India’s first underwater metro to become operational by December 2023

India’s first underwater metro to become operational by December 2023

• India’s first underwater metro service, The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) said that the East-West Metro Corridor project is expected to be completed by December 2023. 
• With this, another feather is being added to the crown of Kolkata Metro, the first metro railway in the country. Kolkata Metro, which started its journey in 1984, is being expanded to cover the whole city and its outskirts. The underwater metro, which will be running through the Hooghly river, will connect the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata.
• Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation has taken up the difficult take of making the tunnel with the help of German machines and the best experts. Work inside the tunnel is still in progress.
• As far as the cost of construction of the underground metro is concerned, it costs about Rs 120 crore per kilometre to build the tunnel but the manufacturing cost of the tunnel underwater, which is deep in the Hooghly River costs increased to around 157 crores per kilometre.

Karnataka issues order to implement Registered Vehicle Scrappage Policy

• The Karnataka government has issued an order for implementation of the Registered Vehicle Scrappage Policy of Karnataka-2022, envisaged to phase out old vehicles registered in Karnataka. 
• The policy states that out of the 1.2 crore vehicles estimated to be without valid registration certificates (RC) and fitness certificate (FC) across the country, approximately 14.3 lakh are estimated as fit for scrapping in the State. 
• Over the course of the next five years, an additional 66 lakh registered vehicles in the State will cross the age of 15 and a substantial number of these end of life vehicles will be from the commercial category.
• The primary objectives of the policy are reducing pollution by scrapping old and unfit vehicles, improving passenger safety, boosting auto sector and generating employment, promoting recycling of vehicle scrap in a scientific manner and formalising the current informal vehicle scrappage industry in the State.

India and Pakistan Exchange Lists of Nuclear Assets and Prison Inmates

• India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear installations that cannot be attacked in the event of hostilities, maintaining a tradition dating back to 1992 despite bilateral ties being at an all-time low. 
• The two sides further exchanged lists of prisoners held in each other’s jails, and the Indian side sought the early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing defence personnel and fishermen, along with their boats, from Pakistan’s custody.
• This was the 32nd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992. Under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, the two sides also exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.

Prajjwala Challenge Launched Ministry of Rural Development in New Delhi

• The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) has launched the Prajjwala Challenge. The Prajjwala Challenge has been launched to invite ideas, solutions, and actions that can transform rural development.
• It will provide a platform where ideas are invited from individuals, social enterprises, start-ups, the private sector, civil society, community-based organizations, academic institutions, incubation centers, investors, etc having the potential to transform the rural economy.
• The Prajjwala Challenge was launched by the Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development, Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.
• The mission aims to look forward to ideas and solutions around Innovation technology solutions, inclusive growth, value chain interventions, enhanced women entrepreneurship, and cost-effective solutions.
• The ideas shortlisted will be acknowledged by the Mission and will be provided mentorship support from an expert panel and incubation support to scale up.

Protests erupted over Jharkhand government notifying that the Sammed Shikharji pilgrimage site is a tourist destination

• Leaders of many faiths have joined hands to save a hill that the Jain community considers sacred. They have been organising peaceful protests. The outcry is against a Jharkhand government decision that could change the demographic of visitors to Sammed Sikharji at Parasnath Parvat, Giridih district, taking it from a “place of pilgrimage” to a “religious tourist destination.” 
• The protestors demand that the Jharkhand government revoke its decision to promote Parasnath Parvat “as a part of eco-tourism or any kind of tourism.” They feel this will disrupt the sanctity of the hill dotted with temples.
• Sammed Sikharji as it is reverentially known locally, stands 1,350 metres tall, and is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for the Jains. It is believed that 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras (enlightened beings) attained moksha (salvation) here. 
• The hill itself is named after Parasnath, the 23rd Tirthankara. Every year thousands of Jain pilgrims from across the world undertake a 27-km-long trek to reach the summit.