13th JAN, 2024

Ministry of Jal Shakti empowers National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) mission to allow
treated sewage into water bodies

The notification amended the earlier River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.
It amended the provision that “No person shall discharge, directly or indirectly, any untreated or treated sewage into the
River” and
Now will permit the discharge of the treated effluent with prescribed standards into the river after exploring the options
of its direct reuse for purposes such as agricultural use, industrial use, etc.
The move will ensure more water flow into the rivers thereby improving its biodiversity.
About NMCG
It was registered as a society in 2011 under Societies Registration Act 1860 and functions under the aegis of Ministry of
Jal Shakti.
Aim & Objective
♦ Abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach.
♦ Maintain minimum ecological flows in the river to ensure its water quality.
It acts as the implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
Consists of a two tier management structure and comprises
♦ Governing Council and Executive Committee both headed by Director General, NMCG.

About Namami Gange Program

The Programme was launched in 2014 to rejuvenate River Ganga and its tributaries by 2021.
Currently it is extended up to 2026.
Its pillars (8) include sewage treatment, River-Front development, River surface cleaning, Afforestation, Biodiversity, Public Awareness,
Effluent management and Ganga Gram.

The first-ever IUCN Assessment of the Himalayan Wolf published

Major Findings:
Declining Population: IUCN’s assessment has flagged a ‘continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat’ of
Himalayan wolves.
Estimated total population of 2,275–3,792 (227–378 in India) mature individuals.
Major threats
♦ Depredation Conflict: Due to Habitat modification and encroachment and depletion of wild prey populations.
♦ Hybridization with Dogs: Especially in Ladakh and Spiti where populations of feral dogs are increasing.
♦ Illegal Hunting: For trade in its fur and body parts including paws, tongues, heads, etc
About Himalayan Wolf (Canis lupus ssp. chanco)
Habitation: High altitude (above 3,900m) in the Himalayas (Nepal and India) and the Tibetan Plateau.
Possess genetic adaptations to cope with hypoxic conditions.
Characteristics: Thick fur with brown coloration on the back and tail Measures suggested for the protection of
with paler yellows on the face, limbs, and underside. Himalayan wolves
Larger than the Indian and European wolves. Securing and restoring healthy wild prey
Prefer wild over domestic prey. populations and landscapes.
Conservation Status Transboundary efforts in the conservation of the
♦ IUCN’s Red List: Vulnerable species in range countries.
♦ Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I Incorporate the Himalayan Wolf in conservation
programmes.
♦ CITES: Appendix I

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Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural gas report emphasises Strategic Petroleum
Reserves (SPR) for energy security

SPR's are crude oil storages that would be in addition to storages of crude oil with oil marketing companies (OMCs).
These are established in India through Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle under
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
SPRs in India:
Phase 1: Set up in three locations: Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Mangalore and Padur (Karnataka).
Phase 2: Planned in Chandikhol (Odisha) and Padur.
Current SPR capacity of India is equivalent to
meet only 9.5 days of national demand (2019-20).
In addition, OMCs have storage facilities for
crude oil and petroleum products for 64.5
days. Hence, current total national capacity for
storage of crude oil and petroleum products is
74 days.
International Energy Agency necessitates to
ensure oil stock (crude oil plus refined products)
levels equivalent to 90 days of imports.
Significance of SPRs
Ensures energy security during crisis
Insulate economy from crude price volatility
Can be leased out to oil companies for storage
Challenges in setting up SPRs
High Capital and establishment cost
Issues of land acquisition for Phase 2
Locations far from existing refineries increase
transportation cost.

Supreme Court seeks Centre’s response on Kerala’s suit against state’s borrowing capacity

Kerala govt argued amendments (in 2018) made to FRBM Act, 2003, imposing a net borrowing ceiling, is an encroachment into
“legislative domain of State”.
‘Public debt of the State’ is an item in State List under Article 246 of
Constitution”.
Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM Act, 2003)
was enacted to provide for responsibility of Central Government to ensure
intergenerational equity in fiscal management and long-term macro-
economic stability.
It puts limits on Central Government borrowings, debt and deficits, etc.
2018 amendment to Act, limits combined debt-to-GDP ratio of centre
and states to 60 % by 2024-25 (40 % for Centre and 20% for states).
Also, states have their own FRBM Acts, modelled after central
government's FRBM Act.
Other Tools of Fiscal Federalism
Finance Commission (Art 280) Transfers.
Intergovernmental Transfers: Various grants and loans are provided by
central government to states and local bodies.
Article 293(2), empowers Central Government to make loans to any State and give guarantees for State loans.
Article 293(3) restricts states from borrowing without consent of Central Government if they have outstanding loans or
guarantees from Central Government.

