Table of Contents
Drowning in dust
Better infrastructure and targeted forecasts are key to dealing with extreme weather
killed at least 124 people- Mostly in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Many of the casualties in the recent storms were caused by collapsing infrastructure,
such as electricity transmission lines.
Impact of weather on public health and agriculture is massive, the Central and State
governments should do everything possible to cut loss of life and property.
Annual storms carrying natural dust clouds in the pre-monsoon season.
Globally, the major dust producing regions pump 1,000-3,000 teragrams of particles into
the atmosphere annually, with the Sahara alone responsible for a third of this, according to
UN Environment Program.
World Meteorological Organisation points out, clarity and frequency of warnings are key
to saving lives.
State governments have blamed the India Meteorological Department for not
providing clear warnings- This clearly points to lack of coordination- affects preparedness
On the ground, strong public infrastructure and adequate capacity among administrators
and personnel to handle rescue and rehabilitation must be ensured.
Rethinking wind energy
Western Ghats are a pristine(प्राचीन) ecosystem replete with innumerable animal species and
apparently, an abundance of wind and windmills.
As the country tries to achieve an ambitious renewable energy target of 175 GW, windmills
have popped up in at least 65 sq km of forested area, with permissions for another 30 or so sq
km still pending.
India’s potential wind power map envelops the Western Ghats (from Kerala to Gujarat)
and even large parts of the Eastern Ghats.
While this has often led to expressions of concern over the environmental impact
Global scientific research has also highlighted the impact of windmills on wildlife.
Pacific islands, bat activity is as much as 20 times lower in areas with windmills
And in Texas, there has been a staggering 77% decrease in redhead ducks
The situation may not be different in India.
Rajasthan- critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.
Indirect impacts – to the local ecosystem.
Focus on building trust
India and Nepal need to muster the courage to address the difficult aspects of bilateral ties
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1- Walmart to buy control of Flipkart
The $16 bn deal, the largest ever Indian acquisition by a foreign firm, will help U.S. giant
battle Amazon.
$16 billion for about 77% stake in Flipkart, India’s online marketplace.
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1,10-Europe vows to save Iran n-deal
World powers vowed to uphold a landmark deal curbing Iran’s nuclear programme
after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement, raising fears
of a fresh confrontation with Tehran.
India: resolve it peacefully
India to face impact of U.S. decision on Iran
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-5- Seizure of over 9,700 voter IDs sets off row
EC sends official to Bengaluru to probe the incident
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-7- Only 20% of Clean Ganga Mission funds spent till March
Of ₹2•0,601 crore sanctioned for 193 projects, only ₹4•254 crore has actually been utilized; 24 of 6 4 entry-level schemes implemented.
Map Practice
Last Day- Q’s- Answers…
AMU- Aligarh Muslim University
It was established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1875
Former name- Mohammedan Anglo- Oriented college (MOA)
On 9 September 1920 MOA was converted into AMU
German unification- “Otto von Bismarck”
1 st Chancellor
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