ECI’s C-Vigil app a big hit with voters: over 79,000 violations reported so far through the complaints app since announcement of General Elections; 99 % cases disposed off

About C-Vigil app:

• It is a mobile application developed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to enable citizens to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during elections.
• Features of the app:
• It is user-friendly and easy to operate application, which connects vigilant citizens with the District Control Room, Returning Officer and Flying Squads Teams.
• By using this app, the citizens can immediately report on incidents of political misconduct within minutes and without having to rush to the office of the returning officer.
• As soon as the complaint is sent on the cVigil app, the complainant will receive a unique ID through which the person will be able to track the complaint on their mobile.
• Users capture audios, photos or videos in real-time, and a “100-minute” countdown for time-bound response to complaints is ensured.
• The app automatically enables a geo-tagging feature as soon as the user switches on their camera in the cVIGIL to report a violation. This means that flying squads could know the precise location of a reported violation and the image captured by citizens could be used as evidence in the court of law.
• It uses GPS to track the location of the violation. It allows users to capture the live incidents only. It has a feature to report the case of MCC violation anonymously.

DoT asks telcos to suspend USSD-based call forwarding, switch to alternate mode from Apr 15

Why in news?

• The DoT said that it has come to its notice that USSD based call forwarding facility, most commonly known *401# services for unconditional call forwarding services, is being misused for some unwarranted activities.

About Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD):

• It is a communications protocol used in Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks for sending short text messages.
• It is an instant messaging service and messages are not stored on the operator side or on the subscriber’s device.
• USSD format: It generally exist as one of two types, depending on their origin:
• A USSD Pull is an outgoing request from the user in the form of an MMI command.
• A USSD Push is a message from the operator that is displayed on the user’s screen.
• The user can send the operator a request in the form of a USSD command. Commands consist of the * and # characters and numeric codes.
• The chain begins with * or # (which can occur more than once, separating commands from subcommands) and usually ends with #.
• The maximum length of a USSD message is 182 characters, but in practice even the longest requests rarely exceed 20.
• It is used to display balance deduction in mobile phones where a message pops-up on the device screen after a call or outgoing SMS. It is also used for checking IMEI numbers of mobiles.

System to identify pollution sources back in 2.0 version

About Decision Support System:

• It is a numerical model-based framework to forecast Delhi’s air quality and sources of local and regional pollution which can impact the air. It is developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune.
• It provides quantitative information about:
• The contribution of emissions from Delhi and the surrounding 19 districts
• The contribution of emissions from 8 different emission sectors in Delhi
• The contribution from biomass-burning activities in the neighboring states
• The effects of possible emission source-level interventions on the forecast
• The system, which works only in winter and is stopped from March to August.
• The two models — System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar) and DSS — had temporarily stopped sharing data on air pollution for the country as there were differences between their forecasts and source contribution.

Panneer Thiratchai: A sweet treat from Cumbum that is available throughout the year

About Panneer Thiratchai:

• It is a grape variety mainly cultivated in the Cumbum valley of Tamil Nadu. A unique factor about ‘panneer’ grapes is that, these are harvested all through the year as against only during January and April in the rest of India.
• It is extremely popular among farmers because of quick growth and early maturity. The grapes grown are suitable for making wine, spirit, jams, canned grape juice and raisins.
• These grapes are rich in vitamins, tartaric acid and antioxidants and reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. They are also known for a superior taste apart from the purplish-brown colour. It has received Geographical Indication Tag in 2023.

Key facts about the Cumbum valley:

• It is located at the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu is known as the ‘Grapes city of South India’ and cultivates the Panneer Thratchai.
• This variety which is also known as Muscat Hamburg constitutes almost 85% of the grape-growing areas in Tamil Nadu.

