GS PAPER – II

India Smart Cities Award Contest

Why in news?

• The ISAC awards for 2022, organised under the Smart Cities Mission, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs were announced recently.

Winners this year

• Indore has been adjudged the best Smart City while Madhya Pradesh has been chosen as the top state for exemplary performance in the Smart Cities Mission.
• Surat and Agra are the second and third place winners among cities, while Tamil Nadu is the second in State category followed by Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC), 2022.
• The award for the best Union Territory has gone to Chandigarh.

About the Awards

• The ISAC awards for 2022, organised under the Smart Cities Mission, were announced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• President Droupadi Murmu will give away the awards on September 27 at Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
• This is the fourth edition of the ISAC awards. In the past, the ISAC witnessed three editions in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
• The 2022 edition was launched in April last year during the ‘Smart Cities-Smart Urbanisation’ event in Surat.
• There were no awards in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Criteria for the awards

• The ISAC recognises and rewards cities, projects and innovative ideas that are promoting sustainable development across the 100 smart cities, as well as stimulating inclusive, equitable, safe, healthy and collaborative cities leading to a better quality of life for all.
• The ISAC 2022 award had a two-stage submission process consisting of ‘Qualifying Stage’, which involved overall assessment of the city’s performance, and the ‘Proposal Stage’ which required the smart cities to submit their nominations for six award categories.
• A total of 845 nominations were received for ISAC 2022 from 80 qualifying smart cities out of which 66 final winners have been identified in various categories.

 

GS PAPER – II

Expansion of BRICS

Why in news?

• BRICS has increased its members from previously five to now eleven members.

Recent move

• By doubling its number of members from five to 11 in one quick sweep, the BRICS grouping has strengthened its position as a global grouping to be reckoned with.
• In addition, the choice of countries, bringing in four major players from the West Asian region — Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — apart from Ethiopia and Argentina from Africa and South America is significant, as it denotes a shift in the non-western economic grouping’s underpinnings, to make it a more politically relevant bloc.
• BRICS founders chose from 22 countries that formally applied for BRICS membership, and more than 40 in all that have evinced interest in the group.

Significance of expansion

• Chief among the messages the BRICS has sent out is that despite misgivings and even mockery of the cohesion in the grouping in the west, it is an attractive club for members of the Global South.
• BRICS expansion would also bolster India’s push for UN reform, more representation of the Global South and the expansion of the UN Security Council.
• The message that the summit and the BRICS expansion took place despite the U.S. and Europe’s moves to “isolate” Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, and to push for an ICC international warrant that prevented Russian President Vladimir Putin from travelling to Johannesburg would not be lost on the Western bloc either.
• While India may not have been in favour of such a rapid expansion, India took the lead in drafting the criteria for membership, and the fact that most of the new members are strategic partners of India is the result of India’s efforts.

Iran’s induction and Chinese dominance

• The induction of Iran in BRICS sends a further message against U.S. sanctions, just as Iran’s induction in the SCO this year did, and it is significant that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi before the summit.
• However, many international observers have pointed out that all the new members have very close economic ties to China, and the acceptance of Iran and Saudi-UAE to the same grouping has only been made possible by the peace deal brokered by Beijing earlier this year. This factor means that in the future, India may have to lobby harder to make its vote in the BRICS grouping count.

 

GS PAPER – II

National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)

Why in news?

• To eliminate hazardous cleaning, stop deaths of sewer and septic tank workers and ensure their safety and dignity, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) have jointly formulated a Scheme namely National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE).

About the scheme

• The scheme aims at formalization and Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers.
• The existing components of Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) have been kept as components of NAMASTE Scheme.
• The scheme is to be implemented in all 4800+ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country, during the three years up to 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 349.70 crore.

Need for the Scheme

• Although, with the efforts under Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) and other efforts of the Government, the menace of manual scavenging has been almost eliminated, a number of sewer/septic tank related deaths due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, are reported in the press from time to time.
• Such cases are taken up with the concerned State Government for payment of compensation of Rs.10 lakh as per Supreme Court orders.
• Thus, the main problem these days is hazardous cleaning of Sewer and Septic tanks and non-observance of safety precautions due to which precious human life is lost.

Interventions of NAMASTE Component:

1. Profiling of SSWs: NAMASTE envisages profiling of the Sewer/Septic Tank Workers (SSWs). List of SSWs would be obtained from the concerned ULBs and thereafter detailed profiling of the SSWs would be undertaken through profiling camps.
2. Occupational Safety Training and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kits to SSWs
3. Assistance for Safety Devices to Sanitation Response Units (SRUs) for hazardous cleaning operations.
4. Extending Health Insurance Scheme Benefits: For providing a safety net to identified SSWs and their families, they will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The premium for AB-PMJAY for those identified Manual scavengers and SSWs families who are not covered earlier shall be borne under NAMASTE.
5. Livelihood Assistance: The Action Plan will promote mechanization and enterprise development. National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC) will provide funding support and capital subsidy to the Manual Scavengers, sanitation workers and their dependents to procure sanitation related equipment and vehicles under Swachhata Udyami Yojana (SUY) to make them “Saniprenure”. In addition to this, providing capital subsidy to identified manual scavengers and their dependents for self employment project will be continued.
6. Identified manual scavengers and their dependents will be provided skill development training for a period upto two years with monthly stipend of Rs.3000/-.
7. Convergence of Programmes of MoSJE & MoHUA: The safety of SSWs is a joint responsibility of MoSJE and MoHUA. Hence, the intent of NAMASTE is to strengthen convergence amongst both Ministries for governance and implementation of the NAMASTE components. The Action Plan leverages the available financial allocations of existing SRMS, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) and NSKFDC and brings in a focused approach to provide occupational, social and financial safety nets to the SSWs.
8. IEC Campaign: Massive campaigns would be undertaken jointly by the ULBs & NSKFDC to spread awareness about the interventions of NAMASTE. Electronic and print media and hoardings at prominent locations shall be used for the campaign in local language and English/Hindi. Maximum use of social media during the publicity would be ensured.
9. MIS and Website: There will be strong MIS implementation and monitoring with the help of dedicated website for NAMASTE.

