22 Aug 2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

Parichha Dam

Why in News: The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) has recognised the historic Parichha Dam as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS).

What to Know

• Parichha Dam is located on the Betwa River in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh.

• It is an important part of the Betwa Canal System.

• The canal system supplies irrigation water to the drought-prone Bundelkhand region.

• The dam has supported irrigation for nearly 140 years and benefits areas of both Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Historical Timeline

• 1855: Captain Strachey proposed a canal system for Bundelkhand; detailed surveys followed.

• 1881: Construction of Parichha Dam began.

• 1886: The dam became operational and has continued to serve irrigation needs.

Why It Matters

• It has supported agriculture in the water-scarce Bundelkhand region for more than a century.

• WHIS recognition acknowledges its engineering value, historical importance and continued utility.

• The Sukwa-Dukwan Weir in Jhansi was also included in the ICID WHIS list in 2022.

ICID and the WHIS Programme

• ICID was established in 1950.

• It is a scientific, technical, international, non-profit and non-governmental organisation.

• Its work covers irrigation, drainage and flood management.

• Its mission is to promote sustainable agricultural water management for a water-secure world and sustainable rural development.

• Under the WHIS programme, ICID recognises historically important irrigation and drainage structures for engineering achievement, historical value and continued usefulness.

• For WHIS recognition, a structure must be more than 100 years old.

• Eligible structures can include irrigation dams, tanks, barrages, canal systems, traditional water-lifting devices, drainage structures and other sites linked to agricultural water management.

Quick Recall

• Parichha Dam → Betwa River → Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.

• Operational since 1886.

• WHIS recognition is given by ICID.

• WHIS age criterion → more than 100 years.

India’s First Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems

Why in News: India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

About the Guide

• It is a national reference document on the diversity, ecological significance and socio-economic importance of India’s grasslands and other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs).

• It was developed under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with ATREE and IUCN.

• Its aim is to strengthen conservation, restoration and sustainable management of grasslands and ONEs through science-based approaches.

Grasslands and ONEs

• Grasslands are ecosystems dominated by grasses and herbaceous vegetation.

• They provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water storage, nutrient cycling and climate regulation.

• Open Natural Ecosystems are naturally occurring open landscapes.

• ONEs include grasslands, savannas, deserts, scrublands, ravines, rocky plateaus and coastal ecosystems.

What the Guide Covers

• Geographical distribution, ecological characteristics, biodiversity, and associated communities and tribes.

• Himalayan and Terai grasslands, the Thar Desert, Banni grasslands, Deccan savannas, rocky plateaus, ravines, scrublands, coastal ecosystems and desert landscapes.

• Dedicated themes such as pastoralism, fire ecology and carbon sequestration.

Key Message

• Grasslands, scrublands and ravines should not be labelled as wastelands merely because they lack tree cover.

• The Guide calls for better scientific understanding, improved land-degradation assessments and landscape-level planning.

• It is intended for policymakers, researchers, conservation practitioners, development agencies and local communities.

Quick Recall

• Guide launched at UNCCD COP17 → Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

• Developed under MoEFCC with ATREE and IUCN.

• ONEs are naturally open ecosystems—not necessarily wastelands.

• ONEs include grasslands, savannas, deserts, scrublands, ravines, rocky plateaus and coastal ecosystems.

Industry’ and the Triple Test

Why in News: The Supreme Court held that the broad definition of ‘Industry’ and the Triple Test from the Bangalore Water Supply (1978) judgment continue to apply under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

What the Supreme Court Clarified

• The broad interpretation of ‘Industry’ from Bangalore Water Supply (1978) remains applicable to disputes arising under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

• The term ‘industry’ was earlier governed by the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and is now defined under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.

• The 1978 judgment brought a wider range of establishments within labour-law protection.

• Future disputes under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 will be interpreted according to the new Code and will not automatically be governed by the Bangalore Water Supply judgment.

• Pending cases under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 may continue to be decided using the Triple Test.

Triple Test: When Does an Activity Qualify as an Industry?

• Organised and systematic activity: The undertaking must function in an organised and systematic manner.

• Employer-employee cooperation: Employers and employees must cooperate in carrying out the activity.

• Goods or services: The activity must involve production and/or distribution of goods or services intended to satisfy human wants and needs.

• Profit motive is not essential for an activity to qualify as an industry.

• Purely spiritual or religious activities are generally excluded.

Quick Recall

• Key case → Bangalore Water Supply (1978).

• Pending Industrial Disputes Act cases → Triple Test may continue to apply.

• Triple Test → systematic activity + employer-employee cooperation + goods/services.

• Profit motive is not necessary.

Ervebo Vaccine

Why in News: The World Health Organization will provide 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo during the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.

About Ervebo

• Ervebo is an approved Ebola vaccine that is safe and effective against the Zaire strain of Ebola virus.

• It is manufactured by Merck.

• It is a live attenuated recombinant vaccine.

• It uses Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) as a vector.

How It Works

• A small gene from the Ebola virus is inserted into the VSV vector.

• The vaccine does not contain the complete Ebola virus, so it cannot cause Ebola disease.

• The modified virus mimics infection and trains the immune system to recognise and fight the Ebola virus.

Administration and Limitation

• Ervebo is administered as a single dose.

• It can be given to individuals aged 12 months and above.

• It protects only against the Zaire strain of Ebola virus.

• It does not protect against other orthoebolaviruses or orthomarburgviruses.

Quick Recall

• Ervebo → Ebola vaccine → Zaire strain.

• Manufacturer → Merck.

• Vector → Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV).

• Schedule → single dose; age → 12 months and above.