9 PM Current Affairs Brief – July 2, 2019

Download the compilation of all summaries of all the news Articles here

Iran says it has breached stockpile limit under nuclear deal

1. Iran has said that it has exceeded the amount of enriched uranium that it was allowed to have under a 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
2. Iran also announced that it is planning to suspend other commitments under the deal in 10 days unless European powers took steps to implement their new mechanism known as Instex for facilitating trade.
3. Under the accord, Iran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.
4. Enriched uranium is widely used for peaceful purposes such as medical research and producing electricity. But if it is highly purified it can also be used to make a nuclear bomb.
5. Under the nuclear deal, Iran is only permitted until 2031 to produce low-enriched uranium, which has a 3-4% concentration of the most fissile isotope, U-235 and can fuel a power plant. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% enriched or more.
6. Iran can also stockpile no more than 300kg of the low-enriched uranium and operate no more than 5,060 of centrifuges used to separate out U-235 isotopes from uranium hexafluoride gas.
7. Iran has exceeded the limit as Iranian economy has suffered since US President had withdrawn from the nuclear deal in May 2018 and began reinstating sanctions.
8. The other parties to the deal – the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia has criticised the US decision and said they remained committed to the deal.

Govt. may enhance RBI powers for better supervision of NBFCs

1. The government is considering a proposal from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seeking more powers to improve its regulatory and supervisory mechanism for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).
2. This proposal came after RBI had called for greater surveillance on large entities in India’s Non-banking financial companies (NBFC) as their failure could lead to losses that are similar to those of big banks.
3. NBFCs are regulated and supervised by the central bank as per powers vested in it under the provisions contained in Chapter IIIB of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
4. But the RBI has conventionally adopted light-touch regulatory approach towards NBFCs to enable them to reach the masses through innovative financial products and service delivery mechanisms.
5. However, NBFC have seen their source of funds suddenly dry up after a series of defaults by Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) that has triggered a liquidity crisis.
6. Further, RBI has taken steps to enhance its supervision of NBFCs such as increasing the periodicity of monitoring their books to 12 months from 18 months. NBFCs with assets over Rs 5,000 crore. have been asked to appoint a chief risk officer to improve their standards of risk management.
7. An NBFC is a company registered under the Companies Act,1956.It engages in the business of (a) loans and advances (b) acquisition of shares /stocks/ bonds/ debentures/securities issued by Government or local authority or other marketable securities of a like nature leasing and (c)hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business.
8. However, it does not include any institution whose principal business is that of (a) agriculture activity (b) industrial activity (c) purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities) and (d) providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of immovable property.

LS passes Bill for quota in teachers’ posts

1. The Lok Sabha has passed the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2019.
2. The bill ensures reservations in teaching positions in central institutions for persons from Scheduled Castes/Tribes, Other backward classes (OBCs) and those from economically weaker sections.
3. The bill applies to central educational institutions which include universities set up by Acts of Parliament, institutions deemed to be a university, institutions of national importance and institutions receiving aid from the central government.
4. The bill will implement the 200-point reservation system instead of 13-point roster system to fill up teacher vacancies in Universities and Central Government Higher Educational Institutions
5. The 200-point reservation system proposes to make university or college as a unit instead of department for the purpose of providing reservation for filling teachers posts in central education institutions.

Panel of CMs to suggest sweeping agriculture reforms

1. The Central government has set up a high powered committee of seven chief ministers led by Maharashtra’s CM as its convenor.
2. The panel will suggest measures to transform Indian agriculture and raise farmers’ income.
3. The Terms of reference (ToR) of the panel include suggestions on modalities for adoption and time-bound implementation of two key model Acts namely agriculture market reforms act and contract farming act by the states.
4. The other ToR includes (a) Examining various provisions of Essential Commodity Act (ECA), 1955 and (b) to suggest mechanism for linking of market reforms with e-NAM, GRAM and other relevant centrally sponsored schemes.
5. Further, the panel will also recommend policy measures to boost agricultural exports, raise growth in food processing and attract investments in modern market infrastructure, value chains and logistics.
6. The panel will also suggest measures to upgrade agri-technology to global standards and improve access of farmers to quality seed and proposing any other relevant reforms for transformation of agriculture sector and raising farmers income.
7. The panel will also study various proposals of the inter-ministerial committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) which had suggested specific action points for reforms in the farm and allied sector.

