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Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th November 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) NSO survey debunks Swachh Bharat ODF claims Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Sanitation In News In the first week of October 2018, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Grameen) said 25 States and Union Territories had been declared ODF, while toilet access across the country touched 95%. In reality, the NSO has said 28.7% of rural households had no toilet access at the time. The 71% access to toilets was still a significant improvement over the situation during the last survey period in 2012, when only 40% of the rural households had access to toilets. The NSO survey was carried out between July and December 2018, with a reference date of October 1.  Large States which had been declared ODF — that is, 100% access to toilets and 100% usage — even before the survey began included Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.  According to the NSO, almost 42% of the rural households in Jharkhand had no access to a toilet at that time. In Tamil Nadu, the gap was 37%, followed by 34% in Rajasthan. In Gujarat, which was one of the earliest States declared ODF, back in October 2017, almost a quarter of all rural households had no toilet access, the NSO data showed. Possible reason for divergence in survey results: There may be respondent bias in the reporting of access to latrine as question on benefits received by the households from government schemes was asked prior to the question on access of households to latrine. Do You Know? However, 95% of people with access to toilets in rural India used them regularly, indicating that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’s efforts to change behaviour had borne fruit. Ken-Betwa interlinking Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Federalism In News Union government is pushing Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to make progress on the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project. The project involves transferring surplus water from Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa in Uttar Pradesh and irrigate 3.64 lakh hectares in the Bundelkhand region of both States.  The project involves building a 77-metre-tall and a 2 km wide Dhaudhan dam and a 230 km canal. Originally, this phase envisaged irrigating 6,35,661 hectares annually (3,69,881 ha in M.P. and 2,65,780 ha in U.P.) In addition, the project was to provide 49 million cubic metres for drinking water supply en route. The ₹18,000 crore project has been mired in several controversies. The most recent one is a disagreement between the States on the share of water. While there is a 2005 agreement between the two States on how water would be shared, Madhya Pradesh says these assumptions are no longer valid and the only way to meet the increased water requirements would be to include local management projects — the Kotha barrage, Lower Orr and Bina complex that were envisaged in the second phase of the project — in the first phase. Other than differences between the States, there are outstanding environmental obstructions too. Chhattisgarh panchayats to have disabled quota Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Polity In News The Chhattisgarh Cabinet has approved the nomination of at least one differently abled member to each panchayat, if not elected, making it the only State to have such members in all panchayat Every panchayat will now have differently abled members, either elected or nominated. If differently abled members are not elected through the electoral process, then one member, either male or female, would be nominated as a panch.  And as for janpads and zilla panchayats, the State government would nominate two such members, one male and one female, to them This means the State would have 11,000 people with special needs as members of panchayats Differently abled people constitute 6% of the population of Chhattisgarh The Cabinet also decided to drop the educational qualifications eligibility criterion for contesting panchayat elections. In the three-tier panchayati raj system, only being literate would be enough to contest elections. However, it is mandatory for a contestant for the position of a panch to be at least a Class V pass, and above that Class VIII pass. PLASTIC PARKS Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Environment In News Union government has approved setting up of six plastic parks in different parts of the country. These parks will have an ecosystem with infrastructure building and enabling the common facility to consolidate and synergize the capacities of the domestic downstream plastic processing industry. These parks are located in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. Out of them, the plastic park at Tamot in Madhya Pradesh is functional. Four new plastic parks have also been given in-principle approval for establishment in West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh.  Under the scheme, the Union government provides grant funding up to 50 per cent of the project cost. The remaining project cost is to be funded by State Government beneficiary industries and by a loan from financial institutions GENERAL SECURITY OF MILITARY INFORMATION AGREEMENT (GSOMIA) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III- International Affairs In News South Korea has decided to continue a 2016 military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan that it previously said it would terminate amid ongoing tensions over wartime history and trade. Previously, South Korea had decided to discontinue the intelligence pact GSOMIA by November 22, unless Japan decided to review its export control measures. The need for GSOMIA was felt amidst a growing threat from North Korea, especially when it started conducting nuclear tests and developing ballistic missiles. The agreement was eventually signed in November 2016.  The US’ interest in this agreement stems from its need to forge alliances in the northeast to be able to analyse and respond to any threats from North Korea.  Significantly, it may be China’s perception that GSOMIA is an attempt by the US-Japan-South Korea trilateral alliance to contain Beijing, thereby maintaining a degree of opposition between this trilateral alliance and that of China-North Korea-Russia. In recent years, the relationship between South Korea and Japan has deteriorated, given the territorial dispute over the Dokdo islands — known as Takeshima in Japan. While South Korea controls them, the islands are claimed by Japan.  Bougainville Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – International Relations In News Australia could soon have a new nation right on its doorstep, as the people of Bougainville start to cast their votes in a referendum on whether they should seek independence from Papua New Guinea. Between 1988-1998, political factions in Bougainville were involved in an armed conflict with the government of Papua New Guinea, in an attempt to force Papua New Guinea to divest control of the resource-rich island. The conflict in Bougainville and the desire of Bougainvillean people for independence is rooted in the historic plunder of the resource-rich island that has large deposits of copper and the unequal distribution of wealth that followed. Politically, Bougainville is currently an autonomous region within Papua New Guinea. This autonomy was a key part of the 2001 peace agreement signed after the conflict. People voting in the referendum will be given two options to choose from: greater autonomy from Papua New Guinea or complete independence However, the referendum is not binding and would still have to be passed by the Government and the Parliament of Papua New Guinea, in consultation with the Autonomous Bougainville Government. [caption id="attachment_53459" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th November 2019[/caption] Src:Click here (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY TOPIC:  General Studies 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Wages Act, 2019 Context: Central government has proposed the rules to the Labour Code on Wages Act 2019 Background Wages had always been the central concern of workers. The provisions of the Minimum Wages Act and the Payment of Wages Act do not cover substantial number of workers, as the applicability of both these Acts is restricted to the Scheduled Employments / Establishments. On the other hand, the biggest issues faced by employers in India is the number of laws governing the employer-employee relationship. This issue has been on the government’s radar for a very long period of time. The government has thus introduced four codes that would subsume 44 labour laws, which are (i) industrial relations, (ii) wages, (iii) social security, (iv) safety, welfare and working conditions. This would also allow for uniformity in the coverage of various labour laws that are in force. Notably, the Centre started notifying a uniform national floor level minimum wage from 1996, which is non-binding on states. The national floor level was last revised by 10% to Rs 176 a day in July 2017. Features of the Labour code of Wages Act, 2019 The Code consolidates, subsumes & transforms four central labour laws relating to wages, namely: (a) the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976; (b) the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 ("MWA"); (c) the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 ("PWA"); and (d) the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 ("PBA")  Earlier there were 12 definitions of wages in various labour laws, leading to litigation besides difficulty in its implementation. Under the Code, the definition has been simplified The labour code on wages has a provision for a minimum wage. Hence, it brings uniform standard of living across the country. It is expected to treat contract labour on par with regular employee to have dignified life. The wage conditions of unskilled workers will also improve. The Code introduces a new concept of "floor wages", which rates will be fixed by the Central Government taking into account the minimum living standards of a worker. Once the Code is enacted, the minimum rates of wages fixed by the State Government cannot be less than floor wages as determined by the Central Government. A tripartite committee comprising representatives of trade unions, employers and the state government would fix floor wages for workers throughout the country. It would also ensure that there is no discrimination between men and women as well as transgenders in getting wages. Also, the minimum wages across the country would be only linked to factors of skills and geographical regions, while the rest of the factors have been removed. Bill provides appointment of a Facilitator to carry out inspections, and information to employers and employees for better compliance. Inspection will be done on the basis of an inspection scheme, which will include a web-based inspection schedule. The inspection scheme will be decided by the central or state governments. Merits of the Act The act is expected to benefit over 50 crores employees across the country Simplified definition of labour is expected to reduce litigation and also reduce compliance cost for employers. The Act would be a ‘game-changer’ to the status quo as far as the lives of workers in the informal sector are concerned. It was believed that informal workers account for 93% of the total working population and contribute to over 60% of India’s GDP  The act would revive the crisis of the current economic slowdown, as the law proposes to increase income capacity and the purchasing power of the informal workers. The act promotes digitization which will also lead to formalisation of economy. Multiplicity of laws are removed which thus facilitates easier compliance by establishments. Criticism of the rules proposed under the Act The floor wages in effect would mean that “starvation wages” which currently guarantees just ₹178 per day, will continue to exist. Instead States should have been incentivized to follow uniform standards across India ‘Need-Based Minimum Wage’ (covering nutrition, health care, education, housing and provisions for old age as well) should have been treated as a fundamental constitutional right for every citizen of India, in the draft rules. Another huge concern with the law is in its provision of an arbitrary deduction of wages (up to 50% of monthly wages) based on performance, damage or loss, advances, etc. Draft rules also do not clarify the governance and institutional structure for the “labour inspection system” in the law. The International Labour Organisation’s Labour Inspection Convention of 1947 (Convention C081) — it has been ratified by India — provides for a well-resourced and independent inspectorate with provisions to allow thorough inspections and free access to workplaces. Ignoring these provisions, the draft rules propose another ad-hoc and unclear mechanism called the “inspection scheme” Also, since the act impacts the lives of millions of workers, the act should have been discussed in detail in Parliament, however it was passed in haste without much discussion  Connecting the dots: Critically examine the provisions of the Labour code of Wages Act, 2019. POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. Illegal non-citizens Context: The Home Minister Amit Shah’s had announced in the RajyaSabha earlier this week that a National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be implemented across India, and repeated again in Assam. It has ignited interest in the existing legal framework in India for illegal migrants.  The first enactment made for dealing with foreigners was the Foreigners Act, 1864, which provided for the expulsion of foreigners and their arrest, detention pending removal, and for a ban on their entry into India after removal. Do you know? NRC :The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register maintained by the Government of India containing names & certain relevant information for identification of Indian citizens First started in Assam state of India. Who are illegal migrants? Migration of people into a country in violation of the immigrationlaws of that country, or the continued residence of people without the legal right to live in that country. What is the Passport Act? The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, was one of the early set of rules made against illegal migrants,  It empowered the government to make rules requiring persons entering India to be in possession of passports.  It also granted the government the power to remove from India any person who entered without a passport.  The concept of “burden of proof” was introduced in Foreigners Act, 1940.  Section 7 of the Act provided that whenever a question arose with regard to the nationality of a person, the onus of proving that he was not a foreigner lay upon the person. When was the Foreigners Act made more stringent? The legislature enacted the Foreigners Act, 1946, by repealing the 1940 Act. It conferred wide powers to deal with all foreigners.  It empowered the government to make provisions for prohibiting, regulating or restricting the entry of foreigners into India. It also restricted the rights enjoyed by foreigners in terms of their stay in the country if any such orders are passed by the authority.  The 1946 Act empowered the government to take such steps as are necessary, including the use of force for securing compliance with such directions. The ‘burden of proof’ lies with the person, and not with the authoritiesis still applicable in all States and Union Territories.  This has been upheld by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court. What about the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order? In 1964the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order was brought in.  The tribunal has the authority to decide whether a person is a foreigner within the ambit of the Foreigners Act, 1946.  The tribunal has powers similar to those of a civil court. It gives reasonable opportunity to the person alleged to be a foreigner to produce evidence in support of his case, before passing its order. In June this year, the Home Ministry made certain amendments in the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964.  It was to empower district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not. Why did the IMDT Act fail? The Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983, was also referred to as the IMDT Act. It was introduced for the detection and deportation of illegal migrants who had entered India on or after March 25, 1971. It was unsuccessful.  One factor for its failure was that it did not contain any provision on ‘burden of proof’ similar to the Foreigners Act, 1946.  This put a very heavy burden upon the authorities to establish whether a person is an illegal migrant. The result of the IMDT Act was that a number of non-Indians who may have entered Assam after March 25, 1971 without possession of valid documents, continue to reside in Assam.   In the Supreme Court landmark verdict on a petition by SarbanandaSonowal (now the Chief Minister of Assam), challenging the IMDT Act in 2005 the top court quashed the IMDT Act. The verdict also closed all tribunals in Assam functioning under the Act.  It transferred all pending cases at the IMDT tribunals to the Foreigners Tribunals constituted under the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964. Any person excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) recently concluded in Assam can approach The Foreigners Tribunals, established only in Assam, within 120 days of receiving a certified copy of rejection. In other States, a person suspected to be a foreigner is produced before a local court under the Passport Act, 1920, or the Foreigners Act, 1946. Connecting the dots: The NRC mess in Assam should serve as a cautionary tale for a nationwide exercise. Comment.  (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Swachh Bharat Abhiyan It is being implemented directly by Prime Minister’s Office so as to enable better monitoring and quick implementation of the scheme. Only 40% of people with access to toilets in rural India used them regularly, indicating that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’s efforts to change behaviour was a failure. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Bougainville island often seen in the news is located in which ocean? Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Antarctic Ocean Q.3) Consider the following statements about Ken-Betwa river linking project The project involves transferring surplus water from Ken river in Madhya Pradesh (MP) to the Betwa in Uttar Pradesh (UP) The aim of the project is to provide irrigation and drinking water facilities to Malwa region in both these (MP & UP) states Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Plastic Parks These parks will have an ecosystem with infrastructure building and enabling the common facility to consolidate and synergize the capacities of the domestic downstream plastic processing industry. Union government would provide grant funding up to 90 per cent of the project cost. The remaining project cost is to be funded by State Government &beneficiary industries Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Which state has approved the nomination of at least one differently abled member to each panchayat (if not elected), making it the first state to have such a policy? Jharkhand Bihar Chhattisgarh Uttar Pradesh ANSWERS FOR 23 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 C 3 A MUST READ Tiruvalluvar is un-striped, un-coloured, un-ageing The Hindu The broken promise of decent and fair wages The Hindu An ill-advised proposal The Hindu Unreliably variable employment numbers ET For a new breed of public enterprises ET All crop loans should be routed through Kisan Credit Cards to ensure farmers don’t use loans for non-agricultural purposes IE

