Current Affairs 28 September 2022 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 28 September 2022 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Quarterly Employment Survey

Source: PIB
GS II: Indian Economy

What is discussed under Quarterly Employment Survey?

1. What is Quarterly Employment Survey (QES)?
2. Key Highlights of the 4th Report

Why in News?

Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) Fourth Round Report (January-March 2022) is released by the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MOLE).

What is Quarterly Employment Survey?

• The Labour Bureau has adopted the All India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AQEES) to give quarterly updates on the employment and related variables of establishments in both organised and unorganised parts of nine selected sectors, which constitute to the bulk of total non-farm business employment.
• QES captures employment data concerning establishments employing 10 or more workers, mostly constituting the organized segment, in the nine selected sectors.
• These sectors are:
  1. Manufacturing

     

  2. Construction
  3. Trade
  4. Transport
  5. Education
  6. Health
  7. Accommodation and Restaurants
  8. IT/ BPOs
  9. Financial Services
• The QES, which is part of the AQEES, was started in April 2021 to collect important data on employment and associated factors in the organised sector of the economy.
• Each quarter, data is collected from around 12,000 establishments.
• The first such report, covering the period April-June 2021, was published in September 2021.
• The AQEES is made up of two parts:
  • QES: Applies to businesses with 10 or more employees
  • Area Frame Establishment Survey (AFES): Applies to businesses with 9 or less employees

Key Highlights of the 4th Report

• An estimated total of 3.18 crore workers were employed in 5.31 lakh firms, compared to a total of 3.14 crores in the third quarter.
• The manufacturing industry employs the most people (38.5%), followed by the education sector (21.7%), the IT/BPO sector (12.2%), and the health sector (10.6%).
• In terms of establishment size (number of employees), an estimated 80% of the firms employed 10 to 99 people.
• If we limit ourselves to firms with 10 or more employees, this ratio rises to 88%.
• Approximately 12% of the businesses had less than ten employees.
• Only 1.4% of the businesses reported having at least 500 employees.
• Such major enterprises were largely in the IT/BPO and health care sectors.

JALDOOT App

Source: PIB
GS II: Policies and Developmental Studies; GS III: Food and Agriculture

What is discussed under JALDOOT App?

1. What is JALDOOT App?
2. Groundwater Depletion in India

Why in News?

The ‘JALDOOT App and JALDOOT App e-brochure’ were introduced by the Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Steel to enable monitoring of groundwater tables across the country.

What is JALDOOT App?

About the App

• The JALDOOT app was created in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
• This app will be used across the country to record the water level of a village’s selected 2-3 wells.
• Water levels in open wells will be manually monitored twice a year, from 1st May to 31st May for pre-monsoon water levels and from 1st October to 31st October for post-monsoon water levels for the same well.
• Jaldoots, or policemen tasked with measuring water levels, should also upload geo-tagged images via the app on each occasion of measurement.

Significance

• This mobile app can be used both online and offline.

  

• So, the water level may be taken even without internet access, and acquired data is kept in the mobile
• The data will be synchronised with the central server when the mobile enters a connectivity region.
• The Jaldoots’ regular data entry would be merged with the National Water Informatics Centre’s (NWIC) database, which could be used for analysis and display of different helpful reports for the benefit of various stakeholders.
• JALDOOT’s online portal offers water level reports, monsoon reports, and registered user reports.
• The app will aid in the observation of water tables around the country, and the generated data may be used for Gram Panchayat Development Plans and Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Plans.

Groundwater Depletion in India

• 85% of India’s rural and 50% of its urban populations rely on groundwater to meet their requirements.
• Groundwater levels are dropping in numerous sections of northern India, particularly in densely populated areas.
• The quality of groundwater levels in India has declined as groundwater levels have decreased.

Causes

• Excessive pumping of water from the ground
• Increasing population
• uneven rainfall
• climate change
• Deforestation

Implications

• Lowering of the water table
• Reduction of water in streams and lakes
• Subsidence of land
• Increased cost for water extraction
• Contamination of groundwater
• Constraints in the food supply
• Limitations to biodiversity and creation of sinkholes

Recommendations

• Routine survey at regular intervals
• Assessment of land use pattern
• Changes in farming methods
• Reforms in power supply subsidies for agriculture
• Monitoring groundwater extraction
• Preventing groundwater pollution
• The synergy between Central, State and Local governments
• Water to be brought under Concurrent List
• Conservation of water bodies

Very Short-Range Air Defence System

Source: PIB
GS III:  Science and Technology

What is discussed under Very Short-Range Air Defence System?

1. What is VSHORADS?
2. Reaction Control System
3. Defence Research and Development Organisation

Why in News?

The DRDO completed two successful test flights of the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile from a ground-based portable launcher at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

What is VSHORADS?

