnants and thus, referred to as salt pan land. 

oIn Mumbai, 5,378 acres of land have been designated as salt pan lands, an area approximately nine times the size of the Dharavi slum.

• Salt Pan Lands Nationwide: Nationally, approximately 60,000 acres of land have been designated as salt pan lands, spread across states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
• Largest Salt Pan Areas by State: Andhra Pradesh has the largest salt pan area, followed by Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

Risk to Mumbai's Salt Pan Lands

• Salt pan lands in Mumbai are highly coveted due to their status as some of the last remaining "undeveloped" land parcels, protected by the Ministry of Environment and Forests under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
• Government Interest in Salt Pan Lands: State governments, however, have sought to acquire these lands from the Centre for various development projects, such as low-cost housing for Mumbai’s slum-dwellers.
• Slum-Free Mumbai Initiative: Former Chief Minister's plan aimed to create a "slum-free Mumbai," with salt pan lands being considered for affordable housing projects to aid slum rehabilitation.

Why do Salt Pan Matter?

• Prevent flooding: Salt pans are located in low-lying regions, which naturally accumulate rainwater and water from Thane creek, preventing flooding.
• Water conservation: Serve as natural reservoirs that collect excess water.

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4. EARTHQUAKE (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recent earthquake tremors were felt across northern India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, impacting the region simultaneously.

Earthquake

• About: An earthquake is a violent and abrupt shaking of the ground, caused by movement between tectonic plates along a fault line in the earth's crust.
• Also Known as: Tremor, or temblor
• Focus and Epicentre: The initial point of energy release is the focus, and the surface point above it is the epicenter.
• Foreshocks and Aftershocks: Major earthquakes often involve minor aftershocks and sometimes have preceding foreshocks.
• Swarms: Clusters of small earthquakes are called swarms and often indicate impending volcanic activity.

Distribution of Earthquakes:

• Circum-Pacific Belt: This is the major earthquake belt, affecting coastal regions around the Pacific Ocean.
• Alpine Belt: A significant belt of seismic activity that includes the Himalayas and Alps.
• Oceanic Ridges and Rift Valleys: Seismic activity also occurs along oceanic ridges and rift valleys in the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, western Indian Ocean, and East Africa.
• Delhi is placed in a high seismic zone (zone four). These zones are ranked from two to five depending on the vulnerability of the area.

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5. PM E-DRIVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The Union Cabinet approved a new scheme PM E-DRIVE to promote electric vehicles in India. 

PM E-DRIVE:

• Full form: PM Electric Drive Revolution In Innovative Vehicle Enhancement.
• Replace: It will replace the existing FAME programme that ran for nine years till March.
• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI)
• Features:

oIt will subsidise electric two wheelers, three wheelers, and buses. Hybrid ambulances and electric trucks will also be aided under it.

oThe scheme does not cover incentives for e-cars. It has also excluded hybrid cars contrary to expectations.

oThe govt will offer e-vouchers for EV buyers to avail demand incentives under the scheme. At the time of purchase of the EV, the scheme portal will generate an Aadhaar-authenticated e-Voucher for the buyer.

• Significance: This entire programme will be a big help in having sustainable growth and making sure that our country progresses rapidly on the electric vehicles movement.

oAt present, the majority of buses operated by PTAs run on diesel/CNG, causing adverse environmental impact.

PM-eBus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) Scheme

• About: Its goal is to improve efficiency in urban transportation and advocate for environmentally friendly practices.
• Coverage: The scheme will cover cities of Three lakh and above population as per census 2011 including all the Capital cities of Union Territories, North Eastern Region and Hill States. 
• Two Segments:
• Segment A – Augmenting the City bus services: (169 cities)
• Segment B– Green Urban Mobility Initiatives (GUMI): (181 cities).

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6. BIO-DECOMPOSER (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Ecology)

Context: The Delhi government has started preparations to spray bio-decomposer, billed as an alternative to stubble burning, free of cost over 5,000 acres of farmland in the national capital.

Bio-Decomposer

• About: It is a microbial liquid spray which, when sprayed onto paddy stubble, breaks it down in a way that can be easily absorbed into the soil, whereby farmers then have no need to burn the stubble. 
• Also known as: Pusa-Biodecomposer
• Developed by: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
• Used by: States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi.
• Objective: To address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for management of crop residue (Cropping System Model-CSM).

oIt is a Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’ is implemented from 2018-19.

Benefits:

• Soil Fertility Improvement: The decomposer enhances soil fertility by turning stubble into manure and compost, reducing future fertilizer requirements.
• Stubble Burning Solution: It provides a cost-effective, practical, and efficient solution to curb stubble burning.
• Eco-Friendly Technology: Pusa-Biodecomposer is an environmentally sustainable technology, contributing to the Swachh Bharat Mission.

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7. NATIONAL FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARDS (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Awards)

Context: The President of India presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2024 to the Nursing professionals at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

National Florence Nightingale Awards

• About: The award given to Devrani sisters from Kotdwar district of Uttarakhand is an appropriate honour for their remarkable contribution and service for nearly four decades.
• Instituted by: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the year 1973.
• Purpose of the Award: As a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to the society.
• Price: The award consists of a Cash Award of Rs. 50,000/-, a certificate, and a medal.
• Selection Process: The selection process is rigorous, involving nominations from various healthcare institutions, which are then evaluated by esteemed healthcare professionals.
• Significance: It is known that the National Florence Nightingale Award, instituted by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 1973, is given to nurses and nursing professionals in recognition of their meritorious services rendered to the society.

