Relevance IN - Prelims ( about iFLOW) + Mains ( GS III Disaster management)
What's the NEWS

• State-of-the-art Flood Warning System for Mumbai has been launched

• Floods to be estimated 3 days in advance, at ward-level
• Decision Support System will enable smart decision-making and field action based on risk assessment
• State-of-the-art flood warning system developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)

• A state-of the-art Integrated Flood Warning System for Mumbai has been launched
• The system will help make the city become more resilient, by providing early warning for flooding especially during high rainfall events and cyclones.
• A similar system was already developed by MoES and is in operation at Chennai.
• Earlier the MoES scientists have developed the best early warning system for tsunami in the whole world and have never given a false alarm on this issue.
• This service has also been extended to the countries in Indian Ocean Region who are being highly benefitted.

• The system uses rain gauge data and local data such as data on land use, land topography, drainage systems, water bodies in the city, tide levels, infrastructure and population, which has been provided by BMC.
• Using these as inputs, the prediction system models weather, rainfall, runoff and water movement, tide and storm surge impacts based on which early Flood Warnings for the city will be provided.
• It will address the flood inundation due to rainfall, river bank breach, storm surge, obstruction of flow due to roads, buildings, rail lines, high tides and sea level rise.

• The Data Assimilation Module
• The Inundation Module
• The Flood Module
• The Vulnerability and Risk Modules
• The Dissemination Module

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Challenger dep - geographical location)
What's the NEWS

• Sullivan is now the only human who has walked in space and reached the deepest point in the ocean.
• The deepest known spot in the world's oceans, called the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, which is seven miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
• She made her descent in the two-person submersible (vehicles that can be operated underwater) ‘Limiting Factor' as part of Caladan Oceanic's Ring of Fire Expedition.

• Through the expedition, the team hopes to observe volcanic vents, identify new species and conduct the extensive mapping of the US Exclusive Economic Zone at the request of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

• According to NOAA, the average depth of the ocean is about 12,100 feet and the deepest part is called the Challenger Deep, which is located below the surface of the western Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 36,200 feet deep.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a U.S.A. scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce that focuses on the conditions of the oceans, major waterways, and the atmosphere.
• NOAA warns of dangerous weather, charts seas, guides the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources and conducts research to provide the understanding and improve stewardship of the environment.

• The diversion of forest land for other purposes continued throughout India.

• A total 11,467.83 hectares (114.68 square kilometre) forest lands were diverted in 22 states between January 1 and November 6, 2019
• This diversion was for 932 non-forestry projects under the Forest (Conservation) Act (FCA), 1980
• More than a third of the diversion (4,514 ha) was for 14 projects was in Odisha, followed by Telangana - 2,055 ha for 11 projects - and Jharkhand (869.99 ha for 11 projects).
• The most number of projects - 251 - were in Haryana, which led to the diversion of 519.53 ha. Madhya Pradesh diverted 795.36 ha for 220 projects.
• The largest area of forest land was diverted for irrigation and mining projects.

• There was no conversion of forest villages to revenue villages in 2019, as stipulated under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• Forest villages were villages set up by the British Indian government to settle workers inside forests and procure resources like timber more efficiently.
• There are around 2,500 forest villages across the country.

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Indian gaur)
What's the NEWS

• The first population estimation exercise of the Indian gaur carried out in the Nilgiris Forest Division has revealed that more than an estimated 2,000 Indian gaurs inhabit the entire division.
• This is the first population estimation exercise which has been conducted in the division in recent years
• Worldwide Fund for Nature-India, assisted the Forest Department during the exercise

• The gaur also called the Indian bison, is one of the largest extant bovines.
• It is native to South and Southeast Asia and it is the largest and the tallest in the family of wild cattle, even bigger than water buffalo and bison.
•  Since 1986, the IUCN has listed the Indian Bison as vulnerable because of the declining population
• The global population has been estimated at maximum 21,000 mature individuals by 2016.
• It declined by more than 70% during the last three generations, and is extinct in Sri Lanka and probably also in Bangladesh.
• As per wildlife protection Act. 1972 Gaur is a Schedule -l animal
• It is kept well - protected in some of the famous national parks of India like Nagarhole, Bandipur, Kabini, Masinagudi and BR Hills.

• Established as a Charitable Trust on 27 November, 1969, WWF India set out with the aim of reducing the degradation of Earth's natural environment and building a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
• In 1987, the organization changed it's name from the World Wildlife Fund to World Wide Fund for Nature India.
• WWF India is a science-based organization which addresses issues such as the conservation of species and its habitats, climate change, water and environmental education, among many others.

• In a discussion paper on governance in commercial banks in India, the banking regulator has suggested to empower the bank board by

1. recognize and manage conflicts on interest
2. setting the appetite for risk and manage risks within the appetite and
3. improving the supervisory oversight of senior management.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed a stronger board for banks in the country for improving governance and proposed stringent norms for chief executive officers(CEO) and whole time directors(WTD)
• The norms are applicable for private banks, foreign banks and also public sector banks

• The board members should not be a member of any other bank's board or the RBI and should not be either a Member of Parliament or State Legislature or Municipality or other local bodies.
• Board of directors of a bank should not be less than six and not more than 15 directors, with majority being independent directors. The Chairman of the Board should be an independent director.
• The board shall meet at least six times a year and at least once every sixty days.
• The appointment, re-appointment and termination of wholetime directors and chief executive officers should be with the previous approval of RBI.
• The upper age limit for CEO and WTDs of banks is suggested at 70 years, which is a norm for private banks at present.
• The individual shall be eligible for re-appointment as WTD or CEO only after the expiration of three years
• The new norms will come into effect within a period of six months after being placed on website of the Reserve Bank or April 01, 2021, whichever is later.

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Germiklean)
What's the NEWS

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a sanitizing chamber named ‘GermiKlean' to sanitise uniforms of security forces.
• The sanitizing chamber has been set up at Parliament Street Police Station.
• DRDO designed and developed a dry heat treatment chamber named "GermiKlean". This chamber is designed to sanitise 25 pairs of uniforms within 15 minutes