• 28 Jun 2024

‘Emergency’ Chapter to be Part of School Curriculum

Why in News?

Recently, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav announced the inclusion of a chapter on the Emergency in the state's school curriculum.

• The chapter will explain the “excesses and repression” committed during the Emergency, which was imposed by the Government of India in 1975.

Key Points

• The motive behind this step is to make the present generation aware of the struggle during the 1975 to 1977 Emergency period.
• The CM announced several additional facilities for ‘Loktantra Senanis’ (democracy fighters) who took part in the struggle against the Emergency.
  • Democracy fighters will be provided with air ambulances in case of serious health problems, and anti-emergency crusaders will receive a 25% discount on fares.
  • All arrangements will be made to conduct the final rites of the 'Loktantra Senanis' with state honors. The amount provided to their families at the time of the funeral will be increased from the current ₹8,000 to ₹10,000.
  • Employment opportunities will be made available to the family members of the democracy fighters by providing them with the necessary training to set up industries or other business ventures.
• On June 25, 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency in the country, jailing opposition leaders and dissidents and effecting press censorship. This year observed the 50^th anniversary of the beginning of this period.

Emergency

• Emergency provisions are contained in Part XVIII of the Constitution of India, from Article 352 to 360.
• National Emergency (Article 352)
  • This provision empowers the President to declare a state of emergency if he is satisfied that the security of the country or any part thereof is threatened by war, external aggression, or armed rebellion.
• State emergency (Article 356)
  • Article 356 empowers the President to impose President's Rule in a state if he is satisfied that the government in the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
  • This provision is invoked in cases of breakdown of constitutional machinery in a state, allowing the Union to take over the governance of the state.
• Financial emergency (Article 360)
  • This provision allows the President to declare a state of financial emergency if he is satisfied that the financial stability or credit of India or any part thereof is threatened.

Bihar to Bring Stringent Law Against Paper Leaks

Why in News?

Recently, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary asserted that the state government would bring in a stringent law to curb exam paper leaks.

• The new law will be passed by the assembly in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature.

Key Points

• The central government has already notified the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations and common entrance tests held across the country.
• Key Features:
  • It defines various offences related to unfair means, such as paper leaks, the use of fake websites, and collusion with service providers.
  • It prescribes strict penalties, including a minimum jail term of 3-5 years and a fine up to Rs. 1 crore.
  • It holds service providers engaged for exam conduct liable with fines up to Rs 1 crore and a 4-year ban on their involvement in public exams.
  • It empowers police officers not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police to investigate offences under the Act.
  • It will cover a wide range of central government recruitment exams, including those conducted by UPSC, SSC, RRBs, IBPS, and National Testing Agency (NTA).

Risk Posed by 13 Glacial Lakes During Monsoon

Why in News?

The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Department (USDMA) is going to do a vulnerability study of the 13 glacial lakes, five of them in “high risk zone”.

• The study aims to provide data to help avoid calamities such as lake outbursts.

Key Points

• According to the officials, the Himalayan glaciers are in danger due to climate change, and that this requires continued checks to ensure nothing untoward happens.
  • 13 high-risk lakes are located in Darma, Lasaryanghati, and Kutiyangti valley in Pithoragarh district, and Vasudhara Tal lake in Chamoli district.
  • They range from 0.02 to 0.50 sq. km in size and are situated at elevations above 4,000 meters above sea level.
• In March 2024, the State government had formed two expert teams to assess the risks associated with these glacial lakes.
• The teams were composed of experts from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, the Geological Survey of India, the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.

Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)

• About:
  • A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a type of catastrophic flood that occurs when the dam containing a glacial lake fails, releasing a large volume of water.
  • This type of flood is typically caused by rapid melting of glaciers or the buildup of water in the lake due to heavy precipitation or the inflow of meltwater.
    • In February 2021, Chamoli district in Uttarakhand witnessed flash floods which are suspected to have been caused by GLOFs.
• Causes:
  • These floods can be triggered by a number of factors, including changes in the volume of the glacier, changes in the water level of the lake, and earthquakes.
  • According to NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), glacial retreat due to climate change occurring in most parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayas has given rise to the formation of numerous new glacial lakes, which are the major cause of GLOFs.

Haryana CM Distributes Plot Allotment Letters

Why in News?

Recently, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini distributed plot allotment certificates to beneficiaries of the State Housing Scheme.

Key Points

• The Haryana government launched the Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana to fulfill the housing aspirations of poor families in alignment with the Prime Minister's vision to provide housing for every impoverished individual.
  • Under the state scheme, 15,250 beneficiaries were given land plot allotment certificates.
  • At the event held at Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak, the chief minister handed out plot allotment letters to the beneficiaries.
  • Similar programmes to distribute allotment letters were also held simultaneously at four other places -Yamunanagar, Palwal , Sirsa , and Mahendragarh.
• The state government had also recently distributed cards to families having an income of less than Rs 1 lakh annually under the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana.
  • Around 23 lakh families, consisting of approximately 84 lakh members, are benefiting from a scheme that provides 1,000 kilometers of free bus travel within a year in state transport.

Haryana Mukhyamantri Shahri Awas Yojana

• Launched in 2023, the main objective of this scheme is to provide houses at affordable rates to the weaker and low-income group families of the state.
• Under the scheme, plots will be allotted to those who do not have land to build a house.
  • This will lead to social and economic development of the poor families of the state and will give them a chance to live a safe and stable life.

UP Chief Minister Announces 4 New Highways

Why in News?

Recently, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditiyanath announced to introduce four new link expressways after a detailed study and action plan.

Key Points

• As per reports, the new expressways include the Purvanchal Expressway, which will be connected to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, and Ganga Expressway- which connects Farrukhabad and Jewar Airport via two link expressways.
• The Ganga Expressway, from Meerut to Prayagraj, is planned to be completed and open to the public by December 2024 to enable devotees to utilize the expressway for Prayagraj Kumbh in 2025.
• Gorakhpur Link Expressway, will provide excellent connectivity for the districts of Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Azamgarh, and Ambedkar Nagar.
  • These new expressways will significantly boost the state’s infrastructure and connectivity.
  • To promote environmental sustainability and enhance the aesthetics of these new routes, saplings should be planted along both sides of all expressways.

Prayagraj Kumbh

• Kumbh Mela comes under UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river.
  • It takes place on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik, the Shipra river in Ujjain, the Ganges in Haridwar, and the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river in Prayagraj. The confluence is referred to as the ‘Sangam‘.