UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 147 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
Indo-Sweden Bilateral Relations ARCHIVES Search 2nd Dec, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests India and Sweden have had a bilateral trade turnover of USD 3.37 billion in 2018 and cumulative investments of about USD 2.5 billion since 2000. Bilateral relations between India and Sweden are friendly and based on principles of democracy and transparency, right to freedom, and rule of law. Regular interactions in political, business, scientific and academic spheres have provided dynamism to the bilateral ties of the two countries. Historically, India and Sweden have always had an atypical diplomatic relationship even though both sides have established sound business and investment ties that go back to the early 1920s. Market: India has always been a market of immense opportunities for Sweden, with Stockholm selling everything from table mats to warplanes here. At a time when Indian consumers were beginning to learn the concepts of single-brand and multi-brand retail, and that too affordable at that, it was Sweden that entered the country with Ikea and H&M.; Ikea had first announced its plans to foray into India in 2008 but opened its first store, after a decade-long wait, at Hyderabad in 2018. H&M; entered the country in 2015. Defence ties between India and Sweden also go back several years. The turning point, however, was in 1986 when India, then under former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, signed an agreement with Swedish defence major Bofors to procure 155-mm Howitzer field guns. This eventually turned into a huge political controversy post which defence cooperation between India and Sweden took a backseat for a long time. In 2016, when the Modi government conducted the much-talked-about ‘surgical strikes’ on Pakistan, Indian para commandos were believed to have used the Carl Gustav-84 mm rocket launchers, made by the Swedish weapons firm Saab, to hit the terror launchpads. Present… The two sides inked three pacts providing for cooperation in polar science, innovation and research and in maritime spheres – a) India-Sweden High-Level Dialogue on innovation policy: Focus on areas such as digital health, artificial intelligence (AI), future mobility and circular economy. 'Digital health': The programme aims to provide scalable and implementable innovative, sustainable and flexible health solutions in both countries, using artificial intelligence-based technologies as a tool. 'Smart grids': The Swedish Energy Agency has allocated 25 million SEK over the next four years for this industry-led call. b) Launched the Agri-Waste to High Energy Biocoal pilot project: Has been established under the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) Waste to Wealth Mission A torrefaction pilot plant for the conversion of agri-waste into biocoal at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in Mohali, Punjab. The biocoal made from unutilised crop waste produces 20 times lower emissions than conventional coal. The expected outcomes of this pilot study are: Improved air quality with reduction of crop burning; reduced emissions from use of biocoal as a clean energy source; livelihood generation opportunities for farmers as biocoal production creates new market linkages for agri-waste; soil quality improvement in fields from avoided crop burning, according to a statement. c) 'Smart cities and clean technologies' and 'Digitisation and Internet of Things' The project aims to develop technologies that can be commercialised after two years through joint cooperation between India and Sweden. Vinnova will provide funding to Swedish side participants up to 2,500,000 SEK as grant. On the Indian side, conditional grant of up to 50 per cent with a limit of Rs 1.5 crore per project to Indian project partners will be provided. The Department of Science & Technology, India, and the Swedish Research Council will fund 20 bilateral projects in the area of computer science and material science under the Indo-Swedish Joint Network Grant Awards. The Swedish Research Council will fund 14 million SEK for 2 years for this programme. The Department of Science and Technology will provide activity matching funding to the Indian counterparts. Sweden’s Expectations: The Gripen deal: Sweden is now keenly looking at selling its Gripen warplanes to India under the Modi government’s $12 billion fighter jet deal. Saab, the maker of Gripen, was ready with a plan to build the fighters in the country under the ‘Make in India’ programme in 2016. It had even announced its collaboration with Adani for the project in 2017. 5G network across: Swedish Ericsson is one of the contenders in the 5G race. Note: A. Modi had visited Sweden in April 2018 to take part in the first-ever India-Nordic Summit; he was the first Indian PM to do so in 30 years. The last PM to visit the country was Rajiv Gandhi in 1988. Swedish Monarchy: A monarchy is a form of government in which total sovereignty is invested in one person, a head of state called a monarch who holds the position until death or abdication. The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. According to the website of the Swedish Royal Court, the country has had a monarch for more than 1,000 years. Connecting the Dots: Compare and contrast the history of socialism in Sweden with that of Venezuela.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) SnowEx: To assess how much water does snow contain Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Science & Technology In News In order to better understand how water is contained in each winter’s snowfall and how much will be available when it melts in the spring, NASA has launched a seasonal campaign called SnowEx. The goal is to address the most important gaps in our snow remote sensing knowledge, and thus lay the groundwork for a future snow satellite mission. SnowEx assesses where snow has fallen, how much there is and how its characteristics change as it melts. It uses airborne measurements, ground measurements and computer modelling The geographical focus of SnowEx is proposed as North America which contains the six broad snow climate categories identified in the literature: tundra (alpine or Arctic), taiga (Boreal forest), warm (temperate) forest, maritime, prairie, and ephemeral. Dadasaheb Phalke Award Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I- Culture In News The country’s highest film honour, the DadasahebPhalke award, was presented this year to Amitabh Bachchan The award comes in the year that marks Mr. Bachchan’s golden jubilee in cinema, who made his debut in 1969 DadasahebPhalke (1870–1944), was an Indian film-maker who directed India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913). He is regarded as “the father of Indian cinema.” The award is given to people for their “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema”. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting). The award prize consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a shawl. The award was first presented in 1969. The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema.” Bandhavgarh Forest: Gets its first Elephant Colony Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Environment Conservation In News Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh. It is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the Tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. Bandhavgarh National Park consists of mixed vegetation ranging from tall grasslands to thick Sal forest and so is the perfect habitat of variety of animals and birds. Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993. The word Bandhavgarh is a combination of two words: Bandhav+ Garh where Bandhav means brother and Garh means Fort. The name Bandhavgarh given to the reserve is due to the presence of an ancient fort in the hillock of the Vindhya ranges of Umaria. It has been believed that Lord Rama gifted this amazing fort to his younger brother Lakshmana. In the 2019 census Madhya Pradesh state recorded the most number of estimated tigers at 526, thus earning the title “Tiger State” Red sand boa snake: Rare Snake rescued in Madhya Pradesh Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Environment In News Red Sand Boa Snake which worth around ₹1.25 crore, was rescued from five persons, who were trying to sell it in Madhya Pradesh The rare non-poisonous snakes are used for making certain medicines, cosmetics and in black magic, and are in huge demand in the international market They are also believed to bring good luck and wealth. Persons were charged under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Value addition for Prelims The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species. Article 48-A of the Constitution says that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forest and wildlife of the country. Article 51A (g) imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen of India to protect and improve the environment and have compassion for living creatures. Poshan Abhiyaan: Merely 30% of the funds used after 3 years Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Governance & Health In News Barring Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar, none of the state governments used even half of the sum granted in the past three years, according to an analysis of the data shared in Parliament. Average utilization of the funds allotted under the scheme, in the country is 29.97% Value addition for Prelims The Poshan Abhiyaan, the Centrally sponsored scheme, is aimed at improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers and children 50% of the funding comes through budgetary support while remaining 50% is from the World Bank or other multilateral development banks. POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India by 2022. Target:Reducing stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively. US astronaut Christina Koch Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Science & Technology In News US astronaut Christina Koch set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman when she reached, and crossed, 289 days in her current mission at the International Space Station (ISS). Having reached the ISS in March this year, she is expected to spend a total of 328 days on board before returning to Earth in February 2020. In October 2019, she was part of the first all-female spacewalk, together with Jessica Meir Did you Know? Gennady Padalka of Russia holds the record longest cumulative time spent in space by any astronaut, male or female, accumulating the 878 days (about 2½ years) across five spaceflights between 1998 and 2015. The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station (habitable artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit. The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Economic crisis: economy in bad shape Context: Growth in the quarter from July to September had slipped to 4.5%.(lowest level recorded in six years) 6.1% nominal GDP growth (real growth plus inflation) the slowest in a decade. Fixed investment slumped to 1%, private consumption growth halved year on year, and manufacturing activity contracted by 1%. Evidences for Slowdown: The 12.2% decline in electricity generation( it is a good barometer of demand generated by all economic activity, not just industrial production.) Metrics one would usually look at to assess economic activity and consumption such as Imports, merchandise exports, automobile sales, bank credit…, are indicating warning Bank credit growth is expected to hit a 58-year low in 2019-2020. Stagflation: With retail inflation hitting a 40-month high of 5.54% in November and Food inflation hit 10%, vegetables (onions) and pulses. This has led to worries about India entering a phase of stagflation, (persistent high inflation combined with high unemployment and stagnant demand in a country's economy) Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th December 2019 SRC: Wall street Concerns: The current slowdown is closer in nature to what was faced as far back as 1991 — the year India liberalised. India’s current crisis is driven by both cyclical and structural factors Problems in finance have exacerbated the slowdown. The World Bank has said this cyclical slowdown is severe. Demand collapsing due to reasons ranging from poor rural income growth, The ghosts of demonetisation and a hastily implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST). Point to be noted: India’s growth recovered after global financial crisis 2008 without fixing the problems Series of fortuitous developments such as lower oil prices and a boom in credit from non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which may be partly driven by demonetisation sending more cash into the formal financial system. With the collapse of IL&FS in late 2018,this support also ended . Now the twin balance sheet crisis (of stressed banks and corporates with infrastructure bets) raised Way forward: Reserve Bank of India must cut interest rates for spurring growth out of the equation. Increase public expenditure by investing in agriculture raise funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Investment in Skill , Education and Health Conclusion: This is a cyclical phenomenon and will pass like the circle of life… what goes up, must come down, but govt must also address the concerns of economy Connecting the dots: Do you think economy seems headed for the intensive care unit? Do you think Demonetisation is responsible for the current slowdown? INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): Pakistan to host OIC meet on Kashmir, CAA Context: Pakistan will hold a ministerial meeting with Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir in April 2020, The development is linked to a broader Saudi-Pakistan deal. Focus on the “human rights situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and enactment of an CAA in India” Recent developments: The announcement came days after recently-appointed Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud visited Islamabad and met with the Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad had convened the “Kuala Lumpur” summit, with the leaders of Turkey, Iran and Qatar, calling for reforms in the Muslim world. About OIC: Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th December 2019 Src: MOW The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations It has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. It is an organisation of the collective voice of the Muslim world. Objectives: The main motive of the organisation is to the safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco 25 September 1969 as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. India and Islamic World In the last few years, India has improved ties with the Islamic world from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia, while building on good relations with countries like Qatar and Oman. While it was Bangladesh that floated the idea of India becoming an observer at the OIC in 2018, the UAE invite offered India an opportunity to address the forum. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), was a very special Chief Guest at the 68th Republic Day celebrations in 2017, the first time that India laid out the Republic Day red carpet for a leader who was neither a Head of State nor Head of Government. The Crown Prince MBZ had earlier visited India in February 2016, following a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015. Recently, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman visited India. India – OIC Relation: India’s relationship with Pakistan has always been tense and has a direct impact on India-OIC relations, with Pakistan being a founding member of the OIC. India has pushed for the OIC to accept India as a member, Pakistan opposes India’s entry into the OIC For the first time in five decades, the United Arab Emirates invited foreign minister of India Sushma Swaraj to attend the inaugural plenary 46th meeting of OIC foreign ministers. (Pakistan boycotted the meet) From the mid-1990s, when this Contact Group was formed, it has issued several statements on behalf of Pakistan (on Kashmir issue) The United Arab Emirates, for instance, conferred the Order of “Zayed”, its highest civilian award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than a week after New Delhi’s moves on Article 370, and declared that Kashmir was India’s internal matter. Conclusion: Saudi Arabia leads OIC nations to showcase its control of the Islamic world, while allowing its members to use the forum to attack their own rivals, While OIC resolutions mean very little in real terms, Pakistan wants to use the forum against India Connecting the dots: Do you think CAA impacts India- Saudi relations? Do you think Pakistan will get any support from OIC on Kashmir issue? (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 The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of only animal species Article 51A (g) imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen of India to protect and improve the environment and have compassion for living creatures. Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements Dadasaheb Phalke award is given to people for their outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. The award first presented in 1951 is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Which of the following are the participating space agencies of International Space Station ISRO(India) NASA (USA) Roscosmos (Russia) JAXA (Japan) Canadian Space Agency Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1,2,3 and 4 only 2,3,4 and 5 only 2,3 and 4 only 1,2,3,4 and 5 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Poshan Abhiyan It is a Central sector scheme aimed at improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers and children Average utilization of the funds allotted under the scheme has been high at 89.97%, indicating success of the abhiyan. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 28 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C 3 A MUST READ Arms and the man: On Gen Rawat's comments The Hindu Governance Index: On study of States on governance The Hindu India needs a bottom-up growth model The Hindu A dangerous new low in state-sponsored hate The Hindu Government does well to constitute panel on economic statistics, and even better to include critics on it IE Atal Bhujal Yojana is a first step towards recharging groundwater. There is a need to move to more long-term solutions IE Cadre merger at the Railways welcome ET