New policy to aim to bring e-tailers, brick-and-mortar businesses closer

1. The Government is considering to bring a national policy on retail trade.
2. This policy is being brought as e-commerce firms are looking to expand into new segments such as groceries alongside penetrate into India’s geography. This will widen the conflict between online retailers and traditional ones.
3. The retail policy is expected to cover different segments and could offer a level playing field to all players in the ecosystem while helping the smaller retailers modernise to meet the growing demand.
4. The policy is also expected to lay down an overarching framework for the sector to cover various segments such as physical retail, direct selling, hypermarkets and e-commerce.
5. The policy will focus on spelling out regulations, improving access to funds and compliance costs while improving the enabling environment for the retail sector as a whole.
6. Further, the e-commerce firms and traditional retail traders have been at loggerheads with the latter accusing online retailers of distorting the level-playing field by offering deep discounts on back of foreign funding.
7. However, e-commerce players have pointed out that currently online retail occupies less than 5% of the total retail pie in India.

West Bengal and Odisha yet to implement BJP-led government’s Poshan Abhiyaan

1. The ministry of women and child development has informed the Parliament that all states except West Bengal and Odisha are implementing the National Nutrition Mission (NNM), also called Poshan Abhiyaan.
2. The minister also said that states such as Goa and Karnataka have not utilised any of the funds released so far under NNM.
3. Further, the National Family Health Survey-4,2015-16 had reported the overall prevalence of stunting among children under 5 at 38.4%.It was down from 48% in NFHS -3 but still a serious concern.
4. The state wise data on number of districts with the prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years higher than the national average was 267 districts across 22 states which includes four districts of West Bengal and 11 districts of Odisha.
5. The National Nutrition Mission (NNM) aims at improving the nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers.
6. The mission aims to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies by reducing mal-nutrition/undernutrition, anemia among young children as also focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
7. Besides awareness building, outreach work and day to day real time monitoring of a child’s development through Anganwadi centres across states are also part of the mission.

5G trials: Chinese official urges India to include Huawei

1. Chinese official has requested India to include Huawei in its 5G trials despite the U.S. government’s opposition to the Huawei.
2. The US administration has barred use or installation of Huawei 5G technology equipped devices in critical infrastructure and offices related to security establishment.
3. The US has also been lobbying with friendly nations to boycott Huawei 5G rollout in those countries. Japan and Australia have already barred Huawei from rolling out 5G technology there.
4. India has not yet committed to US administration’s call for a ban on Huawei plan to rollout 5G in the country. India maintains the decision will be taken considering its own business and security interests.
5. Further, India officials have been worried about the potential for 5G networks to be used for mass surveillance as well as the potential for a foreign agency to disrupt systems, especially from a company like Huawei that has connections to the Chinese government.
6. 5G (5th Generation) is a version of mobile communications. It succeeds LTE mobile networks- 4G, 3G, and 2G (GSM).In telecommunication, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is a standard for wireless broadband communication for mobile devices and data terminals.
7. According to experts,5G would provide near-instantaneous connectivity —20 times faster than 4G.The other expected benefits of 5G include reduced latency (faster response time),energy saving, cost reduction, higher system capacity and mass device connectivity.

