Daily Current Affairs 

To the Point Notes

1.Permafrost

• Context: Glaciologists at Himadri research station in Norway are studying the potential risks of permafrost collapse.
• Definition: Permafrost refers to any ground that remains frozen (below 0°C) for at least two years.
• Location: Found mostly in regions with high mountains and in the Earth’s higher latitudes, particularly near the North and South Poles.
• Extent: Covers nearly 25% of the land area in the Northern Hemisphere.
• Composition: Composed of soil, rocks, and sand bound by ice, remaining frozen year-round.
• Threat: Climate change is causing permafrost to thaw, leading to the release of water and destabilizing the ground, raising disaster concerns.

 

 

2.Poumai Naga Tribe

• Context: The Poumai Naga tribe from Purul village in Manipur has banned hunting, trapping, and killing of wildlife in their territory.
• Location: Primarily found in the northeastern states of Manipur and Nagaland, with about 100 villages divided into Paomata, Lepaona, and Chilivai blocks.
• Culture:
  • Language: Poula.
  • Religion: A mix of Christianity and indigenous beliefs.
  • Festival: Celebrate Laonii after completing paddy transplantation.

 

 

3.Jal Hi AMRIT Program

• Context: Launched as part of AMRUT 2.0 to improve sewage treatment efficiency.
• Objective:
  • Incentivize states and UTs to manage sewage treatment plants (STPs) efficiently to produce high-quality treated water.
  • Promote competition and capacity-building among cities.
• Features:
  • Clean Water Credits: Awarded to STPs based on performance in treating water, rated from 3 to 5 stars (valid for 6 months).
  • AMRUT 2.0: Launched in October 2021 for 5 years, focusing on providing universal water supply and sewage management in 500 cities.
• AMRUT 1.0: Introduced in 2015 to improve basic civic amenities like water supply in selected cities and towns for a better quality of life.

AMRUT 2.0

Launch: October 1, 2021

Duration: 5 years (2021-22 to 2025-26)

Objectives:

• Provide universal water supply through functional taps to all households in statutory towns.
• Ensure coverage of sewerage/septage management in 500 cities.

Key Features:

• Designed to improve quality of life in urban areas.
• Focuses on basic civic amenities like water supply and sewage management.
• Aims to create a more sustainable and livable urban environment.

 

 

4.NAMASTE Scheme

• Context: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is profiling Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) under the NAMASTE programme to address safety and livelihood issues.
• Statistics:

• • As per government data:
    • 68.9% of SSWs are from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.
    • 14.7% are from Other Backward Classes (OBC).
    • 8.3% are from Scheduled Tribes (ST).
    • 8% belong to the general category.
  • 377 fatalities from hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks were recorded between 2019-2023.

• NAMASTE Programme:

• • Launched in 2023-24, it replaced the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS).
  • Joint initiative by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
  • To be implemented across 4,800+ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) by 2025-26.

• Objectives:

• • Achieve zero fatalities in sanitation work.
  • Ensure all sanitation work is performed by skilled workers.
  • No sanitation workers come into direct contact with human waste.
  • Sanitation workers are organized into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and empowered to run sanitation enterprises.
  • Provide SSWs with access to alternative livelihoods.