World Tsunami Awareness Day observed on 05th November
World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022:
In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated November 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day, calling on countries, international bodies and civil society to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction. UN Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) facilitates the observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day in collaboration with the rest of the United Nations system. The date of November 5 was chosen to mark the story of “Inamura-no-hi” (burning of the rice sheaves) in western Japan. This earthquake occurred in 1858.
World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022: Theme
The theme of World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022 in Asia-Pacific: Early Warning and Early Action Before Every Tsunami. This day is celebrated to raise awareness for early warnings and actions to protect people, save lives, and prevent the hazard from becoming a disaster.
What are tsunamis?
The word “tsunami” comprises the Japanese words “tsu” (meaning harbour) and “nami” (meaning wave). A tsunami is a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean. Volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls can also generate a tsunami, as can a large asteroid impacting the ocean. They originate from a vertical movement of the sea floor with the consequent displacement of water mass.
Tsunami waves often look like walls of water and can attack the shoreline and be dangerous for hours, with waves coming every 5 to 60 minutes.
The first wave may not be the largest, and often it is the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or even later waves that are the biggest. After one wave inundates, or floods inland, it recedes seaward often as far as a person can see, so the seafloor is exposed. The next wave then rushes ashore within minutes and carries with it many floating debris that were destroyed by previous waves.
World Tsunami Day: History
World Tsunami Day was first officially observed on 5 November 2016 After the announcement of the UN General assembly on 22 December 2015. The UN General Assembly called all the countries in international bodies to raise awareness about this natural disaster and share product ideas.
In the last 100 years, 58 tsunamis have killed over 260,000 people, more than any other natural disaster. The highest number of deaths occurred in December 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck. It killed 227,000 people in 14 countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. Only three weeks after the tsunami, the international community gathered in Kobe, Japan, to adopt the 10-year Hyogo Framework for Action. This was the first comprehensive global disaster risk reduction agreement.
Niva Bupa partnered with IDFC FIRST Bank partner for Bancassurance
Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited has announced a partnership with IDFC First Bank to provide health-insurance solutions to the customers of the bank. The advanced digital capability of the bank combined with Niva Bupa’s best-in-class health insurance solutions will provide the best services for the customers. The partnership will empower the two institutions to serve customers better and help them lead healthier lives.
Niva Bupa partnered with IDFC FIRST Bank partner for Bancassurance- Key Points
Niva Bupa is known for introducing the most innovative health insurance benefits in India.
They can design and launch products for different customer segments that will hold IDFC First Bank to offer customers services according to their needs.
The partnership of IDFC First Bank and Niva Bupa is the first bank partnership this year for Niva Bupa.
The partnership aims to provide growth for both businesses and to expand the reach to provide the best healthcare solutions.
Both Niva Bupa and IDFC First Bank share synergy in terms of creating strong digital platforms for customers to enable seamless customer onboarding and excellent service experience.
Government Set Up Radhakrishnan Committee for Strengthening the Assessment & Accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions
The Ministry of Education has set up a high-level panel to strengthen the assessment and accreditation of higher educational institutions, on November 4, 2022. The panel will be headed by Dr K Radhakrishnan, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur. He is also the chairperson of the Standing Committee of IIT Council.
Mandate Of The Committee:
“The mandate of the committee includes strengthening the assessment and accreditation processes and preparing a road map for the National Accreditation Council envisioned in the National Education Policy, 2020. India has one of the largest and diverse education systems in the world,”.
What Has Been Said:
“Accreditation plays a vital role in making quality assurance an integral part of the functioning of higher educational institutions. Accreditation assists the institutions to understand their strengths and weaknesses through an informed review process, thus facilitating identification of internal areas of planning and resource allocation by them,” the official said.
“Accreditation status of any higher educational institution serves as a source of reliable information for the students, employers and the society regarding the quality of education being offered in the institution,” the official said.
Members Of The Committee:
Other members of the committee include Mridul Hazarika, Vice-Chancellor, Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya, Assam; Bharat Bhasker, Professor, IIM, Lucknow and Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
Finance Minister Launches Biggest Ever Coal Mine Auction of 141 Mines
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the biggest-ever coal mine auction of 141 mines that are expected to benefit twelve states directly. During the launch, the finance minister said that a fast-growing economy like India needs greater investment in coal production and gasification projects.
What Has Been Said:
The Coal Ministry in a statement said that 33 coal mines were put up for auction in the sixth round of commercial auctions, out of which 71 were new coal mines and 62 coal mines were rolling over from earlier tranches of commercial auctions. Additionally, 8 coal mines under the second attempt of 5th round of commercial auctions were included for which single bids were received in the first attempt. “With the launch of this auction tranche, the Ministry of Coal re-affirms its commitment to attaining self-sufficiency in the area of thermal coal,” the ministry said.
Sitharaman said that twelve states are to benefit directly from today’s auctioning of 141 coal mines. The Finance Minister complimented the Coal Ministry for the recent initiatives to unlock the coal sector and said that mining sector reforms are providing the right fillip to our fast-growing economy. Sitharaman highlighted that India is at present the best investment destination in the world. She pointed out that due to policy consistency and the transparent process of the present government, coal imports for the power sector have come down by 41 percent.
