Current Affairs Summary-August 2017

Current Affairs Summary-August 2017

RIGHT TO PRIVACY

Constituent Assembly after discussing this issue decided not to put right to privacy in constitution. Recently, in Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (retd.) vs Union of India, a nine-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that right to privacy is an intrinsic part of life and liberty under Article 21. Now right

to privacy cannot be curtailed or abrogated only by

enacting a statute but can be done only by a

constitutional amendment

 

MARITAL RAPE

The government has expressed its unwillingness to criminalize marital rape.  Section 375 of the IPC dealing with rape makes an exception for instances of forced intercourse within marriages and holds that “sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under 15 years of age, is not rape”.  Various PILs were filed by NGOs (RIT Foundation, All India Democratic Women’s Association) and a man and a woman, who have sought striking down of this exception in the Indian penal law (Sect 375 of IPC).  The exception in section 375 of the IPC dealing with the offence of rape, was brought by way of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 2013, which was enacted after the gangrape case of December 16, 2012.  No other statute or law recognises marital rape, and victims only have recourse to civil remedies provided under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

 

ARTICLE 35A OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION

Article 35A was incorporated into the Constitution in 1954 by a Presidential order issued under Article 370 (1) (d) of the Constitution

Article 35A of the constitution empowers J&K legislature to define state’s “permanent residents” and their special rights and privileges without attracting a challenge on grounds of violating the Right to Equality of people from other States or any other right under the Constitution.

Article 35A protects certain provisions of the J&K Constitution which denies property rights to native women who marry from outside the State. The denial of these rights extend to her children also. The Article bars non-J&K state subjects to settle and buy property in J&K.

 

Why is Article 35A debated?

  • It was not added to the Constitution through amendment under Article 368 thus bypassing the

parliamentary route of lawmaking.

  • It is contended that it is discriminatory against non-residents as far as government jobs and real estate

purchases are concerned. Thus, violating fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21.

  • Some refugees from West Pakistan, who had migrated to India during Partition, have moved the Supreme

Court challenging Article 35A of the Constitution relating to special rights and privileges of permanent

residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

 

The 42nd Amendment Act 1976, froze the allocation of the seats in the Lok Sabha to the states and the division of each state into territorial constituencies till year 2000 at the 1971 (census) level.  This amendment took care of the concerns of the states which took a lead in population control faced the prospect of their number of seats getting reduced.  The prohibition on readjustment was extended for another 25 years, i.e. upto 2026, by the 84th Amendment Act of 2001. The main objective behind extending this was to encourage population limiting measures. The problem is that the current population of our country stands at 121 Crore, which is way more than what was there in 1976, when the figures were frozen. Basing the 1971 Census figure of 54.81 crore to represent today’s population presents a distorted version of our democratic polity and is contrary to what is mandated under Article 81 of the Constitution.  Concerns expressed by the States in 1976 which necessitated the freezing of seat allocation on the basis of 1971 population figures would appear to hold good even today and have to be addressed to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. Now the first census figures after 2026 will be available for 2031, which will already be too late to envelope the reality of Indian electorates.  More number of members jostling with each other to capture attention to raise their respective issues would make it a difficult task for the presiding officer to ensure smooth functioning of House.

 

NRIS PERMITTED TO VOTE THROUGH PROXY Why in news? The Union cabinet has recently approved proposal to change the electoral laws to allow NRIs to vote in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections through a proxy. Earlier, this was permitted only to service personnel. Details  Overseas electors will have to appoint a nominee afresh for each election — one person can act as proxy for only one overseas voter. This is unlike the armed forced who can nominate their relatives as permanent proxy to vote on their behalf.  Service voters can cast their vote through post as well but this is not permitted for NRIs as the government felt that it could become an administrative and logistic nightmare.

 

TAPI GAS PIPELINE

Why in news?

India will host the next steering committee meeting of the proposed 1,814 kilometre-long Turkmenistan-

Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. About TAPI

The pipeline that is set to cross over 1,700 km, through Herat and Balochistan before reaching the Indian Punjab

border will draw from the world’s second largest natural gas field of Galkynysh. The TAPI pipeline will have a capacity to carry 90

million standard cubic metres a day (mscmd) gas

for a 30-year period. It will come into operation

in 2018.

  • India and Pakistan would get 38 mmscmd each,

while the remaining 14 mscmd will be supplied

to Afghanistan.

  • The US is backing the TAPI pipeline as an

alternative to the Iran-Pakistan-India line in its

efforts to restrict Tehran financially over its

suspected nuclear weapon programme.

