1. PM JAN DHAN YOJANA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Economy)

Context: About 62.6 million holders of the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts have received direct benefits as the scheme completes its ninth year.

• This has helped the Centre plug leaks, weed out fake accounts, and target genuine beneficiaries of government schemes. 
• Over the years, Jan-Dhan accounts have become fundamental to the JAM trinity (linking Jan-Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, and mobile numbers), allowing benefits to be transferred directly to verified bank accounts of identified beneficiaries in a much more transparent manner.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana

• About: Announced on 15th August 2014, PMJDY is National Mission for Financial Inclusion named as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana to ensure access to financial services, namely, Banking/ Savings & Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension in an affordable manner.

• Features of the scheme:

• All households across the country – both rural and urban are to be covered under the scheme.
• An overdraft (OD) facility up to Rs. 10,000 to eligible account holders is available.
• Issuance of RuPay Debit Card with inbuilt Rs 2 lakh personal accident insurance cover.
• The increased coverage amount of Rs. 2 lakh is for PMJDY accounts opened after 28.08.2018.
• A minimum monthly remuneration of Rs 5,000 to business correspondents who will provide the last link between the account holders and the bank.

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2. INDIA’S UPI PUSH (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Economy)

Context: India is in talks with a number of African countries, including Namibia, Mozambique and Kenya, to help develop its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and to conclude commercial partnerships between payments platforms.

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. 
• It was developed by National Payments Corporation of India in 2016.

Key Points

• UPI had already established itself in countries like Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, and the UAE.
• Countries that have adopted different forms of Indian payment systems include France, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Singapore, Maldives, Bhutan, and Oman. 
• This means that Indian users can now use UPI, RuPay, and other digital payment channels in these countries, making transactions easier and more convenient.
• India follows two strategies to boost UPI’s global footprint. 

• The first is to help build platforms and digital infrastructure for partner nations. 
• The second is to sign commercial partnerships and linkages with existing platforms in foreign countries to make life easier for Indian travelers and migrant

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3. EXPORT OF NON-BASMATI (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Agriculture)

Context: By banning the export of Basmati rice valued at less than $1,200 per metric tonne (MT), the Union government ensured additional safeguards for its export ban on non-Basmati white rice (by misclassifying it as Basmati rice).

Key Points

• The export of non-Basmati white rice was prohibited on July 20, 2023, citing increasing domestic prices of rice.
• In September 2022, the Centre had banned exports of broken rice. 
• In August 2023, the Centre imposed 20% export duty on par-boiled non-basmati rice.
• Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is the agency responsible for regulation of export of Basmati rice.

Impact of the ban

• IMF predicts a potential rise of 10-15% this year in international rice prices.
• Countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, which heavily rely on India as a major supplier of rice, may face vulnerability due to potential disruptions in the rice market.

India’s status in rice exports

• India is the second-largest producer of rice in the world, after China. India has become the largest rice exporter globally, accounting for nearly 40% of global rice exports in 2022/23. 
• Non-basmati white rice constitutes approximately 25% of the total rice exported from the country.

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4. ZONAL COUNCILS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Governance)

Context: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation will chair the 26th meeting of the Western Zonal Council at Gandhinagar.

• The Western Zonal Council comprises the states of Gujarat, Goa, and Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
• The meeting is being organized by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat.

Zonal Councils

• Statutory body: Five Zonal Councils were established in the year 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956. 
• At present there are six zonal councils– Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern and North-Eastern
• Composition: The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of these Zonal Councils, while the Chief Ministers of the States included in the respective Zonal Council and the administrator and lieutenant governor of the union territories are its members.
• Two more ministers from each state are nominated by the Governor as members of the council.
• Each Zonal Council has also constituted a standing committee at the level of chief secretaries.
• Objectives:
• Bringing out national integration
• Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguism and particularistic tendencies.
• Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences.
• Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for successful and speedy execution of development projects.

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5. BLACK SEA GRAIN INITIATIVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - IR)

Context: : As Russia comes under renewed pressure to revive the Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine, the US and EU are also talking to India to see if it can use its influence with Russia to ensure resumption of Ukrainian grain exports. 

