News in Shorts: 26 March 2025

BHIM 3.0 Version

Context: Recently, NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL), a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), launched the upgraded BHIM 3.0 app. 

About BHIM 3.0 app

• BHIM 3.0 is the latest version of the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app.
• Launch Date: March 25, 2025
• Features of BHIM 3.0:
  • Multilingual Support: Available in 15+ Indian languages for wider accessibility.
  • Low Internet Compatibility: Optimized to function in areas with slow or unstable networks.
  • Built-in Task Assistant:
    • A task assistant is added to remind users about:
      • Pending bills linked to the BHIM app.
      • Enabling UPI Lite for quicker transactions.
      • Low UPI Lite balance alerts.
  • BHIM 3.0 introduces BHIM Vega, an in-app payment solution for merchants.
    • It integrates with online merchant platforms, allowing customers to complete payments without switching to third-party apps.

Signal App

Context: Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor of The Atlantic, was mistakenly added to a Signal group chat where top US officials discussed sensitive military plans to attack the Houthis in Yemen.

About Signal app

• Signal is a secure messaging app that offers end-to-end encryption, ensuring private conversations and calls cannot be accessed by the service provider.
• Its open-source code allows experts to verify its security in real-time.
• Users need only a phone number to register, and the app collects minimal user data.
• Features like automated message deletion ensure privacy within a specified time.

Dalle Chilly (Dalle Khursani)

Context: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has successfully exported the first consignment of Dalle Chilly from Sikkim to the Solomon Islands.

About Dalle Chilly

• Known for Pungency, Bright red color, and High nutritional value 
• Scoville Heat Units (SHU) ranging from 100,000 to 350,000.
  • Scoville scale: Measurement of the pungency (spiciness) of peppers and other hot foods. 
  • Scale is based on the Concentration of capsaicin: An active component of chili peppers that produces a burning sensation when it touches the tongue or skin
• It is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, along with potassium
• Dalle Chilly received Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2020

Forest Land Diversion

Context: The Union environment ministry in a reply to a question in Lok Sabha said that close to 1,73,396.87 hectares of Forest land has been diverted for various non-forestry purposes between 2014-15 to 2023-24.

• Forest area measuring 59,881 hectares was approved for non-forestry use over the past three years, from 2021-22 to 2023-24.
• Legal Provision: The land diversions including infrastructure projects were carried out under the provisions of Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980/ Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act, 1980
• State wise: The data shows the largest forest area was diverted from Madhya Pradesh (14157.02 ha) during the period.
  • MP was followed by Odisha (7,703 hectares) and Uttar Pradesh (5,058 hectares).
• Himalayan States: The highest diversion was in Arunachal Pradesh (4,021 hectares), followed by Uttarakhand (2,005 hectares), Manipur (1,516 hectares), and Himachal Pradesh (1,320 hectares)

Boilers Bill, 2024

Context: The Boilers Bill, 2024 was introduced in Lok Sabha recently by the  Union Minister for Commerce and Industry.

Key Features of the Boilers Bill, 2024

• Decriminalisation of Offences: 3 out of 7 offences decriminalised to boost Ease of Doing Business.
  • 4 major offences (leading to possible loss of life/property) retain criminal penalties.
• Enhanced Safety Measures: Ensures safety of workers operating boilers through:
  • Mandatory repair by qualified and competent personnel.
  • Specific provisions for worker safety during boiler operations.
• Removal of Obsolete Provisions: Redundant and obsolete provisions from the Boilers Act, 1923 have been omitted.
  • New and enabling provisions have been introduced to facilitate the creation of rules and regulations where none existed earlier.
• Alignment with Jan Vishwas Act, 2023: Boilers Bill, 2024 incorporates the spirit of Jan Vishwas Act by reducing judicial intervention and encouraging executive action for non-criminal violations.
  • Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 aims to decriminalise minor offences to promote EoDB.

What is a Boiler?

• Definition:  A boiler is a closed vessel where water or another fluid is heated to generate steam or hot water for industrial processes, heating applications, or power generation.
  • The heated fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.
• Basic Working of a Boiler
  • Fuel Source: Coal, natural gas, oil, biomass, or electricity.
  • Heat Generation: Fuel is burned in a furnace to produce heat.
  • Water Heating: Heat transfers to water or other fluids in the boiler to generate steam.
  • Steam Output: The steam produced is used for power generation, heating, or other industrial processes.