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Awareness towards vital Health issues: Iodine deficiency disorders

Awareness towards vital Health issues: Iodine deficiency disorders ARCHIVES Search 22nd Oct, 2019 Public Speak here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General studies 2 Health What is Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD)? Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) constitute the single largest cause of preventable brain damage worldwide. Iodine is an essential micronutrient required for the synthesis of the hormones - thyroxine and triiodothyronine.  What is Iodine? Iodine is a mineral used by the body to regulate metabolism. It also helps regulate bone growth and brain development in children. It is found in seafood, iodized salt, dairy products, and some fruits and vegetables. Iodine deficiency disorders & diseases In the past, iodine deficiency was thought to cause only goitre and cretinism. However, over the last quarter of the century, it has become increasingly clear that iodine deficiency leads to a much wider spectrum of disorders commencing with the intrauterine life and extending through childhood into adult life with serious health and social problems. The spectrum of diseases includes goitre, cretinism, hypothyroidism, brain damage, abortion, still birth, mental retardation, psychomotor defects and hearing and speech impairment. Majority of consequences of IDD are invisible and irreversible but at the same time preventable. What is the situation in India? In India, the entire population is prone to IDD due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the subcontinent and consequently the food derived from it. Due to glaciations, flooding, rivers changing course and deforestation the iodine present in top soil is constantly leached. This in turn leads to deficiency of iodine in crops grown on iodine deficient soil with consequently low iodine in the diet for livestock and humans.  The study shows that 76.3% of Indian households consumed adequately iodised salt, which is salt with at least 15 parts per million of iodine. The five worst performers were  Tamil Nadu (61.9%),  Andhra Pradesh (63.9%),  Rajasthan (65.5%),  Odisha (65.8%) Jharkhand (68.8%)  Rajasthan, which is the second largest producer of salt, also figured among the five worst covered States. Gujarat produces 71% of salt in the country, followed by Rajasthan at 17% and Tamil Nadu at 11%. The rest of the country accounts for a mere 1% of salt produced. The northeastern States are doing very well with respect to iodised salt consumption at the household level because of the distance they have from the three salt producing centres — Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. By and large most States get their salt from Gujarat and Rajasthan and because of the distance, it is sent by rail. This salt is strictly monitored by the Salt Commissioner’s office and if it is inadequately iodised, they don’t allot rakes.  Secondly, salt-producing States have access to common (or non-iodised) salt and, therefore, they start consuming it since it is readily available The survey was conducted by Nutrition International in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the Indian Coalition for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD). The survey tested the iodine content in samples of cooking salt from households to estimate the coverage of iodised salt. India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory for direct human consumption in 1992. This was relaxed in 2000 and then reimposed in 2005. In 2011, the Supreme Court, too, mandated universal iodisation for the control of iodine deficiencies. The Way Forward To combat the risk of IDD, salt is fortified with iodine Sustain the momentum so that iodine coverage does not fall below current levels Fix lack of political commitment: States and the Centre should work together to address the current gaps and look into issues that vary from one State to another, leading to adequately iodised salt not being produced. To ensure the supply of adequately iodized salt, sustained monitoring of the iodine level is required at different stages, namely, at the production stage, before dispatch by rail or road, the wholesale and retail level, and the consumer household level. Monitoring at the production level is a crucial component of the salt iodization program. Public awareness of IDD and its serious consequences remains low, and there is a lack of consumer demand for adequately iodized salt. Most importantly, consumers are not equipped with the tools and skills necessary to assess the quality of the salt they purchase, making them unable to demand only adequately iodized salt. There is a serious need to fix this.