On sustainable building materials

About Eco-Niwas Samhita:

• It is a Residential Energy Conservation Building code developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
• The code sets standards to limit heat gain and loss and ensure adequate natural ventilation and day lighting potential.
• It was launched in two parts
• ENS 2018 (Part 1)sets minimum standards for building envelope designs for energy-efficient residential buildings.
• ENS Part 2 launched by the Bureau as ENS 2021 focuses on the building’s code compliance and electromechanical systems. It also addresses other aspects such as, Energy Efficiency in Electro-Mechanical Equipment for Building Operation, Renewable Energy Generation, Embodied Energy of Walling Materials and Structural Systems.

What is Residential Envelope Transmittance Value?

• It is a metric measuring heat transfer through a building’s envelope. Lower RETV values lead to cooler indoor environments and decreased energy usage. For optimal efficiency, improved occupant comfort and lower utility expenses, it’s recommended to maintain an RETV of 15W/m2 or less.

Powerful X-class solar flare slams Earth, triggering radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean

What are Solar Flares?

• Solar flares are large explosions that occur at the sun''s surface when twisted magnetic field lines suddenly snap, emitting large bursts of electromagnetic radiation. They are seen as bright areas on the sun and they can last from minutes to hours.
• In a matter of just a few minutes, they heat the material to many millions of degrees and produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays.
• Although solar flares can be visible in white light, they are often more readily noticed via their bright X-ray and ultraviolet emissions.
• Effect of Solar Flare on Earth:
• The intense radiation emitted during a solar flare can affect satellite communications, disrupt radio signals and even pose a risk to astronauts in space.
• Additionally, the increased solar radiation can lead to geomagnetic storms, which may impact power grids and cause auroras (northern and southern lights).

About X-Class Solar Flares:

• Flares are classified according to their strength. The smallest ones are B-class, followed by C, M and X, the largest.
• Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a ten-fold increase in energy output. Within each letter class, there is a finer scale from 1 to 9. 
• So, an X is 10 times an M and 100 times a C. 
• C-class flares are too weak to noticeably affect Earth. M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms that might endanger astronauts.
• The biggest X-class flares are by far the largest explosions in our solar system. X-class flares are most common during solar maximum.

UN: India launches new database to promote accountability for crime against peacekeepers

About ‘Group of Friends’ to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers:

• It will seek to facilitate the promotion of accountability for all acts of violence against United Nations (UN) peacekeepers and seek facilitation of capacity building and technical assistance to the host state authorities. It was launched in 2022.
• It comprises of 40 member states. India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal are co-chairs.
• It will actively engage and share information with the UN Secretary-General and assist the member states hosting or those who have hosted peacekeeping operations, in bringing to justice the perpetrators of such acts; serve as an informal platform at the UN to exchange information, share best practices and mobilize resources directed at facilitating accountability for crimes committed against peacekeepers; and monitor progress on bringing accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.
• It will convene two meetings of its members per year, organise and host one event per year involving Permanent Missions and other stakeholders, to take the plan forward, thereby ensuring greater safety and security for peacekeepers.
• Group of Friends represents the "political will" of member states, particularly of the troop and police contributing countries, to champion the implementation of the provisions of U.N. Security Council resolution 2589, which was adopted in August 2021 under India’s Presidency of the Council.
• Resolution 2589had called upon member states, hosting or having hosted UN peacekeeping operations, to take all appropriate measures to bring to justice perpetrators of the killing of and all acts of violence against UN personnel, including, but not limited to, their detention and abduction.

India and UN Peacekeeping:

• India is the largest cumulative contributor of peacekeepers to the UN, having deployed more than 2,60,000 peacekeepers over the last seven decades.
• India has lost 177 of its peacekeepers in the line of duty, the largest by far from any troop-contributing country.
• With more than 6000 peacekeepers deployed in nine out of twelve peacekeeping missions, India is a strong proponent of accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.

