Daily Current Capsules - 10th JULY
2019
Security Challenges
BSF launches operation ‘Sudarshan’ to fortify Pakistan border in Punjab and Jammu
Relevance IN – Prelims ( about the exercise Sudarshan) + Mains ( GS III
security challenges and their management in border areas)
What’s the NEWS
The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched a massive exercise, code
named ‘Sudarshan’, to fortify the ‘anti-infiltration grid’ along the
Pakistan border in Punjab and Jammu.
Know! all about the exercise
The exercise will see the entire BSF’s senior field brass, thousands of
troops and machinery being deployed in these forward areas.
The operation was launched on July 1 and will cover the entire over the
1,000-km length of the India-Pakistan International Border.
While Jammu shares about 485-km of the border with Pakistan, about
553-km of the front is in Punjab. It further runs down towards Rajasthan
and Gujarat on India’s western flank.
The BSF is the primary force guarding this frontier as the ‘first line of
defence’.
A mega exercise to fortify the ‘anti-infiltration grid’ along the Pakistan
border in Punjab and Jammu has been launched by the BSF.
The mega exercise has been named ‘Sudarshan’ drawing from the
mythological cutting wheel or the ‘sudarshan chakra’ of Lord Krishna.
A huge assortment of heavy machinery, communication interceptors and
mobile bulletproof bunkers have been mobilized to the borders.
Thousands of BSF personnel will be part of the exercise. Multiple patrols
are being undertaken to boost defence positions.
Frontier and battalion commanders of about 40 battalions of the
BSF are camping in the forward areas of the two states to finish the
operation within a fortnight and be at their bases by July 15. The
operation will end by the time monsoon unleashes heavy rains and
cuts easy access to forward locations,
Know! about BSF
It was formed on 1 December 1965 in the wake of India-Pakistan 1965
War, for ensuring security of India’s borders and for matters connected
there with.
It is the country’s primary border defence organisation. It is responsible
for guarding India’s land border during peacetime as well as preventing
transnational crime.
It is a Government Agency under administrative control of Union
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
It is one of the 7 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India and
currently stands as world’s largest border guarding force.
Culture and Heritage
Vivekadeepini
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Vivekadeepini and about Adi Shankaracharya)
+ Mains ( GS I Indian heritage and culture)
What’s the NEWS
Vivekadeepini, a concise book of aphorisms that contains glimpses of
India’s wisdom in English and nine Indian languages
The pieces of wisdom initially written by Adi Shankaracharya in
Prashnottara Ratnamalika have universal relevance irrespective of
religion or community and they represent the ethical and moral
perspectives underpinning the Indian world view.
The book has been translated into ten languages- English, Hindi, Bengali,
Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi Gujarati and Odia.
Know! more about Vivekadeepini
This short book is a summary of Prashnottara Ratnamalika written by Adi
Shankaracharya.
It is a compilation of select 36 verses drawn from 67 verses of
Prashnottara Ratnamalika which are written in Question-Answer format.
The verses in this book contain universal truths and are the starting points
for reflection. It contains glimpses of India’s wisdom in most lucid
language.
Know! about Adi Shankaracharya
He is 8th century Indian philosopher and theologian. He consolidated the
doctrine (or Philosophy) of Advaita Vedanta (Monism).
Monism states that Brahman is only reality and world is illusory (Maya),
thus ignorance of reality is what causes suffering, and liberation can be
obtained only by true knowledge of Brahman.
He is founder of Dashanami Sampradaya, Hindu monastic tradition of
single-sta renunciation. He is also credited with unifying and establishing
main currents of thought in Hinduism.
Environment Conservation/Infrastructure Development
National Electric Mobility Mission Plan
Relevance IN – Prelims ( about FAME and NEMMP) + Mains ( GS III
infrastructure development – energy + environment conservation)
Know! all about NEMMP
The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 is a
National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the
faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the
country.
This plan has been designed to enhance national fuel security, to provide
affordable and environmentally friendly transportation and to enable the
Indian automotive industry to achieve global manufacturing leadership.
As part of the NEMMP 2020, Department of Heavy Industry formulated
a Scheme viz. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric
Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in the year 2015 to promote
manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure
sustainable growth of the same.
Phase I of FAME
The Phase-I of this Scheme was initially launched for a period of 2 years,
commencing from 1st April 2015, which was subsequently extended from
time to time and the last extension was allowed up to 31st March 2019.
The 1st Phase of FAME India Scheme was implemented through four focus
areas namely
(i) Demand Creation
(ii) Technology Platform
(iii) Pilot Project and
(iv) Charging Infrastructure.
(v) Market creation through demand incentives was aimed at
incentivizing all vehicle segments i.e. 2-Wheelers, 3-Wheelers Auto,
Passenger 4-Wheeler vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicles and Buses.
The demand incentive was available to buyers of electric & hybrid
vehicle (xEV) in the form of an upfront reduced purchase price to enable
wider adoption.
Know! more about NEMMP 2020
Under the NEMMP 2020, there is an ambitious target to achieve 6-7
million sales of hybrid and electric vehicles by the year 2020.
Based on the experience gained in the Phase-I of FAME India Scheme, it
has been observed that sufficient number of charging infrastructure is
required to achieve expected outcome of the plan, which is being
addressed presently in Phase-II of FAME Scheme.
Phase – II
Department of Heavy Industry notified Phase-II of the Scheme, vide S.O.
1300(E) ,with the approval of Cabinet with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 Crore
for a period of 3 years commencing from 1st April 2019.
The main objective of the scheme is to encourage faster adoption of
electric and hybrid vehicle by way of offering upfront incentive on
purchase of electric vehicles and also by establishing the necessary
charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Details of the scheme is
available in Department’s website (www.dhi.nic.in).
Various initiatives have been taken by the Government to promote electric
mobility in the country.
Under new GST regime, the rates of GST on Electric Vehicles has been
kept in the lower bracket of 12% (with no Cess) as against the 28% GST
rate with Cess up to 22% for conventional vehicles.
Ministry of Power has allowed sale of electricity as ‘service’ for charging
of electric vehicles. This would provide a huge incentive to attract
investments into charging infrastructure.
Ministry of Road Transport Highways issued notification regarding
exemption of permit in case of battery operated vehicles.
Issue of Expression of Interest (EoI) for deployment of 5000 electric buses
by State Transport Departments/Undertakings etc.
Prelims Factoids
The National Translation Mission (NTM)
Know! all about NTM
The National Translation Mission (NTM) is a scheme launched in 2008
which is being implemented through the Central Institute of Indian
Languages (CIIL), Mysore to establish translation as an industry in
general and to facilitate higher education by making knowledge texts
accessible to students and academics in Indian languages.
Under the scheme, the books of knowledge texts mostly text books of
various subjects prescribed in Universities and Colleges are being
translated in all Languages of the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of
India.
National Translation Mission has so far published 40 Knowledge Text
translations in 16 languages (Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Hindi,
Kannada, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi,
Tamil, Telugu and Urdu).
The Mission has trained about 1400 budding translators through 3-week
intensive courses (21 days) on ‘Introduction to translation’ and 'Research
Methodology in Translation’
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