Budget 2023: Govt removes 5% duty on Lab-grown Diamond; know what it is, how it is made and its cost

• Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that are produced using specific technology which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds.
• The diamond simulants such as Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, YAG, and others are used to make them look like natural diamonds.

LGDs

• There are multiple ways in which LGDs can be produced.
• High pressure, high temperature” (HPHT) method
  • It is the most common and cheapest method.
  • In this method, extremely heavy presses that can produce up to 730,000 psi of pressure under extremely high temperatures of at least 1500 celsius are applied.
  • Usually, graphite is used as the “diamond seed” and when subjected to these extreme conditions, the relatively inexpensive form of carbon turns into one of the most expensive carbon forms.
• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and explosive formation create what is known as detonation nanodiamonds.

Applications

• Used for industrial purposes, in machines and tools and their hardness and extra strength make them ideal for use as cutters.
• Pure synthetic diamonds are used in electronics as a heat spreader for high-power laser diodes, laser arrays and high-power transistors.

Budget 2023 | FM Sitharaman announces ₹5300 crore grant for Upper Bhadra Irrigation Project in poll-bound Karnataka

• It is a major lift irrigation Scheme under implementation in the central region of Karnataka State.
• Objectives:
  • To provide sustainable irrigation facility in khariff season.
  • It also proposes to recharge ground water tables and provide drinking water by filling 367 tanks with six tmcft water in drought-prone taluks.
• It is planned to irrigate an extent of 2,25,515 hectares by micro irrigation in drought-prone districts of Chikkamagalur, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Davangere.
• It envisages lifting upto17.40 TMC of water in first stage from Tunga river to existing Bhadra reservoir and lifting 29.90 TMC of water in second stage from Bhadra reservoir to Tunnel near Ajjampura, in Tungabhadra sub-basin of Krishna basin.
• In 2022, Central government gave national project statusto “Upper Bhadra Project”.

Tungabhadra River:

• It is a sacred river in southern India that flows through the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana.
• The ancient name of the river was Pampa.
• It is formed by the confluence of two rivers, the Tunga River and the Bhadra
• Origin: Both Tunga & Bhadra Rivers are originated on the eastern slops of the Western Ghats.
• Tungabhadra River flows in east, joins Krishna River and then drains into Bay of Bengal.
• Sangameshwaram Temple is located at the confluence of the Tungabhadra and Krishna
• The Historic city ''Hampi'' is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.
• Major Tributaries: Tunga, Kumudvati, Varada, Bhadra, Vedavathi, and Handri.

38,800 teachers will be hired for Ekalavya Model Residential Schools: FM

• EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to ST children in remote areas to enable them to access the best opportunities in education and to bring them at par with the general population.
• EMRS are established in the States/UTs from the grants received under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India.
• Features:
  • EMRS are co-educational residential schools from Class VI to XII.
  • Eklavya schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
  • Each school has a capacity of 480 students with equal number of seats for boys and girls.
  • Non-ST students can be admitted in these schools on seats up to 10% of the total seats.
  • CBSE curriculum is followed in these schools, and education is completely free.
• The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization has been set up under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to establish and manage EMRS across the country.
• Government Target: As per the Budget 2018-19, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal population will have an EMRS by the year 2022.

Budget 2023-24: Sitharaman Announces New Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, To Offer 7.5% On Deposit Of Rs 2 Lakh

• The scheme offers deposit facility up to Rs 2 lakh in the name of women or girls for a tenor of 2 years.
• It offers fixed interest rate of 7.5 per cent.
• There are no tax benefits, but partial withdrawal is allowedin this scheme.
• This is a one-time scheme announced in Budget 2023 and will remain available for a two-year period i.e. up to March 2025.
• Benefit: It will encourage more women to adopt formal financial saving instruments.

Budget: BBMP official hails municipal bonds, expert has doubts

• What is it? A municipal bond or muni bond is a debt instrument issued by municipal corporations or associated bodies in India.
• Purpose: The funds raised are used to finance socio-economic development projects.
• History: It was first issued in the 1997 by Bangalore local body for infrastructure development projects 4 years after decentralization of powers and authorities to the Municipal bodies by the 74th constitutional amendment.
• Tax Exemption: Municipal bonds are exempted from tax provided the buyer adheres to the rules laid by the municipal corporations. The interest is also exempted from taxes.
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Guidelines :
  • The municipal body should not have a history of defaulting at repayments of loans or debt instruments acquired from financial institutions in the past year.
  • It should possess a positive net worth in all the three years preceding the issuance of municipal bonds.
  • Such municipal entity, its Group Company or directors, and promoters shall not be mentioned in the willful defaulters’ list published by the Reserve Bank of India.

