Published on: January 31, 2025
Snippets : 31 JANUARY 2025
Snippets : 31 JANUARY 2025
- The Karnataka Cabinet has approved key policies, including the Karnataka Micro Finance (Prevention of Coercive and Inhuman Actions) Bill, aimed at protecting borrowers from harassment by microfinance companies. The bill proposes penalties for coercive practices, such as imprisonment and fines, while mandating the registration of microfinance institutions and prohibiting them from using security in loans. Additionally, the New PPP Policy for Asset Monetization has been introduced, with the goal of generating revenue by monetizing government assets across 15 sectors. This policy will focus on public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects, offering government land at concessional rates to encourage private sector participation. The Cabinet also approved projects like the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Townships to address urban congestion and initiatives such as the Ugrappa Committee Report to prevent exploitation of women and children.
- In Karnataka, the overall prevalence of leprosy has slightly increased from 0.31% in 2022-2023 to 0.33% in 2023-2024, while the national average stands at 0.6%. Certain districts, such as Koppal, Vijayanagara, and Ballari, have higher rates than the national average, with Koppal having the highest at 0.78%. In contrast, districts like Hassan and Chikkamagaluru have the lowest prevalence rates, with values of 0.04% and 0.07%, respectively. The rate of Grade II deformities has risen steadily from 2.5% in 2019-2020 to 3.64% in 2023-2024. In terms of multibacillary (MB) leprosy cases, there has been a slight decrease in their percentage among new cases, from 71% in 2019-2020 to 78% in 2023-2024, which is still higher than the national average of 60.88%. Leprosy control efforts emphasize early detection and treatment, with Multi-Drug Treatment (MDT) being provided free of charge at public health facilities. The Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign (SLAC) is conducted annually to raise awareness about leprosy. Migrants from states like Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal contribute to a higher incidence of the disease, with treatment discontinuation and drug resistance being significant concerns. Symptoms include light, white, or copper-colored skin patches, loss of sensation, and absence of sweat in affected areas, particularly on the back and thighs.
- The Union Cabinet has approved the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM), aimed at strengthening India’s critical minerals value chain. The mission focuses on developing a technological, regulatory, and financial ecosystem to ensure the availability of critical minerals, both domestically and through international sourcing. This initiative will help boost access to raw materials for sectors like clean energy, electronics, defense, and agriculture. With a budget of Rs 16,300 crore over seven years, the mission includes provisions for exploration, foreign sourcing, and risk coverage. It aims to complete 1,200 exploration projects and auction over 100 mineral blocks by 2030-31. Additionally, it targets acquiring 50 foreign mineral mines, recycling 400 kt of material, and establishing mineral processing parks and recycling guidelines. Partnerships with resource-rich countries and integration into trade agreements will also be a key feature of the mission.
- The Mutual Credit Guarantee Scheme (MCGS-MSMEs), approved by the Central Government, aims to guarantee loans for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to help them purchase equipment or machinery. The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) will provide a guarantee coverage of 60% to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs). MSMEs eligible for the scheme must have a valid Udyam Registration Number. The loan guarantee limit is up to ₹100 crore, with a minimum project cost allocation of 75% for equipment/machinery. Repayment terms vary, with loans up to ₹50 crore having a repayment period of up to 8 years and a maximum 2-year moratorium on principal, while loans above ₹50 crore may have higher repayment schedules and moratoriums. The upfront contribution is 5% of the loan amount at the time of guarantee application. The annual guarantee fee is nil for the first year, 1.5% for the next 3 years, and then 1% thereafter. The scheme will be applicable for 4 years or until a cumulative guarantee of ₹7 lakh crore is issued, whichever comes first.
- The MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM) program has been launched by the Ministry of MSME in partnership with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This initiative is aimed at enabling small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to join ONDC and adopt digital commerce, thereby enhancing their visibility and operational efficiency. Under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Productivity (RAMP) program, the TEAM initiative will focus on connecting MSMEs to the ONDC network, providing digital storefronts, integrated payment systems, and logistics support. With a budget of ₹277.35 crore over three years, the program is set to benefit around 5 lakh micro and small enterprises, 50% of which will be women-led. Key activities include reducing operational barriers, expanding market presence, and formalizing operations. Workshops will also be conducted across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to assist MSMEs, particularly women, SC/ST-led enterprises, and MSME clusters. This program aims to enhance MSME credibility, trust, and customer reach by guiding businesses through the process of creating digital catalogs and utilizing the ONDC ecosystem.
- A massive landslide in October 2023 sent 14.7 million cubic meters of frozen sediment—enough to fill 10 football fields—into Sikkim’s South Lhonak Lake, triggering a tsunami-like wave and releasing water equivalent to 20,000 Olympic swimming pools downstream, according to an international team of scientists led by IIT-Bhubaneswar’s Ashim Sattar. Published in Science, the study highlights the inadequacy of current glacial-lake outburst flood (GLOF) models and stresses the need for early warning systems in vulnerable Himalayan regions. The flood, caused by intense rainfall on October 3, destroyed the 1,200-MW Teesta-III hydropower dam, killed 55 people, left 74 missing, and damaged nearly 26,000 buildings—around 17,000 in Bangladesh—along with over 50 bridges. Researchers from IISc, IITs, Indian universities, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police used satellite imagery, seismic and weather data, field observations, and computer simulations to reconstruct the disaster, revealing that the landslide had been showing signs of displacement since 2016. The collapse generated a 20-meter-high wave that breached the lake’s natural barriers, carrying 270 million cubic meters of debris into the Teesta river valley, with precise measurements capturing the exact timing of the flood.
- Two young Indian Navy officers, Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A, crossed Point Nemo, the most remote location on Earth, in the southern Pacific as part of their circumnavigation of the globe on INSV Tarini. Located 2,688 km from the nearest landmass, Point Nemo is renowned for its extreme isolation, often with the closest human presence being aboard the International Space Station. The officers successfully passed through the point at 0030 hours on January 30 while sailing from Lyttelton, New Zealand, to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, during the third leg of Navika Sagar Parikrama II. They collected water samples from the area for analysis by scientists at the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, contributing to global oceanographic research. Point Nemo, known as the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, also serves as a spacecraft cemetery where defunct satellites and space stations are directed to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. Since a Spanish research vessel, Hespérides, first sailed through the point in 1999, few vessels have passed it, and INSV Tarini navigated purely on sails. Lt Cdrs Dilna and Roopa embarked on their journey from Goa on October 2, braving harsh conditions, including the ‘Roaring Forties’, ‘Furious Fifties’, and ‘Screaming Sixties’—strong westerly winds—alone for over eight months before their scheduled return in May 2025. This marks the Indian Navy’s second all-women circumnavigation attempt, following the first by a six-member crew aboard the same sailboat seven years ago.
- Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla is set to make history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as the pilot of Axiom Mission 4, scheduled for launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft no earlier than spring 2025. This joint effort between NASA and ISRO marks India’s first crewed ISS mission. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission, with Shukla as the pilot, alongside mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Expressing excitement about experiencing microgravity, Shukla emphasized his desire to share the journey with fellow Indians by capturing and sharing images and videos from space. He sees the mission as a collective achievement for India’s 1.4 billion people and plans to carry items representing different parts of the country, even hoping to serve Indian food aboard the ISS. Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian in space, traveling aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission in 1984.
- The Western Railway is installing AI-powered intrusion detection devices along railway tracks passing through the Gir sanctuary to prevent lion collisions. This initiative is part of broader efforts to protect Asiatic lions, as railway officials reported that 135 lions were saved from accidents by loco pilots in the past year. However, at least a dozen lions have died in train accidents over the past two years, prompting the Gujarat High Court to intervene, leading to a reduction in train speeds from 80 kmph to 40 kmph at night. This speed restriction applies to the Pipavav-Surendranagar railway line, managed by Pipavav Railway Corporation, and the Mahua-Rajula line under the Bhavnagar division of Western Railway. To further enhance safety, the Bhavnagar division recently issued tenders worth Rs 8.77 crore for installing an “Intrusion Detection System” in Damnagar, Pipavav, Rajula, and Mahua, where lion sightings are frequent. Officials stated that these devices will help loco pilots detect lion movements along the tracks and take preventive measures. Due to a rise in their population from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020, Asiatic lions, once restricted to Gir National Park, have been moving into nearby forests and human settlements across the Saurashtra region.
