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Daily PIB/ 28 March
General Studies- I
Topics: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
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What is the World heritage site?
World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, which have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee.
These places or buildings are thought to:
- have special importance for everyone
- represent unique, or the most significant or best, examples of the world’s cultural and/or natural heritage
Outstanding Universal Value is considered to transcend national boundaries and to be of importance for future generations.
World Heritage status is a high accolade that brings with it responsibilities and international scrutiny.
World Heritage Sites in India:
- India is home to 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, out of the 1121 such spots identified around the world. So far, only China, Italy, Spain, Germany, and France have more locations on the list than India.
- Dholavira, the Harappan City in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2021.
- So far, only China, Italy, Spain, Germany, and France have more locations on the list than India.
Key facts:
- The World Heritage Sites list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
- The committee is composed of 21 UNESCO member states which are elected by the General Assembly.
- Each World Heritage Site remains part of the legal territory of the state wherein the site is located and UNESCO considers it in the interest of the international community to preserve each site.
- To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be an already classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance.
Full list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India:
Cultural Sites (31):
- Agra Fort (1983)
- Ajanta Caves (1983)
- Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (2016)
- Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
- Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)
- Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
- Elephanta Caves (1987)
- Ellora Caves (1983)
- Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
- Great Living Chola Temples (1987,2004)
- Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
- Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
- Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
- Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013)
- Historic City of Ahmadabad (2017)
- Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993)
- Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019)
- Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
- Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
- Mountain Railways of India (1999,2005,2008)
- Qutub Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
- Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (2014)
- Red Fort Complex (2007)
- Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
- Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
- Taj Mahal (1983)
- The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016)
- The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)
- Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018)
- Rudreswara Temple (Ramappa Temple) (2021)
- Dholavira, the Harappan City in the Rann of Kutch
Natural Sites (7):
- Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014)
- Kaziranga National Park (1985)
- Keoladeo National Park (1985)
- Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
- Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988,2005)
- Sundarbans National Park (1987)
- Western Ghats (2012)
Mixed Sites (1):
- Khangchendzonga National Park (2016)
General Studies- II
Topic– Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
Context:
In keeping with the concern and sensitivity towards poor and vulnerable sections of society, the Government has extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) scheme for another six months i.e., till September 2022 (Phase VI).
- The Phase-V of PM-GKAY scheme was to end in March 2022.
- It may be recalled that the PM-GKAY has been under implementation since April 2020, as the largest food security program in the world.
About PMGKAY:
During the ongoing crisis owing to Covid-19 Pandemic, Union Government announced Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) providing free food grains to the affected population.
- Its nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.
- It was initially announced for a three-month period (April, May and June 2020), covering 80 crore ration cardholders. Later it was extended till November 2020.
- However, in April 2021, the government had announced its decision to restart the scheme as PMGKAY-III.
The salient features of the scheme are:
- 80 crore individuals, i.e, roughly two-thirds of India’s population would be covered under this scheme.
- Insurance cover of Rs 50 Lakh per health worker fighting COVID-19 to be provided under Insurance Scheme.
- 80 crore poor people will to get 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month for the next three months.
- 20 crore women Jan Dhan account holders to get Rs 500 per month for next three months.
- Increase in MNREGA wage to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182 to benefit 13.62 crore families.
- Government to front-load Rs 2,000 paid to farmers in first week of April under existing PM Kisan Yojana to benefit 8.7 crore farmers.
Expenditure:
Government of India will bear all expenditure of over Rs. 26,000 crore on account of food subsidy and Central assistance to states/UTs on account of intra-state transportation etc.
Challenge:
- A key issue is that the beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act are based on the last census (2011).
- The number of food-insecure people has increased since then and they remain uncovered.
National Food Security Act, (NFSA):
National Food Security Act enacted on July 5, 2013 marks a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights-based approach.
- The Act legally entitles upto 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System.
- About two thirds of the population therefore is covered under the Act to receive highly subsidised foodgrains.
- The National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 is being implemented in all the States/UTs, on an all India basis.
- The identification of beneficiaries by States/UTs is a continuous process, which involves exclusion of ineligible/fake/duplicate ration cards and also exclusion on account of death, migration etc. and inclusion on account of birth as also that of genuine left-out households.
Eligibility:
- Priority Households to be covered under TPDS, according to guidelines by the State government.
- Households covered under existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
Provisions:
- 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
- The existing AAY household will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
- Meal and maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000 to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth.
- Meals for children upto 14 years of age.
- Food security allowance to beneficiaries in case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals.
- Setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms at the district and state level.
General Studies- III
Topics- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
Context:
The Central Government launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to tackle the air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner.
Target:
To achieve 20% to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.
What is the NCAP?
The National Clean Air Programme is a pollution control initiative that was launched by the Ministry of Environment in January 2019.
It aimed for:
To cut the concentration of coarse (particulate matter of diameter 10 micrometer or less, or PM10) and fine particles (particulate matter of diameter 2.5 micrometer or less, or PM2.5) by at least 20% in the next five years, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.
Non-attainment cities:
- Non-attainment cities are those that have fallen short of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for over five years.
- Under NCAP, 122 non-attainment cities have been identified across the country based on the Air Quality data from 2014-2018.
Which cities will fall under this?
Following reports by WHO and the air quality data obtained, 102 cities from 23 States and UTs have been chosen as non-attainment cities.
- With the exception of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, most of those chosen are tier two cities.
- Maharashtra tops the list with 17 cities in the list, including Pune and Nagpur.
- Uttar Pradesh is second with 15 cities chosen, including Lucknow and Varanasi.
- A city from Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal too are in the list.
- No cities from Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Kerala, Goa and Haryana figure in the list.
What do experts say?
Critics have pointed out that the absence of clarity on funding provisions and lack of legal framework might dilute the effectiveness of the programme.
That only a paltry amount of Rs. 300 crore has been set aside for this too has been roundly criticised.
- It is good to see the final version of NCAP out after a long wait with the vision of reducing air pollution levels across the country.
- The silver lining in the plan is the potential reduction of 20 – 30% by 2024.
- However, it was expected to be much stronger in providing sector wise targets, specific targets for cities. Similarly, the lack of strong legal backing to take action against non-implementation is also absent.
Chrome facts for Prelims
Independence Day of Bangladesh
26 March is celebrated as the Independence Day of Bangladesh. It is for the country’s declaration of independence from Pakistan.
- On the night of 25th March 1971, Pakistani Army brutally committed genocide on unarmed civilian Bengalis in the name of “Operation Searchlight“.
- On the 26th of March, Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan was declared by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the nine month long bloody liberation war was commenced.
- The day is a memorial to the deaths of millions of civilians and valiant freedom fighters who died in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
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