{"id":155548,"date":"2025-02-15T19:02:19","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T13:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=155548"},"modified":"2025-02-17T16:27:11","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T10:57:11","slug":"news-in-shorts-15-february-2025","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/news-in-shorts-15-february-2025","title":{"rendered":"News in Shorts: 15 February 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Mission Amrit Sarovar<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Context: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than <\/span><b>68,000 ponds have been either constructed or rejuvenated\u00a0 under mission Amrit Sarovar <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to combat water scarcity as of January 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Phase II: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mission has <\/span><b>entered its second phase<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with renewed focus on ensuring water availability, <\/span><b>with community participation (Jan Bhagidaari) at its core.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>About Mission Amrit Sarovar<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Launch: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Amrit Sarovar Mission <\/span><b>was launched on 24th April 2022 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as part of the <\/span><b>celebration of Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Objective:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To serve as a <\/span><b>symbols of climate resilience and ecological balance, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contributing to the <\/span><b>nation\u2019s overall water management strategy.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Aim:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To develop\/<\/span><b> rejuvenate 75 ponds in each district, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with a total target of 50,000 Amrit Sarovars nationwide.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Implementation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Mission is based on \u201c<\/span><b>Whole of Government\u201d approach<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the participation from,<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Culture<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Environment, Forest &#038; Climate Change and technical organizations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Features:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Distinct as Unit:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Every district of the country <\/span><b>will have to\u00a0 construct or rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Area and Capacity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every Amrit Sarovar will have a<\/span><b> pondage area of at least 1 acre<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with a water holding <\/span><b>capacity of about 10,000 cubic metre.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Community resource:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The water of the ponds will be used for different purposes <\/span><b>like irrigation, fisheries, duckery, cultivation of water chestnut, water tourism<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and other activities.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Amrit Sarovar will also act as a <\/span><b>social gathering point in that locality.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Convergence: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Mission converges various schemes such as <\/span><b>MGNREGA, 15th Finance Commission Grants, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayi Yojna sub schemes such as Watershed Development Component, Har Khet ko Pan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">i, besides States\u2019 own scheme.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Benefits:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Sustainable Water Sources: To<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ensure significant <\/span><b>enhancement in surface and groundwater availability<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> across various regions, addressing immediate water needs and establishing sustainable water sources for the future.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Climate Resilience: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The creation of ponds will help in the climate resilience efforts as it <\/span><b>will regulate temperatures and ensure water availability for various use.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Livelihoods:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The mission will emphasize the<\/span><b> well-being of local communities <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as it provides them resources for <\/span><b>drinking, irrigation, animal rearing etc. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and boost water tourism.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>UAE Blue Visa<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Context: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (UAE), in collaboration with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security (ICP), announced the first phase of the Blue Visa system.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>About Blue Visa<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The UAE Blue Visa is <\/span><b>a 10-year residency permit <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">designed for individuals who have made significant contributi<\/span><b>ons to environmental sustainability<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Purpose of the Blue Visa<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aims to <\/span><b>recognize and support individuals making significant contributions to environmental protection.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeks to achieve<\/span><b> national sustainability goals and build a sustainable future for the UAE and the world.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Who is Eligible?<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Blue Visa targets individuals actively involved in environmental sustainability, including:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Members of international organizations and sustainability companies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-governmental organizations working on environmental issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Global award winners in environmental work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers and activists recognized for their efforts in sustainability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Key Features<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Builds on existing UAE residency programs like <\/span><b>the Golden Visa and Green Visa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applicable to<\/span><b> sustainability efforts both within and outside the UAE.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Other Long-Term Residency Options in UAE<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Golden Visa (2019): 10-year residency<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, outstanding students, and humanitarian pioneers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Green Visa (2022): 5-year residency<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for skilled professionals, freelancers, investors, and entrepreneurs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Veer Savarkar in Marseille<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Context:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> During his visit to Marseille, France, <\/span><b>the Indian\u00a0 Prime Minister <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">highlighted the city&#8217;s historical connection to India&#8217;s freedom struggle and to the people of Marseille.