Manufacturing PMI dips to 52.1

1. According to Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data, manufacturing activity has stood at 52.1 in June, 2019 down from the three-month high of 52.7 in May,2019.
2. The manufacturing activity has slowed down due to lesser number of new orders. But the consumer goods was the key source of growth with the sector registering robust increases in sales, output and employment.
3. PMI or a Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an indicator of business activity both in the manufacturing and services sectors. It is a survey based measures that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
4. PMI is derived from a series of qualitative questions. Executives from a reasonably big sample, running into hundreds of firms are asked whether key indicators such as (a) output (b)new orders (c) business expectations and (d) employment were stronger than the month before and are asked to rate them.
5. The headline PMI is a number from 0 to 100.The figure above 50 denotes expansion in business activity. Anything below 50 denotes contraction.
6. The rate of expansion can also be judged by comparing the PMI with that of the previous month data. If the figure is higher than the previous month’s then the economy is expanding at a faster rate. If it is lower than the previous month then it is growing at a lower rate.

Core sector growth slows to 5.1%

1. According to the data released by the commerce and industry ministry, the growth in the eight core sectors has slowed down to 5.1% in May,2019. This growth was lower than the 6.3% seen in April 2019.
2. The slowdown was led by slow growth in the coal and refinery products sector. However, the strongest performer among the eight sectors was the steel sector.
3. Core industry can be defined as the main industry which has a multiplier effect on the economy. The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
4. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index which details out the growth of various sectors in an economy such as mining, electricity, manufacturing among others.
5. IIP is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) six weeks after the reference month ends. The base year of the IIP has been revised from the year 2004-05 to 2011-12 from April, 2017.
6. The eight Core Industries in decreasing order of their weightage are(a) Refinery Products (b) Electricity (c) Steel (d) Coal (e) Crude Oil (f) Natural Gas (g) Cement and (h) Fertilizers.

Coming soon, an app that will track your carbon footprint

1. The Maharashtra State government has announced that it will launch an app to track citizens’ carbon footprint. The aim is to reduce pollution and carbon emission in Maharashtra.
2. The app will be able to count the everyday carbon emission of a citizens and suggest measures to reduce it depending on the count. Those who achieve an emission neutral status will also be rewarded
3. The footprints of an individual, as per the app, will include his use of electricity, air conditioning, kitchen activities among others.
4. Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with all the activities of a person or other entity
5. As a commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, India has pledged to reduce the carbon emissions intensity of its GDP by 33% to 35% by 2030 from 2005 level

Finally, aircraft carrier Viraat to be scraped

1. The government has informed Parliament that it has decided to scrap aircraft carrier INS Viraat. INS Viraat was decommissioned in 2017.
2. INS Viraat is a Centaur class aircraft carrier. The crest of Viraat shows an eagle which symbolizes air power and the five arrows held in the talons of the eagle depict the ship’s versatile weapon capability.
3. Its motto was (in Sanskrit) – “Jalamev Yasya Balmev Tasya” (One who controls the sea is all powerful).
4. It had served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes for 25 years from November 1959 to April 1984
5. After refurbishment it was commissioned into the Indian Navy in May 1987.
6. The INS Viraat was deployed for peace-keeping operations off Sri Lanka in 1988 and the Kargil War in 1999.
7. It served as the sole Indian Navy aircraft carrier from 1997 when the INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier, was decommissioned till 2013 when the INS Vikramaditya was received from Russia
8. INS Viraat is the longest serving warship in the world and holds a  Guinness Book of World Records
9. In 2018, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a proposal to convert the carrier into a museum and hospitality centre on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis. However, there was no takers.

Vessels set sail as Japan resumes commercial whaling

1. Japan has officially resumed commercial whaling today (July 1) after more than 30 years. However, during the time period Japan continued whale hunting for scientific purposes.
2. In December 2018, Japan had announced that it would withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on whale hunting.
3. Japan has Iceland and Norway as the only nations to allow commercial whaling despite the IWC moratorium.
4. Hunting will reportedly be limited to Japan’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. Whales living near Japan include Minke and Bryde’s whales. These whales are considered of “least concern” by the IUCN Red List
5. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is the global body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling. It was established in 1946. It is headquartered in Impington, United Kingdom.