• VSHORADS is an indigenously designed and built Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in conjunction with other DRDO institutes and Indian Industry

  

  Partners.

• The VSHORADS missile features a number of unique technologies, including as a miniaturised Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics, which have been successfully tested.
• A dual thrust solid motor propels the missile, which is designed to counter low-altitude aircraft threats at short ranges.
• The missile’s design, including the launcher, has been significantly optimised for mobility.
• Both flying tests perfectly fulfilled the mission goals.

Reaction Control System

• A Reaction Control System (RCS) is in charge of attitude control and steering through thrusters.
• The RCS system can deliver modest quantities of thrust in any direction or combination of directions.
• An RCS can also provide torque to facilitate rotational control (pitch, yaw, and roll).
• This is in contrast to the main engine of a spaceship, which can only provide a push in one direction but is far more powerful.
• A close-up of the RCS thrusters at the nose of a Space Shuttle.

Defence Research and Development Organisation

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the principal organisation under the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, entrusted with military research and development, based in Delhi, India.
• The Defence Science Organisation was founded in 1958 by the amalgamation of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories.
• In 1979, the Defence Research and Development Service (DRDS) was established as a service of Group ‘A’ Officers / Scientists directly under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence.
• DRDO is India’s largest and most diverse research organisation, with a network of 52 laboratories engaged in creating defence technology in sectors such as:
  • Aeronautics, weapons, electronics, ground combat engineering, life sciences, materials, missiles, and naval systems.

Dibang Hydropower Project

Source: Indian Express
GS II: Indian Economy

What is discussed under Dibang Hydropower Project?

1. What is Dibang Hydro Power Project?
2. Background of the Project
3. Power Supply
4. National Green Tribunal (NGT)

Why in News?

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has rejected a complaint it took up on its own initiative over the issuance of forest clearance for the 3000-MW Dibang hydel project without first creating a National Park.

What is Dibang Hydro Power Project?

• Dibang Hydro Power Project is a flood control and hydroelectric power project proposed for Arunachal

  

  Pradesh, India, on the Dibang River.

• It will be the country’s largest hydroelectric project, with a capacity of 2,880MW once constructed.
• This is being constructed by India’s state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
• The Dibang hydropower project is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
• It is intended to generate up to 11,222 million units (MU) of electricity per year while reducing floods in downstream regions by 3000m3/s during the monsoon season.

Contractors involved

• AFRY AB was hired to analyse the full project report as well as the construction plans for the Dibang multi-purpose project.
• It also supplied advice services for the working plan for diversion tunnels as well as project management planning.

Background of the Project

• Although the foundation stone was laid in January 2008, the project was halted due to opposition from local residents and environmental groups.
• This resulted in the project being rejected by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Government of India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in July 2023.
• Following the shift in India’s national political leadership in May 2014, the FAC gave approval for the project with minor design revisions to the dam construction in September 2014.

Power Supply

• When the project is completed, the Arunachal Pradesh government will get 12% free power from the Dibang hydroelectric station.
• Another 1% would be provided to the state through the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Fund (LADF).
• The remainder will be marketed to other northeastern and eastern Indian states.

World Rabies Day

Source: News 18
GS II: Policies and Developmental Studies

What is discussed under World Rabies Day?

1. World Rabies Day 2022: Theme
2. History
3. Significance
4. About Rabies

Why in News?

Every year on September 28th, World Rabies Day is observed to promote awareness and educate people about the seriousness of Rabies.

World Rabies Day 2022: Theme

• The theme of World Rabies Day 2022, according to the World Health Organization, is ‘Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths.’
  • One Heath in the theme depicts the health system’s weaknesses.
  • It also shows how generous they can be with cross-sector collaboration.
  • Zero Deaths signifies that the world has all of the medications, techniques, vaccinations, and technology necessary to eradicate the illness, and that “zero deaths” should be the ultimate aim.
• The theme emphasises the interdependence of the environment, people, and animals.

History

• The first World Rabies Day campaign was held in 2007.

  

• The campaign began as a collaboration between many groups, including:
  • The Alliance for Rabies Control
  • The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Co-sponsors of this event are:
  • The World Health Organization
  • The World Organization for Animal Health
  • The Pan American Health Organization
• After three years of honouring World Rabies Day, it was projected that over 100 nations held preventive and awareness activities.
• Over 100 million people were informed about the hazards of getting rabies.
• Meanwhile, 3 million dogs were immunised.

Significance

• On World Rabies Day, a network of worldwide government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and vaccine makers utilise the day to arrange events, conferences, and campaigns led by professionals to aid in the elimination of the illness.
• The administration also outlines plans and initiatives to move the country closer to its objective.
• The Global Strategic Plan for the elimination of this dog-mediated disease aims for zero fatalities by 30 years (2030).

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