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 146 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 22nd to 29th December, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 ‘Good Governance Index’ launched on Good Governance Day - 25th Dec (Topic: Governance) The Good Governance Day is observed on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Good Governance Index is a uniform tool across States to assess the Status of Governance and impact of various interventions taken up by the State Government and UTs. Objectives of GGI – To provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and UTs, Enable states and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance Shift to result oriented approaches and administration. Various principles have been kept in mind while selecting the indicators, i.e. it should be easy to understand & calculate, citizen-centric & result driven, leading to improved results and applicable to all states and UTs, among others. The GGI takes into consideration ten sectors: 1). Agriculture and Allied Sectors, 2). Commerce & Industries, 3). Human Resource Development, 4). Public Health, 5). Public Infrastructure & Utilities, 6). Economic Governance, 7). Social Welfare & Development, 8). Judicial & Public Security, 9). Environment 10). Citizen-Centric Governance These ten Governance Sectors are measured on total 50 indicators. Difference indicators are given different weightage under one Governance Sector to calculate the value. E.g. Under Agriculture & Allied Sector, there are 6 indicators with different weightage, namely: Growth rate of agriculture and allied sector (0.4), growth rate of food grains production (0.1), growth rate of horticulture produce (0.1), growth rate of milk production (0.1), growth rate of meat production (0.1) and crop insurance (0.2). The states and UTs are divided into three groups: a). Big States, b). North-East & Hill States and c). UTs. The states and UTs are ranked on all indicators separately, at the same time composite ranking is also calculated for these states and UTs under their respective groups based upon these indicators. Year End Review 2019 Ministry of Home Affairs Important Bills Passed by Parliament Jammu and Kashmir - Abrogation of Article 370 and 35A ; The Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Act, 2019; The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2019 National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 – aims to increase operational efficiency of SPG in ensuring the security of the Prime Minister of India. Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 – focus on granting Indian Citizenship to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities on ground of religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Marathon deliberations held by Union Home Minister with various stakeholders from North East and their concerns against the CAB 2019 addressed in the final Amendment Act. Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 – enhances the punishment for existing offences like illegal manufacture, sale, transfer and illegal acquiring, possessing or carrying prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition; illicit trafficking of firearms; celebratory gunfire endangering human life. Arms licenses to be issued for 5 years in electronic form, which would prevent forgery. The Amendment would reduce possession of illegal firearms and commission of criminal offences by limiting 2 licenses per person. Ownership of arms by retired and serving personnel of armed forces and sportspersons remains unaffected by the Amendment. Further, Ancestral guns may be retained in a Deactivated State. Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 - to make the constitution of NHRC and SHRCs broader and more inclusive. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019 - Administrative efficiency, better service delivery and effective implementation of Central and State Government Schemes to be the focus. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Abrogation of Article 370 and 35A Historic step to remove Article 370 and 35A of Constitution of India Brought JK & Ladakh at par with other States and UTs All provisions of Constitution of India, without any modifications or exceptions, to now apply to JK & Ladakh Laws of Union Government wrt education, empowerment of SC, ST, Minorities etc to be applicable to JK & Ladakh Boost to local economy and employment opportunities by increasing investment; Reservation to EWS of society in jobs & educational institutions to apply in JK & Ladakh Betterment of socio-economic infrastructure in JK & Ladakh The Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Act, 2019: Jammu and Kashmir reorganised into Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with legislature, and Union Territory of Ladakh without Legislature Formally came into force on 31st October, 2019 Maps of newly formed UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh released 1st Winter-grade Diesel outlet for Ladakh inaugurated by Union Home Minister; move to boost tourism in extreme weather conditions The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2019: 3% reservation in services and educational institutions extended to people living near the International Border (IB) in J&K, in line with reservation given to people living near the Line of Control (LoC) Amarnath Yatra 3,42,883 yatris had safe and secure Darshan Higher by nearly 20%, as compared to 2018 Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Union Cabinet passed a resolution on 22nd November 2018 to celebrate the historic occasion of 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Devji in a grand and befitting manner, throughout the country and across the globe India signed the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement with Pakistan on 24th October, 2019 Indian pilgrims of all faiths to undertake year-round Visa-free travel to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib through Kartarpur Sahib Corridor – a long standing demand of followers of Guru Nanak Dev ji State of art Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) developed (estd. project cost – Rs. 400 crore), having modern public amenities and security features; architecture reflecting cultural heritage of Punjab Strict Action on Terror and Insurgency National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 NIA empowered with extra territorial jurisdiction for investigation of terrorism related offences taking place outside India, in which Indian property/citizens are victims The mandate of NIA is expanded by inclusion of new offences viz. explosive substances, human trafficking, manufacturing/sale of prohibited arms and cyber terrorism, to its Schedule Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 Central Government empowered to designate individual as terrorist NIA empowered to seize/forfeit property representing proceeds of terrorism in cases investigated by NIA After recent amendment, 4 Individuals viz., Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim proscribed as Terrorists Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) banned for another five years under sub-sections of UAPA, 1967 Cyber Crime Control National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) launched as a citizen centric initiative to facilitate public for reporting of all types of Cyber Crimes without visiting Police Station The complaints reported on this portal are accessible online to the law enforcement agencies of respective States/UTs for taking appropriate action as per law 12th India Security Summit on ‘Towards New National Cyber Security Strategy’ held in New Delhi Review Meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Incidents of LWE violence down from 2258 in 2009 to 833 in 2018 Number of deaths dropped from 1005 in 2009 to 240 in 2018 Districts affected by naxal violence reduced from 96 in 2010 to 60 in 2018 