“PM RAHAT” Scheme
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
Context
- Prime Minister Modi has approved the launch of the PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) Scheme.
PM RAHAT (Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment)
- It is a newly launched initiative by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- Objective – to provide immediate, cashless medical treatment to road accident victims across India.
- Significance – it aims to reduce fatalities during the “Golden Hour” (the critical first hour after an accident).
Key features of the scheme
- It includes cashless treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh for up to 7 days.
- It offers stabilization care for a maximum of 24 hours in cases that are not life-threatening and 48 hours in life-threatening situations.
- The scheme covers all road accident victims on all types of roads.
- Hospitals cannot ask for advance payments for emergency stabilization.
- Implementation is linked with the 112 helpline for emergency response.
- Treatment is available at hospitals empaneled under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY).
- A digital system connects the eDAR and TMS 2.0 for reporting and claim processing. Funding comes from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF).
- Grievances are handled by a Grievance Redressal Officer at the district level.
Japan’s ‘God’s Crossing’
Environment
Context
- A centuries-old winter phenomenon known as “Miwatari” (God’s Crossing) at Lake Suwa has failed to appear for several consecutive years, signalling the growing impact of climate change in East Asia.
‘Miwatari’
- “Miwatari” refers to a natural ice ridge that forms when the entire surface of Lake Suwa freezes.
- It occurs after several days of temperatures below –10°C.
- Thermal expansion and contraction of the frozen surface creates cracks; newly formed ice shards push upward, forming a raised ridge.
- Traditionally, it is believed to mark the path of a deity crossing the lake to visit his consort.
Evidence of Climate Change
- Miwatari appeared almost every winter until the 1980s, but its frequency has sharply declined since then and it has not appeared at Lake Suwa since 2018.
- Morning winter temperatures increasingly fail to drop low enough for complete lake freezing.
Kamala Hydroelectric Project
Environment
In News
- Recently, the expert panel of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India has recommended clearance for Kamala hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh, which will require felling 23.4 lakh trees.
Kamala Hydroelectric Project
- It is a multipurpose project with the objectives of power generation and flood moderation.
- It is proposed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited.
- It is located on the Kamla river, a right-bank tributary of Subansiri which is Brahmaputra’s tributary.
Emergency Landing Facility
Defence;
Context
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a2 kilometre Emergency Landing Facility on the Moran Bypass in Assam, the first such facility in Northeast India.
About
- An Emergency Landing Facility is a reinforced highway stretch designed to act as an alternative runway for the Indian Air Force.
- Located about 300 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control, the Moran ELF provides critical backup during conflict situations and strengthens disaster response in remote regions.
- It can handle fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes.
- With around 15 such facilities now operational, this strategic grid stretches from the deserts of Rajasthan to the expressways of Uttar Pradesh and now to the strategic borders of the Northeast.
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