Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 11 June 2024 | Download PDF

National and International News

• The new Union Cabinet took its first decision — to provide assistance for the construction of three crore more rural and urban houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

About PMAY:

• Launch Date: June 25, 2015
• Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
• Objective: To provide affordable housing to the urban and rural poor.
• Components:
  • PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U): Targets urban areas.
    • Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS): Provides interest subsidy on housing loans for economically weaker sections (EWS), low-income groups (LIG), and middle-income groups (MIG).
    • In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR): Utilizes land as a resource to provide houses to slum dwellers.
    • Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP): Involves private sector participation to create affordable housing.
    • Beneficiary-led Individual House Construction/Enhancement (BLC): Assistance provided to eligible families for constructing or enhancing their houses.
  • PMAY-Rural (PMAY-G): Targets rural areas.
    • Gramin (PMAY-G): Aims to provide pucca houses with basic amenities to all houseless households and those living in kutcha and dilapidated houses.

• India and the US have informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) about a mutually agreed solution on an outstanding issue.
• The dispute was regarding poultry imports from Washington.
• With this resolution, all seven disputes between the two nations at the WTO have been resolved.

About (SPS) Agreement:

• A treaty of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• Came into force with the establishment of the WTO on January 1, 1995.
• Sets out basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health standards.
• Key Provisions:
  • Scientific Basis:
    • SPS measures must be based on scientific principles and sufficient evidence.
    • Allows for provisional measures in cases where evidence is insufficient.
  • Harmonization:
    • Encourages alignment of SPS measures with international standards.
    • International standards set by bodies like Codex Alimentarius, OIE, and IPPC.
  • Equivalence:
    • SPS measures of other countries should be accepted as equivalent.
    • Requires that these measures achieve the same level of protection.
  • Risk Assessment:
    • Countries must conduct risk assessments to determine appropriate protection levels.
    • Consider the impacts of pests or diseases.
  • Regionalization:
    • Recognition of pest- or disease-free areas and areas of low prevalence.
    • Applies even within a single country or group of countries.
  • Transparency:
    • Countries must notify changes in SPS measures.
    • Regulatory information must be provided through the WTO’s SPS notification system.
  • Dispute Resolution:
    • Disputes can be taken to the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) if consultations fail.

• Evidence of a tiger population has been found in the Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS).
• Based on this evidence, a decision has been made to establish a new tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh.

About Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS):

• Location: Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Balrampur, Shravasti, and Gonda districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• Establishment: It was established in 1988.
• Area: The sanctuary covers an area of approximately 452 square kilometers.
• The sanctuary is connected with the forest of Mahadevpuri in Nepal.
• The sanctuary is located in the Bhabar-Terai Ecosystem area, known for its rich biodiversity.
• The Tharu tribe, characterized by mongoloid features, has been residing in this area for a long time.
• The sanctuary’s vegetation is defined by a mix of deciduous and semi-evergreen woodlands.

• UNESCO launches new initiatives for “greening education” in classrooms under the Greening Education Partnership.

About Greening Education Partnership:

• Launch Year: 2023
• Objective: To integrate environmental sustainability into education systems and on climate crisis education globally.
• Target Audience: Students, educators, policymakers, and educational institutions.

• Under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme, a new initiative has been launched.
• This initiative is under Mode 2A of the programme.

Key points:

• The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is leading this initiative.
• SECI has issued a Request for Selection (RfS) as part of this initiative.
• The RfS aims to select Green Ammonia Producers.
• The goal is to enhance the production of Green Ammonia in India.

About SIGHT programme:

• This scheme is a part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which falls under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• The mission’s objective is to strengthen domestic electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production.
• It includes dual incentive mechanisms, with a specific incentive for Electrolyser Manufacturing.

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