Bonds

• It is a debt security.
• Borrowers issue bonds to raise money from investors willing to lend them money for a certain amount of time.
• When you buy a bond, you are lending to the issuer, which may be a government, municipality, or corporation.
• In return, the issuer promises to pay you a specified rate of interest during the life of the bond and to repay the principal.

In Budget 2023-24, Centre’s hard push to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047

• It is an inherited blood disorder.
• It affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body.
• People with this disease have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
• These sickle cells also become rigid and sticky, which can slow or block blood flow.
• Causes
  • The cause of Sickle cell disease is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.
  • A person will be born with sickle cell disease only if two genes are inherited—one from the mother and one from the father.
• Symptoms:
  • Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anemia, painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
  • Later stage: Severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.
• Treatments:
  • The only cure for this disease is bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.
  • However, there are treatments that can help relieve symptoms, lessen complications, and prolong life.

Various schemes towards Agriculture and Farmers'' Welfare in budget

• PM PRANAM (Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth)
  • This programme will seek to incentivise states and union territories to promote alternative fertilisers and the balanced use of chemical fertilisers.
• Bhartiya Prakritik Kheti Bio-Input Resource Centres
  • Under this10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres will be set up, creating a national-level distributed micro-fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing network.
  • This will impact over 1 crore farmers over the next three years.
• Agriculture Accelerator Fund
  • The Fund will aim at bringing innovative and affordable solutions for challenges faced by farmers.
  • It will also bring in modern technologies to transform agricultural practices, and increase productivity and profitability."
• Cotton crop productivity enhancement
  • Union government will adopt a cluster-based approach to enhance the cotton crop.
  • To enhance the productivity of extra-long staple cotton, the government will adopt a cluster-based and value chain approach through Public Private Partnerships (PPP).
• Centre of excellence for millets
  • Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be made into a Centre for Excellence and it will be supported for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level.
• Agriculture credit to be increased
  • The agriculture credit target will be increased to Rs 20 lakh crore with a focus on animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries.
• GOBARdhan scheme
  • Five-hundred new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme will be established for promoting a circular economy.

This ‘fairy’ robot flies with the power of light and wind and could pollinate plants

• The FAIRY robot, which is based on the Light Responsive Materials Assembly, is a tiny lightweight robot that floats in the wind.
• Surprisingly, the robot can be controlled by a light source like a laser beam or an LED.
• Researchers could use light to change the shape of the robot, allowing it to adapt to the direction of the wind.
• A soft actuator made of light-responsive liquid crystalline elastomer powers the polymer assembly robot inspired by dandelion seeds.

As a result, the researchers were able to stimulate the actuator''s bristles to open or close by using visible light.

How a tiny radioactive capsule was found in Australia''s vast outback

• Caesium is a soft, flexible, silvery-white metal.
• It becomes liquid near room temperature, but easily bonds with chlorides to create a crystalline powder.

Caesium-137

• It is the most common radioactive form of caesium.
• It is produced by nuclear fission which is also one of the byproducts of nuclear fission processes in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons testing.
• This radioactive metal has a half-life of 30.05 years – meaning in three decades it will have half of its original activity.
• Caesium-137 can cause serious illness when touched, leading to burns and acute radiation sickness.
• External exposure can increase the risk of cancer because of the presence of high-energy beta-gamma radiation. Prolonged exposure can even cause death.
• Internal exposure to it through ingestion or inhalation allows the radioactive material to be distributed in the soft tissues, especially muscle tissue, which increases cancer risk.

Budget 2023-24: ‘Amrit Dharohar’ to encourage conservation of vital wetlands in India

• MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes)
  • It is a new programme that will facilitate mangrove plantations along India’s coastline and on saltpan lands.
  • The programme will operate through “convergence between MGNREGS, Campa Fund and other sources.”
  • This new programme will aim at the intensive afforestation of coastal mangrove forests.
• Amrit Dharohar
  • This is a scheme that will be implemented over the next three years to encourage the optimal use of wetlands and enhance bio-diversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities.
  • Amrit Dharohar will emphasise the importance of wetlands and their preservation, with an outlook that is inclusive of local communities as caretakers of the ecosystem.