Relevance IN - Prelims(National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization)+ Mains (GS III Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.)
What's the NEWS

• National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO) functioning as a subordinate department under the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India published the 4^th updated version of COVID-19 Dashboard on its official Portal at http://geoportal.natmo.gov.in/Covid19/

Know! about National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization

• It is a specialized institution of its kind in the world. This organization was assigned with responsibility in the field of thematic cartography and geographical research at national level.
• A subordinate office under Department of Science & Technology, it is the sole authority for depicting National framework data in the form of thematic maps and atlases to cater the actual picture of the development and planning initiatives of the country among the users.
• The first National Atlas of India in Hindi popularly known as Bharat: Rashtriya Atlas having a 26 multi-colour maps was published in 1957 and was acclaimed the world over as a unique publication.
• Consequent upon the success of Bharat: Rashtriya Atlas, the organization decided to prepare an ambitious project containing 300 plates which covered all the aspects of the land, people and economy of the country.
• This atlas was issued in 8 volumes. Apart from the above project, the organization also took up various projects either from outside agencies or its own.

Know! the functions of National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO)

• Compilation of the National Atlas of India
• Preparation of the National Atlas maps in regional languages
• Preparation of thematic maps based on research studies on environmental and associated aspects and their impact on social and economic development
• Any other work entrusted by the Central Government or its agencies to NATMO
• Installation of automated Mapping System for increasing speed and efficiency in mapping
• Division of Digital mapping System &Digitized and Scanning of existing maps on digital format
• Geographical Researches
• Remote Sensing &GIS, Digital Image processing
• Division on Cartography for the Visually Impaired
• Capacity and Infrastructure building of NATMO to convert / to upgrade in digital mode

Prelims Factoids
Sindhu Darshan puja

Relevance IN - Prelims(Sindhu Darshan festival + about Nimu -map based questions)
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed Sindhu Darshan puja at Nimu, the forward brigade place in Ladakh.

Know! about the festival

• The Sindhu Darshan festival is celebrated along the banks of the river Sindhu in the UT every year on the full moon day.
• Celebrated over three days, this festival aims at projecting Indus (or Sindhu) as a symbol of India's unity, peaceful coexistence and communal harmony and is also a symbolic salute to brave soldiers of the country.
• The Sindhu Darshan Festival is a celebration of River Sindhu, also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation.
• The main reason behind the celebration of Sindhu Darshan Festival is to endorse the Indus River (Sindhu River) as an icon of the communal harmony and unity of India.

Know! about Nimu

• Nimu or Nimmu is a small village situated some 45 kms from Leh in the South East part of Ladakh.
• It is a popular tourist attraction as one can see the picturesque confluence of River Indus and Zanskar.
• Also, Nimu is known as the starting point of the famed All India Rafting Expedition that takes place on River Indus.

International relations
China makes new claim in eastern border with Bhutan

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Sakteng wildlife sanctuary + about GEF) + Mains (GS II Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests)
What's the NEWS

• Beijing made this claim while objecting to a request to develop the Sakteng wildlife sanctuary in eastern Bhutan's Trashigang district at an online meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• Bhutan objected to the Chinese claim and also the GEF council rejected the Chinese claim and approved the project

China's statement in the GEF council meet

• The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the China-Bhutan disputed areas which is on the agenda of China-Bhutan boundary talk, China opposes and does not join the Council decision on this project

Bhutan's official statement

• Bhutan totally rejects the claim made by the Council Member of China.

Know! about Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary

• Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is an integral and sovereign territory of Bhutan and at no point during the boundary discussions between Bhutan and China has it featured as a disputed area
• The sanctuary, located in the easternmost part of Bhutan, covers 650 sq km, and has not been disputed by China in the past.
• Sakteng was not in disputed areas identified and jointly surveyed by Bhutan and China in western and central sectors.
• It is a surprising new development. Sakteng or any other part of eastern Bhutan was not disputed. China is expanding its territorial claims against Bhutan
• Sakteng is quite some distance from the border with China. There is a dispute in only two segments of the border: in the north - Pasamlung and Jakarlung, and in the west - Doklam and some adjoining areas to the east.

Know! about GEF

• The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, to help tackle our planet's most pressing environmental problems.
• GEF funding to support the projects is contributed by donor countries. These financial contributions are replenished every four years (see GEF Replenishment documents) by the 39 GEF donor countries.
• GEF funds are available to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements.
• The World Bank serves as the GEF Trustee, administering the GEF Trust Fund (contributions by donors).
• An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury, sustainable forest management, food security, sustainable cities.

