17 March 2025 : Daily Current Affairs Updates

Nagorno-Karabakh; GS-1 (Geography - Places in the News) ▪️Why in the News:

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the language of a historic peace agreement over Nagorno-Karabakh region.

> Geographical Overview:

• Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh among Armenians, is a landlocked and mountainous region located in the South Caucasus.

• It encompasses the northeastern slopes of the Karabakh Range, which is part of the Lesser Caucasus.

The region stretches from the crest of the Karabakh Range to the Kura River lowlands at its base.

• Its landscapes range from steppe regions in the lowlands to dense forests of oak, hornbeam, and beech on the lower mountain slopes, with birchwood and alpine meadows at higher elevations:

• Historical and Political Context:

• Following the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, both Armenia and Azerbaijan laid claims to Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to long-standing disputes.

• While internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the region was largely governed by the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, also known as the Republic of Artsakh, until its recent dissolution.

PM-ABHIM; GS-2 (Governance) ▪️Why in the news:

The Delhi government is set to sign an MoU with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to implement the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).

> About • PM-ABHIM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with certain components under the Central Sector.

• The scheme has a total financial outlay of 764,180 crores and is scheduled to run from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

• It aims to introduce a new wave of reforms to enhance healthcare service delivery and public health initiatives.

Objectives and Scope:

o The scheme focuses on strengthening health systems and institutions to ensure continuous healthcare across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

o It also prepares the healthcare infrastructure to respond effectively to current and future pandemics and health emergencies.

• Key Components Under the Central Sector (CS) of the Scheme:

o Construction of 17,788 Sub-Centres lacking buildings, converting them into Ayushman Bharat - Health & Wellness Centres, now renamed Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM).

o Establishment of 11,024 Health & Wellness Centres

(AAM) in urban areas, with a focus on slum and slum-like settlements.

o Setting up 3,382 Block Public Health Units (BPHUs) at the block level to strengthen healthcare services.

o Development of 730 District Integrated Public Health Labs (IPHLs) to ensure that every district has a dedicated public health laboratory.

o Establishment of 602 Critical Care Hospital Blocks (CCBs) in districts with a population exceeding 5 lakh to enhance emergency and intensive care services.

Amrit Sarovar; GS-3 (Env and Ecology) ▪️Why in the news:

The Indian Railways will dig ponds as part of the Union government's Mission Amrit Sarovar that aims to address the critical issue of water scarcity in the country.

> Launch and Objective:

• Initiated in April 2022, Mission Amrit Sarovar aims to either construct or rejuvenate 75 ponds (Amrit Sarovars) in every district across India.

• The overall target is to develop 50,000 such water bodies nationwide.

• The initiative is designed to address water scarcity in rural regions.

> Specifications of Amrit Sarovars:

• Each Amrit Sarovar is required to have a minimum pondage area of one acre.

• The water storage capacity of each pond should be approximately 10,000 cubic meters.

• Approval and Oversight:

• A special Gram Sabha will approve the locations for these water bodies.

• The Gram Saba will also appoint a Panchayat Partinidhi to oversee the development and maintenance of the designated Amrit Sarovar.

• Key Focus Areas:

• The initiative emphasizes water conservation and community participation.

• It promotes efficiency.

Uniyala Keralensis (Family Asteraceae); GS-3 (Env and Ecology) ▪️Why in the news:

Researchers have named the new species, which is endemic to southwest India, Uniyala keralensis (family Asteraceae) after the State of Kerala.

> General Description:

• Uniyala keralensis is a shrub that varies in size, ranging from one to three meters 1 height.

• It features light purple florets, making it visually distinctive.

o The plant is characterized by larger leaves, relatively long petioles, which connect the leaf to the stem, and fewer lateral veins on the leaves.

> Flowering and Fruiting Period: The species undergoes flowering and fruiting between August and April.

> Habitat and Distribution: It is predominantly found in open areas along the western mountain slopes of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (ABR). The plai thrives at elevations between 700 and 1,400 meters.

> Population Status: The existing population consists of approximately 5,000 individuals of varying ages. These are distributed across four subpopulations, collectively occupying an area of 250 km'.

> Conservation Status: As per the IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2024), the speci is classified as Data Deficient (DD), indicating that more research is required to determine its conservation status.