 

REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP (RCEP)

 

About RCEP  The RCEP is billed as an FTA between the 10-member ASEAN bloc and its six FTA partners — India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.  When inked, it would become the world’s biggest free trade pact. This is because the 16 nations account for a total GDP (Purchasing Power Parity, or PPP basis) of about $50 trillion (or about 40% of the global GDP) and house close to 3.5 billion people (about half the world’s population).  The RCEP ‘guiding principles and objectives’ state that the “negotiations on trade in goods, trade in services, investment and other areas will be conducted in parallel to ensure a comprehensive and balanced

India is primarily interested in securing greater market access for services and is pushing for easing restrictions in the sector.  It is especially looking at opening up issues under Mode 4, which deals with cross-border migration of services professionals. However, the slow progress of the services negotiations has been worrying India.  India has reservations regarding the potential adverse impact of eliminating duties on its local manufacturing and job creation  Several of the members want India to eliminate duties on about 90 per cent of traded goods as part of the ambitious RCEP pact.  China is keen on an agreement on a ‘high level’ of tariff liberalisation — eliminating duties on as much as 92% of traded products. However, India’s offer is to do away with duties on only 80% of the lines and that too, with a longer phase-out period for Chinese imports (ie, about 20 years, as against 15 for other RCEP nations).  There are demands from some RCEP countries to open up the public procurement segment, India is not willing to undertake any binding commitment on that.  A highly ambitious level of tariff elimination without enough flexibility would affect India the most on the goods side. This is because in the RCEP group (except Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR), India has the highest average ‘Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff’ level at 13.5%.  Eliminating duties under the RCEP will impact many sectors including steel, aluminium, auto-components, many engineering items and readymade garments.”  The proposed FTA, owing to the possibility of elimination of duties across most sectors, could lead to a surge in inflow of low-priced goods, mainly from China. outcome.”

 

Since India already has separate FTAs with the 10-member ASEAN bloc, Japan and Korea, India Inc. feels that on account of the RCEP, India may not gain much on the goods side with existing FTA partners.  China is the only RCEP country with which India neither has an FTA, nor is in talks for one. Therefore, Indian industry sees RCEP as an indirect FTA with China.

 

URANIUM BANK IN KAZAKHSTAN Why in news? International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has opened a uranium bank for Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) in Oskemen city of Kazakhstan to discourage new nations from enriching the nuclear fuel.

It will store up to 90 tonnes of the fuel and will act as a supplier of last resort for Member States in case the supply of LEU to a nuclear power plant is disrupted due to exceptional circumstances and the Member State is unable to secure LEU from the commercial market or by any other means.

 

Under the Indian Succession Act 1925, the daughter of a person dying intestate would be entitled only to one-fourth of the son’s share, or Rs. 5,000/-, whichever is lesser, this amount is also termed as Streedhan and this entitlement excludes the women from any further right in seeking a proper division of the properties of the deceased.

GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT (GES) Why in news? India and USA will be co-hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Hyderabad in November, 2017.

 

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana Launched in 2015, it was formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation and improving water use efficiency in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities.  It has been has been formulated by amalgamating viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD&GR), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).         

 At present there are four private credit databases which are regulated by RBI under Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 (CICRA 2005) namely o Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL), o Equifax o Experian o CRIF Highmark  According to World Bank survey as of 2012 87 out of 195 countries had Public Credit Registry.  However, RBI has proposed the creation of an integrated facility as PCR which will help to remove inconsistencies such as information asymmetry and data fragmentation.  Therefore, RBI has created a taskforce which will provide a roadmap to set up Public Credit Registry.

 

BHARAT-22 Why in news? Government of India is set to launch its second ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) Bharat 22 which will comprise 22 stocks including those of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), public sector banks and GOI’s holdings under the Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI). About Bharat 22  The ETF will have a diversified portfolio of companies from six sectors with a 20% cap on each sector and a 15% cap on each stock.  The new ETF will help government sell equity stakes in state-run firms and also help in achieving its objective to raise Rs. 72,500 crore through disinvestment in the current financial year. What is an ETF?  Exchange Traded Funds are index funds that offer the security of a fund and liquidity of stock.  Much like index funds they mirror the index, commodity, bonds or basket of assets.  Their price changes daily as they are traded throughout the day.

 

Transit Oriented Development is the creation of compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities cantered around high quality train systems. This makes it possible to live a lower-stress life without complete dependence on a car for mobility and survival.

Various transport economists are on the opinion that construction of Metro rail would not be a profitable investment because private players will look at least 12-15% return while no Metro project has ever yielded an investment return of over 2-3%.

 

AAJEEVIKA GRAMEEN EXPRESS YOJANA (AGEY)

Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) with an aim to uplift the urban poor folks by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development. It was launched under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA). The scheme is integration of the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). The financial support under the programme is mainly in the form of Revolving Fund and Community Investment Funds, given as grants to the Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations.

The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)” as part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). The SHGs under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in backward areas which will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (such as access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development of backward rural areas.