A starry night: New lizard species discovered in India named after Van Gogh

About Cnemaspis vangoghi: 

• It is a new species of lizard discovered from the Southern Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu. It is named for Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890), as the striking colouration of the new species is reminiscent of one of his most iconic paintings, The Starry Night.
• It is described as a small-sized gecko and has a distinctive yellow head and forebody, adorned with light blue spots on the back. It prefers living among rocks and can occasionally be found on buildings and trees.
• Both species inhabit low-elevation, deciduous forests within the Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve, adding to the five previously known endemic vertebrates of the region.
• These diurnal creatures are mainly active during the cooler hours of early morning and evening, predominantly found on rocks.
• Their restricted localities present an intriguing case of micro-endemism in low-elevation species. Micro-endemism refers to a phenomenon in ecology and biogeography where a species or a group of species are restricted to a very small geographic area, often on the scale of a few square kilometers or even less. 

Indian Banks Expected To Achieve 2.1 Per Cent Gross NPAs By FY25: Report

About Non-Performing Asset (NPA): 

• A NPA is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue for a period of 90 days. They can include various types of loans, such as personal loans, business loans, mortgages and credit card debt. 
• When the ratio of NPAs in a bank''s loan portfolio rises, its income and profitability fall, its capacity to lend falls and the possibility of loan defaults and write-offs rise.
• Types of NPAs: Different types of NPAs depend on how long they remain in the NPA category
• Sub-Standard Assets: An asset is classified as a sub-standard asset if it remains as an NPA for a period less than or equal to 12 months. 
• Doubtful Assets: An asset is classified as a doubtful asset if it remains as an NPA for more than 12 months.
• Loss Assets: An asset is considered a loss asset when it is “uncollectible” or has such little value that its continuance as a bankable asset is not suggested. However, some recovery value may be left in it as the asset has not been written off wholly or in parts.
• NPA Provisioning:
• Provisioning means an amount that the banks set aside from their profits or income in a particular quarter for non-performing assets, such as assets that may turn into losses in the future.
• It is a method by which banks provide for bad assets and maintain a healthy book of accounts. It is done according to which category the asset belongs.
• Gross non-performing assets (GNPA) and Net non-performing assets (NNPA): Banks are required to make their NPA numbers public and to the RBI from time to time. There are primarily two metrics that help us understand any bank''s NPA situation.
• GNPA: GNPA is an absolute amount. It tells you the total value of gross non-performing assets for the bank in a particular quarter or financial year, as the case may be.
• NNPA: NNPA subtracts the provisions made by the bank from the GNPA. Therefore, net NPA gives you the exact value of non-performing assets after the bank has made specific provisions.
• The NNPA is a measure of the actual losses that a bank has incurred on its NPAs. A high NNPA indicates that a bank has incurred large losses on its NPAs.

39 sewage treatment plants from AMRUT scheme to line Musi river in Hyderabad

About AMRUT Scheme:

• It was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2015, in 500 selected cities and towns across the country. It has been subsumed under AMRUT 2.0 in 2021.
• It focuses on development of basic infrastructure in the selected cities and towns in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, green spaces and parks, and non-motorized urban transport. A set of Urban Reforms and Capacity Building have been included in the mission.
• AMRUT 2.0, which was launched for a period 2021-26, is designed to provide universal coverage of water supply through functional taps to all households in all the statutory towns in the country and coverage of sewerage/septage management in 500 cities covered in the first phase of the AMRUT scheme.
• AMRUT 2.0 will promote a circular economy of water through the development of City Water Balance Plan (CWBP) for each city focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, the rejuvenation of water bodies, and water conservation.
• It will help cities to identify scope for projects focusing on universal coverage of functional water tap connections, water source conservation, rejuvenation of water bodies and wells, recycle/reuse of treated used water, and rainwater harvesting. 
• It also has a reform agenda on ease of living of citizens through reduction of non-revenue water, recycle of treated used water, rejuvenation of water bodies, augmenting double entry accounting system, urban planning, strengthening urban finance etc.
• Other components of AMRUT 2.0 are:
• Pey Jal Survekshan to ascertain equitable distribution of water, reuse of wastewater, mapping of water bodies and promote healthy competition among the cities /towns.
• Technology Sub-Mission for water to leverage latest global technologies in the field of water.
• Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign to spread awareness among the masses about conservation of water.
• The total indicative outlay for AMRUT 2.0 is ₹2,99,000 crore including Central share of ₹76,760 crore for five years.