Direct Beneficiary States:
The mines being auctioned are spread across coal/lignite-bearing states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar.
About The Coal Sector Reform:
Despite being the world’s fourth-largest producer, India is the second-largest importer of the dry-fuel. Therefore, in line with the vision to build an ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, a slew of reforms to promote commercial mining of coal in India, has been done.
The reforms Recently Announced In Coal Sector:
Commercial mining of coal is allowed, with 50 blocks to be offered to the private sector.
Entry norms will be liberalised as it has done away with the regulation requiring power plants to use “washed” coal.
Coal blocks to be offered to private companies on revenue sharing basis in place of fixed cost.
Coal gasification/liquefaction to be incentivised through rebate in revenue share.
Coal bed methane (CBM) extraction rights to be auctioned from Coal India’s coal mines.
The Intended Benefits:
Plugging Supply Gap: Commercial mining of coal can increase the domestic production of coal and bridge the supply gap.
Boost Economy and Employment: Allowing commercial mining may help to address India’s coal production needs, provide investment opportunities and save precious foreign exchange.
This will play a major role in ensuring the energy security of the country, as nearly the majority of power generation in India comes from thermal power plants. The domino effect on sectors that use coal, like steel, power and aluminium, is going to be significant.
PM Modi Declared Mangarh Dham National Monument
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Mangarh Dham a National Monument in the Banswara District, Rajasthan. PM Modi mentioned that India’s past, present, and future are not complete without the tribal community. Mangarh Dham is a symbol of tenacity and sacrifices of tribals and added that this is the common heritage of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Bhil Freedom fighter Shri Govind Guru at the event.
PM Modi Declared Mangarh Dham National Monument- Key Points
Manghar holds special importance for the Bhil Community and other tribes of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.
The representative of the traditions and ideals of India were freedom fighters like Shri Govind Guru.
He lost his family and his life while fighting for the freedom of his tribe.
Prime Minister also mentioned that the massacre took place in Mangarh on 17th November 1913.
About Mangarh
India was fighting against the British and during the freedom struggle, the Bhil community and other tribes were also fighting a long-stand off against British officials. On 17th November 1913, 1.5 lakh Bhil was performing a rally against the British, where Britishers opened fire at the gathering. The massacre leads to the death of 1500 tribal people.
Ganga Utsav 2022– The River Festival to be celebrated on 4th November
Ministry of Jal Shakti is organizing Ganga Utsav- The River Festivals 2022 on 4th November 2022 at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi in two separate sessions. The Ganga Utsav- The River Festivals 2022 is being organized by the collaboration of The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
NMGC will make Ganga Utsav- The River Festivals 2022 more colorful with the active and inspirational participation of multiple stakeholders. One of the main objectives of Ganga Utsav 2022 is to celebrate rives and spread awareness of the significance of river rejuvenation across river basins in India.
Key Points related to the Ganga Utsav- The River Festivals 2022
Ganga Utsav- The River Festivals 2022 will include a blend of art, culture, music, knowledge, poetry, dialogue, and stories.
The event will be held in New Delhi and will be felicitated by renowned artists Dr. G. Padmaja, Padma Shri, Sh. Banerjee, Ms. Megha Nair, and Sh. Bimal Jain.
Several activities like puppet shows, film screenings, painting, pottery, and nest-making workshops will be held.
A mini food stall will also be a part of this event which will include food stalls from Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.
The Ganga Utsav 2022- The River Festival is being developed as a model for River Festivals to connect people to the rivers and inculcate their importance.
All mediums, print and digital are being leveraged to reach out to the largest number of people and efforts have been made to organize Ganga Utsav 2022 in a way that sees massive participation from the grassroots organizations, on-ground cadres of volunteers, and district administrators.
The festival will continue at different levels and through various central and district levels platforms, the activities will take place through partners, stakeholders, and an army of volunteers, who are joining the drive to clean rivers, ecology, and the environment.
Haryana CM Launched ‘CM dashboard’ for Live Monitoring of Departments
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the ‘CM Dashboard’ portal that will have real-time data of all departments and decisions taken on major schemes. The ‘CM Dashboard’ portal will provide live monitoring of every department at the block, district, and panchayat levels. The portal will have information about the decisions taken by the administrative wing on major schemes. This will enable tracking of methodology and analysis of the report and further help in the comparison of old and new data.
Haryana CM Launched ‘CM dashboard’ for Live Monitoring of Departments- Key Points
In the ‘CM Dashboard’ portal, departments will link their day-to-day activities for effective monitoring.
Through the ‘CM Dashboard’ portal timelines and deadlines of a particular task being met can be known.
The portal will also provide information about which department had set what target for a particular task, whether that was achieved or if anyone defaulted, and for what reason.
The ‘CM Dashboard’ portal will be beneficial in taking the state government’s ambition of good governance ahead.
CM Manohar Lal Khattar launched a dedicated e-Upphar portal to auction gifts received by him.
The bade bid amount would be fixed and payment would be directly transferred to the Chief Minister Relief fund.