 

Sagar Mala Project  It is a series of projects to leverage the country’s coastline and inland waterways to drive industrial development. Sagarmala, integrated with the development of inland waterways, is expected to reduce cost and time for transporting goods.

The project intended to go beyond Maritime Agenda 2020 by linking various sub-projects under Sagarmala are in sync with the Central Government’s Industrial Corridors, Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC), National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

 

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN INDIA Why in news? The government has brought out the latest edition of its consolidated FDI policy document. It is an initiative aimed at ensuring greater ease of doing business in India and an investor-friendly climate to foreign investors. What are the major highlights of the document? Start-ups: It is for the first time there is a separate chapter for start-ups in the FDI policy.  Start-ups can raise up to 100 per cent of funds from Foreign Venture Capital Investor (FVCI). They can issue equity or equity linked instruments or debt instruments to FVCI against receipt of foreign remittance.  A person residing outside India (other than citizens/entities of Pakistan and Bangladesh) will be permitted to purchase convertible notes issued by an Indian start-up company for an amount of Rs 25 lakh or more in a single tranche.  Non Resident Indians can also acquire convertible notes on non- repatriation basis (This means that NRI cannot convert invested money back to foreign currency).  A start-up company engaged in a sector where foreign investment requires Government approval may issue convertible notes to a non-resident only with approval of the Government.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is the nodal agency for FDI.  It is responsible for the overall Industrial Policy.  It monitors the industrial growth and production, in general, and selected industrial sectors.  The Department is also responsible for facilitating and increasing the FDI inflow in the country.  The Department is also responsible for Intellectual Property Rights relating to Patents, Designs, Trade Marks and Geographical Indication of Goods and oversees the initiative relating to their promotion and protection.

 

What are Convertible notes? A convertible note is a form of short-term debt that converts into equity, typically in conjunction with a future financing round; in effect, the investor would be loaning money to a startup and instead of a return in the form of principal plus interest, the investor would receive equity in the company.

 

The proposals relating to banking, mining, defence, broadcasting, civil aviation, telecoms, pharmaceuticals

etc. will have to be approved by administrative ministries as FIPB had been scrapped earlier.

  • DIPP will be the authority to clear proposals relating to areas including retail (single and multi-brand, and

food).

  • For proposals relating to financial services activities that are partly regulated or not regulated by any

financial sector regulator, the department of economic affairs will clear the proposals.

 

EASE OF DOING BUSINESS

Why in news?

Niti Aayog recently released Ease of doing business

report after surveying 3500 manufacturing forms

across India. The aim of the survey is to assess

existing business regulations and the environment

from the firm’s perspective.

What are the major findings of the report?

Economic Performance and Reforms: Better the

economic indicators of a state, lesser are the issues

faced by firms such as less obstacles in land/

construction related approvals, 25% less power

shortage in comparison to low growth states etc.

Improvements over time: Newer and younger firms

report a more favorable business environment.

Informational gaps: States need to enhance

awareness of the steps being undertaken by them to

the improve ease of doing business. The survey data

shows that only about 20% of new start-ups report

using single window clearance facilities.

Labor regulations are a bigger constraint for labor

intensive firms: Labor intensive sectors, that create

proportionately more jobs per unit of capital

investment, feel more constrained by labor related

regulations.

  • 19% more likely to report that finding skilled workers

is a major or very severe obstacle.

  • 33% more likely to report that hiring contract labor

is a major or very severe obstacle.

Barriers to firm growth: The experience of firms with

fewer employees is different from that of larger firms.

In some cases, large firms face more regulatory barriers

than smaller firms.

 

How NITI Aayog report differs from the World Bank’s

Doing Business Survey?

  • The World Bank interviews industry leaders while

this survey interviews firms along with some

experts in large states.

  • ·The World Bank Survey focuses on Delhi and

Mumbai while this survey covers almost all states

and Union Territories in India.

  • While the World Bank survey has a standardized

survey across 190 countries, this survey is a nonstandardized

survey only for India.

  • The present survey is meant to be qualitative. It

does not rank states in the ease of doing business.

Its objective is to provide information for states on

their business environment.

  • While the World Bank Survey covers 10 parameters

handled by the states and the central government,

this survey primarily deals with issues handled by

the State Governments.     

 

About Pangong Lake  Pangong Tso is a long narrow, deep, landlocked lake located at a height of over 14,000-feet in the Ladakh Himalaya and around 1300-km west of Sikkim.  It is a brackish water lake freezes over in winter, and becomes ideal for ice skating and polo.  It is not a part of Indus river basin area.  The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.