• While the deal was brokered by the UN and Turkey in 2022 to attenuate the effects of the war on global food security, India also had played a role in reaching the agreement.

Black Sea Grain Initiative

• About: The Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, also called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, was an agreement between Russia and Ukraine with Turkey and the United Nations (UN) made during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• Origin: The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, was signed in Istanbul in July 2022.
• Initially it was stipulated for a period of 120 days with an option to extend or terminate after November.
• Mirror agreement: It was not a direct agreement between Russia and Ukraine. 
• Instead, Ukraine signed an agreement with Turkey and the UN, and Russia signed a separate "mirror" agreement with Turkey and the UN.
• Objectives: The deal was to provide for a safe maritime humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian exports (particularly for food grains) from three of its key ports: Chornomorsk, Odessa and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. 
• Ukraine is among the largest exporters of wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds and sunflower oil, globally. 
• Its access to the deep-sea ports in the Black Sea enables it to directly approach Russia and Europe along with grain importers from West Asia and North Africa.
• Russia’s actions in the East European country had disturbed this route which earlier used to ship 75% of its agricultural exports - precisely what the initiative sought to address.
• Achievements: As per the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 10.1 million tonnes of grains, which include corn, wheat, rapeseed, and sunflower oil among others, have been shipped since the initiative commenced. 
• About 44% of the shipments reached high-income countries (including Spain, Netherlands and Italy among others), 
• About 28% reached low and lower-middle-income countries (Egypt, Iran, Sudan and Kenya among others).
• About 27% reached upper-middle income countries (China and Bulgaria among others).

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6. SUR VASUDHA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - IR)

Context: The Prime Minister has praised ‘Sur Vasudha’, a musical marvel, performed in honour of the delegates of the G20 Culture Ministers' Meeting in Varanasi.

• The Culture Working Group’s first meeting was held in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, followed by two more in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar and Hampi in Karnataka

Key Points

• A performance by the G20 Global Orchestra, titled ‘Sur Vasudha’, celebrating the musical heritage of the member nations of the bloc and invitee countries will be presented in the temple town on Saturday evening.
• The orchestra consisted of musicians from 29 G20 member and invitee countries. 
• It has celebrated the musical traditions with diverse instruments and vocalists singing in their native languages. 
• The orchestra's enchanting tunes embodied the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" - the world is one family.
• The Varanasi Culture meetings have created an opportunity to discuss multi-dimensional global relations related to the cultural sector.

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7. EXERCISE BRIGHT STAR (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - IR)

Context:  An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent departed for participating in Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23 a biennial multilateral tri-service exercise scheduled to be held at Cairo (West) Air Base, Egypt from 27 August to 16 September 2023.

Exercise Bright Star

• It is a multinational military exercise, held once in two years at Egypt. 
• The first such exercises were held in the year 1980 after signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. 
• This is for the first time that IAF is participating in Ex BRIGHT STAR-23 which will also see participation of contingents from the United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Greece and Qatar. 
• The objective of the exercise is to practice planning and execution of joint operations. Besides leading to the formation of bonding across borders, such interactions also provide a means to further strategic relations between participating nations. 
• IAF contingents to flying exercises abroad are thus no less than Diplomats in Flight Suits.

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8. URBAN HEAT TRAP (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Env & Eco)

Context: Rising episodes and increasing intensity of heat waves have become quite common and a major problem in Indian cities.

• Urban India is a heat trap, but road orientation, building materials and zone-specific master plans can drastically enhance thermal comfort.

Factors responsible

• Urban morphology: The worst morphology turned out to be large low rise (industrial), mainly due to use of heat-trapping roofing materials like asbestos, galvanised iron sheets and plastic sheets.
• Aspect ratio (degree of direct sun exposure): The ratio of building height and street width plays a role in how much heat will be trapped by the roads, pavements and building surfaces. 

• The higher the aspect ratio, the lower the land surface temperature (LST). 

• This means the narrower the street, the lesser the heat gain. 
• Buildings shade each other and decrease direct exposure of surfaces to the sun.
• Floor space index: LST increase as FSI decrease.
• Cities define the extent of construction on a plot through FSI.
• Street orientation: A study by CSE that streets oriented along the north-south axis have an LST higher by 1°C as compared to streets along the east-west axis. 
• This is because the streets in north-south orientation are more exposed to the strong east and west sun. 

