Relevance IN - Prelims (about throated bulbul + about National games)
What's the NEWS

• The flame-throated bulbul, also called the Rubigula, was chosen as the mascot of the 36th National Games to be held in Goa because it is the state bird.
• The 36^th National Games will be held between October 20 and November 4 this year, and 12,000 athletes from 36 states and union territories are expected to participate in 37 disciplines across 24 venues in Goa.

• It is found only in the forests of the Western Ghats in southern India.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 - Schedule IV bird.

Wildlife Protection Act 1972

• Legal protection has been provided to wild animals against hunting and commercial exploitation under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was passed on August 21, 1972, but was later implemented on September 9, 1972.
• This act prohibits the capturing, killing, poisoning or trapping of wild animals

• Prohibition of hunting
• Protection and management of wildlife habitats
• Establishment of protected areas
• Regulation and control of trade in parts and products derived from wildlife
• Management of zoos

• The Police
• The Central Bureau of Investigation
• The forest department
• The customs

• Out of the six schedules , Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide absolute protection and offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
• The penalties for Schedule III and Schedule IV are less and these animals are protected.
• Schedule V includes the animals which may be hunted. These are Common crow , Fruit bats, Mice & Rats only.
• Schedule VI contains the plants, which are prohibited from cultivation and planting.

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Ujh Project and about Indus water treaty) + Mains (GS III infrastructure development + GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• A meeting has been chaired to fast-track the implementation of Ujh Multipurpose (National) Project, Jammu & Kashmir.

• As per Government's commitment to fast track utilization of India's rights under Indus Waters Treaty, the project is planned to be constructed in Kathua District of J&K on the River Ujh which is a major tributary of River Ravi.
• This project will store around 781 Million Cubic meter of waters of river Ujh (a tributary of river Ravi).
• After construction of the project, utilization of waters of Eastern Rivers allotted to India as per the Indus Water Treaty would be enhanced by utilizing of the flow that presently goes across border unutilized.

• In the year 1960, India and Pakistan signed a water distribution agreement -- came to be known as Indus Waters Treaty -- which was orchestrated by the World Bank.
• This agreement took nine years of negotiations and divides the control of six rivers between the two nations once signed.

• Beas
• Ravi
• Sutlej

• Indus
• Chenab
• Jhelum

• The treaty allows India to use only 20 per cent of the total water carried by the Indus river.
• To utilise the waters of the Eastern rivers which have been allocated to India for exclusive use, India has constructed the Bhakra Dam on Satluj, Pong and Pandoh Dam on Beas and Thein (Ranjitsagar) on Ravi.
• These storage works, together with other works like Beas-Sutlej Link, Madhopur-Beas Link, and Indira Gandhi Nahar Project have helped India utilise nearly the entire share (95 per cent) of the eastern river waters.
• However, about two million acre-feet (MAF),of water annually from Ravi is reported to be still flowing unutilised to Pakistan.
• To stop the flow of these waters, the Centre is currently taking three steps - resumption of construction of Shahpurkandi project; construction of Ujh multipurpose project; and a second Ravi-Beas link below Ujh.

• The Karnataka government launched the Janasevaka scheme in a few municipal corporation wards to ensure home delivery of various services like ration cards, senior citizen identity and health cards.

• "Janasevaka under the Sakala scheme is a programme to avail the benefits of government schemes at the doorstep.
• Sakala aims to ensure in-time delivery of government services to citizens by practising innovative and efficient management systems through capacity building in government and empowering citizens to exercise their right to service.
• People can apply from home by paying the fee online. This will make the process hassle-free

What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of the country's 13th major port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra at a total cost of Rs 65,544.54 crore.

Know! more about it

• The Vadhavan port will be developed on "landlord model" (where infrastructure is leased to private firms or industries and chemical plants).
• A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be formed, with the government planning to hold 51 per cent stake in the project.
• The SPV will develop the port infrastructure including reclamation, construction of breakwater, besides establishing connectivity to the hinterland.
• All the business activities would be undertaken under the private-public partnership mode.
• Currently, India has 12 major ports - Deendayal, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar, V O Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).
• The reason behind setting up another major port on the west coast is because of the exhaustion of container cargo capacity of the JNPT, which is 10 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent unit). On the west coast, this capacity is 18 million TEUs while the total requirement will increase to 25 million TEUs in 2030.
• The new port will also cater to the spillover traffic from JNPT once its planned capacity of 10 million TEUs is fully utilised.
• The Vadhavan port has a natural draft of about 20 metres close to the shore, making it possible for it to handle bigger vessels.
• Development of this port will enable cargo container vessels of 16,000-25,000 TEUs capacity, giving advantage of economies of scale and reducing logistics cost.

Economic Development
Cabinet approves amendment to bring cooperative banks under regulatory control of RBI
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the regulatory mechanism of Cooperative bank and the role of RBI after the cabinet decision) + Mains (GS III economic development)
What's the NEWS

• Union Cabinet has decided to bring Cooperative banks under the regulatory mechanism of Reserve Bank of India.
• The move will ensure greater accountability and transparency in the functioning of Cooperative Banks.
• The administrative role will continue to be managed by Registrar of Cooperative.

Know! more about it

• Currently, cooperative banks are governed by dual control of cooperative societies as well as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• While the role of cooperative society includes incorporation, registration, management, recovery, audit, supersession of board of directors and liquidation, central bank's role is responsible for regulatory functions.
• These amendments will apply to urban co-operative banks and multi-state cooperative banks.
• The government's move towards amending the banking regulation law to strengthen the cooperative banks comes months after Punjab Maharashtra Bank (PMC) collapsed.
• Such banks will also be audited as per RBI's norms
• The central bank can supersede the board, in consultation with the state government, if any cooperative bank is under stress.
• Following the amendments, the recruitment for the banks' management will be based on certain qualifications and appointment of the chief executive officer will also require prior permission from the banking regulator, as in case of commercial banks.
• To strengthen the cooperative banks, amendments to the Banking Regulation Act are proposed for increasing professionalism, enabling access to capital and improving governance and oversight for sound banking through the RBI

Education/Information Technology
The cabinet also approved the IIIT Laws Amendment Bill 2020
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the IIIT laws amendment bill) + Mains (GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
What's the NEWS

• Five IIITs in the PPP mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur will be declared as Institutions of National importance.
• After this decision, the total number of IIITs which have been declared the institutions' national importance has gone up to 25.

Know! more about it

• The Five IIITs in PPP mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur will now be able to use the nomenclature of Bachelor of Technology (BTech) or Master of Technology (MTech) or PhD degree.
• The cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
• The bill will declare the remaining 5 IIITs-PPP along with the existing 15 IIITs in PPP mode as 'Institutions of National Importance' with powers to award degrees
• The objective of the approval is for formalisation of IIITs at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur.
• These IIITs are already functioning as societies registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
• They will now be covered under the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, similar to the other 15 IIITs established under the scheme in PPP mode

Institutions of National importance

• Power to award degrees and use the categorisation of B.Tech, M.Tech or Ph.D. degree, which is issued by a University of National Importance.
• The Institutes will also be able to attract enough students to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology

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