 

5.4. GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS Background The department-related parliamentary standing committee recently made its recommendations in its 301st report on ‘GM crop and its impact on environment’. Problems observed by committee in approval process of GM crops 51 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS Global Environment Facility (GEF)  It was established during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to address the world’s most challenging environmental issues.  Its funds are available to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements.  Since 1994, the World Bank has served as the Trustee of the GEF Trust Fund and provided administrative services.  Possibility of data manipulation: The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) does not conduct the closed field trials on their own but are solely dependent on the data provided to them by the technology developer making it susceptible to manipulations. Thus, the Committee recommends to ensure that the whole process of field trials is done in closed environment keeping bio-safety and health safety in mind and in collaboration with the agricultural universities so as to minimise the scope of fudging the primary data.  Concerns regarding GEAC: such as ad hocism in its constitution, criteria adopted for selection of its members, dominance of bureaucrats, no representation from civil society or states where Bt Cotton has been introduced, head is not from field of Biotechnology etc.  Functioning of DLCs: The Committee also feels that the presence of District Level Committee (DLC), which is one of the most important committees to regulate GM crop at the ground level, is hardly felt in any of the States/Union Territories. The Committee is of the view that MPs should be nominated as members in the District Level Committees so that the activities of these Committees are also shared with the public. GM Crops- Impact on Environment Contamination and cross pollination with non-GM and creation of super weed: as a herbicide tolerant gene may escape through pollen into nearby farms and fields, to another GM or non-GM cultivars or to a wild and weedy relative.  Development of insect resistance to Bt crop: The amount of Bt toxins produced by GM Bt crops can be much greater than the reduction in chemicals sprayed. such heavy and continuous exposure induces the target pest to develop resistance far more rapidly  Likelihood of one or a few GM genotypes becoming the dominant cultivars thus leading to reduction of crop diversity in farmers’ fields.  Soil/water contamination: Bt toxin produced in GM Bt Crops is present in every part of the plant, so when the parts that have not been harvested decompose, a considerable amount of the toxin may reach the soil.  GM crops do impact unintended organisms including beneficial organisms like bees and butterflies along with predators which are also impacted.  Studies conducted by ICAR on animals have found no deleterious effect of GM plants approved for animal feed. But these trials are of short duration. Hence, long term feeding trials in all the species of livestocks must be undertaken. Impact of Genetically Modified Crops on Human Health  No in house scientific study has been carried out till date to study the impact of GM crops on human health. Without having been scientifically proven that GM crops would have no adverse impact on human health and solely relying on the studies which have not been done here in India and on our own population as well as in the context of our climate and environment negating any adverse impact on human health, the Government should reconsider its decision to commercialize GM crops in the country.  GM products being sold in the country have no labeling. The Committee strongly recommends that labeling on GM foods must be done with immediate effect. Overall recommendations  No genetically modified (GM) crop should be introduced in India unless the biosafety and socio-economic desirability is evaluated in a “transparent” process and an accountability regime is put in place.  The ministry should examine the impact of GM crops on environment thoroughly, in consultation with all stakeholders so that the nation is very clear about all its probable effects before taking a call on the matter.

 

ARTIFICIAL REEFS TO SAVE SINKING ISLANDS

Tamil Nadu govt in collaboration with IIT

Madras have been restoring Vaan Island in Gulf

of Mannar by deploying artificial reefs near

vulnerable islands. Due to indiscriminate mining of coral,

destructive fishing practices and frequent fires

caused by fisherman in past decades, area of

Vaan Island had been reduced from 16 hectares

in 1986 to 2 hectares in 2014.

Highlights

  • It is the first attempt in India to protect

and restore a sinking island.

  • Funding: The project has been funded by

NAFCC of the Ministry of Environment,

Forests and Climate Change

Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

  • It is the first marine biosphere reserve in Asia.
  • It lies between the southeastern tip of India and the west coast

of Sri Lanka, in the Coromandel Coast region.

  • Fauna: endangered Dugong (Sea Cow), three species of

endangered sea turtles, sea horses, several species of dolphins

and whales etc.

  • It is a part of UNESCO MAB (Man And Biosphere) programme.

 

EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY

Why in News?

In 2017, Earth Overshoot Day fell on

August 2, the earliest date since

ecological overshoot began in the early

1970s.

What Is It

  • It is the date when humanity annual

demand on nature exceeds what

Earth can regenerate over the entire

year.

  • It is calculated by WWF and Global

Footprint Network.

Highlight

  • It signifies that we have emitted

more carbon than the oceans and

forests can absorb in a year, we

caught more fish, felled more trees,

harvested more, and consumed

more water than the Earth was able

to produce in the same period.

 

BAN ON THE USE OF CHEMICALS IN FIRECRACKERS

 

Recently, Supreme Court imposed a ban

on the use of antimony, lithium,

mercury, arsenic and lead in the

manufacture of firecrackers to prevent

air pollution

SC entrusted the Petroleum and

Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO)

with the responsibility of ensuring

compliance

  • At present, there are no standards on

air pollution caused by the bursting of

firecrackers.