Smart Fencing - Union Home Minister launched BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) under Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) on Indo-Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of Assam, as an effective deterrence against illegal infiltration. Two pilot projects covering about 71 Kms on Indo-Pakistan Border (10 Kms) and Indo-Bangladesh Border (61 Kms) of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) have been completed. International Drug Syndicate busted - largest seizure of contraband drugs by NCB in India - 20 Kgs of Cocaine, worth Rs. 100 crores, seized. National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam published on 31.08.2019 A machinery created for detection and deportation of illegal immigrants ‘In-principle’ approval given for setting up of 1000 additional Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) ‘In-principle’ approval given to Assam Government for creation of e-FT platform (estd. cost – Rs. 99 crores) International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) launched by Prime Minister during the UN Climate Action Summit in New York on 23rd September, 2019 Knowledge exchange platform on different aspects of disaster and calamity resilience of infrastructure Assist countries for Infrastructure Development based on risk context and economic needs Pooling of Technological Expertise of stakeholders Bilateral Agreements/MoUs India and Uzbekistan signed Security Cooperation Agreement MoU between India and Indonesia on combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and its precursors MoUs signed between India and Saudi Arabia in the field of combating illicit trafficking and smuggling of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors MoU signed between India and Myanmar on bilateral cooperation for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons MoU between India and USA to access tip line reports on Missing and Exploited Children Cabinet approves Atal Bhujal Yojana (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services – Water) The scheme aims to improve ground water management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven States, viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8350 Gram Panchayats in 78 districts in these States. ATAL JAL will promote panchayat led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management. The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has taken a pioneering initiative for ensuring long term sustainability of ground water resources in the country through the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) by adopting a mix of 'top down' and 'bottom up' approaches in identified ground water stressed blocks in seven states, representing a range of geomorphic, climatic and hydrogeologic and cultural settings. ATAL JAL has been designed with the principal objective of strengthening the institutional framework for participatory ground water management and bringing about behavioral changes at the community level for sustainable ground water resource management. The scheme envisages undertaking this through various interventions, including awareness programmes, capacity building, convergence of ongoing/new schemes and improved agricultural practices etc. ATAL JAL has two major components: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Componentfor strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable ground water management in the States including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, strengthening of Water User Associations, etc. Incentive Componentfor incentivising the States for achievements in improved groundwater management practices namely, data dissemination, preparation of water security plans, implementation of management interventions through convergence of ongoing schemes, adopting demand side management practices etc. ATAL JAL will result in: Institutional strengthening for improving ground water monitoring networks and capacity building of stakeholders at different levels which will enhance ground water data storage, exchange, analysis and dissemination. Improved and realistic water budgeting based on an improved database and preparation of community-led Water Security Plans at Panchayat level Implementation of Water Security Plans through convergence of various ongoing/new schemes of the Government of India and State Governments to facilitate judicious and effective utilization of funds for sustainable ground water management. Efficient use of available ground water resources with emphasis on demand side measures such as micro-irrigation, crop diversification, electricity feeder separation etc. Impact: Source sustainability for Jal Jeevan Mission in the project area with active participation of local communities. Will contribute towards the goal of doubling the farmers' income. Will promote participatory ground water management. Improved water use efficiency on a mass scale and improved cropping pattern; Promotion of efficient and equitable use of ground water resources and behavioural change at the community level; Background: Ground water contributes to nearly 65% of total irrigated area of the country and nearly 85% of the rural drinking water supply. The limited ground water resources in the country are under threat due to the increasing demands of growing population, urbanization and industrialization. Intensive, and unregulated ground water pumping in many areas has caused rapid and widespread decline in ground water levels as well as reduction in the sustainability of ground water abstraction structures. The problem of reduction in ground water availability is further compounded by deteriorating ground water quality in some parts of the country. The increasing stress on ground water due to over- exploitation, contamination and associated environmental impacts threaten to endanger the food security of the nation, unless necessary preventive / remedial measures are taken on priority. POSHAN Maah (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health) September 2019 – POSHAN Maah Goal: 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 with fixed targets S. No Objective Target 1. Prevent and reduce Stunting in children (0- 6 years) By 6% @ 2% p.a. 2. Prevent and reduce under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years) By 6% @ 2% p.a. 3. Reduce the prevalence of anemia among young Children(6-59 months) By 9% @ 3% p.a. 4. Reduce the prevalence of anemia among Women and Adolescent Girls in the age group of 15-49 years. By 9% @ 3% p.a. 5. Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW). By 6% @ 2% p.a. For achieving the above targets, 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 Matru Vandana Yojana, 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. Convergence Action Plan guidelines in this regard have been issued to all the States/UTs and line Ministries. Software and dashboard for POSHAN Abhiyaan POSHAN Abhiyaan empowers the frontline functionaries like Anganwadi Workers and Lady Supervisors by providing them with smart phones. ICDS-Common Application Software have been developed under POSHAN Abhiyaan which enables data capture, ensures assigned service delivery and prompts for interventions wherever required. This data/information is then made available on web-based ICDS-CAS dashboard on a near real time basis, for monitoring, to the supervisory staff at Block, District, State and National level, for action and decision making at their end. The dashboard displays data and provides reports on various programme areas to the administrative officers to interpret and use the information for improving service delivery. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services) Section 28 of the POCSO Act 2012 provides for establishment of Special Courts for the purpose of providing speedy trial. Further, Section 35 of the POCSO Act provides that the evidence of the child shall be recorded within a period of thirty days of the Special Court taking cognizance of the offence and reasons for delay, if any, shall be recorded by the Special Court. Section 35 also lays down that the Special Court shall complete the trial, as far as possible, within a period of one year from the date of taking cognizance of the offence. The Government of India has taken the following steps to ensure speedy dispensation of justice: In furtherance to The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, the Government has finalized a scheme in August, 2019 for setting up of total of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country for expeditious trial and disposal of pending cases pertaining to rape and POCSO Act, 2012, in a time-bound manner under Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The Scheme is for one year spread over two financial years i.e.2019-20 and 2020-21. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 was enacted for effective deterrence against sexual offences. Further, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 was enacted to prescribe even more stringent penal provisions including death penalty for rape of a girl below age of 12 years. The Act also inter-alia mandates completion of investigation and trials within 2 months each. A “National Database on Sexual Offenders” has been launched on 20th September, 2018 to facilitate investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies. An online analytic tool for police called “Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences” has been launched on 19.02.2019 to monitor and track time-bound investigation on sexual assault cases in accordance with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018. In order to improve investigation, steps have been taken to strengthen DNA analysis units in Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories. This includes setting up of a State-of-the-Art DNA Analysis Unit in Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh. Guidelines have been notified for collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases and the standard composition in a Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit. A scheme namely Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) has been approved under which an online cybercrime reporting portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched on 20th September, 2018 to enable public to report complaints pertaining to child pornography/ child sexual abuse material, rape/gang rape imageries or sexually explicit content. Digital Initiatives of Aviation Ministry eGCA: The function & process of DGCA is being moved to an online platform to provide faster delivery of services & regulation oversight. The first module on pilot licensing shall be launched in December 2019. DigiSky: DigiSky online portal has been launched for flying Civil Drones. The Beta version of DigiSky is available and captures the entire gamut of activities relating to drones viz. registration of drones and pilots, approval of flight path, post flight analysis etc. based on the distinctive features of No Permission No Take off (NPNT). E-sahaj: 100% security clearances pertaining to the Ministry have been made online on E-sahaj online portal launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The portal is operational for granting clearances in respect of 24 categories. DigiYatra: Trial for rollout of DigiYatra has been started at Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports. It envisages seamless and hassle free passenger travel using biometric technologies to improve passenger experience, reduce queue waiting time as passengers can walk through e-gates. It will remove redundancies at check points and enhance resource utilization. Dashboard of MoCA: The Dashboard of Ministry of Civil Aviation was developed on17 August 2019. It provides real-time data across a number of parameters on air transportation, including RCS-UDAN. Aviation Job Portal (https://aviationjobs.co.in): A unique web-based portal, which seeks to bring together job seekers and prospective employers in the Indian civil aviation sector. Air Sewa: An initiative by MoCA to bring all aviation stakeholders to a common platform so as to address the grievances of the air travellers. The status of the issues raised can be tracked online. The platform also provides updated flight status and is linked to social media. Lost & Found online portal (https://www.aai.aero/en/lost-found/item-list): Lost & Found online portal has been commissioned in June 2019 to ease out the passenger claiming process for Lost & found Property. Cabinet approves Strategic Tunnel under Rohtang Pass to be renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee: The 8.8-kilometre long tunnel is the world's longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres. It will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres and save crores of rupees in transport costs. It is a 10.5-metre wide single tube bi-lane tunnel with a fire proof emergency egress tunnel built into the main tunnel itself. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) worked relentlessly to overcome major geological, terrain and weather challenges that included the most difficult stretch of the 587-metre Seri Nalah Fault Zone. Ex-post facto agreement on Security Cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia: The Agreement aims to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the prevention and suppression of crimes including crime relating to terrorism and its financing and organized crime and to establish a framework for enhancing cooperation between the officials of intelligence and law-enforcement agencies of the two countries, in line with national and international obligations. Ex-post facto the agreement between India and Uzbekistan on Cooperation in the field of Combating Transnational Organized Crime and International Terrorism: The agreement aims to improve the effectiveness of both countries in prevention and suppression of crimes including crime relating to terrorism and its financing, organized crime and to establish a framework for enhancing cooperation between the officials of intelligence and law-enforcement agencies of the two countries, in line with domestic laws and international obligations. MoU between India and Bangladesh on cooperation in Youth matters: Exchange programmes in the field of Youth Affairs between India and Bangladesh will help in promoting exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst Youth and in consolidating friendly relations. It will help in developing international perspective among the Youth and expanding their knowledge and expertise in the areas of youth affairs. Promulgation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019: The Amendment will remove certain ambiguities in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 and ensure smooth implementation of the Code. Under the Amendments, the liability of a corporate debtor for an offence committed prior to the commencement of the corporate insolvency resolution process shall cease, and the corporate debtor shall not be prosecuted for such an offence from the date the resolution plan has been approved by the Adjudicating Authority, if the resolution plan results in the change in the management or control of the corporate debtor to a person who was not: A promoter or in the management or control of the corporate debtor or a related party of such a person; or A person with regard to whom the relevant investigating authority has, on the basis of material in its possession, reason to believe that he had abetted or conspired for the commission of the offence, and has submitted or filed a report or a complaint to the relevant statutory authority or Court. Subject to relevant provisions the corporate debtor shall, as required, extend all assistance and co-operation to any authority investigating an offence committed prior to the commencement of the corporate insolvency resolution process. 6. Ex-post facto approval to Agreement between India and Sweden on Recognition of Seafarer Certificates: The Agreement will pave the way for recognition of maritime education and training, certificates of competency, endorsements, training and documentary evidence and medical fitness certificates for seafarers issued by the Government of both the countries, in accordance with the provision of regulation 1/10 of the STCW Convention, and cooperation between the two countries in the training certification and management of seafarers. The Agreement will be beneficial to both the countries as Sweden is a ship owning nation while India is a net seafarers supplying nation. 