Prachand:
Why in News?
Indian Air Force gets its first home-made light combat helicopter.
About prachand:
- The HAL Prachand is an Indian multi-role, light attack helicopter.
- It has the highest flight ceiling of any assault helicopter in the world.
- It has been ordered by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army.
Specifications:
- It weighs around 5800 kg.
- It is capable of carrying 70MM of missiles.
- The Light Combat Helicopter’s top speed is roughly 268 kilometres per hour.
- It has a range of around 550 kilometres
- The ability of the helicopter to fly for more than 3 hours
Manufactured by:
- helicopter designed and manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under project LCH.
Tamil Nadu Breakfast Scheme
Why in News?
Tamil Nadu government launched the first phase of the ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’ which is expected to benefit over 1.14 lakh students of government primary schools.
About :
- Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to offer breakfast along with mid day meal in government schools.
- One of the five schemes announced under Rule 110 in assembly for completion of one year of DMK governance.
- Beneficiaries – Students of Class I to V
- Implementation – Local bodies
Objectives:
Enabling the school children to get their breakfast before attending the class.
Reasons behind:
- Children skip breakfast because of distance to school and family conditions.
- Poor financial conditions.
Benefits:
- Health improvement
- Effective human development
- Poverty reduction
- High economic returns
National Security Act, 1980
About:
The National security act is preventive detention law which involves detainment of person in-order to keep them from committing crimes.
- Act was passed in 1980 by Indira Gandhi government through ordinance route.
NSA and Constitution:
- Article 22(3)(b) – Preventive detention and restriction on personal liberty for reasons of state security and public order.
- Article 22(4) – No law provides preventive detention for longer period than 3 months.
- 44th amendment act 1978 reduces detention period from 3 to 2 months.
Key points:
- Allows preventive detention for 12 months without charge.
- Detain people in manner prejudice to India’s security.
- Detain foreigners too and regulate their presence from India.
- Provisions are re-notified every quarter.
Advisory board:
- Comprise of 3 persons who are qualified to be appointed as Judge of High court.
- Within 3 weeks of detention, the government must place the detainee before board, the reasons for detention.
- The detainee can appeal but not entitled to legal representation by lawyer.
Tamil Nadu Minorities Commission
About:
The Tamil Nadu State Minorities commission is statutory body constituted under Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission act 2010.
- Chairperson – Peter Alphonse
- Composition – Chairperson and 9 members
- Term of office – Not exceeding 3 years
Functions:
- Examine and evaluate safeguards provided in Constitution and laws provided for protection of minorities.
- Provide recommendations for effective implementation of safeguards.
- Review and Monitor the implementation process.
- Provide recommendation for promoting communal harmony.
- Prepare and submit periodical reports at prescribed intervals to the Government.
- Look into complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of minorities.
- Study matters related to welfare and development of minorities which Commission felt as important.
H1N1 virus and Dengue:
Why in News?
Increasing H1N1 virus and Dengue cases in India
About H1N1 virus:
- A human respiratory infection caused by an influenza strain that started in pigs.
- Swine flu was first recognised in the 1919 pandemic.
- usually infects the nose, throat, or lungs.
Caused by the H1N1 virus strain, which is from pigs.
Transmission:
contact with infected pigs or exposure to swine influenza virus-contaminated settings can result in the transmission of the swine influenza virus to people.
Symptoms:
fever, coughing, sore throats, and body aches.
Treatment:
Antiviral drugs .
About Dengue:
A mosquito-borne viral disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas.
Symptoms:
Symptoms include high fever, headache, rash and muscle and joint pain
Transmission:
Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito.
Treatment:
There is no specific medicine to treat dengue.
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)
Why in News?
69% houses under PMAY in rural India are owned by women, says govt.
About PMAY:
- Launched in 2015.
- The former rural housing programme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was reformed as Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin in order to meet the goal of “Housing for All” by 2022. (PMAY-G).
- Comes under Ministry of Rural development.
Aim:
- To provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families, who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by the end of March 2022.
Beneficiaries:
- People belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex-servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, disabled persons and minorities.
- Beneficiaries are chosen using a three-stage validation process that includes the 2011 Socioeconomic Caste Census, Gram Sabha, and geotagging.
Funding: The Central and State Governments split the cost of unit aid 60:40 for plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states.
Features:
- The minimum size of the home has increased from 20 square metres to 25 square metres, and it also includes a clean kitchen area.
- In plain states, the unit support has increased from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh, while in hilly states, it has increased from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 1.30 lakh.
- The funds for toilet construction will be used in conjunction with the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS, or any other specific financial source.
- Convergence for connected electricity, LPG gas, piped drinking water, and other government programmes is going to be tried.
Future Officers 