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In 2023, Global Ocean Heat Content
(OHC) doubled or tripled since the
late 1980s, shows study
Key Findings:
Amount of heat stored in the upper 2,000
metres of the global ocean reached 286
Zetajoules (ZJ) in 2023 relative to the 1981–
2010 average.
2023 estimate of ocean heat content (OHC)
represents around 4.6 billion Hiroshima
nuclear bombs.
As Oceans absorb 90% of heat from global
warming, the Atlantic, North and Western
Pacific, and Southern Oceans are warming at
a faster rate than the global average.
About OHC:
It is defined as the total amount of heat
absorbed by and stored in the oceans and
measurements of water temperature reflect
the amount of heat in the water at a particular
time and location.
It is measured in Joules, the unit of energy.
Water has a higher heat capacity than air,
which means that it can store much larger
amounts of heat.
Role of Ocean Heat Content:
Affects Earth's energy, water, and carbon
cycles.
Important indicator of Climate change.
When the ocean warms, it releases heat and
moisture into the atmosphere intensifying
storms, causing severe weather events.
Lowering the level of oxygen in the water.
Rising ocean temperatures directly affect
Corals.
Also in News
Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project
Indian delegation visits Hawaii to discuss progress of TMT.
TMT is a new class of extremely large telescopes that will allow
seeing deeper into space and observing cosmic objects with
unprecedented sensitivity.
It is a joint venture of 5 countries- India (Department of Science
and Technology), Canada, US, China and Japan.
It is being installed at Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
The level of contribution determines the amount of viewing time,
or slots.
TMT would be able to resolve objects 12 times better than the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Supreme Court questions Centre on GM mustard
Supreme Court questioned whether Genetic Engineering Appraisal
Committee (GEAC) had considered reports of court-appointed
Technical Experts Committee (TEC), before approving transgenic
mustard hybrid DMH-11 for environmental release.
Earlier in 2022, GEAC has recommended environmental release
of DMH-11.
DMH-11, is a transgenic mustard developed by Delhi University
Herbicide Tolerant variety that has undergone genetic modification.
It has two alien genes, "barnase" and "barstar", isolated from soil
bacterium called Bacillus, amyloliquefaciens.
GMO (genetically modified organism) is a plant, animal or microbe
in which one or more changes have been made to genome, to alter
characteristics of an organism.
Transgenic refers to an organism whose genome has been altered
by the introduction of one or more foreign DNA sequences from
another species by artificial means.
Approval process for transgenic crops
Safety assessments by committees are conducted before open
field tests.
Transgenic plants must be better than non-GM variants and
environmentally safe for commercial clearance.
GEAC recommends environmental release.
Final approval by MoEFCC.
Benefits of GM crops
Resistance against plant diseases.
Improved yields
Increased food security.
About GEAC
GEAC is a statutory body under the Environment Protection act, 1986.
It is responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to the release of GM
organisms and products into environment.
Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Cold dark matter (CDM)
Scientists have found a new approach to explore CDM.
CDM is a hypothetical dark matter that constitutes 25 percent of
current Universe.
"Cold" or “hot “refers to fact that particles of CDM move at speeds
much lower than the speed of light.
It is very difficult to determine what constituents of CDM are.
One of promising candidates of CDM is Weakly Interacting
Massive Particles (WIMP).
WIMPs, represent one hypothesized class of particles that
neither absorb nor emit light and don't interact strongly with other
particles.
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 Akash-NG (New Generation) missile Atal Setu Nhava Sheva Sea Link

Defence Research and Development Organisation conducted
successful flight-test of Akash NG missile.
Akash-NG is a Surface to Air Missile capable of intercepting high-
speed, agile aerial threats.
It has range of around 80 km.
Its active electronically scanned array (AESA) multi-function
radar features all three functions - search, track and fire control
in one platform.
Akash Weapon System is Short Range Surface to Air Missile
(SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and
developed by DRDO.
Inaugurated by PM, it is country’s longest Sea bridge, also referred
as Mumbai Trans Harbour Link.
It is a 21.8 Kms long bridge of which 16.5 kms is built completely
over the Sea.
It connects Sewri in Mumbai with Nhava Sheva in Raigad district,
thereby easing travel between Mumbai-Navi Mumbai.
Conjoined Silverline (Cigaritis conjuncta)
It is a new butterfly species identified in Karnataka’s Kodagu
district.

Green Rupee Term Deposit Scheme
State Bank of India has launched the scheme to mobilise funds
for environment-friendly initiatives and projects.
It is open to resident individuals, non-individuals, and NRI
customers.
Green deposit means an interest-bearing deposit, received by
regulated entities (RE) for a fixed period the proceeds of which
are earmarked for being allocated towards green finance.
It is first such find in Western ghats in last 4 decades
It consists of fused spots and bands on underside of wings, and
shiny silver lines in centre of those bands.
While males have “dark shining blue” wings, females have “dark
brown” wings.
Lower tips of their wings have a pattern of orange dots that look
like “false head” to protect them from predatory attacks.

Shree Kalaram Mandir

Humboldt’s enigma
It was proposed by Alexander von Humboldt stating that
mountain regions generally display higher diversity than tropical
regions.
While the conventional belief is that the world’s tropical areas
have greater productivity and diversity.
The proponents of Humboldt’s enigma hold that many areas
outside the tropics are also highly biodiverse. i.e the Mountains
Supporting this, scientists have also found that the more
heterogeneous the geological composition of mountains is, the
more biodiverse they are.
Prime Minister visited the Kalaram Mandir on the banks of the
Godavari, Nashik (Maharashtra).
About the Temple:
It was built in 1782 by Sardar Rangrao Odhekar on the site of
an old wooden temple.
♦ It is supposed to stand on the spot where Lord Ram lived
during hid exile.
It derives its name from a black statue of the Lord Ram.
The temple is also the site of a landmark agitation led by
Babasaheb Ambedkar demanding temple entry rights for Dalits
more than 90 years ago.

Personality in News Savitribai Phule (1831 - 1897)

A social activist, reformer, writer and India’s first woman teacher from Maharashtra.
Contributions & Achievements:
She and her husband Jyotirao Phule started the first indigenously-run school for girls in Pune in 1848.
In 1873, the Phule set up the Satyashodhak Samaj (‘Truth-seekers’ society’) to attain equal rights for
people from lower castes.
Set up ‘Balyata Pratibandak Gruha’, a childcare centre for the protection of pregnant widows and rape
victims.
Literary works: Kavya Phule (‘Poetry’s Blossoms’), Bavan Kashi Subodh Ratnakar (‘The Ocean of Pure
Gems’)
Savitribai Phule
Values: Compassion, courage, humanism, etc.

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