  • SC asked the CPCB to clarify on the use

of strontium, another chemical

branded toxic by the pollution body, in

firecrackers.

  • SC asked CPCB and PESO to make collaborative efforts for standardization of firework industry and provide

details of its impact on environment.

 

BLACK CARBON IN STRATOSPHERE

Why in news?

  • According to a group of

scientists, aeroplanes may be

ejecting significant amounts

of black carbon (BC) and this

may be depleting the ozone

layer.

What is Black Carbon (BC)?

  • It is produced both naturally

and by human activities as a

result of the incomplete

combustion of fossil fuels,

biofuels, and biomass.

  • BC particles strongly absorb

sunlight and give soot its

black color.

  • It is emitted directly into the

atmosphere in the form of

fine particles (PM2.5).

  • It’s known to be one-fourth

as potent as carbon dioxide in

whetting global warming.

 

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer [1985]:

  • It acts as a framework for the international efforts to protect

the ozone layer.

  • It paves the way for a legally binding treaty through protocol called

Montreal protocol.

Montreal Protocol [1987]

  • It aims at reducing the production and consumption of ozone

depleting substances (ODS).

  • It has been ratified by 197 parties making it universally ratified

protocol in United Nations history.

Kigali agreement to amend the Montreal Protocol [2016]:

  • Aim: To phase out Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a family of potent

greenhouse gases by the late 2040s.

  • It will be binding on countries from 2019.

 

Madhya Pradesh has become the latest state stonewalling Centre’s bid to promote renewable energy by ranking available sources of generation based on the ascending order of prices, after Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan Details To promote use of energy from renewable sources, the Electricity Act, National Electricity Policy and National Tariff Policy have accorded energy from renewable sources a “must run” status. This status emanates from the Indian Electricity Grid Code notified by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and adopted by the state regulators.  Recently Madhya Pradesh has floated a proposal that would take away the “must run” status of renewable energy and subject it to “merit order dispatch” by the state grid operator.  The “merit order dispatch” is a principle followed for conventional generation sources that essentially ranks available sources of electrical generation based on the ascending order of prices and sequences them accordingly. Impact  A shift to the merit order dispatch would push costly solar and wind power down the pecking order. This will put the cash flows of most of the smaller renewable firms under severe stress.  The uncertainty in payments will lead to decline in investments in renewable sector and will hamper India’s aim to ramp up the share of green power in the country’s electricity supply mix from the current seven per cent to nearly 20 per cent by 2022.

 

HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING SATELLITE

Why in news?

ISRO plans to launch HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging

Satellite) – a earth observation satellite, using a

critical chip it has developed called “optical imaging

detector array”.

What is hyperspectral imaging?

  • Hyperspectral imaging, or imaging spectroscopy,

combines the power of digital imaging and

spectroscopy.

  • For each pixel in an image, a hyperspectral

camera acquires the light intensity (radiance) for

a large number of contiguous spectral bands.

  • Every pixel in the image thus contains a

continuous spectrum in the visible and near

infra-red regions and can be used to characterize

the objects in the scene with great precision and

detail.

  • Hyperspectral images provide much more

detailed information about the scene than a

normal color camera, which only acquires three

different spectral channels corresponding to the

visual primary colors red, green and blue.

  • Hence, hyperspectral imaging leads to a vastly

improved ability to classify the objects in the scene based on their spectral properties.

 

LAUNCH OF ISRO’S IRNSS 1H UNSUCCESSFUL Why in news?  The launch of India’s latest navigational satellite IRNSS 1H in its indigenous GPS system NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) failed. More About it  It was carried on by PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)- C39. IRNSS 1H was to augment the existing seven satellites of the NavIC constellation.  If successful this launch would have been historic because for the first time, the private sector has been has been actively involved in assembling and testing of a satellite. Earlier, the private sector’s role was limited only to supplying components.  The launch of IRNSS 1H was also necessitated because of issues with all the three atomic clocks of IRNSS-1A.  IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an independent regional system developed by India on par with the US-based Global Positioning System (GPS), Glonass of Russia, and Galileo developed by Europe.  The system, which offers services like terrestrial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, navigation aide for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers. This system is called NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation)  The seven navigation satellites launched earlier by ISRO are IRNSS-1G (28 April 2016); IRNSS-1F (10 March 2016); IRNSS-1E (20 January 2016), IRNSS-1D (28 March 2015), IRNSS-1C (16 October 2014), IRNSS-1B (4 April 2014); and IRNSS-1A (1 July 2013).

