May 7th Current Affairs

1. WAG 12 B Locomotive

IN NEWS:

• Indian Railways inducts 100th 12000 HP WAG 12 B Locomotive.
• Built in one of India’s largest integrated greenfield manufacturing facilities, these are the Nation’s most powerful ‘Made-In-India’ Electric Locomotives.
• The locomotive has been produced under Make in India programme.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The locomotive is manufactured by Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL)
• These WAG 12B e-Locos have already clocked over 4.8 million kilometres hauling a wide range of commodities across 17 States & 2 Union Territories
• These locomotives are state of the art IGBT based, 3 phase drive and 12000 horse power electric locomotive
• These high horse power locomotives will help to decongest the saturated tracks by improving average speed and loading capacity of freight trains.
• This locomotive is capable of maximum tractive effort of 706 kN, which is capable of starting and running a 6000 T train in the gradient of 1 in 150.
• The locomotive with twin Bo-Bo design having 22.5 T (Tonnes) axle load is upgradable to 25 Tonnes with design speed of 120 kmph.

• These superior electric locomotives built under the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative, are playing a key role in revolutionizing the freight movement in the country.
• It will help to decongest the saturated tracks by allowing faster, safer and heavier freight trains to move across the country, as well as improve the loading capacity.
• So far, these e-Locos have traversed across all Railway divisions and are performing well. We look forward to more such delivery milestones.”
• These locomotive are proving to be a game changer for further movement of coal trains for Dedicated Freight Corridor. The locomotives can be tracked through GPS for its strategic use through embedded software and Antennae being lifted through the servers on ground through microwave link.
• First 12000 HP Made in India Locomotive, manufactured by Madhepura Electric Loco Factory situated in Bihar, was put into operation by Indian Railways from Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn Station on 18.05.2020.

SOURCE:PIB

2.Mandatory online certification of disability through UDID portal w.e.f. 01.06.2021

IN NEWS:

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Government of India has issued Gazette notification SO 1736(E) dated 05.05.2021 making it mandatory for all States/UTs to grant certificate of disability through online mode only using UDID portal w.e.f. 01.06.2021. 

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Central Government notified the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017 under RPwD Act, 2016 on 15.06.2017. Rule 18(5) mandates the Central Government to appoint a date making it mandatory for the State/UTauthorities to issue certificate of disability through online mode.
• The Central Advisory Board on Disability headed by Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment discussed this issue in its last meeting held on 26.11.2020 and recommended mandatory online disability certification from 01.04.2021.
• However, keeping in view the elections in some of the States/UTs during March-April, 2021, online certification has now been made mandatory from 01.06.2021.Department of Health & Department dealing with disability matters in States/UTs have been advised to take immediate steps to ensure compliance of this notification.

UDID

• The UDID project is under implementation since 2016. Concerned authorities of all States/UTs have been imparted training by DEPwD for working on the UDID portal (www.swavlambancard.gov.in).
• The States/UTs have been given adequate time to convert to online mode.
• It will ensure complete digitization of certification of disability from 01.06.2021, besides providing a viable mechanism for cross-checking genuineness of the certificate to achieve pan-India validity, and simplifying the process for the benefit of Divyangjan.

SOURCE:TH

3. Shri Badrinath Dham

IN NEWS:

Oil and Gas PSUs sign MOUs for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart Hill Town.

KEY POINTS:

• Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed  between the Oil and Gas PSUs-IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL, and Shri BadrinathUtthan Charitable Trust for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri BadrinathDham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town.
• As per the MoUs, the Oil & Gas PSUs will be contributing Rs. 99.60 crore in the first phase of the developmental activities, including river embankment work, building all-terrain vehicular path, building bridges, beautifying existing bridges, establishing gurukul facilities with accommodation, creating toilet and drinking water facilities, installing streetlights, mural paintings etc.
• The Oil and Gas PSUs will not only contribute to the development work of the Badrinath, but are also part of the development of Kedarnath, Uttarkashi, Yamunotri and Gangotri.
• Shri BadrinathDham has a special place in the hearts of the people of this country.
• It is considered to be one of the most sacred places in our country, and the developmental activities are much needed to provide the best of facilities to the pilgrims from across the country.
• With the concerted efforts of both Uttarakhand Govt. and Oil & Gas PSUs, we are hopeful of that the rejuvenation work of Shri BadrinathDham will be completed within a span of three-year time.

SOURCE:PIB

4. Initiative to waive TRIPS protection for COVID-19 vaccines

IN NEWS:

USA will support an initiative at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to waive Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) protection for COVID-19 vaccines.

Important Information

• The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
• It is an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• It establishes minimum standards for the regulation by national governments of different forms of intellectual property (IP) as applied to nationals of other WTO member nations.
• TRIPS was negotiated at the end of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) between 1989 and 1990 and is administered by the WTO.

SOURCE:TH

5. Dahla Dam

In news

The Taliban has captured Afghanistan’s second-biggest dam after months of fierce fighting in its former bastion of Kandahar.

Key takeaways

• It provides irrigation to farmers via a network of canals as well as drinking water for the provincial capital
• It is now under Taliban control.
• The dam’s capture comes after clashes erupted in neighbouring Helmand province just days after the U.S. military formally began withdrawing its remaining troops from Afghanistan.

Important info

Dahla Dam

• The Dahla Dam is also known as Arghandab Dam.
• It is located in the Shah Wali Kot District of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
• Constructed in: 1952
• It is built on the Arghandab River.

SOURCE:IE