PIB

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 18th November to 24th November – 2019

Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 18th to 24th November, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-1 Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (Topic: Population and associated issues) Jansankhya SthirthaKosh (JSK), an autonomous body under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, implemented the following schemes: Prerna Scheme (for delaying marriage, childbirth and spacing), Santushti Scheme (Public Private Partnership for sterilization services),and National Helpline (for information on family planning) Steps being taken by the government to control population growth Mission ParivarVikas- The Government has launched Mission Parivar Vikas for substantially increasing access to contraceptives and family planning services in146 high fertility districts with Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 3 and above in seven high focus states. These districts are from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam that itself constitutes 44% of the country’s population. New Contraceptive Choices- New contraceptives viz. Injectable contraceptive and Centchroman have been added to the existing basket of choices. A new method of IUCD insertion immediately after delivery i.e. post-partum IUCD (PPIUCD) has been introduced. Redesigned Contraceptive Packaging - The packaging for Condoms, OCPs and ECPs has now been improved and redesigned so as to increase the demand for these commodities. Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors - Under the scheme MoHFW provides compensation for loss of wages to the beneficiary and also to the service provider (& team) for conducting sterilizations. Clinical Outreach Teams (COT) Scheme - The scheme has been launched in 146 Mission ParivarVikas districts for providing Family planning services through mobile teams from accredited organizationsin far-flung, underserved and geographically difficult areas. Scheme for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of beneficiaries. Scheme for ASHAs to Ensure spacing in births. Scheme for provision of Pregnancy Testing Kits in the drug kits of ASHAs for use in communities. Family Planning Logistic Management and Information System (FP-LMIS): A dedicated software to ensure smooth forecasting, procurement and distribution of family planning commodities across all the levels of health facilities. National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme (NFPIS) under which clients are insured in the eventualities of death, complication and failure following sterilization. Ensuring quality of care in Family Planning services by establishing Quality Assurance Committees in all states and districts. Appointment of dedicated RMNCH+A counsellors at high case load facilities. Improved Demand generation activities through a 360 degree media campaign. GS-2 Role of Rajya Sabha in Indian Polity and the Way Forward (Topic: Parliament – Rajya Sabha/Upper House) Chairman: Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu The Upper House has played significant role in the socio-economic transformation of the country during its journey of last 67 years but 'all is not well'. The role of Rajya Sabha in transforming the state of affairs in the country at the stroke of freedom marked by poverty, illiteracy, poor healthcare, low level of industrialization and economic growth, social orthodoxy, poor infrastructure, unemployment etc. to being now a leading engine of economic growth and a voice being heard in the complex global order besides substantially improved quality of life of the people.   The Chairman stressed the need for collective reflection over the journey of the House so far and a sincere introspection over the missed opportunities on the landmark occasion of 250th Session of the House, failing which he said 'there is an inherent risk of making ourselves irrelevant'. 10 suggestions for consideration by the Members of the House for making a difference to the functioning of the House, henceforth – Adequacy of the number of the sittings in the context of the House meeting for about 60-70 days in a year now, keeping in view the nature and volume of legislations and time available for discussing issues of public importance; Adequacy of the present Rules of Business of the House and changes required, if any; Adequacy and effectiveness of various instruments presently available for the members to present their views on legislative proposals and raising issues of public concern; Adequacy and effectiveness of the present procedures currently being followed in the House; Norms to be followed for enabling equitable and wider participation of members in the debates; Ensuring that members with right background and abilities to enrich debates are sent to the House; Ensuring self-discipline on the part of the members to ensure compliance with the Rules of the Business for orderly functioning of the House; Requirement of infrastructure support to the members to enable informed contribution to the debates in the House ; Ensuring adequate presence of members in the House all through the proceedings and in the meetings of the Department Related Standing Committees and other Committees of the House; and Technology adoption for improving the functioning of the members and for more lively conduct of the proceedings of the House. On the role of the Upper House, Shri Naidu quoted former President of India and veteran Member of Rajya Sabha and said; "It will be desirable on the part of the Members of Rajya Sabha to remember that they have to maintain a fine balance between becoming obstructionist and redundant. The Rajya Sabha cannot mischievously veto everything and anything that the Lok Sabha passes and become obstructionist, and at the same time, it should not rubber stamp anything and everything passed by the Lok Sabha, lest it becomes redundant." Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by the Parliament (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) It seeks to make apolitical the trust that runs Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial by removing the clause pertaining to the President of INC as a permanent member of the trust.  The Bill also amends to include the Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in that House as a member of the trust. 'Make In India' Initiative for Ministry of Defence (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) An innovation ecosystem for Defence titled Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) has been launched: iDEX is aimed at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs, Start-ups, Individual Innovators, R&D institutes and Academia and provide them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs. 24 contracts have been signed so far by the implementing agency -Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO). Separate procedure for ‘Make-II’ category has been notified under Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) to encourage indigenous development and manufacture of defence equipment. Number of industry friendly provisions such as relaxation of eligibility criterion, minimal documentation, provision for considering proposals suggested by industry/individual etc. have been introduced in this procedure.  44 proposals have been accorded acceptance in principle. Government has notified the ‘Strategic Partnership (SP)’ Model which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process, wherein they would tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. Policy for indigenisation of components and spares used in Defence Platforms with the objective to create an industry ecosystem which is able to indigenize the imported components (including alloys & special materials) and sub-assemblies for defence equipment and platform manufactured in India. Establish two defence industrial corridors to serve as an engine of economic development and growth of defence industrial base in the country.   They span across Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and spanning across Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Chitrakoot and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Department has formulated a Policy on ‘Utilisation of Third Party Inspection Services’ for effective administration of inspection Services with involvement of third parties. Creation of “Offset portal”: To bring more transparency and efficiency into the Offset discharge process ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’ aims to provide boost to the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) culture in indigenous defence industry. Defence Investor Cell to provide all necessary information including addressing queries related to investment opportunities, procedures and regulatory requirements for investment in the sector. Defence Products list requiring Industrial Licences has been rationalised and manufacture of most of parts or components does not require Industrial License. Department of Defence Production has notified 112 items under Public Procurement Order 2017 notified by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The Defence PSUs and OFB are thereby required to give preference to domestic manufacturers while procuring these items in accordance with the said policy. This is expected to provide greater opportunities to domestic industry catering to these organizations and reduce dependence on imports. National Policy on Biofuels (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Categorization of biofuels as “Basic Biofuels” and “Advanced Biofuels”, Incentives, off-take assurance and viability gap funding for advanced biofuels, Allowing B-molasses, sugarcane juice, damaged food grains and surplus food grains for ethanol production, Setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops, and Synergy of efforts by defining roles and responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries/Departments with respect to biofuels. In line with National Policy on Biofuels, Government has approved “Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool FasalAwashesh Nivaran) Yojana” for providing financial support to Integrated Bio-Ethanol Projects using lignocellulosic biomass & other renewable feedstock, with a total financial outlay of Rs 1969.50 crore for the period 2018-19 to 2023-24. For reopening of closed public and cooperative sugar mills, responsibility lies with concerned State Governments/Union Territories. In case of private sugar mills, the entrepreneur has to take steps to reopen closed sugar mills. The Government through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is implementing the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme under which, OMCs sell ethanol blended petrol with percentage of ethanol upto 10% subject to its availability. OMCs procure ethanol for blending in petrol. National Gas Pipeline  To increase the availability of natural gas across the country, the Government has envisaged to develop the National Gas Grid. At present about 16,500 km natural gas pipeline is operational.  Apart from that, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has authorized pipeline which are at various stages of execution. PNGRB is taking steps for development of natural gas pipeline in order to cover additional area of the country through National Gas Grid. Cabinet approves Patent Prosecution Highway programme Reduction in time to dispose patent applications. Reduction in pendency of patent applications. Improvement in quality of search and examination of patent applications. An opportunity for Indian inventors including MSMEs and Startups of India to get accelerated examination of their patent applications in Japan. Establishment of the National Institute of Sowa Rigpa (NISR) at Leh Sowa-Rigpa is a Traditional Medical system of the Himalayan belt in India. It has been popularly practiced in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory of Ladakh and now all over India. The setting up of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa would provide an impetus for the revival of Sowa-Rigpa in the Indian Sub-continent. The Institute will also provide opportunities for students of Sowa-Rigpa not only in India but also from other countries. MoU between India and Finland for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism Establish the basis for a cooperative relationship to encourage and promote successful bilateral cooperation in the field of tourism Sharing data; knowledge, expertise etc. related to tourism Sharing experiences in making polices, regulation and standards in planning, implementation and development of tourism policy Facilitating the identification and expansion of joint projects, pilots and partnerships between companies and organizations through visits, meetings, workshops, co-creation sessions and site evaluations Exchanging best practices through workshops and study visits for experts of Finland and India on the field of cooperation Encouraging development of partnerships in the context of multilateral development programs and projects of international Financial Institutions, in which both Participants have common interests Proposal for Mitigating financial stress being faced by the Telecom Services Sector Department of Telecommunication will give an option to the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to defer payment of the spectrum auction instalments due for 2020-21 & 2021-22, either for one or both years.  These deferred amounts bill be spread equally in the remaining instalments to be paid by TSPs. Interest as stipulated while auctioning of the concerned spectrum will however be charged so that NPV is protected.  Deferment of spectrum auction instalments will ease the cash outflow of the stressed TSPs and facilitate payment of statutory liabilities and interest on bank loans.  Continued operation by TSPs will give a fillip to employment and economic growth. Improved financial health of TSPs will facilitate maintenance of quality of services to consumer. Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2019 Setting up of two-member tribunal (in place of one member) introducing a concept that some of the important cases will be adjudicated jointly and the rest by a single member resulting speedier disposal of cases. To impart flexibility to the exit provisions (relating to retrenchment etc.), for which, the threshold for prior approval of appropriate Government has been kept unchanged at 100 employees, but added a provision for changing ‘such number of employees’ through notification. The re-skilling fund, is to be utilised for crediting to workers in the manner to be prescribed. Definition of Fixed Term Employment and that it would not lead to any notice period and payment of compensation on retrenchment excluded. Vesting of powers with the government officers for adjudication of disputes involving penalty as fines thereby lessening the burden on tribunal. Prelims oriented News 14th November: World Diabetes Day  10th October: World Mental Health Day; Theme: Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention "Relief of the disabled and unemployable": State subject Census 2021 It will have a mix mode approach is being adopted for data collection.   Census will be conducted in two phases, viz., House-listing & Housing Census during April to September, 2020 and Population Enumeration during February 09-28, 2021. Enumerators can collect and submit data directly through Mobile App using his /her smart phone or they can use paper schedule to collect data and submit the same through Mobile App.  Alternatively, the enumerators can also use paper schedule only to collect and submit the data. The State Government appointed enumerators will only be able to use the App for collection of data. Report on ‘Health Systems for a New India: Building Blocks—Potential Pathways to Reforms’: NITI Aayog It focuses on breaking silos in the health space and removing fragmentation between various initiatives, ensuring greater convergence between ministries as well as the Centre and states, as already initiated under Ayushman Bharat. At a systems level, overcoming the challenges of fragmentation, across healthcare financing and service delivery, will help us optimize both quality and access. India now needs to build on its many opportunities to achieve further progress on the health of its citizens and respond to the growing aspirations and needs of a new India National Bamboo Mission  Focuses on the development of complete value chain of bamboo sector to link growers with consumers starting from planting material, plantation, creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing, micro, small & medium enterprises, skill development and brand building initiative in a cluster approach mode.  NBM interventions includes support to industries for establishment of bamboo treatment and seasoning plants, establishment of carbonisation plants and establishment of livelihood business incubators and establishment of processing units for value addition. Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises is implementing a scheme called ‘Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) in seven districts of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Assam for need-based assistance, replacement of production equipment, setting up of  Common Facility Centres (CFC), product development, quality improvement, improved marketing, training and capacity building. Steps taken by govt to promote vocational educational in backward regions Developing internship/apprenticeship based degree courses in sectors like Retail, Logistics, Media and Entertainment, etc. Increasing number of institutions offering B.VoC courses in the country Aligning the content of existing skill courses with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Samagra Shiksha Provisions have been made for library grant to government schools so as to inculcate reading habit among students of all ages and to strengthen school libraries, including purchase of books. To promote the habit of reading in students, States and UTs have been advised to set up Reader’s club with the help of National Centre for Children’s Literature (NCCL) which is a wing of National Book Trust (NBT). National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the Elementary level through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme To improve learning outcomes at Elementary level through a massive Teacher Training Programme The aim of this training is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students, handle diverse situations and act as first level counsellors.   They will be oriented on and develop their skills on various aspects related to Learning Outcomes, Competency Based Learning and Testing, Learner-centered Pedagogy, School Safety and Security, Personal-social qualities, Inclusive Education, ICT in teaching-learning including Artificial Intelligence, Health and well-being including yoga, Initiatives in School Education including library, eco club, youth club, kitchen garden, School Leadership qualities, Environmental Concerns, Pre-school, Pre-vocational Education and School Based Assessment in a joyful learning manner. The ‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’ (PBBB)  It is a sub-programme of erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) which is continued under the new integrated scheme Samagra Shiksha to ensure quality at the foundational years of schooling.  The objectives of the programme are to promote early reading and writing with comprehension skills in children, and also basic numeracy skills.  States/ UTs are implementing PBBB in their respective States/UTs using multiple strategies and approaches. These include adoption of NCERT model of early reading, provision of supplementary reading material, development of State specific models for early Maths and early reading, collaboration with organizations like UNICEF etc. Atal Innovation Mission To cultivate 1 million children in India as Neoteric Innovators Government has setup the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog. The objective of establishing AIM is to create scientific temper and cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation among young minds In schools, AIM facilitates to set up network of Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) in India. The vision of Atal Tinkering Lab initiative is to ‘Cultivate 1 Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’.  The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds and inculcate skills such as design mind-set, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, rapid calculations, measurements etc. New Mission of National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) Set up by the Ministry of Culture in 2017 Mission will compile data of artists, art forms & geo location with inputs from Central Ministries, State Governments & art/culture bodies.  Specially designed data capture form with technical collaboration of National E-Governance Division (NEGD)/Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has been formulated for data collection.  Data from art & culture Academies of the Ministry of Culture has been collected and will be entered into database after due correction. Mental Health Awareness Initiatives To address the burden of mental disorders, the Government of India is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) since 1982. With the objective to address the shortage of qualified mental health professionals in the country, the Government, under NMHP is implementing Manpower Development Schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and strengthening/ establishment of Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health specialties. Enactment of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which aims at protection and promotion of the rights of persons with mental illness during the delivery of health care in institutions and in the community. It also ensures health care, treatment and rehabilitation of persons with mental illness within a rights based framework to achieve the greatest public health good.  As per the guidelines for implementation of DMHP, funds upto Rs. 12 lakhs per annum are provided to each district supported under the programme for targeted interventions with the following objectives: To provide class teachers with facilitative skill to promote life skill among their students. To provide the class teachers with knowledge and skills to identify emotional conduct, scholastic and substance use problems in their students To provide class teachers with a system of referral for students with psychological problems to the District Mental Health Team for inputs and treatment. To involve other stakeholders like parents, community leaders to enhance development of adolescents etc. Schemes to support handloom weavers  National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS): Under the scheme, components like conducting Diagnostic Study, engaging Designer, Product Development, Corpus for raw material, Construction of Worksheds (for BPL/SC/ST/Women weavers), Skill up-gradation etc. are fully funded by Government of India, while the components like Technology up-gradation, lighting units funded 90% andother common infrastructural projects like Design Studio,  Marketing Complex, Value Addition Centres, Publicity etc., are funded by the GOI to the extent of 80%. Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS): Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS) is providing life, accidental and disability insurance coverage under the components Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Converged Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY). Yarn Supply Scheme (YSS): Yarn Supply Scheme is being implemented throughout the country to make available all types of yarn at Mill Gate Price. The scheme is being implemented through National Handloom Development Corporation.  Under the Scheme freight is reimbursed and depot operating charges at 2% is given to depot operating agencies. A component of 10% price subsidy also exists on hank yarn, which is applicable on cotton, domestic silk, wool and linen yarn with quantity caps. To protect handloom weavers from private players in India, Handloom (Reservation of Articles for Production), Act, 1985 was enacted which has reserved 11 articles for exclusive production by handlooms.  For enforcement of the Act, enforcement machineries exist at Centre and at States/UTs level, which carry out regular inspections and take action under the provisions of the Act. Under these schemes, financial assistance is provided for raw materials, purchase of looms and accessories, design innovation, product diversification, infrastructure development, skill upgradation, lighting units, marketing of handloom products and loan at concessional rates. To protect imitation of products by others, following handloom products of Kerala have been registered under Geographical Indications Act: Kothampally dhoties and set Balaramapuram saree and fine cotton fabrics Kasargod saree Kothampally saree Chendamangalam dhoti Cannanore Home furnishing Update: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY): To provide social security net for the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in the event of consequent loss of livelihood Under this Scheme, a minimum fixed pension of Rs.3,000/- is provided to the eligible small and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60 years. It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, with entry age of 18 to 40 years. The beneficiary can opt to become member of the Scheme by subscribing to a Pension Fund managed by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).  The beneficiary is required to make a monthly contribution of between Rs.55/- to Rs.200/- to the Pension Fund, depending on the age of entry into the Scheme, with provision of equal contribution by the Central Government. Exit from the scheme may be voluntarily or on failure of contribution or on demise. A total area of 27.77 lakh hectares is covered under organic farming in the country Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY- Centrally Sponsored scheme, in all states & UTs) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development of North East Region (MOVCDNER -Central Sector scheme for North Eastern Region)  Both the schemes aim at promotion of cluster/ Farmers Producer Organization (FPO) based chemical free, low input cost, sustainable organic farming and support farmers from input procurement to market linkages.  Organic Farming has also been supported under other schemes viz. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Network Project on Organic Farming under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). National Food Security Mission (NFSM) – Oilseeds and Oil Palm to increase production of oilseeds and domestic availability of edible oils. Steps taken by government for promotion of organic / biofertilisers  Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare/ 3 years is given, out of which Rs. 31,000 (62%) is provided to the farmers directly through DBT, for inputs (bio-fertilizers, biopesticides, vermicompost, botanical extracts etc) production/ procurement, post-harvest management etc Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): Farmers are given assistance of Rs25000/ ha/ 3 years for both onfarm & off-farm organic inputs, and seeds/ planting material.  National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP): Financial assistance@ 50% subsidy to the tune of Rs. 300/- per ha is being provided for different components including bio-fertilizers, supply of Rhizobium culture/Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB)/ Zinc Solubilising Bacteria(ZSB)/ Azatobacter/ Mycorrhiza and vermi compost National Food Security Mission (NFSM): Under NFSM, financial assistance is provided for promotion of Bio-Fertilizer (Rhizobium/ PSB) @50% of the cost limited to Rs.300 per ha INM &IPM: Government of India has also been promoting soil test based Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) under Soil Health Card Programme and Integrated Pest management (IPM) practices such as including cultural, mechanical, biological control of pests along with judicious use of pesticides to control excess use of fertilisers and pesticides respectively. Government has been implementing several schemes aiming at meeting the target of doubling of farmer’s income by 2022. The major schemes include: National Food Security Mission – for improved production and productivity of food grains and oilseeds.  Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture(MIDH)- to enhance production and productivity of horticultural crops   Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Mission organic Value Chain Development for North East Region –to reduce cost of cultivation and ensure chemical free quality products that can fetch premium prices to farmers  Soil health Cards- Aims at promotion of judicious use of fertilisers through soil test based recommendations there by reducing excess use of fertilisers  PMKSY-PDMC (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana-Per Drop More Crop)- to promote water conservation and reduction in use of inputs through drip and sprinkler irrigation  Bamboo Mission and Agro forestry e-NAM – for transparent competitive markets for improved remuneration to the farmers. Crop loans-Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) , Kisan Credit Card(K CC) Assured Prices-Minimum Support Price (MSP) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN) National Food Security Mission Government enacted that National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) in July 2013 with an intended coverage of upto 75% of rural population and upto 50% of urban population for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System. One of the guiding principles of the Act is its life cycle approach wherein special provisions for supplementary nutrition have been made for pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years. Every pregnant woman and lactating mother is entitled to meal, free of charge, during pregnancy and six months after the child birth, through the local anganwadi, so as to meet the specified nutritional standards and also maternity benefit of not less than rupees six thousand to partly compensate for the wage loss during the period of pregnancy and also to supplement nutrition. Every child in the age group of six months to six years, is entitled to age appropriate meal, free of charge, through the local anganwadi so as to meet the specified nutritional standards In the case of children, up to class VIII or within the age group of six to fourteen years, whichever is applicable, one mid-day meal, free of charge is provided every day except on school holidays, in all schools run by local bodies, Government and Government aided schools, so as to meet the specified nutritional standards. State Government through the local anganwadi, also identify and provide meals, free of charge, to children who suffer from malnutrition, so as to meet the specified nutritional standards. National Food Security Mission (NFSM) was launched in 2007-08 to increase the production of rice, wheat and pulses through  (i) area expansion and productivity enhancement,  (ii) restoring soil fertility and productivity,  (iii) Creating employment opportunities and  (iv) enhancing farm level economy. Coarse cereals were also included in the Mission from 2014-15 under NFSM.  UPDATE: Ministry of Women and Child Development The Anganwadi Services {under Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme}  Envisages the Anganwadi Workers & Helpers as honorary workers from local community who come forward to render their services, on part time basis, in the area of child care and development. Being honorarium workers, they are paid monthly honoraria as decided by Government from time to time. POSHAN Abhiyaan empowers the frontline functionaries i.e. Anganwadi Workers and Lady Supervisors by providing them with smart phones. ICDS-Common Application Software /(ICDS-CAS) have been developed under POSHAN Abhiyaan which enables data capture, ensures assigned service delivery and prompts for interventions wherever required. It enables collection of information on ICDS service delivery interventions and its impact on nutrition outcomes in beneficiaries. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) Crime against Women As per the data provided by National Crime Records Bureau, in Delhi, the crime committed against women and children are on decrease since the last two years; however, the same is on increase in Mumbai.   One Stop Centre Scheme provides integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence under one roof through a range of services including medical, legal, police, psycho-social counselling and temporary shelter. In addition, this Ministry also provides 24-hours toll-free telecom service through short code 181 to women seeking support and information through its Universalisation of Women Helpline scheme. Enacted the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act), which applies to all matters concerning children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law. The Ministry is also implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) scheme (erstwhile Integrated Child Protection Scheme) for supporting children in difficult circumstances, as envisaged under the JJ Act, 2015. Poshan Abhiyaan is to achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children (0-6 years) and Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) in a time bound manner in next three years period beginning 2017-18 Prevent and reduce Stunting in children (0- 6 years) Prevent and reduce under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years) Reduce the prevalence of anemia among young Children(6-59 months) Reduce the prevalence of anemia among Women and Adolescent Girls in the age group of 15-49 years. Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW) Poshan Abhiyaan is to ensure convergence of all nutrition related schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development on the target population.  This includes convergence of Anganwadi Services, Pradhan Mantri MatruVandanaYojana, Scheme for Adolescent Girls of Ministry of Women & Child Development; Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), National Health Mission (NHM) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,Swachh Bharat Mission of Ministry of Jal Shakti; Public Distribution System (PDS) of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food& Public Distribution (CAF&PD), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) of Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and other programmatic interventions of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation,  Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) Scheme: To empower rural women through community participation To address malnutrition  Promotion of appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices Anaemia Mukt Bharat Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation De-worming Promotion of iodized salt Vitamin-A supplementation Mission Indradhanush to ensure high coverage of vaccination in children Conducting intensified diarrhoea control fortnights to control childhood diarrhea Management of sick severely malnourished children at Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers, Monthly Village Health and Nutrition Days Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC) Home Based Young Child care (HBYC) programmes Rashtriya Bal SwasthyaKaryakram States are maintaining Kishori Health Cards for Adolescent Girls in Angawadi Centres (AWCs) to record the information about the weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI) along with other services provided under the scheme. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 which came into effect in October, 2006 aims to provide protection and support to victims of domestic violence. The Act provides for appointment of Protection Officers and registration of Service Providers by State Governments for carrying out various duties and functions relating to protection and relief to women suffering from domestic violence. ‘Martyrdom Day’ of Guru Teg Bahadur The ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur dedicated his life to the betterment of humankind and to promote a sense of unity, service and fraternity in the society. He worked to alleviate the sufferings of the people and fought against oppression. For this reason, Guru Teg Bahadur is aptly called ‘Hind Di Chadar’. Quotes Dr. M. S. Swaminathan To make India nutrition secure a five-point action programme has to be implemented: Ensure calorie rich diet for women, expectant mothers and children Ensure intake of proteins in the form of pulses to eradicate protein hunger in women and children Eradicate hidden hunger due to deficiency of micro nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin B, Iron and Zinc Ensure clean drinking water supply Spreading nutrition literacy in every village particularly in mothers with children less than 100 days’ old The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Scheme (PMMVY) has reached out to 10 million beneficiaries by compensating for wage losses and since 2013 maternal mortality rate has come down by 26.9%. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh On Terrorism Called upon the international community to eliminate terrorist safe havens, disrupt their networks & financing and thwart their cross-border movement to ensure sustainable regional security. Described terrorism as the most obvious & heinous of cross-border crimes, adding that some States use terror to pursue political goals making regional security vulnerable - It is so much worse when terrorists are aided, abetted, armed, financed and sheltered by States. The interplay between states and non-state actors, used as proxies to foment violence, has worsened this menace. The persistence of State-sponsored terrorism is not just a painful cancer, it is also the leading reason for unsustainable security. Security is only effective when it is sustainable and it is sustainable only when the interests of all in the region are taken on board. He stressed upon the need for a more cooperative, equitable and consultative paradigm to deal with broad & complex security challenges to find sustainable solutions. India’s Indo-Pacific vision is based on the idea of sustainable security as it focuses on a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific; one in which there is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of everyone involved. He added that sustainability implies prioritisation of peaceful resolution of disputes, avoidance of use or threat of use of force and adherence to international laws. On Govt’s commitment to achieve USD 26 billion defence industry by 2025 The defence sector has been given prominence under the ‘Make in India’ initiative to reduce dependence on imports and make India a major defence manufacturing hub & net exporter of defence equipment and platforms. Government has set a target of taking India’s defence exports to USD five billion by 2025 under the ‘Draft Defence Production Policy 2018’. Various initiatives taken by Ministry of Defence (MoD) that led to rapid increase in exports. Simplification of procedures for exports Simplification of industry licensing process Increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap Streamlining of defence offset policy Making government trial and testing facilities available to the private sector ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’ was revised in 2016 to encourage the domestic defence industry A new category ‘Buy Indian - IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) was introduced to promote indigenous design and development of defence equipment. Work is on to introduce a common testing and certification scheme under a Public Private Partnership model to create an enabling environment. A new Transfer of Technology (ToT) policy is being created to simplify the way of transferring technology developed by DRDO to the industry. So far, more than 900 ToT licensing agreements have been signed with industries which is a major step towards making the defence manufacturing sector self-sufficient + other points from the above-covered article on defence Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The biggest challenge today is climate change at a time when we need to increase production & food availability. The work that statisticians do is very critical to face this challenge.  Understanding how climate change is affecting crops, the productivity and how we can adopt & adapt to these changes is going to require the best statistics, including use of new digital tools. Everyone here is part of humanity’s strive to adapt to the changing climate and to make sure that particularly the poorest farmers of the world get all the available information. Climate change is complicated and requires learning different interventions including the development of new seeds suiting the changed climatic conditions and make them more available to poorest farmers. Small land holding farmers are over 2 billion people out of the whole 7 billion of the planet, this is a huge group requiring support. The small holding farmers‘ agricultural output is diminishing, low production because of the climate change effects. They drain out of their savings especially due to unexpected climatic disasters like droughts and floods.  The good news is that there are lots of innovations to face these challenges. Today in order to tackle the issues of climate change we need to double the investment in developing innovative seeds and particularly the seeds publicly available. Data revolution promises to change how statistics is gathered, not only for the farmers but for the whole world. .In many cases new techniques predict productivity well in advance. Rich information is not available to the farmers.