 

INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE MISSILE PRODUCTION FACILITY UNVEILED

The missile sub-section manufacturing facility has been established as a joint venture (51:49) between Kalyani Group and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence System Ltd. The Kalyani Rafael Advanced System Facility will initially manufacture Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Spike.  It further aims to provide one-stop solutions to locally re-design, develop, re-engineer and manufacture various land and airborne products and systems in India.  The facility has been established in line with ‘Make in India’ initiative and Defence Procurement Policy, 2016 to ‘Make (Indian)’ and ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’.  The Domestic Content used in the plant is around 90% and it also puts into action the policy to encourage the private sector in defence production.

 

INCOIS UNVEILS OCEAN FORECASTING SYSTEM

 

INCOIS inaugurated an Ocean Forecasting System for Comoros, Madagascar and Mozambique at third meeting of Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Asia and Africa (RIMES). Ocean Forecasting System has been developed by INCOIS for the Indian Ocean countries. The system is already operating in Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)  It is an international intergovernmental institution for generation and application of early warning information formed in the aftermath of 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami by the efforts of African and Asian countries.  It operates from the early warning centres located at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthani, Thailand.  It is registered with United Nations under Article 102 and is also supported by UNESCAP and DANIDA.  It provides information related to Tsunami and extreme weather conditions. It also acts as a test bed for emerging technologies and help to enhance performance. Member Countries : Bangladesh, Cambodia, Comoros, India, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste. Collaborating Countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

 

NEW TECTONIC PLATE DISCOVERED

The Malpelo Plate, named after an island and an underwater ridge it contains, is the 57th plate to be discovered and the first in nearly a decade. The plate is discovered off the coast of Ecuador in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

 

Goal 1: End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

 

THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC): REVISED RULES Why in news? The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has launched a revised accreditation framework. Why is there a need for new law?  NAAC has been facing criticism for poor rigour and subjectivity.  In the earlier system, the process of accreditation was heavily reliant on field inspection by the officials of universities and colleges leading to high subjectivity in the process. What is the new process?  In the new framework, there will be two stages of assessment, of which 70% will be done off-site at NAAC. Institutions keen to be assessed should submit an Institutional Information for Quality Assessment (IIQA) and Self Study Report (SSR) to NAAC. The data submitted will then be validated. Punitive measures have been put in place for colleges submitting incorrect data. After this assessment, 30% of ranking is based on on-site grading by NAAC officials.  A Student Satisfaction Survey has also been introduced in the accreditation process. NAAC will consider responses from 10% of the total enrolled students, and the result of the survey will be a part of the overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) awarded to the institution.  The Revised Accreditation Framework is ICT enabled, objective, transparent, scalable and robust.

 

MADHYAMIK AND UCHCHTAR SHIKSHA KOSH Why in News? The Union Cabinet has accorded its approval for creation of a non-lapsable pool in the Public Account for secondary and higher education known as “Madhyamik and Uchchtar Shiksha Kosh” (MUSK).

 

Education Cess Rate:  A cess is a tax that is levied by the government to raise funds for a specific purpose. The rate at which education cess is calculated is a combination of the two types of cess applied on the taxable income.  The education cess the rate is 2% of the tax payable and  The Secondary and Higher Education Cess (SHEC) the rate is 1% of the tax payable. Together they form the education cess rate of 3% of the tax payable.

 

Administration and maintenance of the MUSK pool would be done by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The expenditure on schemes of the Department of School Education & Literacy and Department of Higher Education would be initially incurred from the gross budgetary support (GBS) and the expenditure would be financed from the MUSK only after the GBS is exhausted. The fund would be operationalised as per the present arrangements under Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh (PSK) wherein the proceeds of cess are used for Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Schemes of the Department of School Education & Literacy.  The MUSK would be maintained as a Reserve Fund in the non-interest bearing section of the Public Accounts of India.

 

INTENSIFIED MISSION INDRADHANUSH Why in News?  Union Health Ministry plans to achieve full immunisation coverage under its ‘Mission Indradhanush’ by 2018.  The plan is to launch Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) from October, 2017.

 

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) 1985  It prevents mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women  Vaccination is provided for 12 life threatening diseases: tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, Hepatitis B, Diarrhoea, Japanese Encephalitis, rubella, Rotavirus and Pneumonia (added in May 2017) Mission Indradhanush, 2014  It is a strategic endeavour under Universal Immunisation Programme 1985  It targets to immunize all children below two years of age either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated as well as all pregnant women.  Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, targets to immunize all children against seven vaccine preventable diseases namely Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Childhood Tuberculosis, Polio, Hepatitis B and Measles.  In addition to this, vaccines for Japanese Encephalitis, Haemophilus influenza type B, inactivated polio vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine and Measles Rubella vaccine are also being provided in selected states.

