UDAN scheme

In News:

The government has announced new flights under the UDAN scheme to connect small cities with the metros.

Details:

The flights utilises less used airports in the country and seeks to offer affordable flights to the people of the country.

Background:

The Centre plans to operationalise 100 unserved and underserved airports and start at least 1,000 air routes under a regional connectivity scheme called UDAN scheme (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik).

About UDAN Scheme:

The scheme is aimed at enhancing connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country and making air travel affordable.

It is a key component of Centre’s National Civil Aviation Policy led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and launched in June 2016.

Under the scheme, nearly half of the seats in Udan flights are offered at subsidised fares, and the participating carriers are provided a certain amount of viability gap funding (VGF) – an amount shared between the Centre and the concerned states.

The scheme will be jointly funded by the central government and state governments.

The scheme will run for 10 years and can be extended thereafter.

UDAN 4.0:

The 4th round of UDAN was launched in December 2019 with a special focus on North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands.

The airports that had already been developed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) are given higher priority for the award of VGF (Viability Gap Funding) under the Scheme.

Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopters and seaplanes is also been incorporated.

Hubble telescope

In News:

NASA was able to successfully switch to a backup computer on the Hubble observatory following weeks of computer problems.

Background:

On June 13, Hubble shut down after a payload computer from the 1980s that handles the telescope’s science instruments suffered a glitch.

About the Hubble Space Telescope:

The Hubble Space Telescope is a large telescope in space. NASA launched Hubble in 1990.

It was built by the United States space agency NASA, with contributions from the European Space Agency.

Hubble is the only telescope designed to be serviced in space by astronauts.

Expanding the frontiers of the visible Universe, the Hubble Space Telescope looks deep into space with cameras that can see across the entire optical spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.

The Hubble Space Telescope makes one orbit around Earth every 95 minutes.

Achievements:

It has helped in discovering the moons around Pluto.

Evidence regarding the existence of black holes has emerged based on the observations through Hubble.

The birth of stars through turbulent clouds of gas and dust have also been observed.

The hubble telescope made observations of six galaxies merging together.

On Februry 11, 2021, the Hubble made observations of small concentrations of black holes.

Adjournment motion

In News:

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to move an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha against the government on the three controversial farm laws, over which it walked out of the NDA government.

The motion requires the signatures of 50 MPs to be admitted.

Background:

The laws — the “Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the “Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the “Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020” were cleared by Parliament last year and have seen sustained protests from farmers groups at the doorstep of Delhi.

While the Central government has held several rounds of talks, these have been unsuccessful at breaking the logjam, as the government has firmly refused to take back the Acts.

About Adjournment Motion:

Adjournment motion is introduced only in the Lok Sabha to draw the attention of the House to a definite matter of urgent public importance.

It involves an element of censure against the government, therefore Rajya Sabha is not permitted to make use of this device.

It is regarded as an extraordinary device as it interrupts the normal business of the House. It needs the support of 50 members to be admitted.

The discussion on this motion should last for not less than two hours and thirty minutes.

However, right to move a motion for an adjournment of the business of the House is subject to the following restrictions. i.e. It should:

Raise a matter which is definite, factual, urgent and of public importance.

Not cover more than one matter.

Be restricted to a specific matter of recent occurrence.

Not raise a question of privilege.

Not revive discussion on a matter that has been discussed in the same session.

Not deal with any matter that is under adjudication of court.

Not raise any question that can be raised on a distinct motion.

Jurisdiction of Krishna & Godavari River Management Boards

In News:

Government Issues two Gazette Notifications for Jurisdiction of Krishna & Godavari River Management Boards.

The notifications provide the required authority and power to the two Boards in terms of administration, regulation, operation and maintenance of listed projects in Godavari and Krishna rivers in the two States.

Background:

The Constitution of the Godavari and Krishna River Management Boards and the constitution of an Apex Council for the supervision of the functioning of these Boards, is laid down in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014 (APRA).

The two River Management Boards were constituted by the central government under the provisions of this act.

Inter-State River Water Disputes:

Article 262 of the Constitution provides for the adjudication of inter-state water disputes.

Under this, Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution and control of waters of any inter-state river and river valley.

Parliament may also provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court is to exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint.

The Parliament has enacted the two laws:

The River Boards Act (1956):

It provides for the establishment of river boards by the Central government for the regulation and development of inter-state river and river valleys.

A River Board is established on the request of state governments concerned to advise them.

The Inter-State Water Disputes Act (1956):

It empowers the Central government to set up an ad hoc tribunal for the adjudication of a dispute between two or more states in relation to the waters of an inter-state river or river valley.

The decision of the tribunal is final and binding on the parties to the dispute.

Neither the Supreme Court nor any other court is to have jurisdiction in respect of any water dispute which may be referred to such a tribunal under this Act.