Motivational Articles

Creative Guidance – State of Mind – Inspirational Educative Articles

State of Mind: At any given point in time you are either in a positive or a negative state of mind. When you observe this, you will realize that you are off balance throughout the day, because you can’t remain in one stable emotional state. Sometimes you’re happy, sometimes you’re sad, and sometimes you are frustrated or disappointed. Emotional swings are simply the products of your circumstances, your expectations, and your reactions to them. You can’t be in control of your emotions all the time; trying to control an emotion is like trying to stop a boulder that is rolling downhill. Before you make any decision, it’s important to recognize the state of mind you are in. A decision made from a negative state of mind could be a decision that you will eventually regret. You can build something for years while in a positive state of mind and in a single moment of frustration you can throw it all away. The problem is not the constant swinging between positive and negative states; the real problem lies in not knowing how to recognize and control these swings. This is where silence comes in. Silence doesn’t care about your emotional swings. It is an empty space where you don’t need to be happy or sad, excited or depressed – in silence, you can simply be. When you enter that empty space and experience its serenity and calmness, you will know that silence is the most beautiful thing that could have happened to you. Mindfulness is another very important practice that needs to be developed. Being mindful of every action throughout the day totally transforms your day. You can start with something simple, like taking a walk. When walking, instead of drifting in thoughts, calmly watch your steps. Letting the mind drift allows fears, worries, and frustrations to enter.  Being mindful of the present moment allows you to relax and not be bothered with too many thoughts. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”

IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd November 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) GDP slump will hit $5 tn target, warns NITI Aayog Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Economy In news: The road to a $5 trillion economy by 2025 is beset with many speed breakers A measure of growth without accounting for inflation — has to be at least 12.4% on an average if that target has to be reached. Domestic investment and consumption are the only dependable drivers for sustainable re-acceleration of the economy. According to data he provided, gross fixed capital formation in the sub-sector of ‘dwellings, other buildings and structures’ fell from 12.8% of GDP in 2011-12 to 6.9% in 2017-18 The slowdown in the domestic market is also because of limited availability of capital with the banks which are tied down due to high non-performing assets in heavy industry and infrastructure. In the power sector, there is a high cross-subsidisation in favour of residential tariff leading to very high industrial tariffs The electric power transmission and distribution (T&D) losses in India stand at 19%, higher than that of Bangladesh and Vietnam. Urgent need to focus on export of high-value technology and manufacturing goods instead of primary goods currently exporter 98% of phones exported by India are in the low-value category, to the Middle East and Africa. Image source: The Hindu Amaravati finally finds a place in political map of India Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Polity In news: The Survey of India released a new political map of India with Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh, which became the residuary State after bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Amaravati was missing from the new map, which was released by the Survey of India It kicked off a political storm with the Opposition TDP and the ruling YSR Congress Party blaming each other for the Centre refusing to recognise Amaravati as the capital of the State. Amaravathi is a town located on the banks of Krishna River, in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Amaravathi mandal, and forms part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region with its headquarters at new Amaravati 35 km (22 mi) east, whose name is also borrowed from the name of Amaravathi. Image: Telangana_Andhra Centre, Punjab at odds over stubble burning Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Environment With paddy harvesting at its fag end in the key grain producing State of Punjab, both the Central and State governments released data on stubble burning. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Rajya Sabha that the events had declined 19% this year, including a 16.8% reduction in Punjab. Punjab’s Pollution Control Board (PCB) data show an increase of 2.3% in the number of incidents. The Centre’s data come from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), monitors stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh using satellite data. PCB routinely counts stubble burning incidents from September 24, given that paddy harvesting begins in early to mid-September. The burnt area figure, which is compiled at the end of the season, gives the actual ground reality about farm fires. Last year, the burnt area had decreased by 9.95% in comparison with 2017. The burning of crop residue is regulated under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Bengaluru is India’s top-ranked city in new global inclusive prosperity index Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Report Bangalore emerged as India’s highest ranked city at No. 83 in a new index of the world’s 113 cities in terms of economic and social inclusivity, topped by Zurich in Switzerland. The first-ever Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Awards (PICSA) Index, released in the Basque Country capital of Bilbao in northern Spain Delhi at 101 and Mumbai at 107 are the other Indian cities in the index, with the top 20 awarded a PICSA Seal as the world’s highest-ranked cities building inclusive prosperity. PICSA provides a new measure of economic productivity that goes beyond GDP to provide a holistic account of how well people are doing in the economy and which have the populations that are most empowered to contribute to its economy and share in its benefits, explained Asier Alea Castanos, Director of Strategic Programmes at the Regional Council of Biscay, in reference to the index launch Zurich, number one, scores strongly across all measures, particularly on quality of life, work, housing, leisure, safety, and education — with the Swiss higher education system attaining an especially high score. (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY/ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Labour Code Bill Context: The Union Cabinet approved The Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2019 recently It proposes to amalgamate The Trade Unions Act, 1926, The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. It is the third code under labour reforms. There will be total four broad labour codes . Code on Wages has already been approved. Code on Occupational Safety, Healthy and Working Conditions Bill was introduced in the Budget session this year. Code on Social Security is in the pre-legislative stage. Trade Unions Act, 1926 The Act provides for the registration of the trade unions with the 'Registrars of Trade Unions' set up in different States. The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 The objective of the Industrial Disputes Act is to secure industrial peace and harmony It provides mechanism and procedure for the investigation and settlement of industrial disputes by Conciliation, arbitration and adjudication are way which is provided under the statute. The main and ultimate objective of this act is “Maintenance of Peaceful work culture in the Industry in India”. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946 requires that employers have terms including working hours, leave, productivity goals, dismissal procedures or worker classifications, approved by a government body. Features of the The Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2019 It offers some degree of flexibility on government permissions for retrenchment, The most important aspect of the Bill is that it presents the legal framework for ushering in the concept of ‘fixed-term employment’ through contract workers on a pan-India basis. With the introduction of fixed-term employment, they will be able to hire workers directly under a fixed-term contract. Under fixed-term employment system, companies can hire contract workers directly instead of hiring through contractors. There will be flexibility to tweak the length of the contract based on the seasonality of industry. These workers will be treated on a par with regular workers during the tenure of the contract. The bill provides setting up of a two-member tribunal which will lead to speedier disposal of cases. The threshold required for government permission for retrenchment has been kept unchanged at 100 employees. There is flexibility for changing the threshold which can be done through notification. At present, any company having 100 workers or more has to seek government approval for retrenchment. The fixed-term employment will also help in the flow of social security benefits to all workers along with making it easier for companies to hire and fire. Disadvantages/apprehensions regarding the Bill: Unclear provision regarding retrenchment would lead to uncertainty, and Discretionary behaviour during implementation by the central or state government may not be in favour of workers. Any discretion in law leads to uncertainty, lack of clarity, discriminatory implementation, and provides scope for unnecessary usage. The government should be clear whether to increase the threshold or retain the threshold and face the consequences. This is a kind of appeasement to both sides, which will not actually provide relief to either of them. Fixed-term employment needs to be introduced with adequate safeguards, otherwise it runs the risk of encouraging conversion of permanent employment into fixed-term employment. Connecting the dots: The Code on Industrial Relations (IR) Bill, 2019 is considered to be the most contentious labour law amendments. Analyse. POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures The Supreme Court has refused to stay the usage of Electoral bonds Context: The Supreme Court has refused to stay the usage of electoral bonds for political donation It said that all parties must reveal the details to the Election Commission in a sealed cover by May 30, 2020. The electoral bonds scheme that was introduced by the BJP has several loopholes and The scheme was objected to by several political parties and also the RBI and the Election Commission. The ruling BJP introduced the electoral bonds scheme nearly three years ago, ostensibly to rid the system of black money. However, electoral bonds scheme has been turned out to be even more opaque, questionable and illegally utilised than the model that preceded it. What are electoral bonds? Electoral bonds function like gift vouchers. Anyone can buy them from the State Bank of India and hand them over to a political party of their choice, One doesn’t have to attach a name to them. The parties can then encash those for money. As per government scheme, The bonds are only supposed to be available in four 10-day windows through the year They can only be bought with cheque or digital transfer. The government also removed the requirement that only profitable companies can donate money to political parties making it easier for foreign firms to donate as well. Who can receive electoral bonds? Issued in multiple values of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore, these bonds can only be encashed by political parties, which had The parties are needed to secure at least 1 per cent of the votes polled in the most recent LokSabha or state election. Monies received from electoral bonds will be deposited in a bank account verified by the Election Commission. All the transactions for electoral bonds can be done only through that account. Controversy behind electoral bonds: Experts point out that electoral bonds are most likely the first-of-its-kind instrument in the world used for funding political parties. While the United States has Political Action Committees which receive money from individual and corporate donors and manage them, they do not have any scheme that allows the citizen to directly purchase a bond and donate the same to a political party. Opponents to the scheme allege that since the identity of the donor of electoral bonds has been kept anonymous, it could lead to an influx of black money. Others allege that the scheme was designed to help big corporate houses donate money without their identity being revealed. Some experts, however, differ and say the idea of electoral bonds was never to entice big corporate houses into making political donations without being identified. Something that was meant to bring transparency to the system, electoral bonds actually make political funding more opaque – but only for the public. Companies don’t have to say who they are donating money to and parties don’t need to say from whom they’re getting the cash. Moreover, the other changes regarding foreign firms and profitable companies means that electoral bonds could easily be used by shell firms that have no actual business or profit as a way of channeling money into politics. This is the critique that came from the Election Commission of India, which told the SupremeCourt that it will have a “serious impact” on transparency in political funding and could allow for “unchecked foreign funding” of Indian political parties. The Reserve Bank of India, when asked for its opinion, had said the bonds would set a “bad precedent” since it would allow for money laundering and undermine trust in banknotes. Despite this criticism, the Finance Ministry said that the RBI has “not understood” the mechanism of electoral bonds and that it was going forward with them regardless. The Reserve Bank wanted to be the organisation issuing the bonds. It also wanted the bonds to be digital rather than physical. This was overruled by the Finance Ministry, which wanted the bonds to remain anonymous. Electoral bonds are anonymous as far as the public is concerned, the government can easily discover who is buying and donating them – giving the party in charge a huge advantage in information, and potentially deterring any individuals or companies from donating any bonds to the Opposition. According to the recent report, in the first sale of electoral bonds, 95% went to the BJP. What did the Supreme Court say? In its order, the Supreme Court said that while it wanted to hear the matter at length at a later stage, for the interim it wanted a situation where the balance was not tilted in anyone's favour. It has asked political parties to reveal details of the donations they received through electoral bonds to the Election Commission. The poll panel, on the other hand, has been asked to keep all the details in a sealed cover until further orders of the top court. Way forward: Various commissions, including the Election Commission, have given detailed recommendations on suitable remedies. Complete transparency in all funding. Political parties need to be under the Right to Information Act. The Central Information Commission ruled that they were, but the parties refuse to follow its directions. There must be spending limits as well as donation limits, especially in a highly unequal society like ours, and strict penalties for flouting rules and the law. Public funding needs to be examined and introduced with proper checks and balances. Voters need to demand changes and we need voter awareness campaigns. The simple message from voters to political parties could be “we like you, not yyour big money. If you want, we will all pitch in and give small individual donations.” If voters reject candidates and parties that overspend or bribe them, we would have moved democracy one level higher. Most important, the electoral bonds scheme needs to be scrapped. The Supreme Court is hearing a petition on this issue. Let us hope Indian democracy survives without going through another crisis. Connecting the dots: Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court that electoral bonds will have a “serious impact” on transparency in political funding and could allow for “unchecked foreign funding” of Indian political parties. Comment. (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Dharma Guardian is military exercise conducted between India and which other country? USA Srilanka Japan None of the above Q.2) Consider the following statements about NaVIC It is India’s own Regional Navigation Satellite System It is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary Select the correct statements Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Cartosat-3 Cartosat-3, with an ISRO-best resolution of 25 cm, will be the first of a series of high resolution, third generation satellites planned for observing the Earth It will be launched by GSLV MK-III Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 22 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK)   1 C 2 B 3 B MUST READ   Occupation rewards: On U.S. support to Israeli occupation The Hindu  The opacity around electoral bonds The Hindu  No light at the end of the Brexit deadlock The Hindu A blow against punitive constitutionalism  The Hindu Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict has not upheld the law, nor delivered justice IE  In Kashmir, people’s fears about loss of identity must be addressed IE