 

INFANT MORTALITY RATE Why in News?  As per latest data, IMR has reduced by 58% in India during the period of 1990-2015 which is more than the Global decline of 49% during the same period. What is IMR?  The Infant Mortality Rate is the number of deaths under one year of age occurring among the live births in a given geographical area during a given year, per 1,000 live births occurring among the population of the given geographical area during the same year.  The latest government data on child health indicators shows that India’s IMR is now at 39 per 1,000 live births as against 40 the previous year.  The target for IMR under National Health Mission is 30 per 1000 live births by 2020.

 

Various steps taken by the Government (under the National Health Mission)  Under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK), the number of institutional deliveries have improved. These programmes entitles all pregnant women delivering in public

 

Various steps taken by the Government (under the National Health Mission)  Under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK), the number of institutional deliveries have improved. These programmes entitles all pregnant women delivering in public

 

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched MAA-Mothers’ Absolute Affection programme in August 2016 for improving breastfeeding through mass media and capacity building of health care providers in health facilities as well as in communities.

 

The National Health Mission is India’s flagship health sector programme to revitalize rural and urban health sectors. The National Health Mission comprises of 4 components namely the National Rural Health Mission, the National Urban Health Mission, Tertiary Care Programmes and Human Resources for Health and Medical Education. The National Health Mission represents India’s endeavour to expand the focus of health services beyond Reproductive and Child Health, so as to address the double burden of Communicable and Non-Communicable diseases as also improve the infrastructure facilities at District and Sub-District Levels.

 

SURROGACY BILL

A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended certain changes to the bill keeping in mind the changes that have taken and are taking place in the Indian society. In 2002, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laid out guidelines for surrogacy, which made the practice legal, but did not give it legislative backing that protected, to an extent, the surrogate mother and the commissioning parents.

 

As per the provisions under the new bill, surrogacy would be allowed only for infertile Indian married heterosexual couples where the woman is between 23-50 years and the man is between 26-55 years. The couple cannot have a surviving child either biological or adopted. Under the bill, all surrogacy clinics will have to be registered, the surrogate mother cannot be paid directly and there will be national and state surrogacy boards which will be the regulating authorities for the practice.  The bill also disallows childless or unmarried women to be surrogate mothers.

 

MINIMUM WAGE UNDER MGNREGA Why in news? Nagesh Singh panel gave recommendations regarding wages paid under MGNREGA.

In 2014, an expert committee, headed by Professor Mahendra Dev held that MGNREGA workers should be paid at least the minimum wages paid to agricultural workers in the states, if not more, to meet basic needs. Minimum wage: It guarantees bare subsistence needs of life like food, shelter and clothing. ü They are fixed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. ü These are declared at the national, state, sectoral and skill/occupational levels. ü Revision of minimum wage rates is based on a ‘cost of living index’ Living Wage: It is the level of income for a worker which will ensure a basic standard of living including good health, dignity, comfort, education and provide for any contingence.  Fair Wage: It is that level of wage that not just maintains a level of employment, but seeks to increase it keeping in perspective the industry’s capacity to pay. Panel recommended to switch over to CPI-R from CPI-AL for wage calculation because ü Comprehensive picture of inflation in rural areas: CPI-Rural index is a better representative of rural households and will protect workers from inflation as it takes in to account the changes in prices for the entire rural population of the country. ü NREGA wages are fixed by Central Government using CPI-AL, which is based on the consumption pattern of 1983. On the other hand, CPI-R is based on present consumption pattern.

 

Wage Indices In India CPI- Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL): Computed by Labour Bureau under Ministry of Labour  CPI-Rural Labourers (CPI-RL): Computed by Labour Bureau under Ministry of Labour.  CPI-Rural (CPI-R): Computed by CSO under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

 

PROMOTION OF TRADITIONAL SPORTS Why in news? Sports Minister has recently notified in Rajya Sabha about the promotion and development of traditional sports through an exclusive component “Promotion of Rural, Indigenous and Tribal Games”. Background  Sports is a state subject and the responsibility of development and promotion of sports falls on state government.  SAI has revamped the Khelo India proposal to include the exclusive component “Promotion of Rural, Indigenous and Tribal Game” for promotion of rural and indigenous games.  SAI promoted Indigenous Games and Martial Arts (IGMAs) are as follows: o Kalaripayatu – It is a martial art form which originated in Kerala, originally from northern and central parts of Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu. o Silambam – It is a weapon based martial art practised in Tamil Nadu. Bamboo staff is used as weapon. o Archery – It is a sport from Jharkhand in which a bow and arrow are used. Traditionally Archery was practised for hunting and recreational purposed. o Kabaddi – This is a team sport in which two teams compete to remain outnumbered till the end. This game is widely played in Telangana, Andhara Pradesh and Maharashtra. o Malkhamb – This traditional sport is a combination of acrobatics and aerial yoga. It is performed on a wooden pole and the player demonstrates wrestling grip throughout the performance. o Mukna – It is a form of folk wrestling from Manipur. o Thangta – It is a martial art form from Manipur and traditionally known as Huyel Langlon. o Khomlainai – It is a martial art performed by the Bodo community in Assam. o Gatka – It is a traditional combat training in which wooden sticks are used to simulate swords.

