+91 9815591973 support@examlife.info
MENU
Click on Drop Down for Current Affairs

2nd, July, 2022

 

 

Topic: Religious Tourism

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • Shikari Mata temple at Mandi seeing the influx of heavy tourists.

 

About Temple:

  • Shikari Devi temple is about 18kms from Janjehli and connected by a jeepable forest road.
  • It is located at an height of 3359 Mtr. The dense forests on the way to the summit of Shikari are astonishing.
  • Being the highest peak of Mandi District it is also called Crown of Mandi.
  • Vast green pastures, captivating sunrise and sunset, panoramic view of snow ranges make this place favorite to nature lovers.
  • The place receives a lot of snow during winters.
  • The place can be approached from Karsog which is just 21 Kms from Shikari Devi.
  • On the Shikari peak, there is a roofless temple of Shikari Devi, the Goddess of hunters and this temple is said to be established (Sathapit) by Pandavas.
  • It is said that sage Markanday also meditated at this place for number of years.
  • It has been observed that despite the fact that temple has no roof, no snow is spotted in temple premises during winters when the entire region around this temple is covered upto several feet by snow. Visitors can trek to Chindi, Karsog, Janjehli through different trek routes from Shikari.
  • Adventurists can visit Kamrunag by undertaking a day long journey of 16 Kms by trekking the vast spread pastures on this hill top route with breathtaking scenic beauty and perfect calmness.
(News Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Climate Change impact on Himachal

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • The growing impact of climate change could necessitate re-negotiation of the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan due to faster glacial melting in the Satluj, Beas and Ravi basins in Eastern Himalayas from where India receives 30 per cent of its water share.

 

Professor Anil V Kulkarni, a distinguished scientist at the Divecha Center for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, shares:

  • India’s water share is declining considerably due to the differential loss of glaciers on the eastern and western sides of the Himalayas due to climate change by the end of this century. This, in turn, could have a significant impact on water sharing.
  • The mass loss of the eastern river on the Indian side is higher than on the western side toward Pakistan,’ he explained. He said there was no understanding or study of glaciers when the treaty was signed. As a result, this factor was not considered.
  • Citing the glacier loss projection based on rise in temperature and accelerated melting, he revealed that 55 per cent of the glaciers in the Satluj basin would disappear by 2050 while 97 per cent would vanish by 2090.

 

Impact on the Himachal Pradesh:

  • Studies had revealed that if there is a rise of 2.6 degrees Celsius rise in temperature then the glaciers in various river basins in Himachal will lose 79 percent of their ice. Similarly, in case there is rise of 4.1 degrees Celsius increase in temperature then the glaciers in Himachal will lose 87 per cent of ice.
  • Dr Kulkarni said that faster melting due to climate change will result in faster run off from glaciers till 2025 and then reduce in Himachal, which is important from the point of view of hydro-power generation. “Winter snow melt and glacier loss will change the run off seasonality, influencing hydro power plants and agricultural practices,” he elaborated while discussing the long-term impacts of climate change and rising temperatures.
(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Himachal Pradesh GST earning grows

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • GST collection in Himachal Pradesh has grown by 67% in the first quarter of the current financial year (2022-23), with the collection of Rs 1,385 crore against Rs 831 crore collected during the same period of last financial year.

 

Reason shared:

  • The strong growth is in part the result of various policy and administrative measures taken by the Department of State Taxes and Excise Duties to improve taxpayer compliance and enhance enforcement activities.
  • The second important reason for the growth is GST return related relaxations provided in the first three months of the last financial year. The relaxations provided to mitigate the adverse economic impact of second wave of Covid-19 had resulted in lesser GST collections during the comparative period in the previous year, he added. The spokesperson said that department is targeting an annual growth of around 25% in the current financial year.
(Source: timesofindia)