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Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 22nd November 2019

IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 22nd November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) ‘TIGER TRIUMPH’ Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- India’s foreign relations The first-ever India and U.S. armed forces tri-services exercise ‘Tiger Triumph’ concluded off the Kakinada coast, East Godavari district This was the first tri-services exercise by both countries on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) Apart from Indian Navy ship INS Jalashwa and U.S. Navy ship USS Germantown, over 500 US Marines and sailors and 1,200 Indian soldiers and officers participated in the exercise. Exercise Tiger Triumph enhanced U.S.-India military-to-military relations and honed individual and small-unit skills in the context of a HADR scenario.  It exposed Indian and U.S. forces to different training environments, weaponry and tactics.  Through training side-by-side and sharing best practices, both Indian and U.S. troops not only learned from one another but also established personal and professional relationships. India's role as a stabilizing power in the region is critical for trade and transit between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  India and the United States have a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region that provides prosperity and security for all UGC-AICTE merger Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Education The Centre has not taken any final decision on the merger of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to create a single regulator for higher education. A June 2018 version of the draft HECI Bill had faced objections from States worried they would lose autonomy under the new regime as well as concerns that grant disbursal powers were being moved from autonomous bodies to the direct control of the HRD Minister. Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) The Centre has decided to establish a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) in the place of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The Bill repeals the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 and establishes the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI). The HECI will maintain academic standards in higher education by specifying learning outcomes for courses, specifying eligibility criteria for Vice Chancellors, and ordering closure of higher educational institutions which fail to adhere to minimum standards.  Every higher educational institution empowered to award degrees or diplomas will have to apply to the HECI to commence its first academic operations.   The HECI also has the power to revoke permission on specified grounds.  The Bill sets up an Advisory Council chaired by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development. The Council will advise on coordination and determination of standards in higher education between the centre and states. Surrogacy Bill Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Health The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019, was referred to a select committee of the Upper House , after several MPs raised concerns over several provisions of the legislation, including making it mandatory for a surrogate to be a close relative. Background: It provides for constitution of surrogacy boards at the national as well as state levels to ensure effective regulation. It seeks to allow ethical altruistic surrogacy to the intending infertile Indian married couple between the age of 23-50 years for female and 26-55 years for male. Only Indian couples who have been legally married for at least 5 years would be allowed to opt for surrogacy. It makes it mandatory for the couple to obtain a certificate of essentiality and also a certificate of eligibility before going ahead with surrogacy.  It also provides that intending couples should not abandon the child born out of surrogacy under any condition. It also stipulates a separate eligibility criterion for the surrogate mother. The surrogate must be a close relative of the intending couple and be a married woman having a child of her own. She should between the age of 25-35 years, not have been surrogate earlier and must be certifiably mentally and physically fit. On the legal status of a surrogate child, the Bill states that any child born out of a surrogacy procedure shall be the biological child of the intending couple. The new born child shall be entitled to all rights and privileges that are available to a natural child. The Bill also seeks to regulate functioning of surrogacy clinics. All surrogacy clinics in the country need to be registered by the appropriate authority in order to undertake surrogacy or its related procedures. The Bill provides for various safeguards for surrogate mothers. One of them is insurance coverage for sometime to cover not only the period of pregnancy but after that also. It also specifies that no sex selection can be done when it comes to surrogacy. FREE FASTAGS  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Technology FASTags, or reloadable tags for payment at toll booths, will be available for free until November 30, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. The announcement comes a week before FASTags become mandatory at all the booths on national highways from December 1. FASTags: FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). It employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it or directly toll owner.  It is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables to drive through toll plazas without stopping for transactions. The tag can be purchased from official Tag issuers or participating Banks and if it is linked to a prepaid account, then recharging or top-up can be as per requirement. As per NHAI, FASTag has unlimited validity.  7.5% cashback offers were also provided to promote the use of FASTag.  Dedicated Lanes at some Toll plazas have been built for FASTag. In January 2019, state-run oil marketing companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL have signed MoUs enabling the use of FASTag to make purchases at petrol pumps. As of September 2019, FASTag lanes are available on over 500 national and state highways and over 54.6 lakh (5.46 million) cars are enabled with FASTag. AVIAN BOTULISM  Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Environment  The Indian Veterinary Research Institute confirmed that avian botulism — a neuro-muscular illness caused by a toxin that is produced by a bacterial strain — was the cause of the recent mass mortality of birds, at Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan.  More than 18,000 carcasses of birds have been removed from the lake and its catchment area so far, raising concern among environmentalists. Avian Botulism Avian Botulism is a strain of botulism that affects wild and captive bird populations, most notably waterfowl.  This is a paralytic disease brought on by the Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNt) of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum can fall into one of 7 different types which are strains A through G. Type C BoNt is most frequently associated with waterfowl mortality. The Type E strain is also commonly associated with avian outbreaks and is frequently found in fish species which is why most outbreaks occur in piscivorous birds. Miscellaneous The land allocated to the LuLu Group in Visakhapatnam had cancelled due to a dispute it was involved in and environmental norms. The project was cancelled for two reasons. One, there was a dispute on the land and, second, it was against environmental norms. Moreover, standing guidelines are that a single bid should not be accepted (MAINS FOCUS) IR TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests US to sell $1 billion worth defence equipment to India Context: The US State Department has approved the sale of naval guns and other equipment worth $1 billion to India for use against warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment.  Details: The Indian government has requested to buy up to 13 MK 45 5 inch/62 caliber (MOD 4) naval guns and 3,500 D349 Projectile 5 inch/54 calibre (MOD 1) ammunition. Other equipment included ammunition, spare parts, personnel and equipment training, publications and technical data, transportation and US government and contractor technical assistance and other related logistics support.  The total estimated cost of all of this equipment is over $1 billion. What is the MK 45 gun system? The MK 45 is a fully automatic naval gun system that is installed on ships and provides a Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) range of more than 20 nautical miles (36 km) along with improved propelling charge.  This system of guns is currently in use by the US Navy. The MOD 4 configuration gun mount is believed to boost the firing range by over 50 per cent, increasing the speed and range of munitions. Other countries that have been sold the MOD 4 naval guns are Japan, Australia and South Korea.  The US may also sell these guns to other allies including Britain and Canada.  The MK 45 Gun System will provide the capability to conduct anti¬-surface warfare and anti-air defence missions. It will enhance interoperability with US and other allied forces.  India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence. India-US Relations Since the 1990s, Indian foreign policy adapted to the unipolar world and developed closer ties with the United States. Indian foreign policy has sought to leverage India's strategic autonomy in order to safeguard sovereign rights and promote national interests within a multi-polar world. Under the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the United States has demonstrated accommodation to India's core national interests and acknowledged outstanding concerns. In 2016, India and United States signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and India was declared a Major Defense Partner of the United States The U.S. has four "foundational" agreements that it signs with its defence partners. In recent years, India has conducted large joint military exercises with the US in the Indian Ocean. USA as part of its foreign policy to counter China wants to make India as one of the major defence partners for which it is in talks with Indian representatives to sell highly technologically advanced predator drones US policy had been opposed to nuclear cooperation with India in prior years because India had developed nuclear weapons against international conventions, and had never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT).  