7. MoU between India and Saudi Arabia for cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy: The MoU aims at setting up a framework for cooperation between the two parties in the field of renewable energy in the following areas:- Upgrading the level of technologies and their applications in the field of renewable energy Contributing to the field of renewable energy to raise its efficiency in the national energy combination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Developing the Renewable energy projects in Solar, Wind, Biogas, Geothermal and other fields of renewable energy Development and localization of value chain in the field of renewable energy Developing and boosting uses of solar energy small applications for buildings, homes and others 8. Signing of MoU between India and Brazil on Bioenergy Cooperation: India and Brazil are major consumers of energy in the world and Brazil is one of the most important trading partners of India in the entire LAC (Latin America and Caribbean) region. Brazil is currently the world's second largest producer and consumer of biofuels and biofuels and bioelectricity accounted for 18% of Brazil's energy mix. India also has a strong focus in the area of bio-fuels and has set a target to achieve 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030 with the announcement of new policy on Biofuels in 2018. In this regard, the MoU provides a framework to cooperate and promote investment in biofuel, bioelectricity and biogas supply-chains, including feedstock, industrial conversion, distribution and end use sectors. Few other salient features of the MoU include Exchange of information on agricultural practices and policies regarding biomass for bioenergy, including sugarcane, corn, rice, oil-crops, and lignocellulosic crops; policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions levels based on the use of biofuels, using cycle analysis and the issuance of emissions reduction certificates traded in an organized market; trade aspects and the promotion of a joint position to address market access and sustainability of biofuels, including advanced biofuels; Engine and fuel modifications / adjustments that may be necessary for different percentages of biofuels blended with fossil fuels 9. Signing of Protocol to amend the Air Services Agreement between India and Switzerland: The amendments in the Air Services Agreement between India and Switzerland will bring it in tune with the developments in the civil aviation sector. It will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security. 10. Ex-post facto approval to amend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations: The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to the Adaptation of Laws (Amendment) Order, 2019 issued by the President of India under clause (2) of article 372 of the Constitution to amend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations (BEFR), 1873. The notification will extend BEFR to the State of Manipur to give its indigenous people protection from the provisions of Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and make necessary changes in the said Regulation. 11. Conduct of Census of India 2021 and updation of National Population Register: Census of India will cover the entire population in the country while NPR will also cover all the population except in the state of Assam. The Indian Census is largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world. The next decennial Census is due in 2021 and would be conducted in two phases: House listing and Housing Census - April to September, 2020 and Population Enumeration - 9th February to 28th February, 2021. The National Population Register (NPR) will also be updated along with House listing and Housing Census except in Assam. 30 lakh field functionaries will complete this gigantic exercise of national importance, up from 28 lakh in 2011. Use of mobile app for data collection and the Central portal for monitoring purpose will ensure early release of Census data with improved quality. Data dissemination will be much better and in a user friendly way so that all the queries on required parameters for policy making will be made available on the click of a button. Census-as-a-service (CaaS) will deliver on-demand data to ministries in a clean, machine-readable and actionable format. Prelims oriented News Country’s tallest Air Traffic Control tower: Delhi Air Traffic Service Complex (DATS- Complex) Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh: Will be a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones in India for better nutritional outcomes At the behest of the Ministry of WCD the Harvard Chan School of Public Health through its India Research Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will document and evaluate promising regional dietary practices and the messaging around them and develop a food atlas on regional agro-food systems. Both efforts are aimed at mobilizing the diverse sectors of the society. In consultation with Ministry of WCD and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project team will select around 12 high focus states which are representative of the geographical, social, economic, cultural and structural diversities of India. In each of the states or group of states the team will identify a local partner organization which has relevant work experience in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) and nutrition for developing the food atlas. NITI Aayog to Launch SDG India Index & Dashboard 2019–20 The SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019–20 have been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the United Nations in India, and the Global Green Growth Institute. NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs in the country, at the national and sub-national level. The SDG India Index, whose first edition was launched in December 2018, was the first tool developed by any large country to monitor the progress towards achieving SDGs at the sub-national level. The SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019 tracks the progress of and ranks all States and UTs on 100 indicators drawn from MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework, comprising 306 indicators. It indicates where the country and its States and UTs currently are on SDG implementation, and charts the distance to be travelled to reach the SDG targets. The Index covers 16 out of 17 SDGs and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17. This marks an improvement over the 2018 Index, which covered only 13 goals. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: A flagship scheme of the Government for pregnant women and lactating mothers has achieved a significant milestone by crossing one crore beneficiaries. The total amount disbursed to the beneficiaries under the scheme has crossed Rs. 4,000 crores. PMMVY is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme under which cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss. Under the ‘Scheme’, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three instalments on fulfilling the respective conditionality, viz. early registration of pregnancy, ante-natal check-up and registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family. The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000. One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme: The One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme provides a range of services including police facilitation, medical aid, psycho-social counselling, legal counselling and temporary shelter to women affected by violence in an integrated manner under one roof. Nirbhaya Fund: Government of India has set up a dedicated fund called Nirbhaya Fund for implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security of women in the country. Under the Nirbhaya Fund, the proposed projects should have the features like Direct impact on safety and security concerns of women Optimum use of existing infrastructure Innovative use of technology No duplication of existing government schemes/ programmes Provision for real time intervention as far as possible Strict privacy and confidentiality of women’s identity Information and defined monitoring mechanism Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box): Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has developed an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace by women, including government and private employees. Once a complaint is submitted to the SHe-Box portal, it directly reaches to the concerned authority having jurisdiction to take action in the matter. A total number of 203 cases have been disposed of so far which includes cases under Central Government, State Government and Private sector. The SHe-Box portal has been developed with the objective to facilitate the registration of complaints related to sexual harassment of women at workplace. Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): PMEGP is a major credit-linked subsidy programme being implemented by the Ministry of MSME since 2008-09. The Scheme is aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural as well as urban areas. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2019: The Act will make all the stakeholders responsive and accountable for upholding the principles underlying the Act. It will bring greater accountability on the part of the Central Government and State Governments/Union Territories Administrations for issues concerning Transgender persons. The Act will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalized section and bring them into the mainstream of society. It will lead to greater inclusiveness and will make the transgender persons productive members of the society. National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-25 has been prepared and implemented, which aims at reduction of adverse consequences of drug abuse through a multipronged strategy involving education, de-addiction and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their families. Since 2014-15, under the scheme the total number of beneficiaries are 4,98,247. Cabinet has approved the proposal of establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) at Sehore, Madhya Pradesh which has been registered as a society under Madhya Pradesh Society Registration Act, 1973 on 28th May 2019, with the objective to promote mental health rehabilitation using an integrated multidisciplinary approach and developing trained professionals in the area of mental health rehabilitation. India’s First Country Report on Status of Disability and Implementation of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was submitted in November,2015 was considered and successfully adopted by United Nations on 03rd September this year along with certain recommendations. Quotes: The Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah On films Filmmakers should be conscious of the impact this powerful medium has on people. He urged them to use the powerful medium as an instrument of social change and educate people, promote social harmony and bring about an attitudinal change in society in combating various social ills. The focus should be on creating an artistic rendition of challenges and social ills and resolve the conflicts in a way that reinforces social cohesion and ethical principles We must convey a strong message to combat the current trend of violence against women. All of us in society, particularly those from the film industry, must promote and depict women in a respectable manner. On Diplomatic Relations India wants to have peaceful relations will all its neighbors, including Pakistan. The abrogation of Article 370 was the need of the hour and would put the state on a rapid growth trajectory. "Recent changes in the structure of the state are intended to extend all the benefits which other Indians have been enjoying all this while. Terming terrorism as the enemy of humanity and a constant roadblock in the path to progress, the Vice President observed that where tension prevailed, no attention could be paid to development. On conservation of indigenous cattle breeds There is a need to conserve indigenous cattle breeds and strengthen bull mother farms to conserve high merit indigenous breeds. He suggested employing scientific methods in dairying to increase the milk production of dairy animals by scientifically feeding and breeding indigenous nondescript dairy animals. Describing the dairy sector as the backbone of the rural economy after agriculture and plays an important role in the country's socio-economic development, he said that farmers could achieve financial sustainability and value addition by investing in allied activities such as dairy, fisheries and food processing. Given the fact that the economy of milk producers largely depends on the potential of the animals they keep, Shri Naidu stressed the need to improve the genetic-merit of our animals by the introduction of superior germs plasm. He opined that there was an urgent need to invest more and enhance research on sectors such as dairy, poultry, fisheries and other allied activities of agriculture to create an ecosystem where the farmers should not depend only on agriculture of economic sustainability. Opining that enhancing milk production, providing self-employment and sustainable income generation to the rural farmers, enhancing the per capita availability of milk should get special attention from all governments.
Why do we suffer? Suffering is not an act, it is an experience. Suffering can have no meaning without the participation of the self. Suffering cannot happen without the involvement of the self. If one goes deep and looks at the causes of suffering, whether it be their own or someone else’s, they can see that the source of suffering is always within. For example, when you watch a person suffering, it is not just the person who is suffering; it is also you who is suffering. If you aren’t suffering along with that person, then you can’t recognize the suffering of that person. At that very moment when you watch someone being hurt, something in you hurts too. Thus, the source of suffering is not in that person, but it is in you. When you recognize the suffering of somebody, when you recognize the suffering in the world, you are recognizing it through you. We can only identify suffering through suffering. We can’t talk about suffering or think about suffering without suffering. It isn’t possible to objectively talk about suffering while you are in a pleasant state of mind. In the individual realm, the teacher understands that all of our suffering is connected and that there is a deeper connection between events and circumstances. Things happen for a reason, and when you look at it from the mind and body point of view, you are not causing that suffering; it has just happened. It’s all in the way how you look at it. Seen from the mind, everything is separate, and seen from the self, everything is connected. If you make the body the experiencing and observing point, then most of the suffering that happens to the body is circumstantial. The body never desires for suffering, so the source of suffering is not the body. For example, if you are sitting here and suddenly the temperature rises, you get hot, and you become tired. Where is that suffering coming from? You didn’t choose it consciously. It is something that has happened to the body and you are acknowledging it. If the source of suffering is neither in the mind, nor in the body, then where is it? The source of suffering is in your attachment to things. Your suffering proves only one thing - you are attached to something. Understanding the roots of your attachment and going beyond them is the only way to lessen your suffering. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”
Simplification of Goods and Services Tax ARCHIVES Search 19th Nov, 2019 Money talk here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Federalism In News: In an attempt to simplify the process of filing GST, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a meeting with chartered accountants, traders and other stakeholders as part of efforts to further simplify Goods and Services Tax (GST) forms and make the filling process more user friendly. To highlight the problems faced by GST filers, the stakeholders attempted to file specific returns on a real-time basis in the meeting and tried to show where they were facing difficulties. The Finance Minister assured the stakeholders that their suggestions on simplification of GST filing will be implemented soon. After the recent extension given for filling GST annual returns for 2017-18 and 2018-19, the Finance Ministry reached out to stakeholders to understand and resolve the pending issues being faced in filing the returns. Technical glitches were one of the main issues faced by taxpayers when the new indirect tax regime was rolled out in July 2017. With the new GST returns proposed to be rolled out from April 1 next year, hearing out and resolving taxpayers’ issues and a constant exchange between the CBIC and the GSTN will help in improving compliance and preparing for a smoother roll-out of the new returns system. What were the issues? Many believe that the Goods and Service Tax is the cause of the sluggish economic growth. When there was a persistent demand from trade and industry to reduce tax rates, it was shocking to hear reports that there was further increase in GST rates in the offing. Any more increase would sound the death knell to the already sagging economy. The unrealistic high rates of tax had induced evasion of tax besides driving away honest traders from the industry. Non-availability of any Minister or authorised officials to directly discuss and submit their grievances and problems in GST continues to hamper development of trade, industry and service activities which led to economic crisis in the country. Some of the issues are also related to taxpayers not knowing the existence of a functionality in the system, while some other problems occur because of manual errors. What had happened: The Centre released ₹35,298 crore to the States in Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation, just two days before a crucial meeting of the GST Council. Earlier in Nov 2019, the Centre had written to States voicing concern that due to lower GST collections, the compensation cess might not be enough to pay for the losses arising out of the adoption of the tax system. While the government had budgeted for ₹6,63,343 crore in GST collections for the current fiscal, 2019-20, it had garnered only about 50% of its budget estimate in the first eight months. Some suggestions that have come in by the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry The tax rates should be refixed at 5, 10, 15 and 18% only and that the 28% tax rate which was not in vogue in any