Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime

Why in news?

The Union government has decided to exclude 29 inhabited Andaman & Nicobar Islands from the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime, subject to certain conditions, to boost tourism and overall development of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Facts about Restricted area permit regime

• Foreigners will be allowed to visit 11 uninhabited Islands, to be notified by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration, only for day visits.
• Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals having their origin in these countries would continue to require RAP to visit Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In such cases, RAP may be granted only after obtaining prior approval of the ministry of home affairs.
• For visiting Mayabunder and Diglipur, citizens of Myanmar will continue to require RAP which shall be issued only with the prior approval of the MHA.

What is Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime?

• RAP regime was notified under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963.
• Under it, foreign nationals are not normally allowed to visit protected or restricted area unless Government is satisfied that there are extra-ordinary reasons to justify their visit.
• Every foreigner, except citizen of Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay in protected or restricted area, is required to obtain special permit from competent authority having power to issue such permits to foreigner, seeking it.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

Why in news?

A revised Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed amongst Govt. of India (through MoWR, RD & GR), NABARD and National Water Development Agency (NWDA) for funding of central share of 99 prioritized irrigation projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) through Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF).

About Long Term Irrigation Fund

• To cater to the large fund requirement and ensure completion of the projects, the Union Finance Minister, during his Budget speech 2016-17, announced creation of dedicated Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) in NABARD with an initial corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore for funding of Central and State share for the identified ongoing projects under PMKSY (AIBP and CAD).
• Corpus would be raised by way of budgetary resources and market borrowings to fund fast tracking of implementation of incomplete major & medium irrigation projects.

 About Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• The scheme will be implemented by Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development.
• The major objective of PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water and enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop).

Fall armyworm

Why in news?

The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has sounded the alarm after the invasive agricultural pest Fall Armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ) was discovered in Karnataka.

About Fall Armyworm

• A major maize pest in North America, the Fall Armyworm arrived in Africa in 2016.
• Since then, it has threatened the continent’s maize crop, a staple which feeds 300 million people.
• The Karnataka finding is the first report of the pest in Asia.
• The discovery is more worrisome because the pest feeds on around 100 different crops, such as vegetables, rice, and sugarcane.
• Its discovery in Karnataka means its spread to the rest of the country, as well as neighbouring countries, could be just a matter of time.
• The first line of defence against the Fall Armyworm will be insecticides like lambda-cyhalothrin.
• It’s efficacy is currently being studied in field trials. Also, the researchers have found some natural predators such as coccinellid beetles, that can aid biological control. A fungal species called Nomuraea rileyi also infects the Fall Armyworm.

All-women expedition

Why in news?

An all-women expedition team has begun its journey to Mt. Manirang from Himachal Pradesh. The expedition commemorates the silver jubilee of 1993 Women Everest expedition.

About 1993 Women Everest expedition

• The Indo-Nepalese women’s Everest expedition in 1993 was the first all women expedition, launched by Indian Mountaineering foundation.
• It was funded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• The 21-member team was led by Ms. Bachendri Pal.
• The historic expedition set up several world records at the time which included the largest number of persons (18) of a single expedition to climb Mount Everest, largest number of women (six) from a single country to climb Mount Everest.

About Mt. Manirang

• Manirang is one of the highest mountains in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
• It lies on the border between Kinnour and Lahaul and Spiti district.
• Mount Manirang is known as the crown of the Spiti valley.