• Blue /Green infrastructure: They regulate temperature and relative humidity, absorb and decompose pollutants, improve the overall air quality and offer shade among other benefits.
• Improve Urban morphology: Using better roof materials, reflective paints and green roofs.
• Urban form-based codes: Such codes can address the unique features of a city or even a neighbourhood. 
• Different urban forms could have different zoning regulations with contextual cooling solutions. 
• For instance, an old market could have tree-shaded walkways, a temple precinct could have cool roofs and a business district could have a high effective vegetation cover (EVC) (30 percent).
• Amend building by-laws and master plans: A 1°C fall in ambient temperature can lead to a 2 per cent reduction in the city’s power bill.

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9. NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Sci & Tech)

Context: Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) signifies priority and commitment to research and innovation at the highest level in the government, said Secretary of Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology at a titled Changing Landscape of Research Funding in India: Anusandhan National Research Foundation: India’s vision to Achieve Global Leadership on 25th August 2023. 

• The talk was hosted by the National Centre for Biological Sciences.
• The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023 was passed recently by the Parliament that provides for establishing the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (NRF).

Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023

• About: The Bill repeals the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008 and dissolves the Science and Engineering Research Board set up under it. 
• Objectives &  Functions: ANRF will be an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP).
• Funds: It seeks to set up a Rs 50,000-crore fund, with a sizeable contribution from the private sector, to "seed, grow and promote" research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India's universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories. It seeks to set up different funds:
• Anusandhan National Research Foundation Fund: For the financing of activities under the Act.
• Innovation Fund: For supporting outstanding creativity in the areas supported by the foundation
• Science and Engineering Research Fund: For the continuation of the projects and programmes initiated under the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008.
• One or more special-purpose funds for any specific project or research.
• Composition: NRF will have a Governing Board headed by the Prime Minister of India.  
• Other members of the Board are: the Union Ministers of Science and Technology, Education as Vice Presidents,  the Principal Scientific Advisor as Member Secretary, and Secretaries to the Departments of Science and Technology, Biotechnology, and Scientific and Industrial Research.
• The President of the Board may appoint or nominate additional members to the Board. 

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10. DECLARATION OF DROUGHT IN INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 - Geography)

Context: Farmers in Jharkhand are distraught due to deficit in rainfall in monsoon 2023. 

Key Points

• Paddy is cultivated on about 1.8 million hectares of land in Jharkhand.
• In 2022, the Jharkhand government had declared 256 blocks of the state as drought-affected and demanded a financial package of Rs 9,682 crore from the Centre. 
• The central government permitted the state to spend about Rs 500 crore from the Disaster Relief Fund, but it was not enough to provide relief to the farmers.
• The state government has informed the Centre there are chances of drought for the second consecutive year.
• According to a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, paddy and corn have been notified for the Crop Relief Scheme 2023-24.

Declaration of Drought in India

• In India, there is no single, legally accepted definition of drought. 
• The State Government is the final authority when it comes to declaring a region as drought affected.
• Once a drought is determined, the state government needs to issue a notification specifying the geographical extent. The notification is valid for six months unless de-notified earlier.
• The Government of India has published two important documents in respect of managing a drought.
• The first step is to look at two mandatory indicators - rainfall deviation and dry spell.
• Depending on the extent of the deviation, and whether or not there is a dry spell, the manual specifies various situations that may or may not be considered a drought trigger.
• The second step is to look at four impact indicators - agriculture, vegetation indices based on remote sensing, soil moisture, and hydrology.
• The States may consider any three of the four types of the Impact Indicators (one from each) for assessment of drought, the intensity of the calamity and make a judgement.
• If all three chosen indicators are in the ‘severe’ category, it amounts to severe drought; and if two of the three chosen impact indicators are in the ‘moderate’ class, it amounts to moderate drought.
• The third step comes in after both previous triggers have been set off. 
• In that event, “States will conduct sample surveys for ground in order to make a final determination of drought.
• The finding of field verification exercise will be the final basis for judging the intensity of drought as ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’.

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