• Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 (SSG 2019) .

• To be instituted from August 14 to September 30, 2019, SSG 2019 will cover 17,450 villages in 698 districts across India and include 87,250 public places namely schools, anganwadi centers, public health centres, haat/bazaars/religious places, making it India's largest rural sanitation survey.
• Around 2,50,000 citizens will be interviewed for their feedback as part of the survey.
• Citizens will also be mobilised to provide feedback on sanitation relation related issues online using an application developed for the purpose.
• An independent survey agency will conduct the survey in all districts and the results will be announced based on quantitative and qualitative sanitation parameters.
• With over 5.8 lakh villages, 639 districts, and 32 States/UTs declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) in rural India, the country is well poised to be completely an Open Defecation Free India by October 2, 2019.
• A detailed protocol has been developed to guide the ranking of Districts basis their performance on key quality and quantitative parameters.
• The Jal Shakti Minister released the SSG 2019 logo, the SSG 2019 brochure mobile app and a dashboard for citizen's feedback.

Prime Minister's Independence Day address (key highlights)

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Jeevan Mission for water conservation
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CDS) + Mains ( GS II various security challenges )
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort was full of big bang announcements like appointing a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), 20 years after a review committee on the Kargil War had suggested it, and the setting aside of ₹3.5 lakh crore for a Jal Jeevan Mission for water conservation.
• The demand for CDS was raised after a review of the conduct of the Kargil War, during the time of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government.

Know! all about Chief of Defence Staff

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech announced the appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Chief of Defence Staff will be for all three services - The Indian Army, the Air Force and the Indian Navy.
• This post of recommended for the first time after the 1999 Kargil War. The objective of the creation of this post is to ensure better coordination between all three services.
• Chief of Defence Staff is the highest-ranked officer of the country's armed forces. CDS advise the government on matters related to all three services Army, Navy and Air Force.
• CDS will also be the head of the three services and will be a five-star military officer. CDS can effectively coordinate among the three services during the war, emergency situations or something crucial. Chief of Defence Staff will also work as military adviser to the PM on nuclear issues.

Government to launch Jal Jeevan Mission to bring piped water to households
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore will be spent in the coming years under the Jal Jeevan Mission to bring piped water to households. In his Independence Day address, Modi said half of the country's households do not have access to piped water.
• The government has resolved to provide piped water to all households by 2024. It has clubbed all erstwhile water related ministries under one new Jal Shakti Ministry.
• In her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the new ministry will look at the management of water resources and water supply in an integrated and holistic manner, and will work with states to ensure Har Ghar Jal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Defence
Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman awarded Vir Chakra On Independence Day
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Vir Chakra + about dog fight )
What's the NEWS

• Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman emerged a national hero after he shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet on February 27 during a dogfight near the Line of Control.
• Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who spent nearly 60 hours in Pakistan's custody after his MiG-21 Bison was shot down by Pakistan Air Force F-16s in February, awarded the Vir Chakra gallantry medal on Independence Day.
• Wing Commander Varthaman emerged a national hero after he shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet on February 27 during a dogfight near the Line of Control. He was captured by Pakistani forces and returned to India three days later, on March 1.
• The dogfight took place a day after Indian Air Force jets bombed terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot after 40 soldiers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama by a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammed.
• Vir Chakra is presented for acts of bravery on the battlefield. Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal who also played an important role in the Balakot airstrikes will be awarded the Yudh Seva Medal.

Prelims Factoids
Panchamirtham' of Palani temple gets GI tag
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about panchamirtham )
What's the NEWS

• The famous Palani panchamirtham, given as ‘prasadam' at the Murugan temple there, has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam' from Tamil Nadu has been bestowed with the GI tag. The application was filed by the Joint Commissioner/Executive Officer, Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Thirukkoil, North Giriveethi, Adivaram, Palani.
• It takes total number of such indigenous products from Tamil Nadu that have been accorded GI tag to 29.

Know! about Panchamirtham

• It is an ‘abhishega prasadam' (food that is a religious offering), which is served in a semi-solid state.
• In Tamil, term ‘pancha' means five and ‘amirtham' means delicacy. It is combination of five natural substances
• The geographical area for production of Palani Panchamirtham is not just Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple, but entire Palani town in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu.

Know! about Geographical Indication

• It defines goods as originating in territory of a country or a region or locality in that territory, provided a given quality reputation or other characteristics of the product are attributable to its geographical origin.
• The product to acquire GI tag has to indicate that it is of particular origin and has certain unique quality or reputation or some other characteristics, which is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
• In India, GI tag is given by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is Registrar of Geographical Indications (under Union ministry of commerce & industry) under statutory provisions of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999

Piyush Goyal inducts first CORAS commandos in railways
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CORAS)

What's the NEWS

• Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inducted the Commando for Railway Security (CORAS) and promised to set up a commando training centre in Haryana to modernize and train commandos of the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
• These CORAS commandos will be posted in Left extremist wing affected areas, northeastern region and Jammu and Kashmir where providing security to the passengers and the railway network is of utmost priority.
• A new state-of-the-art commando training centre for RPF will be started in Jagadhri (in Haryana) which will have access to latest technology and equipment."
• It is separate Commando Unit of Railway Protection Force (RPF). It has been carved out from motivated and willing young staff of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF).

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