Unemployment reports are misleading: Union Minister

1. Union Minister has said that the reports about high unemployment rate in the country are misleading and asserted that employment generation is the priority of the government.
2. This statement came after NSSO report showed that unemployment rate across the country stood at 6.1%, the highest since 1972-73.It also showed that joblessness was higher in urban India (7.8%) than in rural India (5.3%).
3. The minister said that for the 2018-19 period, under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP),jobs were generated for 5.8 lakh people as on March 1,2019.
4. While mentioning various initiatives taken by the government, the minister also said that 18.26 crore loans were sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) up to March 31, 2019.
5. PMEGP is a credit linked subsidy programme administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India. Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the nodal agency at national level for implementation of the scheme. At state level the scheme is implemented through KVIC,KVIB and District Industries center.
6. The objective of the scheme is to (a) generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas through setting up of self employment ventures and (b) provide continuous and sustainable employment to a large segment of traditional and prospective artisans and unemployed youth so as to help arrest migration of rural youth to urban areas.

UGC approves new initiative STRIDE to boost research culture

1. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a new initiative – Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy (STRIDE).
2. The scheme aims to support socially relevant, local need-based, nationally important and globally significant research projects.
3. The major objectives of STRIDE are: a) to identify young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity, promote innovation and support trans-disciplinary research and b) to fund multi institutional network high-impact research projects in humanities and human sciences.
4. The STRIDE has 3 components: a) identify the motivated young talents and provide research capacity building in diverse disciplines, b) enhance problem solving skills with help of social innovation and action research and c) fund high impact research projects.
5. An advisory committee has been set up by the UGC under the chairmanship of Bhushan Patwardhan, Vice-Chairman, to oversee the entire scheme.

Europe heat wave: What caused record temperatures, why it is a concern?

1. Recently, France has recorded its all-time hottest temperature amid a European heat wave. Gallargues-le-Montueux in southern France recorded an all-time high of 45.9°C during the last week of June
2. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), heat wave in Europe is a result of warm air masses from Africa.
3. There is no universally accepted definition of a heat wave, due to variations in climate conditions in different world regions. Generally, heat wave is defined as a period of abnormally high temperatures-more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season.
4. In India, the IMD considers heat wave when maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for Plains, 37°C or more for coastal stations and at least 30°C or more for Hilly regions.

Single rate GST not possible in a country with poor people, says Arun Jaitley

1. Former Finance Minister has said that India can have two slabs for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but dismissed the possibility of a single rate.
2. He said that single GST slab would be possible only in extremely affluent countries where there are no poor people. It would be inequitable to apply a single rate in countries where there are a large number of people below the poverty line.
3. Further, he explained that Direct taxes were progressive as those who earned more paid more tax. While Indirect taxes were regressive in this regard since the rate on the same products is the same for the rich and the poor.
4. He also said that as many as 20 states are already showing steady increase in revenue collections and they do not require the centre to compensate them for revenue loss arising out of GST implementation.
5. The Centre had promised full compensation to any State suffering a loss of revenue due to the GST for five years assuming that their revenue would have increased by 14% every year without the tax.
6. GST (Goods and Services Tax) is an indirect tax that has replaced many Central and State taxes like excise duty, VAT and service tax. It is a single comprehensive tax levied on all goods and services produced in India as well as those imported from other countries.
7. GST is applied to all goods other than crude petroleum, motor spirit, diesel, aviation turbine fuel and natural gas and alcohol for human consumption. There are four slabs for taxes for both goods and services which are 5%,12%,18% and 28%.

After Assam, Nagaland to set up a register of indigenous inhabitants. What is it?

