MoEFCC issues SOP to deal with environmental violations
Why in News
- The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to deal with environmental violations.
- The SOP is a result of orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which earlier in 2021 directed the ministry to put in place penalties and an SOP for green violations.
Key Points
The SOPs refer to two categories of green violations:
- ‘Violations’ involving cases where construction work, including expansion of an existing project, has begun without the project proponent having acquired environmental clearance;
- ‘Non-Compliance’ in which prior environmental clearance has been accorded to the project, but it is in violation of norms prescribed in the approval.
- According to the SOPs, projects that are not permissible for environmental clearance are to be demolished.
- Projects which are permissible according to environmental law but which have not acquired the requisite clearance are to be shut down.
Fines:
- In Violation cases, where operations have not commenced, 1 percent of the total project cost incurred up to the date of filing of the application will be levied.
- In cases where operations have commenced without the required environmental clearance, 1 percent of the total project cost and in addition 0.25 percent of the total turnover during the period of violation will be levied.
Other Related Initiatives of MoEFCC:
- In 2017, the ministry had initiated a six-month amnesty scheme on penalising green violations, which was later extended.
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA):
- The UNEP (UN Environment Programme) defines EIA as “an examination, analysis and assessment of planned activities with a view to ensuring environmentally sound and sustainable development.”
- MoEFCC released a new draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020.
- Under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, the first EIA notification was issued in 1994. Later, it was replaced by a modified draft in 2006.
- The draft notification on EIA 2020 was to consolidate all the 55 amendments and 230 office memorandums issued since 2006.
About National Green Tribunal (NGT):
- NGT was established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
- New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai is the other 4 places of sitting of the Tribunal.
Source: Indian Express
India’s first Cryptogamic Garden
Why in News
- India’s first Cryptogamic Garden was inaugurated in the Chakrata town of Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district.
Key Points
About the Cryptogamic Garden:
- Around 50 species of lichens, ferns and fungi have been grown in the garden at Deoban in Chakrata at a commanding height of 9,000 ft.
- This site is chosen at Deoban because of its low pollution levels and moist conditions which are conducive for the growth of these species.
- Deoban has pristine majestic forests of Deodar and Oak which create a natural habitat for cryptogamic species.
Cryptogamae:
- Cryptogamae means “hidden reproduction” referring to the fact that no seed, no flowers are produced.
- Algae, bryophytes (moss, liverworts), lichens, ferns and fungi are the best-known groups of cryptogams that require moist conditions to survive.
Source: Indian Express
Country’s first LNG Facility plant
Why in News
- Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways inaugurated the country’s first LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Facility plant at Nagpur, Maharashtra.
- The LNG Facility plant has been set up by Baidyanath Ayurvedic Group.
Key Points
About LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas):
- LNG is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport.
- It takes up about 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state (at standard conditions for temperature and pressure).
- LNG is odorless, colorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive.
- LNG is cost effective and a clean fuel which is capable of decreasing the logistics cost.
Note:
- The Government is promoting Ethanol, Electric, CNG, LNG gas as an alternative to conventional fuels.
- The Ministry has designed a policy that encourages development of imports substitute cost effective pollution free and indigenous ethanol, bio CNG, LNG and hydrogen fuels.
Flex Engines:
- Gadkari talked about flex engines.
- The decision for flex engines will be taken in three months making it mandatory for automobile manufacturers particularly the four wheelers and two wheelers to make flex engines.
- A ‘Flex engine’ is an internal combustion engine that can run on more than one fuel and also a mixture. Several countries like the USA, Brazil and Canada already have them.
Source: PIB
Wimbledon Championships 2021
- Wimbledon Championships was a Grand Slam tennis tournament that took place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom in 2021.
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) won his 6th Wimbledon title and 20th Grand Slam title.
- Indian-American tennis player Samir Banerjee has won the Wimbledon Boys’ singles title 2021.
Source: Indian Express
LIC to have CEO, MD; post of executive chairman scrapped
Why in News
- Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which is gearing up to launch a mega initial public offering (IPO), will now have a MD (Managing Director) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) instead of an Executive Chairman.
Key Points
- The changes have been made by the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance by amending Life Insurance Corporation of India (Employees) Pension (Amendment) Rules. Besides, some other rules under LIC Act, 1956, have been amended.
Note: While public sector banks are run by MD and CEO appointed by the government, the board of directors will be headed by a non-executive Chairman selected by the government.
Present Management:
- Currently, LIC top management consists of the Executive Chairman and 4 MDs.
- The Chairman of the LIC is a government of India Secretary rank officer.
Source: Indian Express
‘The Ramayana of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’ written by Late Mrs. Baljit Kaur Tulsi
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received the first copy of the book, ‘The Ramayana of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’ written by Late Mrs. Baljit Kaur Tulsi, who is the mother of Rajya Sabha MP and noted lawyer, KTS Tulsi.
- The book has been published by IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts), New Delhi.
- Note: Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th and last of Sikh gurus in human form. He was enthroned at the ‘Guru Gaddi’ at the age of 9 after his father Guru Tej Bahadur, the 9th Guru
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