 

GS PAPER – II

Indore tops the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC), 2022

Why in news?

Recently, Indore has been awarded the best Smart City in the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC), 2022.

Key Highlights:

• Surat and Agra are the second and third-place winners among cities,
• Top States: Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu is the second in the State category followed by Rajasthan.
• The award for the best Union Territory has gone to Chandigarh.

About the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC):

• The ISAC awards for 2022, are organised under the Smart Cities Mission, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• India Smart Cities Awards Contest (ISAC) was launched to reward the cities, projects and innovative ideas promoting ‘smart; development in cities.
• All the Smart Cities’ SPVs are eligible to submit their nominations for the ISAC.
• Process: Two Stage – The ISAC 2022 award had a two ­stage submission process consisting of
• The ‘Qualifying Stage’, which involved the overall assessment of the city’s performance.
• The ‘Proposal Stage’ required the smart cities to submit their nominations for six award categories.

Analysis:

• A total of 845 nominations were received for ISAC 2022 from 80 qualifying smart cities out of which 66 final winners have been identified in various categories.

About Smart Cities Mission:

• It was launched in 2015 under the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs as a Centrally Sponsored scheme.
• It is implemented through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) at the city level.
• It aims at developing 100 selected cities as Smart Cities

 

GS PAPER – II

Nataraja Statue: At G20 Venue

Why in news?

Recently, the government of India has decided to place a 28 ­foot Nataraja statue to be placed in front of the venue of the G­20 Leaders Summit.

• Ashtadhatu: The statue, weighing 19 tonnes, and made of eight metals: gold, silver, lead, copper, tin, mercury, iron and zinc, is believed to be the world’s tallest Nataraja sculpture.

About Nataraja Statue:

• The Nataraja statue is one of the most famous and iconic artworks of the Chola period. It is a bronze sculpture of Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer, and it is considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of Indian art.
• The statue typically shows Shiva dancing in the Natya Shastra pose, holding various symbols which vary with historic period and region, trampling upon a demon shown as a dwarf (Apasmara or Muyalaka) who symbolizes spiritual ignorance.

Features of the Nataraja Sculpture:

• The damaru (drum) represents the rhythm of the universe.
• The damaru is a small drum that is often held by Shiva in his upper right hand.
• The flame represents the destructive power of Shiva. The flame that Shiva holds in his upper left hand represents his destructive power.
• The Abhaya mudra (gesture of protection) represents Shiva’s protection of his devotees.
• Shiva makes this gesture with his lower right hand to reassure his devotees that they are safe under his protection.
• The veena (stringed instrument) represents creation. The veena is a stringed instrument that is often held by Shiva in his lower left hand.
• The dwarf represents spiritual ignorance. The dwarf that Shiva is dancing on represents spiritual ignorance. This ignorance is the obstacle that prevents people from achieving moksha, or liberation.
• The circular or elliptical frame represents the cosmos. The circular or elliptical frame that surrounds Shiva represents the cosmos. It is the stage on which Shiva performs his cosmic dance.

 

GS PAPER – III

Next-Generation Photonic Analog-to-Digital Converters (NG-PADC) project

Why in news?

Recently, newly designed prototypes in the Next-Generation Photonic Analog-to-Digital Converters (NG-PADC) project could revolutionize various sectors, enabling faster digital communication, improved satellite communication, better medical imaging, and Photonic radars.

About NG PADC Project:

• It carries out instantaneous frequency measurement, generation and transport of Radio Frequency (RF) through optical methods.
• The NG-PADC project has developed a new type of photonic ADC that is based on time-stretching. This technique allows the ADC to achieve an effective bandwidth that is 12 times higher than a corresponding electronic ADC.
• This is a major breakthrough that could lead to significant improvements in the performance of many Radio Frequency (RF) systems.
• Radiofrequency refers to the range of electromagnetic frequencies around 3 kilohertz (kHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz) that are commonly used for wireless communication and various other applications.

 

GS PAPER – II

African Union Suspends Niger Following Coup

Why in news?

Following the most recent coup that deposed the democratically elected president of Niger, the African Union (AU) has suspended Niger from all of its institutions and activities.

• Foreign forces’ operations in Niger and diplomatic relations may be impacted by this action.

About African Union

• The 55 member states that make up the nations that make up the African Continent make up the AU, a continental organisation.
• The Organization of African Unity was founded in 1963 by African republics to promote unity.
• The Organisation of African Unity was replaced by the AU in 2002, and one of its objectives was to hasten the “economic unification of the continent”.
• The AU urged its associate members and the international community to oppose the unconstitutional change in the form of government.

Analysis:

The AU is a continental organisation that aims to promote unity and solidarity among African countries, promote peace and security, and accelerate economic integration.

• Its significance lies in its potential to address the continent’s challenges, such as poverty, hunger, and disease.
• However, it faces challenges such as weak institutions, corruption, and political instability.