The legislation Henry J. Hyde US–India Peaceful Atomic Cooperation Act clears the way for India to buy US nuclear reactors and fuel for civilian use. The India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement also referred to as the "123 Agreement" is a bilateral agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation which governs civil nuclear trade between American and Indian firms to participate in each other's civil nuclear energy sector.  For the agreement to be operational, nuclear vendors and operators must comply with India's 2010 Nuclear Liability Act which stipulates that nuclear suppliers, contractors and operators must bear financial responsibility in case of an accident. Prominent industrial accidents (1984 Bhopal chemical-gas disaster and the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster) has led to greater scrutiny by civil society into corporate responsibility and financial liability obligations of vendors and operators of critical infrastructure.  In 2010, the Indian Parliament voted the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act to address concerns and provide civil liability for nuclear damage and prompt compensation to the victims of a nuclear incident. On 27 March 2019, India and the US signed an agreement to "strengthen bilateral security  and civil nuclear cooperation" including the construction of six American nuclear reactors in India Key milestones in India – US relations Increase in bilateral trade & investment,  Co-operation on global security matters,  Inclusion of India in decision-making on matters of global governance (United Nations Security Council),  Upgraded representation in trade & investment forums (World Bank, IMF, APEC) Admission into multilateral export control regimes (MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group). Support for admission in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and joint-manufacturing through technology sharing arrangements have become key milestones and a measure of speed and advancement on the path to closer US–India relations. Connecting the dots: U.S.-India Defense Ties Grow Closer as Shared Concerns in Asia Loom . Analyse IR TOPIC: General Studies 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. Tunisian rap song that triggered Arab Spring has suddenly become relevant again Context: A week after the death of Tunisia’s first democratically elected president, , the only stable democracy post the Arab Springs across the region of North Africa and the Middle East is set to face challenges to its hard-won democracy. Background of the Arab Spring: In January 2011, after a month of protests against an oppressive and corrupt autocratic regime, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was overthrown and eventually replaced by a developing democracy.  Tunisians had been protesting high unemployment, corruption, lack of freedom of speech, food inflation, poor living conditions and injustice.  The country had been witnessing widespread dissatisfaction and anger by ordinary citizens.   The death of fruit vendor Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi who self-immolated to protest harassment exacerbated the tense socio-political situation in Tunisia. Political observers believe Bouazizi’s death acted as a trigger for the start of the Tunisian Revolution of 2011. The Arab Springs that spread across North Africa and the Middle East. A month before the Tunisian Revolution began, Tunisian rapper Hamada Ben Amor, who performs under the name of El Général, released a political rap song called ‘RaisLebled’ in December 2010.  The approximately four-minute song was a powerful protest against the corruption of former autocrat Ben Ali and resonated particularly with Tunisia’s youth, making it the anthem of the Tunisian Revolution. In the weeks that followed, Tunisia successfully managed to overthrow Ben Ali and his government.  BéjiCaïdEssebsi was made interim Prime Minister, a post that he held for the remainder of 2011. He resigned in December of the same year. After math: In December 2014, Essebsi won parliamentary elections, Tunisia’s first free presidential elections and became President of the country. Tunisia, with it’s free elections, secularism and democratically elected head of state, was the only success of the Arab Springs, with Libya, Yemen & Syria having fallen into civil war and uprisings crushed in nations like Bahrain and political instability elsewhere in the region. Issues of unemployment still did not get resolved. There was prevalent criticisms that he was trying to consolidate power in the country.  A lack of authority following Essebsi’s death are some of the problems challenging Tunisia’s hard-won democratic freedoms. In 2019, eight years after the Tunisian Revolution, El Général’s raps from ‘RaisLebled’ are particularly relevant. Effects: The effects of the Tunisian Revolution spread strongly to five other countries: Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain, where either the regime was toppled or major uprisings and social violence occurred, including riots, civil wars or insurgencies. Sustained street demonstrations took place in Morocco, Iraq, Algeria, Iranian Khuzestan, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Sudan At present: As of May 2018, only the uprising in Tunisia has resulted in a transition to constitutional democratic governance. Recent uprisings in Sudan and Algeria show that the conditions that started the Arab Spring are not going away and political movements against authoritarianism and exploitation are still occurring Connecting the dots: The Arab world is home to 5% of the global population, but accounts for half of all terrorist attacks. Critically analyse  (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note:  Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.  Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q1) Consider the following statements about FASTags : FASTagis an electronic toll collection system in India,  It isoperated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Which of the above statements are correct: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q2) Consider the following statements about  Tiger tiriumph: The exercise represents the growing strategic partnership between Japan and India. It was the first ever Tri-Services. Which of the above statements are correct: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q3). Consider the following statements about Surrogacy bill : The surrogacy bill proposes a complete ban on commercial surrogacy  Altruistic surrogacy involves no monetary compensation to the surrogate mother other than medical expenses and insurance coverage during the pregnancy.  Which of the above statements are not correct: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 MUST READ  Should we do away with subsidies for higher education? The Hindu Expedient exit: On PSU disinvestment The Hindu To the power of two: On the Rajapaksas The Hindu A blow against punitive constitutionalism The Hindu The whiff of a new Arab Spring in West Asia? The Hindu India-Sri Lanka ties are too strong to be unsettled by Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election IE Mother tongue must be the medium of instruction to preserve India’s cultural diversity, heritage IE

Important Articles

[VIDEO] Art of ANSWER WRITING, Decoding the SYLLABUS and LIVE DEMO of Answer Writing (TLP CONNECT/PLUS MENTORSHIP Programme) by Mohan Sir Founder IASbaba

Video 2: Art of Answer Writing, Decoding the Syllabus & Live Demo of Answer Writing TAKEAWAYS of the Session: In this video, Mohan Sir (Founder IASbaba) brings the different aspects of answer writing and discusses them in detail. Organisation of thoughts, How to Interlink between GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4 Connecting Static with Dynamic part of the Syllabus 1st Principle of Answer Writing Structure of an Answer Presentation Keywords at the end of the question Different Strategies for different subjects [embed]https:// https://www.youtube.com/embed/-es2cfD15Fk[/embed] Thank You IASbaba

AIR

All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Awareness towards vital Health issues: Osteoporosis

Awareness towards vital Health issues: Osteoporosis  ARCHIVES Search 22nd Oct, 2019 Public Speak here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General studies 2 Health What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis, which literally means porous bone, is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced. As bones become more porous and fragile, the risk of fracture is greatly increased. The loss of bone occurs silently and progressively. Often there are no symptoms until the first fracture occurs. Viewed under a microscope, healthy bone looks like a honeycomb. When osteoporosis occurs, the holes and spaces in the honeycomb are much larger than in healthy bone. Osteoporotic bones have lost density or mass and contain abnormal tissue structure.  As we age some of our bone cells begin to dissolve bone matrix (resorption), while new bone cells deposit osteoid (formation). This process is known as remodeling. For people with osteoporosis, bone loss outpaces the growth of new bone. Bones become porous, brittle and prone to fracture. Issues When osteoporosis affects vertebrae, or the bones of the spine, it often leads to a stooped or hunched posture. Osteoporosis may limit mobility, which often leads to feelings of isolation or depression.  Additionally, twenty percent of seniors who break a hip die within one year from either complications related to the broken bone itself or the surgery to repair it. Many patients require long-term nursing home care. The Way Forward The bone is a dynamic living structure that gets formed and absorbed in the blood every day. The calcium level that needs to be maintained in the bloodstream is drawn from either the food we eat or our bones. When the hormonal protection wears off, bone loss speeds up and the imbalance created between bone creation and its usage weakens the bone density. This clinical condition is osteoporosis, which can be reversed with a proper diet and regular exercise. But when neglected, it progresses silently, hampering daily movement, and putting you at risk of fractures. There is a need for a greater awareness of the disease. Right from childhood, we must ensure a nutritious diet apart from an active lifestyle. Children should be allowed to play out under the sun so that Vitamin D is absorbed by the body. Only some form of exercise will make the bones strong. A person builds bone mass till 35 years after which bone loss begins. Note: October 20 is celebrated as World Osteoporosis Day.

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