Daily Current Capsules
14th September 2020
Infrastructure Development
Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF 2.0) and Streets for People Challenge launched

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CSCAF 2.0 + Streets for People Challenge') + Mains ( GS III Infrastructure development)
What's the NEWS

• The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0, along with the ‘Streets for People Challenge' in a virtual event organized by the Smart Cities Mission

Know! about CSCAF

• The objective of CSCAF is to provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating Climate Change while planning and implementing their actions, including investments.
• CSCAF initiative intends to inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in India.
• This assessment framework was developed after review of existing frameworks and assessment approaches adopted throughout the world followed by series of extensive consultative process with more than 26 organizations and 60 experts from different thematic areas.

The framework has 28 indicators across five categories namely;
(i) Energy and Green Buildings
(ii) Urban Planning, Green Cover & Biodiversity
(iii) Mobility and Air Quality
(iv) Water Management and
(v) Waste Management.

• The Climate Centre for Cities under National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is supporting MoHUA in implementation of CSCAF.

Streets for People Challenge

• The Streets for People Challenge is the response to the need for making our cities more walkable and pedestrian friendly.
• The Challenge builds on the advisory issued by MoHUA for the holistic planning for pedestrian-friendly market spaces, earlier this year.
• The Challenge will support cities across the country to develop a unified vision of streets for people in consultation with stakeholders and citizens.
• It aims to inspire cities to create walking-friendly and vibrant streets through quick, innovative, and low-cost measures.
• All cities participating in the challenge shall be encouraged to use the ‘test-learn-scale' approach to initiate both, flagship and neighbourhood walking interventions.
• Fit India Mission, under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with the India program of the Institute for Transport Development and Policy (ITDP) have partnered with the Smart Cities Mission to support the challenge.

Prelims Factoids
IPFT develops new Disinfectant Sprays
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology- IPFT)
What's the NEWS

• Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology- IPFT an autonomous Institution under the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers has successfully developed two new technologies namely "Disinfectant spray for surface application" and "Disinfectant spray for Vegetables & fruits."

Know! about IPTF

• Gurugram, Haryana, based IPFT was Established in May 1991 under the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers as an Autonomous Institution.
• Institute has been working towards the development of safer, efficient and environment friendly pesticide formulations.
• IPFT has four administrative divisions namely, Formulation Technology Division, Bioscience Division, Analytical Science Division and a Process Development Division.

Energy Security
Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin, an excellent source of fuel methane

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about KG basin + Methane hydrate )
What's the NEWS

• In a recent study conducted by researchers at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India have found that the methane hydrate deposits are located in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin are of biogenic origin.
• The study was conducted as a part of the DST-SERB young scientist project titled ‘Elucidating the community structure of methanogenic archaea in methane hydrate'.

Know! about Methane hydrate

• It is formed when hydrogen-bonded water and methane gas come into contact at high pressures and low temperatures in oceans.
• The methane hydrate deposit in Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin is a rich source that will ensure adequate supplies of methane, a natural gas.
• Methane is a clean and economical fuel. It is estimated that one cubic meter of methane hydrate contains 160-180 cubic meters of methane.
• Even the lowest estimate of methane present in the methane hydrates in KG Basin is twice that of all fossil fuel reserves available worldwide.

Know! more about Methane Hydrate

• Methane hydrate is a crystalline solid that consists of a methane molecule surrounded by a cage of interlocking water molecules
• Methane hydrate is an "ice" that only occurs naturally in subsurface deposits where temperature and pressure conditions are favorable for its formation.
• If the ice is removed from this temperature/pressure environment, it becomes unstable.
• For this reason methane hydrate deposits are difficult to study.
• Several other names are commonly used for methane hydrate. These include: methane clathrate, hydromethane, methane ice, fire ice, natural gas hydrate, and gas hydrate.
• Methane is the primary component of natural gas, and the development of methane hydrate follows almost the same procedure as that for natural gas.

Know! about Krishna Godavari Basin

• It is a peri-cratonic passive margin basin in India.
• It is spread across more than 50,000 square kilometres in the Krishna River and Godavari River basins in Andhra Pradesh.
• The site is known for the D-6 block where Reliance Industries discovered the biggest natural gas reserves in India in 2003

e-governance
iRAD App

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about iRAD app and its objective)
What's the NEWS

• The 2-days Orientation and Training programme on iRAD App was conducted by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways for the selected districts of Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
• Based on the feedback and other suggestions received, the App will be customised for the State.
• The basic iRAD app has been developed and will be customized/integrated as per the requirements of concerned States/UTs.

