24 August 2024

• Water: Jal Jeevan Mission completed five years. Rural tap water connections rose from 17 per cent (2019) to 77 per cent (2024). Eight states and three UTs have achieved 100 per cent coverage.
• Space: India's post-Chandrayaan-3 space programme is executing on multiple fronts: Aditya L1 at L1 (January 2024), XPoSat operational, SSLV completed development and Gaganyaan crew module in final testing.
• Safety: an explosion at the Escientia pharmaceutical plant in Atchutapuram SEZ, Andhra Pradesh killed 17 workers. India has seen 130 or more major chemical accidents in the past decade.
• Geography: the Gumti River, which originates in Tripura and flows into Bangladesh, was at the centre of a diplomatic dispute over dam releases and flooding.

GS area: Governance, Environment, Government Schemes

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched in August 2019 with a target to provide tap water connections to all rural households. Five years in:

• Baseline: at launch, only 3.23 crore of about 19 crore rural households (17 per cent) had tap connections.
• Progress: 77 per cent of rural households now have tap connections. Over 15 crore connections added in five years.
• Full coverage states and UTs: Goa, Telangana and Haryana among states. Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Sikkim among Union Territories achieved 100 per cent.
• Water standard: 55 litres of potable water per capita per day, the JJM target standard.
• Institutional reach: 88 per cent of government schools and 85 per cent of Anganwadi centres now receive tap water.
• "Har Ghar Jal" villages: over 2 lakh villages have achieved this certification, meaning every household in the village has a tap connection.
• Ministry: Jal Shakti Ministry. JJM is one of the flagship missions under the Jal Jeevan Mission Programme.
• Gap: 23 per cent of rural households (over 4 crore) still lack tap connections. The remaining target is harder: remote areas, quality-challenged water sources, and states with governance challenges.

Static linkage: government schemes, rural development, water governance.

GS area: Science and Technology

A survey of ISRO's programme since the August 2023 lunar landing:

• Aditya L1: India's first solar observatory mission. Launched in September 2023. Reached the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1 (about 1.5 million km from Earth) in January 2024. Observes the Sun's corona and solar wind from this gravitationally stable vantage point without orbital eclipses.
• XPoSat: launched 1 January 2024. First Indian space-based polarimetry mission. Studies X-ray polarisation from compact cosmic sources like pulsars and black holes. Joins NASA's IXPE satellite (launched 2021) as only the world's second operational X-ray polarimetry mission.
• INSAT-3DS: a meteorological satellite launched on 17 February 2024 using GSLV-F14. Replaces aging INSAT-3D with improved imaging and sounding capabilities for weather forecasting.
• SSLV development complete: third development flight (with EOS-08) successful in August 2024. SSLV now operational for commercial small satellite launches.
• Gaganyaan: first uncrewed mission expected in late 2024. The Gaganyaan crew module has passed acoustic, shock and other qualification tests. The mission will carry the Vyommitra humanoid robot on its first uncrewed flight.

Static linkage: ISRO missions, space technology, Gaganyaan.

GS area: Environment, Governance, Disaster Management

The explosion at Escientia Advanced Sciences pharmaceutical plant in Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (Andhra Pradesh) killed 17 workers:

• Accident data: India has recorded 130 or more major chemical accidents over the past decade, causing over 250 deaths (NDMA data).
• Historical reference points: Bhopal Gas Tragedy (December 1984): the world's worst industrial disaster, killing over 3,000 people immediately. Methyl isocyanate gas leaked from Union Carbide India Limited. Visakhapatnam gas leak (May 2020): styrene vapour leak from LG Polymers killed 12 people.
• Legal framework: the Environment Protection Act 1986 (general environmental protection), the Public Liability Insurance Act 1991 (mandatory insurance for hazardous industry), and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 (labour safety standards) form the main regulatory architecture.
• Inspection gap: many SEZ units are exempt from routine state government labour inspections, creating regulatory blind spots.
• NDMA role: the National Disaster Management Authority issues guidelines on chemical disaster management. States maintain Chemical Disaster Management Plans.

Static linkage: disaster management, environmental law, industrial safety.

• Seaplane operation guidelines: new guidelines from the Ministry of Civil Aviation integrate seaplanes under the Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) framework. Viability Gap Funding extended for initial routes. UDAN 5.4 will include seaplane route bids. Seaplanes are relevant for island connectivity in Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Kerala backwaters.
• FSSAI A1/A2 milk claims: the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ordered manufacturers to stop making A1 vs A2 milk claims, citing absence of scientific consensus. A1 beta-casein is found in most commercial cow breeds; A2 is found in some native breeds and Jersey. FSSAI acts under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
• Heaviest antimatter particle: scientists discovered antihyperhydrogen-4 at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in New York. It is the heaviest antimatter particle ever detected. Antimatter particles have opposite charge to their matter counterparts. Matter-antimatter annihilation releases energy.
• Gumti River diplomacy: India's MEA denied that Dumbur dam releases caused downstream flooding in Bangladesh. The Gumti River is 167 km long, originating in Tripura's Longtharai and Atharamura ranges before crossing into Bangladesh. This dispute emerged as a test of India-Bangladesh relations under the new Yunus-led government.