Harivansh Secures Third Term as RS Deputy Chairman
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
In News
- Harivansh was elected unopposed as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for the third consecutive term.
Deputy Chairperson
- The Deputy Chairman is a constitutional position created under Article 89 of the Constitution, which specifies that Rajya Sabha shall choose one of its MPs to be the Deputy Chairman as often as the position becomes vacant.
- The office becomes vacant either by resignation or removal from office or when the Rajya Sabha member’s term gets over.
- Procedure: Any Rajya Sabha MP can nominate another member for Deputy Chairperson by moving a motion, which must be seconded by another MP. The nominee must also give written consent to serve if elected.
- Each MP can move or second only one motion, and nominations must be submitted by the deadline.
- Role: The Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha is elected only by its members and is an important position that presides over the House in the absence of the Chairperson and helps ensure its smooth functioning.
Source :Air
Government Expands Coverage of RELIEF Scheme
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
In News
- The Government has expanded the RELIEF scheme under the Export Promotion Mission to support Indian exporters affected by rising freight costs, insurance premiums, and maritime disruptions in West Asia.
Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) Scheme
- The Government launched RELIEF in March 2026 to support Indian exporters facing higher freight costs, insurance premiums, and war-related trade disruptions in West Asia.
- It is implemented through ECGC and it provides insurance support, risk coverage, and reimbursement assistance, especially for MSME exporters, covering both past and future shipments.
- It covers consignments meant for delivery or trans-shipment to countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel and Yemen.
Expansion
- The scheme has been expanded to include Egypt and Jordan as eligible destinations.
- It also clarifies that exporters with new ECGC Whole Turnover Policies from 16 March 2026 are eligible for support under Component II.
Source :PIB
National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW)
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
In Context
- Recent factory worker unrest in Noida’s industrial belt has accelerated Union Government efforts to revise India’s long-stagnant National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW), with proposals of ₹350–₹450/day currently under deliberation.
About National Floor Level Minimum Wage
- The NFLMW is a baseline wage threshold set by the Union Government, below which no state can legally fix its minimum wage.
- States must set their own rates at or above this floor, accounting for local skill levels, geography, and occupation.
- The concept originated from the National Commission on Rural Labour (NCRL), chaired by Jhinabhai Darjee (1991), which initially recommended it on a voluntary basis to reduce interstate wage disparities.
- The Code on Wages, 2019 upgraded it from an advisory guideline to a legally binding statutory floor.
Source: ET
India’s First Water Neutral Coaching Depot
Syllabus: Miscellaneous
In News
- The Kankaria Coaching Depot in Ahmedabad has become India’s first water-neutral railway depot by adopting innovative wastewater treatment and reuse systems.
Kankaria Coaching Depot : India’s first water-neutral railway depot
- It saves around 1.60 lakh litres of water daily and about 5.84 crore litres annually, reducing dependence on freshwater.
- It uses phytoremediation, where plants help purify wastewater, followed by wetland treatment, carbon and sand filtration.
- The water is further cleaned using filtration and UV disinfection, making it safe for reuse in operations instead of being discharged.
Importance
- It reduces water consumption and operational costs while promoting environmental sustainability, serving as a model for greener and more efficient railway infrastructure in India.
Phytoremediation
- It is a process in which plants are used to clean contaminated soil, water, or groundwater by absorbing or breaking down pollutants like metals, pesticides, explosives, and oil.
- It works best in areas with low contamination, as high pollution levels can slow plant growth.
Source :DD
State of India’s Bats, 2024-25 Report
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
Context
- The first-ever national assessment titled “State of India’s Bats, 2024–25” has been released by the Nature Conservation Foundation, in collaboration with Bat Conservation International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and the Centre for Wildlife Studies, highlighting the status, diversity, and threats to bats in India.
Key Findings
- Geographical Distribution: India hosts around 135 bat species. West Bengal leads with 68 bat species, followed by 66 in Meghalaya, 52 in Uttarakhand 41 each in Kerala and Karnataka and 43 in Sikkim, denoting diversity.
- Among cities, Delhi had 15 bat species, despite pressures of urbanisation.
- Endemism & Threat Status:
- 16 species are endemic to India
- 7 species are listed as threatened by the IUCN
- 35 species are either Data Deficient or not assessed
- Major Threats: Urbanisation, deforestation, land-use change and climate change impacts.
- The report has also recommended stepping up surveillance of pathogens in Northeast India and Western Ghats to prevent zoonotic disease outbreaks, and called for more studies on the impacts of environmental pollution on bats.
Key Facts about Bats
- Bats are mammals belonging to the order Chiroptera and are the only mammals capable of sustained powered flight, with wings made of stretched skin over elongated finger bones.
- There are over 1,400 species of bats worldwide, constituting about 20% of all mammal species. They inhabit almost every continent except Antarctica, thriving mainly in tropical regions.
- Bats are crucial for ecosystems as pollinators for many plants, agents of seed dispersal, and natural controllers of insect populations, including agricultural pests.
- Most bats use echolocation—high-frequency sound waves—for navigation and hunting in the dark, a unique adaptation that allows them to exploit nocturnal ecological niches effectively.
- Unlike birds, bats cannot take off from the ground easily; they hang upside down to launch into flight. They rest during daytime, often in caves or hollow trees, forming colonies that can range widely in size.
- The Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) is among the largest bats in India and a critical species for pollination and ecosystem health.
- Bats are known reservoirs of numerous viruses, including coronaviruses, Nipah virus, and Ebola, yet they exhibit remarkable immunity and longevity which is a subject of scientific research.
Source: IE
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