Read Current Affairs
· Five soldiers lost their lives when a military tank was swept away by strong currents in the Shyok River during a recent training exercise in Ladakh.
· About the Shyok River:
o The Shyok River flows through northern Ladakh in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India, and continues into the Pakistan-administered region of Gilgit-Baltistan, where it joins the Indus River.
o It is a major tributary of the Indus River.
o Originating from the Rimo Glacier, one of the tongues of the Siachen Glacier, the river derives its name from a Ladakhi word meaning 'the river of death'.
o The course of the Shyok River is notable for its unusual path. It initially flows southeast from the Rimo Glacier, then turns northwest upon joining the Pangong range, maintaining a parallel course to its earlier direction.
o After passing through a broad valley, the Shyok River swiftly enters a narrow gorge after Chalunka and eventually meets the Indus River at Skardu in Pakistan.
o The Shyok River spans approximately 550 km (340 mi) in length.
o Fed by meltwater from numerous glaciers along its course, the river navigates through high-altitude deserts and mountain ranges of Ladakh before merging with the Indus River.
o Its principal right-bank tributary is the Nubra River.
- Italy recently confirmed its first case of Oropouche fever, marking the country's initial encounter with this mosquito-borne illness.
- About Oropouche Fever:
- Oropouche fever is an emerging zoonotic arboviral disease caused by the Oropouche Virus (OROV), belonging to the orthobunyavirus family. The virus has an incubation period of 4 to 8 days.
- It was originally identified in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955.
- Symptoms of Oropouche fever typically resemble those of other viral infections, including fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and nausea. In severe cases, it can lead to meningitis or encephalitis, posing significant risks to vulnerable populations.
- While most patients recover within about a week, some may experience lingering symptoms for weeks.
- Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected midge or mosquito.
- Urbanization, deforestation, and climate change contribute to the proliferation of its vector, increasing the likelihood of transmission.
- Currently, there are no vaccines available to prevent Oropouche fever, and specific treatments for the illness are not yet established. Medical care focuses on managing symptoms to support recovery.
The Meghalaya Lokayukta recently issued notifications to the former chief secretary and other ex-officials of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) over alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Saubhagya scheme in the state.
- About Saubhagya Scheme:
- The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) in October 2017.
- Objective: The scheme aims to achieve universal household electrification by providing electricity connections to all un-electrified households in rural areas and all poor households in urban areas across the country.
- Under Saubhagya, BPL families receive free LED bulbs, wires, holders, switches, etc.
- Key features include:
- Providing last-mile connectivity and electricity connections to all un-electrified rural households.
- Installing Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV)-based standalone systems in remote and inaccessible villages where grid extension is not feasible.
- Extending last mile connectivity and electricity connections to economically poor un-electrified urban households (excluding non-poor households).
- In rural areas, households other than BPL are required to pay Rs. 500 for electricity connections, payable in 10 equal installments of Rs. 50 each.
- Beneficiaries eligible for free electricity connections are identified using data from the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011.
- The Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) serves as the nodal agency for implementing the Saubhagya scheme.
- The Indian multi-role stealth frigate INS Shivalik, currently on mission in the South China Sea and North Pacific Ocean, has arrived at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise.
- About RIMPAC:
- RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise held in Hawaii.
- Its primary goal is to enhance interoperability and foster trust among the navies of participating friendly nations.
- The theme for this edition is "Partners: Integrated and Prepared," scheduled to run until August 1.
- Led by the US Navy, approximately 29 countries are taking part in this multi-dimensional exercise.
The harbour phase of RIMPAC, scheduled from June 27 to July 7, 2024, includes symposiums, exercise planning discussions, sports competitions, and reciprocal deck visits.
- The Department of Commerce has decided to extend the Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES) for pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit for Micro, Small, and Medium-scale (MSME) exporters until August 31.
- About the Interest Equalisation Scheme:
- Initially launched on April 1, 2015, the scheme aims to provide pre- and post-shipment export credit in rupees to exporters.
- Originally valid for 5 years until March 31, 2020, the scheme has been extended multiple times, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent periods, with additional allocations of funds.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) administers the scheme through various Public and non-Public Sector banks, which extend pre- and post-shipment credit to exporters.
- Monitoring of the scheme is jointly handled by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and the RBI through a consultative mechanism.
- The IES supports identified export sectors in enhancing their international competitiveness and achieving higher export performance.
- Key Features:
- Eligible exporters must provide certification from an external auditor to claim benefits under the scheme.
- Banks extend IES benefits to eligible exporters and seek reimbursement from the RBI based on the certification provided by the exporter's auditor.
- Currently, the scheme provides a 2% interest equalisation benefit on pre- and post-shipment rupee export credit to merchant and manufacturer exporters of 410 identified tariff lines at the 4-digit level, and 3% to all MSME manufacturer exporters.
- The scheme has been made fund-limited, with the benefit capped at Rs 10 Crore per annum per Import Export Code (IEC) holder.
- Additionally, banks charging exporters an average rate exceeding Repo + 4% are ineligible to participate under the scheme.