05 Jun 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. World Environment Day, 2023
2. India’s First International Cruise Vessel - Chennai to Sri Lanka
3. NHAI’s First Sustainability Report
4. Nyaya Vikas Portal

1. World Environment Day, 2023

Syllabus – GS3, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Prelims – World Environment Day – 5th June 

Context – World Environment Day, 2023 celebrated with a thrust on Mission LiFE.

Details –

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organised World Environment Day, 2023 with a thrust on Mission LiFE. Mission LiFE, Lifestyle for Environment, was introduced at the World Leader’s Summit in Glasgow at COP26, 2021 by the GoI. The idea promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate utilisation’ instead of ‘mindless and wasteful consumption’.
• A comprehensive and non-exhaustive list of 75 individual life actions has been identified across 7 themes as a part of the LiFE initiative.
  • These are – save water, save energy, reduce single use plastics, reduce waste, reduce e-waste, adopt sustainable food systems and adopt healthy lifestyles.
• The theme for World Environment Day 2023 is “Solutions to Plastic Pollution”.
• On the occasion, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched two initiatives – Amrit Dharohar and Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI). 
  • The Amrit Dharohar initiative is to promote the unique conservation values of Ramsar Sites. At present, there are 75 Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance) in India which is home to the second-largest network of Ramsar Sites in Asia.
  • MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes) was announced in the Union Budget 2023 to promote and conserve mangroves. Mangroves are natural ecosystems with high biological productivity and carbon sequestration potential. The MISHTI Programme will cover approximately 540 sq km across 9 coastal states and 4 UTs in five years, 2023-2028. This will create a carbon sink of approximately 4.5 million tons of carbon sink.

Also read – What is a Wetland?

2. India’s First International Cruise Vessel – Chennai to Sri Lanka

Syllabus – GS3, Growth & Development.

Prelims – India’s First International Cruise Vessel – Chennai to Sri Lanka.

Context – The Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the maiden International Cruise Vessel from Chennai to Sri Lanka.

Details –

• The MV Express cruise has the capacity to accommodate 3000 passengers and will visit three ports – Triconmalee, Hambantota, and Kankesanturei in Sri Lanka before returning to Chennai.
• The MV Empress service was launched from Chennai’s International Cruise Terminal which is at a cost of 17.21 crores. It is the outcome of an agreement struck between Chennai Port and M/S Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt Ltd during the first Incredible India International Cruise Conference in 2022. 

3. NHAI’s First Sustainability Report

Syllabus – GS3, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Prelims – NHAI’s first Sustainability Report.

Context – NHAI’s First Sustainability Report for FY 2021-22.

Details –

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has published its inaugural ‘Sustainability Report for FY 2021–22,’ showcasing its dedication to environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
• The report was released by Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and encompasses NHAI’s governance structure, stakeholder engagement and initiatives related to the environment and social responsibility.
• The NHAI’s sustainability initiatives have had a favourable impact on energy and environmental conservation. Direct emissions decreased by 18.44 and 9.49 percent between FY 2019–20 and FY 2021–22 as a result of lower fuel usage. The company continues to lower indirect emissions by switching to cleaner and more environmentally friendly energy sources. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions saw a decline of 9.7% in FY 2020-21 and 2% in FY 2021-22.
• For the past three years, NHAI has actively used recycled materials for building national highways, including fly ash and plastic garbage. Also, recycled aggregates (RA) and recycled asphalt (RAP) are both being used more frequently.
• More than 100 wildlife crossings were created in three years across 20 states as a measure of wildlife protection and to reduce man-animal conflict.
• NHAI’s Sustainability Report is not a mandated requirement as per SEBI guidelines, but this has been taken as a voluntary initiative to demonstrate its sustainability credentials and is prepared as per the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting guidelines. 

4. Nyaya Vikas Portal

Syllabus – GS2, Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Prelims – Nyaya Vikas Portal

Context – Nyaya Vikas portal has been created for monitoring the implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the development of the judiciary across the states.

Details –

• The Department of Justice has been implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), Nyaya Vikas for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Districts and Subordinate Judiciary since 1993-94.
• Under the scheme, central assistance is provided to the State Government/UT Administration for the construction of court halls and residential units for Judicial officers, Judges of district and subordinate courts. With the extension of the scheme beyond 2021, some added features include lawyers’ hall, toilet complexes and digital computer rooms.
• Nyaya Vikas Portal allows four efficient ways of logging into the portal (Centre User login, State User login, Surveyor User and Approver User), thereby empowering stakeholders with easy access to information pertaining to funding, documentation, project monitoring and approval.
• The funds-sharing pattern is 90:10 (Centre: State) for North-Eastern and Himalayan States, for states other than North-Eastern and Himalayan States, the pattern is 60:40 and for UTs it is 100% funded by the Centre.

Read the previous PIB articles here.

June 5th, 2023, PIB:- Download PDF Here