Integrated Road Accident Database Project (iRAD)

• The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is in the process of implementing ‘Integrated Road Accident Database Project (iRAD)' which will be applicable across the country.
• In the first instance, it has been decided to implement the proposal in six States, viz. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• The development and implementation of iRAD has been entrusted to lIT Madras and National Informatics Centre Services Inc.
• The App when developed and functional, will enable the stakeholders such as the Police, Transport, Health, etc to use their mobile phones to collect accident data on the spot.
• This project is proposed on IT based system for capturing the spot accident data using mobile app configured for this purpose.
• This data can then be utilized for various purposes like finding the causes of the accidents and remedial measures to improve the road infrastructure, to record the accidents data for the use of police, health services and other concerned departments.

Infrastructure Development
Grih Pravesham event

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Grameen (PMAY-G)
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister addressed the ‘Grih Pravesham' event in Madhya Pradesh through where 1.75 Lakh Families were delivered pucca houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Grameen (PMAY-G)

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAYG)

• Earlier known as Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), is a scheme for rural housing by the Indian Government.
• This social welfare program was initiated to meet the objectives of the "Housing for All" scheme by the year 2022.
• It aims to provide a 25-square meter pucca house including basic amenities to beneficiaries of the scheme.
• The houses provided will have certain special features such as it would be disaster-resilient, low cost, and will be built keeping in mind the socio-cultural and geo-climatic factors.

Key features of the PMAYG scheme

• The construction cost of the houses will be shared in a 60:40 ratio between the Central and State governments in plain areas, i.e. Rs.1.20 lakh of assistance for each unit.
• For rural areas located in the Himalayan states, northeastern states, and the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir, the ratio is 90:10, i.e. the central government will bear 90% of the cost and the state government will finance 10% amounting up to Rs.1.30 lakh of assistance for each unit.
• 100% financing will be offered by the Central government for the construction of houses in Union Territories including the newly-formed union territory of Ladakh.
• Beneficiaries are selected using parameters from the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) and verified by Gram Sabhas.
• The PMAY Gramin scheme is associated with other central government schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBMG) through which, the assistance of up to Rs.12,000 for the construction of toilets will be provided in collaboration with MGNREGS or other schemes.

Science & Technology
Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge (MANAK)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about MANAK + about NIF) + Mains ( GS III Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

What's the NEWS

• This year online nominations for 2020-21 have resumed from 1st June 2020. Since students are not able to attend schools due to COVID 19, DST has encouraged them to use this time for generation of innovative ideas which can be submitted to the online portal www.inspireawards-dst.gov.in.

Know! all about MANAK

• The Million Minds Augmenting National Aspirations and Knowledge (MANAK) programme was launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in partnership with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) in 2017.
• It emphasises on the power of ideas in young minds to create a pipeline of innovative students who can recognise problems and find solutions to them.
• Aiming to harness the power of bright minds spread across 6 lakhs school in the country, DST invites students from government and private schools to send original and innovative ideas having potential to solve common problems.
• These ideas go through a tough screening and mentoring process at the school level, district, and state level to be selected for the National level competitions.
• Government efforts are triggering children with imaginative minds and encourages children to come up with solutions for day to day problems based on science and technology.
• Such ideas are being solicited by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and meritorious ideas are rewarded with the award money of Rs 10,000 with option of showcasing it to district, state, and national level exhibition along with mentoring support.
• More than 3.8 lakh students from all States and Union Territories of the country have submitted their ideas in 2019.
• Out of these, a few are provided with financial support of Rs 10,000 each for developing prototypes.
• After a series of DLEPC (District Level Exhibition and Project Competition) and subsequent SLEPC (State Level Exhibition and Project Competition), some of them are selected to exhibit their ideas at a national level competition.

Know! about National Innovation Foundation (NIF)

• India was set up in March 2000 with the assistance of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
• It is India's national initiative to strengthen the grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge.
• Its mission is to help India become a creative and knowledge-based society by expanding policy and institutional space for grassroots technological innovators.
• NIF scouts, supports and spawns' grassroots innovations developed by individuals and local communities in any technological field, helping in human survival without any help from formal sector.
• NIF helps grassroots innovators and outstanding traditional knowledge holders get due recognition, respect and reward for their innovations.

KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS