Published on: September 7, 2024
Snippets : 7 SEPTEMBER 2024
Snippets : 7 SEPTEMBER 2024
- The Karnataka State government has established a one-year expert committee, chaired by retired IAS officer K.P. Krishnan, to explore asset monetisation opportunities, particularly land in and around Bengaluru, for generating revenue, with members including former CBIC chairman Najib Shah, retired IAS officer H. Shashidhar, Professor Krishnaraju of ISEC Bengaluru, and the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department (secretary of the panel); the committee will develop a roadmap for transparent and timely implementation of asset monetisation to boost non-tax revenues.
- The Karnataka government has abolished the electricity subsidy limit for power loom and pre-loom units. Agriculture Marketing Minister said this decision would help every weaver to save at least ₹40,000 a year. Units having 10.1 HP to 20 HP capacity would be fully subsidised and weavers would have to pay only ₹1.25 per unit of electricity
- Valley fever, a fungal disease endemic to the western United States, is seeing a significant rise in cases across California, prompting concerns among health officials and researchers.
- Recently, a new species of spider Carrhotus piperus, has been identified in the lower Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu
- INDIA – FRANCE BILATERAL NAVAL EXERCISE VARUNA
- Prime Minister launched of the ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ initiative at Surat, Gujarat. Under this program, approximately 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures are being constructed across the state to enhance rainwater harvesting and ensure long-term water sustainability.
- CM launches Yettinahole Drinking Water Project’s 1st phase, diverting west-flowing river water from 4 tributaries of Netravati (Yettinahole, Kadumanehole, Kerihole, Hongadahalla) to meet South Karnataka’s (Kolar, Chickballapur, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Hassan, Tumakuru, and Chikkamagaluru.)drinking water needs, benefiting 75 lakh people across 7 districts, filling 527 tanks with 24 tmcft of water, at an estimated cost of ₹23,251.66 crore, with a focus on dam safety through expert committee audit.
- Greenpeace India’s “Spare the Air” report on air quality in 10 cities, including Mysuru and Mangaluru, reveals that pollution levels significantly exceed WHO and NAAQS standards. WHO guidelines set annual limits for PM 2.5 at 5 µg/m³ and PM 10 at 15 µg/m³, while NAAQS permits 40 µg/m³ for PM 2.5 and 60 µg/m³ for PM 10. Cities like Mysuru, Bengaluru, and Puducherry have PM 10 levels 4-5 times higher than WHO limits, with Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad showing up to 9 times higher levels. In Bengaluru, PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels exceed WHO standards by 5-6 times and 3-4.5 times, respectively. Mysuru’s pollution correlates with transport expansion and has only one monitoring station, while Mangaluru also shows levels above both standards for PM 10 and PM 2.5.
- A parcel of land in Uttar Pradesh, once owned by the family of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, is set to be auctioned under The Enemy Property Act. This act, which was established in 1968, pertains to properties belonging to individuals who migrated to Pakistan or China after the wars of 1965 and 1971 or the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The Government of India seized these properties under the Defence of India Rules, with the Custodian of Enemy Property managing them. Despite the Tashkent Declaration of 1966, which proposed discussions on property return, Pakistan disposed of these assets in 1971. The Act was amended in 2017 to address legal heirs and ensure continued vesting with the Custodian. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, reinforced these provisions. Notably, the Raja of Mahmudabad case highlighted challenges in control, with a 2005 Supreme Court ruling impacting the management of such properties.
- The Union Health Ministry has introduced the BPaLM regimen under the National TB Elimination Program to treat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). This new treatment combines four drugs—Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and optionally Moxifloxacin. Pretomanid, recently approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), is a key component. The BPaLM regimen is designed to be safer and more effective than traditional MDR-TB treatments, offering an all-oral regimen with a reduced pill burden. It shortens the treatment duration from 20 months to 6 months and is associated with fewer adverse effects.