1. In the lines of NRC of Assam, the Nagaland government has decided to set up Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN).
2. The RIIN will be a master list of all indigenous peoples. It aims to prevent the issuance of fake indigenous inhabitant certificates.
3. The RIIN list will be based on an extensive survey. It will involve official records of indigenous residents from rural and (urban) wards. The list will be prepared under the supervision of each district administration.
4. The exercise to prepare the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) will begin on July 10 and will be completed within 60 days.
5. After a provisional list is prepared, claims and objection cases would be adjudicated by respective Deputy Commissioners.
6. Based on the adjudication and verification, a list of indigenous inhabitants will be finalised. All indigenous inhabitants of the state would be issued a barcoded and numbered Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate and unique ID.
7. The process will be conducted across Nagaland and will be done as part of the online system of Inner Line Permit (ILP), which is already in force in Nagaland.
8. Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the government of India. It is required by Indian citizens residing outside certain “protected” states while entering them.
9. The aims of the ILP is to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India.
10. The origin of ILP dates back to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873. The regulations prohibited “British subjects” or Indians from entering certain protection areas (such as areas with tea, oil and elephant trade). In 1950, the word “British subjects” was replaced by Citizens of India.

What changes with J&K Reservation Bill

1. Rajya Sabha has passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Bill. It was earlier passed in the Lok Sabha
2. The Bill partially amends a Presidential Order of 1954 in order to amend The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. The amendments were earlier effected through an ordinance after these had been approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2019
3. The bill extends reservation in jobs, promotions and education to people living 10 km from the International Border (IB) in Jammu. Earlier the benefits were only reserved for people living 10 km beyond the Line of Control (LoC) and affected by shelling and firing from across the border.
4. Further, through the Presidential Order, the Cabinet applied the 77th Constitutional Amendment of 1995 to Jammu and Kashmir. It provides for benefits of reservation in promotion to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government service.
5. The Cabinet also applied the 103rd Constitutional Amendment of 2019 to J&K, which gave 10% reservation to Economically Weaker Sections among people in the general category.
6. The bill has faced criticism owing to the grounds that the Centre and J&K Governor has breached Article 370 while issuing the amendment to the 1954 Presidential Order.
7. Article 370 is a temporary provision granting special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. It specifies that except for Defence, Foreign Affairs, Finance and Communications the Indian Parliament needs the State Government’s concurrence for applying all other laws.

National panel asks state to follow uniform syllabus

1. The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has directed the Odisha government to ensure that schools in the state follow a uniform syllabus at the elementary level according to provision laid under the Right to Education Act, 2009.
2. The direction came against the backdrop of reports received by the NCPCR that certain schools or boards in different parts of the country are violating the norms of the Right to Education Act prescribed in its Section 29
3. According to Section 29 (1) of RTE Act, if a state, board or school is found to follow the curriculum and evaluation procedure in elementary classes other than the one prescribed by academic authorities, it shall be treated as a violation of the Act.
4. The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in 2007 as a statutory body under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.
5. It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
6. The Commission’s mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies and Administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

India-assisted IT-biotech park inaugurated in Côte d’Ivoire

1. The Mahatma Gandhi IT and Biotechnology Park (MGIT-BP) was jointly inaugurated by Ambassador of India and Cote d’Ivoire Vice President.
2. MGIT-BP is a dedicated Free Trade Zone (FTZ) for IT and Biotechnology .It has been built with India’s assistance through EXIM Bank Lines of Credit of USD 20 million.
3. The MGIT-BP project consists of two parts (a) firstly, architectural concept and design for the buildings of FTZ and construction of the main building to host IT enterprises.
4. Secondly,supply and commissioning of equipment which includes the  (a) Computer Assembly Plant (b)VSAT with Satellite Earth Station, (c) Networking Lab (d) Human DNA Lab (e) Data Storage Area Network, (f) Audio-Visual Lab and (g) power generator.
5. In July 2018, Indian Prime Minister had made Africa a priority for India’s foreign policy while outlining 10 principles of India’s engagement with Africa.
6. Ivory Coast or Côte d’Ivoire is a country located on the south coast of West Africa.Ivory Coast’s political capital is Yamoussoukro in the centre of the country while its economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan

