Contents

1. Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar
2. Aqua Rejuvenation Plant
3. New ant species discovered from Kerala
4. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

AAPDA PRABANDHAN PURASKAR 

Focus: GS 3; Disaster and disaster management.

Why in News?

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021

About Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021

• To recognize and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in India in the field of Disaster Management, Government of India has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar.
• The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh and a certificate in case of an institution and Rs. 5 lakh and a certificate in case of an individual.
• It is administered National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA – created by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Disaster Management Act, 2005).
• The Institution has to utilize the cash prize for Disaster Management related activities only.
• Only Indian nationals and Indian institutions can apply for the award.
• The nominated individual or institution should have worked in any area of disaster management like Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Rescue, Response, Relief, Rehabilitation, Research, Innovation or early warning in India.

Please click on this for detailed explanation about Subash Chandra Bose Ji

Please click on this for detailed explanation about National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

AQUA REJUVENATION PLANT

Focus: GS 3; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Why in News?

CSIR-CMERI unveils ‘Aqua Rejuvenation Plant’ which facilitates an Organic Farming Model through treated Waste Water

About Aqua Rejuvenation Plant

• Aqua Rejuvenation Plant (ARP) is an Integrated Waste Water Rejuvenation Model which has Six-Stage purification profile for comprehensive treatment of Waste Water, based upon diverse purification parameters.
• The approx. 24,000 litres of Water that can be rejuvenated using ARP will be sufficient for almost 4 acres of Agricultural Land (barring seasonal variations in water requirements).
• The used filtration media have been specially developed to handle Indian Sewage Water Parameters and based upon Geographical Variations they may be modified.
• The filter media is also locally source-able, so as to ensure that there would not be any stress in the Supply Chain for scaled-up Manufacturing of ARP.
• The treated water which is now being used for irrigation can be used even for drinking purpose also when little more time is given for settling.
• The system has dual benefit as while the treated water is being used for irrigation purpose, the filtered sludge generated is also utilized as manure / fertilizer.
• The bio char prepared from dry leaves falling in autumn season is also used for mixing in soil as it reduces the water requirement for irrigation thus saving precious water.
• The Institute was earlier also using alternate technologies like sprinkle system and others for reduced water requirement for such purpose. 
• The different stake holders of the Society, Civic bodies, Governmental authorities, NGOs to come forward and work with the scientific community. 

NEW ANT SPECIES DISCOVERED FROM KERALA

Focus: GS 3; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Why in News?

New ant species discovered from Kerala named after JNCASR researcher, evolutionary biologist Prof. Amitabh Joshi

About New Ant Species Discovered From Kerala

• Two new species of a rare ant genus have been discovered in India. 
• The species of the ant genus Ooceraea found in Kerala, and Tamil Nadu add to the diversity of this rare genus.
• They differ from others of the same genus on the basis of the number of antennal segments.
• One of them found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala, has been named Ooceraea joshii, in honour of Prof. Amitabh Joshi, a distinguished evolutionary biologist from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.
• New species are typically named after some distinguishing attribute or location but are often named after scientists as a means of honoring their research contributions to biology, especially in the fields of evolutionary and organismal biology, ecology or systematics.
• The two new species, the first ones spotted with ten-segmented antennae among this rare genus, were discovered by a team led by Prof. Himender Bharti of Punjabi University, Patiala.
• The discovery has been published in the journal ZooKeys.
• The genus is currently represented by 14 species of which eight possess nine-segmented antennae, while five possess eleven- segmented antennae and one species has recently been reported with eight-segmented antennae.
• In India, the genus was so far represented by two species with nine- and eleven-segmented antennae respectively.
• The newly discovered ant species with ten segmented antennae discovered, establish an old world lineage that contains a species emerging as the only model organism among the ant subfamily.

BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO SCHEME

Focus: GS 3; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Why in News?

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme Increases Awareness and Sensitize the Masses on Gender Equality. Out of 640 Districts Covered Under BBBP 422 Districts Show Improvement in SRB.Gross Enrolment Ratio of Girls at Secondary Level Improves from 77.45 to 81.32

About Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

• The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme, launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 22nd January, 2015 at Panipat in Haryana with the objective of bringing behavioral change in the society towards birth and rights of a girl child, has resulted in increased awareness and sensitization of the masses regarding prevalence of gender bias and role of community in eradicating it. 
• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is a campaign of the Government of India that aims to generate awareness and improve the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls in India. The scheme was launched with an initial funding of ₹100 crore.  
• A joint initiative of MoWCD, MoHFW and MoHRD (now Ministry of Education).
• According to census data in India, the child sex ratio (0–6 years) in India was 927 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001, which dropped to 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011.
• In the Population Census of 2011 it was revealed that the population ratio of India 2011 is 919 females per 1000 of males.
• The Sex Ratio 2011 shows a downward trend from the census 2001 data.
• During the last 6 years the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has improved by 16 points from 918 in 2014-15 to 934 in 2019-20. 
• Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls in the schools at secondary level has improved from 77.45 to 81.32.
• During the last 6 years since its inception, the BBBP scheme has been aiming at changing the mindset of the public to acknowledge the rights of the girl child.
• The scheme has resulted in increased awareness and sensitization of the masses regarding prevalence of gender bias and role of community in eradicating it.
• It has raised concerns around the issue of declining CSR in India.
• As a result of collective consciousness of the people supporting the campaign, BBBP has found its place in public discourse.

About Progress in terms of monitorable targets under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

• Sex Ratio at Birth = Promising trends of improvement in Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has been observed at the National level. SRB has improved by 16 points from 918 (2014-15) to 934 (2019-20), as per the HMIS data of MoH&FW.
• Health = Percentage of 1st Trimester ANC Registration has shown an improving trend from 61% in 2014-15 to 71% in 2019-20 ( As per HMIS, MoH&FW). Percentage of Institutional Deliveries has shown an improving trend from 87% in 2014-15 to 94% in 2019-20 ( As per HMIS, MoH&FW).
• Education = Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls in the schools at the secondary level has improved from 77.45 (2014-15) to 81.32 (2018-19-provisional figures) as per UDISE-data. Percentage of schools with functional separate toilets for girls has shown improvement from 92.1% in 2014-15 to 95.1% in 2018-19 (2018-19 provisional figure, as per UDISE-data )
• Attitudinal change = The BBBP scheme has been able to bring the focus on the important issue of female infanticide, lack of education amongst girls, and deprivation of their rights on a life cycle continuum. The scheme has successfully engaged with the Community to defy the age-old biases against the girl child and introduce innovative practices to celebrate the girl child.
• The frontline government employees have been successfully collaborating at the level of the community for observing the son-centric rituals while celebrating the birth of a girl child i.e. Kuwapoojan, Thalibajana, etc. Now mothers and girl children are being felicitated at the community level and in hospitals by Administration to establish the relevance of the girl child. 
• BetiJanmotsav is one of the key program celebrated in each district