Florence Nightingale

• About: She was a British nurse, statistician, and social reformer who was the foundational philosopher of modern nursing.
• Contribution: Nightingale was put in charge of nursing British and allied soldiers in Turkey during the Crimean War.
• Legacy of Nightingale: She spent many hours in the wards, and her night rounds giving personal care to the wounded established her image as the “Lady with the Lamp.”
• Nursing Education Reform: Her efforts to formalize nursing education led her to establish the first scientifically based nursing school—the Nightingale School of Nursing, in London.

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8. AMAZON RAINFOREST (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Scientists agree that preserving the Amazon rainforest is vital to combating global warming, but new data indicate huge swathes of the jungle that are most vital to the world's climate remain unprotected.

Amazon Rainforests

• Largest Rainforest: The Amazon is the world's largest rainforest, surpassing the combined size of the next two largest rainforests in the Congo Basin and Indonesia.
• Distribution: The majority of the forest, 60%, is in Brazil, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
• Bounded by: The Guiana Highlands to the north, Andes Mountains to the west, Brazilian central plateau to the south, and Atlantic Ocean to the east.
• Coverage: Approximately 6.9 million square kilometers, the Amazon Basin is equivalent in size to the contiguous United States and spans about 40% of the South American continent.

Key Points of Study:

• Unprotected Critical Areas of the Amazon: Nearly 40% of the most critical regions of the Amazon rainforest, vital for curbing climate change, lack special government protection as either nature or indigenous reserves, according to an analysis by Amazon Conservation.
• Location of Unprotected Areas: These vulnerable areas are located in the far southwest of the Amazon in Peru, as well as in the far northeast, including Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname.
• High Carbon Content: Matt Finer from Amazon Conservation's MAAP highlights that these regions contain the biggest and densest trees, along with the most continuous canopy cover, making them significant carbon reservoirs.
• Climate Risk from Deforestation: If these areas are destroyed by fire or logging, vast amounts of carbon stored in the trees would be released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
• Satellite Data: The Amazon rainforest was found to contain 71.5 billion tonnes of carbon, which is roughly double the total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2022.

oThe analysis showed that 61% of the areas in the Amazon with peak carbon storage are protected as indigenous reserves or other designated lands.

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9. EXERCISE EASTERN BRIDGE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: An IAF contingent comprising MiG-29s, Jaguars and C-17s is ready to set course to participate in Exercise Eastern Bridge in Oman.

Exercise Eastern Bridge

• About: It is bilateral exercise endeavors to enhance interoperability between Royal Oman Air Force and the Indian Air Force.

oIt shall provide a platform for both teams to engage in a series of joint training missions designed to strengthen strategic cooperation and operational readiness.

• Host: Masirah, Oman
• Objective: To improve tactical and operational skills, foster mutual understanding and bolster the ability of both air forces to collaborate effectively in diverse scenarios. 

oThe exercise will include complex aerial maneuvering, air to air and air to ground operations, and logistical coordination, reflecting the evolving defense needs and strategic interests of both nations.

• Significance: The participating teams are expected to benefit from the shared expertise and operational experience gained during this extensive training period.
• Other Exercise: Exercise AL NAJAH.

Oman

• About: Oman, country occupying the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.
• Bounded by: 

oSouthwest - Yemen

oSouth and East - Arabian Sea

oNorth - Gulf of Oman

oNorthwest - United Arab Emirates

oWest - Saudi Arabia.

• Capital: Muscat
• Mountain Ranges: North (Al-Hajar) and southeast coast (Qara or Dhofar Mountains)
• Gulf of Oman: It also known as the Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran, forms the only entrance to the Persian Gulf from the Indian Ocean.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by Pakistan and Iran in the north, by the United Arab Emirates in the west and by Oman in the south.

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10. NCPCR (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has told the Supreme Court that madrasas are “unsuitable or unfit” places for children to receive “proper education”.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

• About: It is a statutory body established in 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. 
• Mandate: To ensure that all laws, policies, programs and administrative systems conform to the vision of the rights of the child as enunciated in the Constitution of India as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

oA child is defined as a person falling in the age group of 0 to 18 years.

• Organization Structure: A chairperson who, is a person of eminence and has done outstanding work for promoting the welfare of children.

oSix members, out of which at least two are woman: Person of eminence in fields like – education, child health/welfare, laws related to children, elimination of child labour, etc.

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
• Function:

oExamine and review: The safeguards provided for the protection of child rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation.

oReport: An annual report to be presented to central government, or at such other intervals, as the commission may deem fit.

oInquiry: Inquire into violation of child rights and recommend initiation of proceedings in such cases.

oChildren right: Analyze factors that obstruct children's rights, including terrorism, violence, disasters, and exploitation.

oResearch: Undertake and promote research in the field of child rights;

Problem with Madrasa Education (As per NCPCR)

• Issues of curriculum: Eligibility of teachers, opaque funding, violation of land laws and failure to provide children a holistic environment as problems associated with madrasas.
• Violation of Article 28(3): As children from faiths other than Islam were also studying in madrasas in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

oProviding Islamic religious education to non-Muslims was a violation of Article 28(3) of the Constitution i.e., right against forced participation in religious instruction or worship.

• Do not align with RTE Act: Madrasas do not meet the definition of a school under the Right to Education Act (RTE), 2009.

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