Tamil Yeoman declared state butterfly of Tamil Nadu

1. Tamil yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) butterfly species has been declared the state butterfly of Tamil Nadu.
2. Tamil yeoman is a tawny-coloured creature with a dark brown outer ring.
3. It is among the 32 butterfly species found in Western Ghats. It is endemic to Western Ghats
4. It is also known as Tamil Maravan which means warrior. These butterflies could be found mainly in hilly areas.
5. Tamil Nadu has become the fifth state in the country to announce its state butterfly. Maharashtra was the first to declare Blue Mormon as its state butterfly followed by Uttarakhand (Common peacock), Karnataka (Southern bird wings) and Kerala (Malabar banded peacock).

EWS quota: SC to hear pleas for Constitution Bench on July 30

1. The Supreme Court has agreed to consider on July 30 a batch of petitions to have a Constitution Bench examine the validity of 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act.
2. The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act provides for 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically weaker section in the unreserved category
3. The Act amends Article 15 and 16 to provide for reservation based on economic backwardness.
4. However, the SC in Indira Sawhney case (1992) has upheld that a backward class cannot be determined only and exclusively with reference to economic criterion. Further, the Court had set the limit for reservations at 50%. It is only for extraordinary reasons that this percentage may be exceeded.
5. The Act has been criticised on the grounds that it violates the basic Structure of the constitution as a) it completely violates the Constitutional norm that economic criterion cannot be the only basis of reservation, b) violative of the equality principle enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution as it excludes OBCs, SCs and STs from the scope of economic reservation c) breaching of 50% cap is violative of Article 14.

EWS quota: SC to hear pleas for Constitution Bench on July 30

1. The Supreme Court has agreed to consider on July 30 a batch of petitions to have a Constitution Bench examine the validity of 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act.
2. The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act provides for 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically weaker section in the unreserved category
3. The Act amends Article 15 and 16 to provide for reservation based on economic backwardness.
4. However, the SC in Indira Sawhney case (1992) has upheld that a backward class cannot be determined only and exclusively with reference to economic criterion. Further, the Court had set the limit for reservations at 50%.It is only for extraordinary reasons that this percentage may be exceeded.
5. The Act has been criticised on the grounds that it violates the basic Structure of the constitution as a) it completely violates the Constitutional norm that economic criterion cannot be the only basis of reservation, b) violative of the equality principle enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution as it excludes OBCs, SCs and STs from the scope of economic reservation c) breaching of 50% cap is violative of Article 14.

Government rolls out plan to save water, says it will be a mass movement

1. The Centre has rolled out Jal Shakti Abhiyan- a water conservation campaign. The theme of the campaign is Sanchay Jal, Behtar Kal.
2. It aims at making water conservation and promotion of irrigation efficiency a ‘jan andolan’ (public campaign) through asset creation and communication campaigns
3. The intervention areas include: a) Water conservation and rainwater harvesting, b) Renovation of water bodies, c) Renovation of bore well recharge structures, d) Watershed development and e) intensive afforestation.
4. The other special interventions that are proposed to be carried out are: a) Development of Block and District Water Conservation Plans (To be integrated with the District Irrigation Plans), b) Krishi Vigyan Kendra Melas to promote efficient water use for irrigation (More Crop per Drop), and better choice of crops, for water conservation and c) 3D village contour maps may be created and made accessible for efficient planning of interventions
5. For urban areas the interventions include: a) In urban areas, plans/approvals with time bound targets to be developed for waste water reuse for industrial and agricultural purposes, b) Plans to be developed for at least one urban water body for groundwater recharge in the block or city. Municipalities, c) Municipalities to pass by-laws for the separation of grey water and black water