1. ISSUE BASED CURRENT AFFAIRS (WEEK 6) FEBRUARY 2016 Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

2. GS - 1 Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

3. Geography/ Disaster management AVALANCHE Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

4.  Rapid down slope movement of snow, rocks and debris- is called Avalanche  When gravitational force > mechanical strength of snow cover- avalanche occurs  Reasons for triggering can be natural and artificial  Natural Triggers:  Large mass of fresh snowfall  Blizzards  Global Warming  Huge amount of rainfall and earthquakes WHY IN NEWS: SIACHEN AVALANCHE Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

5. Artificial Triggers  Skiing and mountaineering  Deforestation  Construction like roads and buildings  Loud sounds and noise like sonic booms Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

6. Adequate forecasting by interlinking data of snowfall, slope angle of mountain, heat etc by using remote sensing satellites Avoid construction (roads, buildings, related to recreational activities in winter months Mostly victims die of suffocation rather than hypothermia Provision of medical facilities, disaster response teams with modernized equipments like heat sensors, snow proof clothes along with shovels etc Self Triggering Slow,safe and controlled self triggering of small avalanches periodically SNOW AND AVALACHE STUDY ESTABLISHMENT (SASE) under DRDO is set up for predicting snow avalanches and aid armed forces to properly response to the disaster Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh Mitigation strategies

7. Geography / Environment CLEANING GANGA Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

8. Why GANGA is unclean Industrial affluents Domestic Refuse Human (defecation) Agri (pesticides runoff) waste Burning of dead and related ritual waste Building of unnecessary blockages (like dams and barrages) which interrupt natural flow and self cleansing capacity of river Namami Ganga (explained fully ahead) Aviral (uniterrupted) Nirmal (Pure) GANGA CLEANING Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

9. Solid and liquid waste management at Municipal levels in cities and towns Completely ban distilleries, tanneries, paper making factories etc alongside Ganga which inject untreated waste Electric cremation and banning or rationing of ritual objects (only biodegradable) PPP for waste treatment Seechewal model: Community awareness + ownership of water Separation of solid and liquid waste Liquid waste to be organically treated and solid waste to be converted to compost WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CLEAN GANGA Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

10. Renaming of GANGA ACTION PLAN launched in 1985 Nodal ministry : Ministry of Water Resource, Ganga Rejuvenation and River Development Over Rs. 20,000 crore has been sanctioned in 2014-2015 budget for the next 5 years NAMAMI GANGA Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

11. What will be done Setting river centric urban planning process to facilitate better “citizen connects” through interventions at Ghats and River fronts Expansion of coverage of sewerage infrastructure in 118 urban habitations on banks of Ganga Enforcement of Ganga specific River Regulatory Zones Development of organic agricultural practices & efficient irrigation methods NAMAMI GANGA Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

12. Social Issues CASTE

13. WHY in news: Rohit Vemula suicide CASTE is not varna Is not clan Is not surname Difficult to define as it is normally understood from its manifestation in the society Endogamous, hereditary and hierarchical Pure vs impure Marriage rules civic disabilities (food consumption/usage of public places/ residences etc) Hierarchy Restrictions Occupation CASTE IN INDIAN SOCIETY Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

14. Rural vs urban and Caste vs Class Region wise (ex north vs south) Honour killings and Khap Panchayats Constitution angle (responsibility of state) Ambedkar vs Gandhian perspective Reservation Caste as entrenched and institutionalized inequality Caste and Tribes Caste and Politics CONTEMPORARY CASTE ANALYSIS Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group Chandigarh

15. THIS IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION FOR GS -1 For more updates visit :- www.rajiasacademy.com