Rare White Tufted Royal Butterfly found in Kannur (GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- Recently, a team of butterfly observers and researchers have found White Tufted Royal Butterfly, a rare butterfly species at Kalliyad in Kannur.
White Tufted Royal Butterfly:
- The butterfly is protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
- The species had been spotted in Agasthyakoodam in 2017 and the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in 2018.
- The wingspan of the butterfly is just 32-40 mm.
- Its larvae feed on Scurrula parasitica, a plant belonging to the Loranthaceae family.
Way Forward:
- There were many unregulated laterite and granite quarries operating in Kalliyad.
- The survival of such rare species is under severe threat, and steps should be taken to protect the hills.
VSHORAD missile system
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to procure the Very Short Range Air Defence System or VSHORAD (IR Homing) missile system, among other weapon systems for the Army and Navy at a total cost of Rs. 4,276 crore.
- The development comes amid the ongoing military standoff with China at the LAC in eastern Ladakh and reports of air violations by China along the LAC in 2022.
What is the missile system?
- Meant to kill low altitude aerial threats at short ranges, VSHORADS is a man portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) designed and developed indigenously by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry Partners.
- The DRDO, in September 2022, conducted two successful test flights of the VSHORADS missile from a ground based portable launcher at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
- The missile which is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor incorporates many novel technologies including miniaturised Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics.
How will it help India?
- Being man portable and lightweight compared to the other missile systems in the Army’s armoury, it can be deployed in the mountains close to the LAC at a short notice.
- Others like the Akash Short Range Surface to Air Missile System are heavier with a theatre air defence umbrella of up to 25 km and can be deployed further away from the LAC for static formations.
- When inducted, they will be a critical air defence missile for the forces, even for an all-equipped infantry unit, and will be the best option for mountain warfare.
Centre names new integrated food security scheme launched from 1 January 2023 as “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY)”
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Cabinet had approved new integrated food security scheme for providing free foodgrains to Antodaya Ann Yojna (AAY) & Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries, to be rolled out from 1st January 2023.
- New scheme has been named as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY).
Key Highlights:
- Implementation of the new scheme has started from 1st January 2023, benefitting more than 80 crore poor and poorest of poor people.
- Keeping in view welfare of the beneficiaries and in order to maintain uniformity across the States, free foodgrains will be provided under PMGKAY for the year 2023 to all PHH and AAY beneficiaries, as per entitlement under NFSA.
- The integrated scheme will strengthen the provisions of NFSA, 2013 in terms of accessibility, affordability and availability of foodgrains for the poor.
Subsumed schemes:
- For effective and uniform implementation of NFSA 2013, PMGKAY will subsume the two subsidy schemes of Department of Food & Public Distribution
- Food Subsidy to FCI
- Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states dealing with procurement, allocation and delivery of free foodgrains to the states under NFSA.
Implementation:
- Necessary steps have already been taken for smooth implementation of the PMGKAY in the field, i.e. necessary notification has been issued for making price of foodgrains zero for AAY and PHH beneficiaries, resolution of technical issues at Fair Price Shops (FPS), advisory related to margin to the Fair Price Shop Dealers, zero prices in the print receipts given to beneficiaries etc.
- Officers of the Department of Food & Public Distribution and FCI are regularly interacting with State Government officers for smooth roll out of new scheme in the field.
- The Central Government will spend more than Rs 2 lakh crore in 2023 as food subsidy under NFSA and other welfare schemes, to remove the financial burden of the poor and the poorest of the poor.