The GEF also serves as financial mechanism for the following conventions:

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
• Minamata Convention on Mercury

The GEF, although not linked formally to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MP), supports implementation of the Protocol in countries with economies in transition.

Prelims Factoids
Winter diesel
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Winter Diesel + about DGQA)
What's the NEWS

• State-run Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) launched a special winter-grade diesel that remains unfrozen up to minus 33 degree Celsius.
• The fuel would help provide year-round access to snow-capped border regions, and is part of India's efforts to speed up strategic road connectivity.
• This new fuel will help Indian security forces to stock up on crucial supplies and ammunition that gets cut off due to bad weather in winters.
• Indian Oil has come up with an innovative solution to this problem by introducing a special winter-grade diesel with a low pour-point of -33o Celsius, which does not lose its fluidity function even in extreme winter conditions
• Regular diesel in these areas can't be used as flow characteristics of regular diesel change at such low temperatures and using it may be detrimental to vehicles)

Know! about winter diesel

• Winter diesel is a specialised fuel that was introduced by IOCL last year specifically for high altitude regions and low-temperature regions such as Ladakh, where ordinary diesel can become unusable.
• IOCL and other oil marketing companies, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, provide the armed forces with Diesel High sulphur Pour Point (DHPP -W) to armed forces for operations in these areas which also has a pour point of -30°C.
• It contains additives to maintain lower viscosity so that it can be used in temperatures as low as -30°C and that besides a low pour point, it had higher cetane rating - an indicator is the combustion speed of diesel and compression needed for ignition.
• It has lower sulphur content, which would lead to lower deposits in engines and better performance.
• IOC may begin supplying winter diesel to the armed forces once its use is approved by the Controllerate of Quality Assurance for petroleum products under the Directorate General of Quality Assurance of the armed forces.

Know! about Directorate General of Quality Assurance

• The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) is under Deptt. Of Defence Production , Ministry of Defence.
• This organisation is more than hundred years old and provides Quality Assurance (QA) cover for the entire range of Arms, Ammunitions, Equipments and Stores supplied to Armed Forces.
• Apart from QA activities, the organisation is responsible for import substitution and associates with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the development projects.
• It also ensures Documentation, Codification and Standardisation Action for minimizing the variety of components / equipments.

Economy
World Bank and Government of India sign $750 million Agreement for Emergency Response Programme for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises

Relevance IN - Prelims (World Bank's MSME Emergency Response Programme) + GS III ( international organisations)
What's the NEWS

• The World Bank and the Government of India today signed the $750 million agreement for the MSME Emergency Response Programme to support increased flow of finance into the hands of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Know! about World Bank's MSME Emergency Response Programme

• The World Bank's MSME Emergency Response Programme will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 1.5 million viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs. This is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time.
• This project will support the Government in providing targeted guarantees to incentivize NBFCs and banks to continue lending to viable MSMEs to help sustain them through the crisis
• The World Bank Group, including its private sector arm - the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will support the government's initiatives to protect the MSME sector by "unlocking liquidity, enabling financial innovations" and supporting "key market-oriented channels of credit such as the NBFCs and Small Finance Bank (SFBs)
• The World Bank has to date committed $2.75 billion to support India's emergency COVID-19 response, including the new MSME project.

Infrastructure Development/Governance
NHAI to Rank Roads for Quality Service
Relevance IN - Prelims (factual info wrt the assessment and ranking of roads) + Mains (GS II governance, accountability and transparency +GS III infrastructure development)
What's the NEWS

• In its effort to improve the quality of roads, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to undertake performance assessment and ranking of the highways in the country.

Know! about the assessment and ranking

• The assessment audit and ranking of the NHs is aimed to take corrective recourse, wherever needed, to improve the quality and provide higher level of service to highway commuters.
• The assessment parameters are based on different international practices and studies for benchmarking highway performances in Indian context.

The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads:

• Highway Efficiency (45%),
• Highway Safety (35%) and
• User Services (20%).

Know! the benefits of doing assessment

• On the basis of outcome of the assessment, the authority will undertake a comprehensive analysis and decide on the level of intervention required to enhance the overall service quality.
• The score obtained by each Corridor in each of the parameter will provide a feedback and corrective recourse for higher standards of operation, better safety and user experience to improve existing highways.
• This will also help in identifying and filling gaps of design, standards, practices, guidelines and contract agreements for other NHAI projects.
• The ranking of the corridors will be dynamic and the concessionaire/ contractor/ operator will get the opportunity to improve upon their ranking by improving the services on that corridor.

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