 

BUDDHA STATUE AT GHANTASALA  A proposal to build a 70 ft. Buddha statue in Ghatasala in Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh has been passed by the government.  The new facility will be themed on the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha.  Buddha will be lying on the right flank, his head resting on a cushion or on his right elbow, supporting his head with his hand. Mahaparinirvana  The word “Mahaparinirvana” refers to the ultimate state of Nirvana (everlasting, highest peace and happiness) entered by an Awakened Being (Buddha) or “arhat” at the moment of physical death; but it can also refer to that same state reached during such a being’s physical lifetime too. Significance of Ghantasala  Ghantasala was a renowned Buddhist centre. Excavations in the late 19 and early 20th century led to the discovery of Maha Chaitya or Stupa. OLYMPIC TASK FORCE Why in news? Prime Minister’s Olympic Task force has submitted its report with a comprehensive action plan to improve the performance of Indian Sportspersons in Olympic Games. Background  In the background of performance of Indian Sportspersons in 2016 Olympic Games, Prime Minister has announced formation of Olympic Taskforce in 2016 to prepare a plan for effective participation of Indian Sportspersons in next three Olympics i.e. – 2020, 2024 and 2028.  The taskforce members were – P.Gopichand, Abhinav Bindra, Rajesh Kalra, OmPathak, Viren Rasquinha, S. Baldev Singh, Prof. G. L. Khanna and Sandeep Pradhan. Major Suggestions of Olympic Taskforce  The Olympic Taskforce has suggested restructuring the role of Sports Authority of India (SAI) from just a facilitator to being a provider of training and preparation of elite athletes.  SAI should provide academies of excellence for elite athletes to train them in train-to-compete and train-to-win stage.  Replace the bureaucrats in SAI with qualified professionals and ending the concept of deputing government officers and professionalizing the body by hiring the specialists on contractual basis with clearly defined roles.  SAI should also be given full financial autonomy along with ways to raise resources to run their programs.  The Taskforce also suggested that the sports person should be considered active only till the age of 28 years, after which they should be “reskilled” as a Coach or referee, depending on their national ranking. 10.2. NATIONAL SPORTS TALENT PORTAL  The Government of India launched the National Sports Talent Search Portal.  It is an initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in order to attract sporting talent from across the country.  The portal is also available as a Mobile App, which can be downloaded on the smartphones.  All interested citizens can apply online using the portal for various schemes of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) through a three step simple process.  Eligible youth will be called for selection trials. The admission to the schemes will be subject to fulfillment of the eligibility criteria and battery of tests as well as skill tests.

 

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana  Launched in 2016, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE).  The objective of this scheme is to enable youth of the country to take industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing better jobs.  Individuals with prior learning experience or skills will also be assessed and certified under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

 

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana  Launched in 2016, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE).  The objective of this scheme is to enable youth of the country to take industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing better jobs.  Individuals with prior learning experience or skills will also be assessed and certified under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

 

SUNREF HOUSING PROJECT Recently National Housing Bank (NHB) along with French Development Agency (FDA) and the European Union, have joined hands to launch SUNREF housing project in India.  SUNREF (Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Finance) Housing India will provide financing of €112 million to NHB, through a credit line of €100 million and a grant of €12 million financed by the European Union. The credit facility and grant agreements were signed with the NHB in July 2017.

 

GOBINDOBHOG RICE: GI TAG

Gobindobhog rice, a speciality from Burdwan district of West Bengal, has got the geographical indication (GI) status. The region of Burdwan is known as the rice bowl of Bengal. The GI tag is an indication that is definite to a specific geographical territory. It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods having special quality and established reputation.  The GI tag is governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999.  This Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is also the Registrar of Geographical Indications.  The registration of a GI is valid for 10 years after which it needs to be renewed

 

GI Tag for other Rice variety in India: Kalanamak Rice: Uttar Pradesh  Basmati rice: Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir  Ambemohar Rice: Maharashtra  Palakkadan Matta Rice, Navara rice, Pokkali Rice, Wayanad Jeerakasala Rice, Wayanad Gandhakasala Rice, Kaipad Rice: Kerala Other GI product from WEST Bengal Darjeeling Tea , Santiniketan Leather Goods, Laxman Bhog Mango, Fazli Mango, Himsagar (Khirsapati Mango), Santipore Saree, Baluchari Saree, Dhaniakhali Saree, Joynagarer Moa, Bardhman Sitabhog and Bardhman Mihidana.