PM Modi Breaks Down At PMAY Event In Maharashtra, Says: ''Wish I Had A Home Like This''.

• The Prime Minister recently broke down in tears while addressing a crowd during an event to dedicate homes constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban Scheme (PMAY-U).

PMAY-U, being implemented since June 2015, is one of the major flagship programmes being implemented by the Government of India under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

• Objective: To provide all weather pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in the urban areas of the country by the year 2022, through States/UTs/Central Nodal Agencies.
• The scheme covers the entire urban area of the country, i.e., all statutory towns as per Census 2011 and towns notified subsequently, including Notified Planning/ Development Areas.
• In August 2022, the Union Cabinet approved the continuation of PMAY-U up to 31st December 2024, with all verticals except CLSS, for the completion of already sanctioned houses till 31st March 2022.
• Funding: The credit linked subsidy component will be implemented as a Central Sector Scheme while other three components will be implemented as Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• All houses under PMAY-U have basic amenities like toilet, water supply, electricity, and kitchen.
• The Mission promotes women empowerment by providing ownership of houses in the name of female member or in joint name.
• Preference has also been given to differently abled persons, senior citizens, SCs, STs, OBCs, Minority, single women, transgender and other weaker & vulnerable sections of the society.

The scheme is being implemented through four verticals:

• Beneficiary Led Construction/ Enhancement (BLC)
• Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP)
• In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR)
• Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS).

Supreme Court Asks CEC To Examine Issues Related To Mining In Aravali Hills.

• The Supreme Court opined that if the State of Rajasthan believes that the mining activities in the Aravali Range pose a threat to the environment, it can also prevent mining activities in the Aravalli Range.
• Aravalli Range is a mountain range located in northwestern India.
• It is one of the oldest fold mountains in the world.
• It runs in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
• The highest point of the Aravalli range is Guru Shikhar, which stands at an elevation of 5,650 feet on Mount Arbuda.
• It is 15 km from Mount Abu, which is a popular hill station in the Aravalli Range.
• Rivers: Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from the Aravalli, namely the Banas and Sahibi rivers, which are tributaries of the Yamuna, as well as the Luni River, which flows into the Rann of Kutch.
• The Aravalli acts as the edge which separates the Thar desert from the plains and plateaus of eastern Rajasthan.
• The range is rich in mineral resources like copper, zinc, lead, and marble.
• It is divided into two sections: the Sambhar-Sirohi ranges, taller and including Guru Shikhar; and the Sambhar-Khetri ranges, consisting of three ridges that are discontinuous.
• There are several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries that fall within the belt of Aravalli Hills. Sariska National Park, Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, and Mount Abu Sanctuary are among them.

Formation:

• It is part of the Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt, which is a large and complex geological structure formed due to the collision of tectonic plates during the Proterozoic era.
• It is part of the Indian Shield, that was formed from a series of cratonic collisions.
• In ancient times, Aravalli were extremely high, but since have worn down almost completely by millions of years of weathering.

Restoration plan for Kanger valley park on anvil

• In a first-of-its-kind model of convergence, Kanger Valley National Park is working with a coalition of various organizations and government departments to prepare a landscape-based ecological restoration plan for the national park.
• The National Park derives its name from the Kanger River, which flows in its length.
• It got the status of a national park in 1982.
• The entire Park constitutes the core area and there is no buffer zone.
• Topography: It is noted for its highly heterogeneous land formations, ranging from low, flat, and gentle areas to steep slopes, plateaus, valleys, and stream courses.
• It is home to three exceptional caves, famous for their amazing geological structures: Kutumbasar, Kailash, and Dandak-Stalagmites and Stalactites.
• National Park is known for the presence of underground limestone caves with dripstone and floston. The stalagmites and stalactite formations are still increasing.
• Tirathgarh Waterfall is located in the park.
• The Park also has a sizable tribal population.
• Flora: It is a typical mixed humid deciduous type of forest in which the Sal, Saugaun, teak, and bamboo trees are available in abundance.

Fauna:

• Major wild animals include tigers, mouse deer, leopards, wildcat, sambar, chital, barking deer, langurs, jackals, rhesus macaque, flying squirrel, etc.
• The aerial fauna at the park consists of common hill myna, red jungle fowl, spotted owlet, racket-tailed drongos, parrots, etc.

Location:

• It is located in Jagdalpur, in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh state.
• It is located on the banks of the Kholaba River (tributary of the Godavari River).

The meeting for review of progress of Atal Bhujal Yojna was held in the Chairpersonship of Ms. Debashree Mukharjee, Secretary (DOWR, RD&GR).

• Atal Bhujal Yojana is a central sector scheme which was launched in 2019.
• Duration: Period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25), Increased by 2 years in May, 2023.
• Objective: The major objective of the Scheme is to improve the management of groundwater resources in select water stressed areas in identified states.
• The scheme is being taken up in 8220 water stressed Gram Panchayats of seven states: Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Implemented Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Scheme components : It has two major components:

• Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Component for strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable groundwater management in the States including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, strengthening of Water User Associations, etc.
• Incentive Component for incentivising the States for achievements in improved groundwater management practices namely, data dissemination, preparation of water security plans, implementation of management interventions through convergence of ongoing schemes, adopting demand side management practices etc.
• The scheme is being funded by the Government of India and the World Bank on a 50:50 basis.
• Total cost of scheme is Rs. 6,000 crore, Out of this, Rs. 3,000 is loan from the
• World Bank and Rs. 3,000 crore is matching contribution from the Government of India.

The key results areas are:

• Strengthened institutional framework and effective ground water data monitoring and disclosure.
• Improved planning and implementation of groundwater management interventions.

A fisherman in Odisha’s Balasore district captured a rare and endangered Gangetic dolphin.

• Common Name: Susu
• Scientific Name: Platanista gangetica .
• Population: Less than 1800 (1200 to 1800).
• Habitat: Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Some characteristics:

• The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater.
• It is essentially blind and they hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds.
• It has a sturdy, yet flexible, body with large flippers and a low triangular dorsal fin.
• Calves are chocolate brown at birth and then have grey-brown smooth, hairless skin as adults.
• Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years to only one calf.

Conservation status:

• IUCN: Endangered
• Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule-I
• CITES: Appendix I

Government''s conservation efforts:

• In 2009, Gangetic dolphins were declared the national aquatic animal of India.
• The Prime Minister announced ‘Project Gangetic Dolphin’ on August 15, 2023 for the conservation of the Gangetic dolphins.

At NAM Summit, Jaishankar highlights India as Vishwa Mitra.

• The 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit was held in Kampala, the capital of Uganda on 19 and 20 January.
• The 19th NAM Summit was held under Uganda''s leadership in Kampala. Uganda has taken over as chair from Azerbaijan, to run until 2027.
• Theme: ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.’
• After the United Nations, NAM is the second-largest grouping of nations.
• NAM does not have a permanent secretariat or a formal founding charter, act, or treaty
• The summit usually takes place every three years.

Key discussions at the summit:

• Israel-Hamas war
• India’s “Vishwaa Mitra” initiative
• A call for multipolar world

About Non-Aligned Movement:

• The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an alliance of developing nations that refuses to identify with any major superpower.
• It was established in 1961 at the height of the Cold War. Whereas it started with the Bandung Conference held in Indonesia in 1955.

Current members:

• 120 countries: 53 from Africa, 39 from Asia, 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean and two from Europe.
• It also includes the non-UN member state of Palestine, 17 other observer countries, and 10 observer organizations.
• India is one of the founding members.