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>About Veer Savarkar<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-155672 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-2025-02-17t104408137-67b31576ac8d3.webp\" alt=\"Veer Savarkar in Marseille\" width=\"402\" height=\"226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-2025-02-17t104408137-67b31576ac8d3.webp 640w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-2025-02-17t104408137-67b31576ac8d3-300x169.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, also known as <\/span><b>Swatantryaveer Savarkar<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was a prominent<\/span><b> Indian freedom fighter, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">politician, and the ideologue behind the <\/span><b>concept of Hindutva.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was born in B<\/span><b>hagur, Maharashtra<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Savarkar was a key figure in <\/span><b>the Hindu Mahasabha and played a significant role in shaping the idea of a collective Hindu identity.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although he was an atheist, he followed Hindu philosophy pragmatically.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Veer Savarkar&#8217;s Attempted Escape<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Background:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vinayak <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Damodar Savarkar was arrested in London in March 1910 on charges of <\/span><b>anti-state activities and involvement in the murder of Nashik magistrate <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A M T Jackson.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>About Marseille Incident<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a famous incident involving <\/span><b>Veer Savarkar in 1910.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was being <\/span><b>transported to India for trial <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on the ship<\/span><b> SS Morea.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On July 8, He tried to escape by jumping into the waters at the <\/span><b>French port city of Marseille<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He reached shore but a French maritime officer caught him and handed him to <\/span><b>British guards mistaking him as a crew member.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This incident caused a<\/span><b> diplomatic dispute <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">between <\/span><b>France and Britain.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Political Career and Ideology<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After his release in 1937, Savarkar became an influential orator and writer, advocating for Hindu political unity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As president of the Hindu Mahasabha, he promoted the idea of a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu Nation).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criticized the Quit India Movement in 1942 and resigned from the Hindu Mahasabha.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>MATSYA 6000<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Context: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s first manned submersible, Matsya 6000, is expected to carry three people to a depth of 6,000 metres in the<\/span><b> ocean by 2026.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>About Matsya 6000<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Matsya 6000<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a<\/span><b> manned deep-sea submersible\u00a0 for exploration <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the ocean with operational depth capacity of <\/span><b>6,000 metres below sea level.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Developed by: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Institute of Ocean Technology<\/span><b> (NIOT), Chennai <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under<\/span><b> Samudrayaan mission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a component of<\/span><b> Deep Ocean Mission <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of\u00a0 the <\/span><b>Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Launch Timeline: Expected by 2026.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Features and\u00a0 Applications<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Structure:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Made of 80mm-thick titanium alloy, designed to withstand 600 times the atmospheric pressure at sea level.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Endurance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can operate for 12-16 hours with a 96-hour emergency oxygen supply.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Technological Components:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Includes buoyancy management, power and control systems, maneuvering propellers, subsea intervention manipulators, navigation, communication systems, and onboard energy storage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Collaboration: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personnel sphere (2.1m internal diameter) developed in partnership with ISRO.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Mission Role:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Conducts deep-sea biodiversity exploration, mineral resource assessment, and scientific surveys.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Significance of Matsya 6000<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Deep Ocean Exploration Capability: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enables India to explore marine biodiversity and mineral resources at extreme depths.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Component of India\u2019s Deep Ocean Mission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supports the \u20b94,077 crore <\/span><b>Deep Ocean Mission,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> approved <\/span><b>in 2021<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for<\/span><b> deep-sea exploration, mining and underwater robotics.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Pioneering Technology: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Positions India among a select group of nations with advanced deep-sea exploration capabilities.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India will be the <\/span><b>sixth Nation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to achieve this capability, the other five nations\u00a0 are the U.S. , France, China, Russia and Japan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Strategic and Economic Impact:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Offers technological spin-offs in underwater engineering, ocean literacy promotion, and asset inspection for sustainable marine resource utilization<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Also Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Editorials<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: 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water scarcity as of January 2025. Phase II: The mission has entered its second phase with renewed focus on ensuring water availability, with community participation (Jan Bhagidaari) at its core. About Mission Amrit Sarovar Launch:&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/news-in-shorts-15-february-2025\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">News in Shorts: 15 February 2025<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":155541,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[],"subject":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/155548"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155548"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/155548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":155677,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/155548\/revisions\/155677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155548"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=155548"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=155548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}