GRAP measures to kick in when air quality deteriorates: officials
The Hindu
States asked to stop use of coal in hotels and open eateries
Measures under “very poor” and “severe” category of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to control air pollution will kick in only when the air quality deteriorates further and stays in prescribed levels for 48 hours, according to officials.
Last year, the erstwhile EPCA (Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority) had ordered States to implement measures under “very poor” and “severe” category of GRAP in NCR cities from October 15 in anticipation of bad air, before the air quality actually deteriorated to the prescribed levels.
This is not likely to happen this year.
Around 440 MBBS graduates of 2021 are not required to undergo one year of compulsory rural service as per the bond signed by them while joining the medical course through government-quota seats in 2015 as the High Court of Karnataka has said the law, enacted in 2012 for mandatory rural service, remained unenforced for 10 years as it was published in the official gazette only in July 2022.