UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 06-02-2021

PM AtmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana

• It is a new centrally sponsored scheme that caters to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. It will,
  1. Develop capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care Health Systems,
  2. Strengthen existing national institutions, and create new ones.
• The main interventions under the scheme are:

1. Support for rural and urban Health and Wellness Centres;
2. Setting up of new integrated public health labs and public health units (PHUs);
3. Strengthening of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC);
4. Expansion of the Integrated Health Information Portal to all States/UTs to connect all public health labs;
5. Operationalisation of new PHUs and strengthening of existing PHUs at Points of Entry i. Airports, Seaports and land crossings;
6. Setting up of new Health Emergency Operation Centers and mobile hospitals; and
7. Setting up of a national institution for One Health, new Bio-Safety Level III laboratories and regional National Institutes for Virology.

• [One Health - Regional Research Platform for World Health Organization (WHO) South East Asia Region]

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna (Category - I) Government of India Enterprise.
• IREDA comes under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• It is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987.
• It is engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation.
• The motto of the organisation is : “ENERGY FOR EVER”

New START Treaty

• The United States has extended the New START nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia for five years. It was due to expire on February 5.
• New START treaty is the last remaining arms reduction pact between the former Cold War rivals i.e. Russia and United States.
• Signed in 2010, New START replaced the Treaty of Moscow (SORT), which was to expire in December 2012.
• It follows the START I treaty, which expired in December 2009.
• New START Treaty caps the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 that can be deployed by both the countries.
• It calls for halving the number of strategic nuclear missile launchers.
• A new inspection and verification regime was established, replacing the SORT mechanism.

Cats Warrior

• It is a programme by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which will have an unmanned fighter jet controlled by pilots in another fighter jet flying a few hundred kilometres behind.
• Called ‘manned–unmanned’ teaming, this is the latest technology in aerial warfare.
• It has the capability to go deep into enemy territory and hit a target.
• The unmanned jet will carry a set of missiles to targets in the air and on the ground.
• The ‘Cats-warrior’ will be ready to fly in four-five years. So far, it is being ‘mated’ with Tejas and the Jaguar.
• This low-cost autonomous jet will partner manned aircraft to increase air-combat power.
• The manned jet will remain in own territory the ‘cats warrior’ will fly ahead and hit target 700 kms away.
• The engine of the ‘Cats warrior’ is developed in house and is tweaked version of the Lakshya pilotless aircraft.

Amendment to Government of India Rules, 1961

• An amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 has been notified.
• This would enable the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to look after the development of Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions.
• The Ministry will also have the responsibility of construction, research, and policy in this area.
• This move would boost the sector, by setting up a regulatory regime, and facilitating research and new technology to come into this sector.
• Formulation of institutional, financial, and regulatory framework for the technology will also fall under the ambit of this move.
• This will go a long way in developing sustainable alternative mobility solutions in transport sector for urban, hilly and last mile connectivity.
• With growing mobility and diverse terrain across the country, it is imperative that all solutions be enabled and implemented.

Power Sector Reforms

• Andhra Pradesh has become the second State to implement one reform out of the three power sector reforms stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Finance Ministry.
• These three power sector reforms aim at creating a transparent and hassle free provision of power subsidy to farmers and prevent leakages.
• The States get permission to raise additional funds equivalent to 0.25% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) on completion of reforms in each sector. This is linked to a set of 3 reforms in the sector:
  1. 0.05% for reduction in Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses in the State as per prescribed targets.
  2. 0.05% for reduction in the gap between Average Cost of Supply and Average Revenue Realisation (ACS-ARR gap) in the State as per prescribed targets.
  3. 0.15% of GSDP on introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to all farmers in the State in lieu of free/ subsidised electricity.
• For the third reform, the State government has to frame a scheme for transfer of cash and implement the scheme in at least one district by 31^st December, 2020. Four citizen centric areas identified for reforms were
  1. Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System,
  2. Ease of doing business reform,
  3. Urban Local body/ utility reforms and
  4. Power Sector reforms.

Source: AIR, PIB, The Indian Express, The Hindu, Business Line, Down To Earth, Business Standard