other country, should be withdrawn. Essential food products — both branded and unbranded — should be tax-exempted. The HSN Code system, which comprises about 5,000 commodity groups, is divided into several chapters that are ambiguous about the GST rate of the product. The government should fix only one rate of tax for all the products covered in the chapters. For intra-State transactions, one consolidated GST should be levied similar to that of inter-State transactions. Tax payers with annual turnover up to ₹ 5 crore should be exempted from filing annual returns and auditor’s certificate. Changes in tax provisions, rules and clarifications given should only be prospective and not retrospective. There should be no levy of tax on goods and services without input tax credit benefit. Also, there should be further simplification of monthly return formats. In order to enable submissions and discussions directly to the GST council, a high-level committee with representatives from leading chambers of commerce and industry must be constituted Conclusion It would probably be a better idea for the government to forget the forms for 2018 and focus instead on the forms for March 31, 2019, which is not only one full financial year ahead, but also a period with some stability in the laws. The government should ensure that a concerted effort is made to ensure that the law is not further complicated. In 2020, we would hope to see a new system of invoicing and a fresh set of GST returns that take us back to the concept of matching of invoices, which was thought of during the early days of the GST but never saw its way into the legislation. About GST Council The GST Council is a constitutional body established under Article 279A of Indian Constitution It makes recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax (GST). The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister. Its other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.
Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 16th to 21st December, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 GEM launches National Outreach Programme - GEM Samvaad (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Government e Marketplace (GeM) is the national public procurement portal offering end to end solutions for all procurement needs of Central and State Government Departments, PSUs, autonomous institutions and local bodies. Since its commencement on 9th August 2016, GeM has transformed public procurement in the country by leveraging technology and making procurement contactless, paperless, and cashless. GeM has more than 15 lakh products and around 20,000 services, more than 3 lakh registered sellers and service providers and more than 40,000 Government buyer organizations. In its short journey of three years, GeM has processed more than 28 lakh orders worth Rs. 40,000 crores in Gross Merchandise Value out of which 50% has been transacted by MSMEs. National Broadband Mission (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Aim: To fulfill all aspirations of the people and enables fast track growth of digital communication infrastructure To fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge the digital divide, facilitate digital empowerment and inclusion and provide affordable and universal access of broadband for all. Some of the objectives of the Mission which is structured with strong emphasis on the three principles of universality, affordability and quality are: Broadband access to all villages by 2022 Facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services for across the country and especially in rural and remote areas Laying of incremental 30 lakhs route km of Optical Fiber Cable and increase in tower density from 0.42 to 1.0 tower per thousand of population by 2024 Significantly improve quality of services for mobile and internet Develop innovative implementation models for Right of Way (RoW) and to work with States/UTs for having consistent policies pertaining to expansion of digital infrastructure including for RoW approvals required for laying of OFC Develop a Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) to measure the availability of digital communications infrastructure and conducive policy ecosystem within a State/UT. Creation of a digital fiber map of the Digital Communications network and infrastructure, including Optical Fiber Cables and Towers, across the country Investment from stakeholders of USD 100 billion (Rs 7 Lakh Crore) including Rs 70,000 crore from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) Address policy and regulatory changes required to accelerate the expansion and creation of digital infrastructure and services Work with all stakeholders including the concerned Ministries / Departments/ Agencies, and Ministry of Finance, for enabling investments for the Mission Year End Review -2019 of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is responsible for co-ordination of all skill development efforts across the country, removal of disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower, building the vocational and technical training framework, skill up-gradation, building of new skills, and innovative thinking not only for existing jobs but also jobs that are to be created. The Ministry aims to Skill on a large Scale with Speed and high Standards in order to achieve its vision of a 'Skilled India'. Convergence National Skill Development Mission (NSDM): Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) formed in 2014 to give a fillip and focus to the skill development and entrepreneurship efforts in the country. Because of the efforts under NSDM, more than One Crore youth are being imparted skills training annually under various programs of the Central Government. Skill India Portal: A strong IT Platform, namely Skill India portal launched to converge the skilling data of various Central Ministries, State Governments, Private Training Providers and Corporates on a single platform. This will now enable data driven decision making by the policymakers and help remove information asymmetry in the skilling ecosystem. This will also be single touch point for the citizens of India to access skilling opportunities and seeking related services. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Launched the Flagship Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (1.0 & 2.0) in 2015 to provide free skill training avenues to youths of India. Under the program about 87 Lakhs youth have been trained till date. Under the placement linked program under PMKVY 2016-19, more than 54% have been linked to employment. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK): Out of the 812 allocated PMKKs, 681 centres had been established and target to train over 18 Lakh candidates under PMKVY scheme was allotted out of which training has been imparted to 9,89,936 candidates, 8,85,822 Assessed, 7,40,146 certified and 4,35,022 candidates have been placed successfully. 501 centres had been inaugurated. STRIVE: The main focus of the scheme is to improve the performance of ITIs. Under phase one, 314 ITIs have been selected & 198 Performance Based Grant Agreements have been signed. The scheme also works towards increasing Capacities of State Governments to Support ITIs and Apprenticeship training. Till date, 31 States have signed MoU i.e. Performance Based Funding Agreement (PBFA). To improve Teaching and Learning techniques, NSQF Trainings are being imparted to training officers, Principals and Instructors across the 36 States and UTs for NSQF. PM-YUVA Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyan): The project aims to promote entrepreneurship as an alternative career choice and enable sustained long-term mentoring support through the journey to potential and early stage entrepreneurs, by imparting entrepreneurship education and mentoring support to trainees/ beneficiaries from skilling ecosystem. Launch of an MIS portal for Jan Shikshan Sansthan: An MIS portal was launched for Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS). The benefits from the adoption and implementation of the solution have been enhanced monitoring & management capabilities, along with scaling up scheme operation. ADB, India sign $250 million loan to expand energy efficiency investments in India (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) To expand energy efficiency investments in India that will benefit agricultural, residential and institutional consumers. In addition, $46 million financing will be provided from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), to be administered by ADB. The project is expected to contribute to the mission of Government of India to promote energy efficiency and meet Government’s commitments to reduce energy intensity of the economy. Introduction of energy-efficient technologies in eligible states including smart meters, distributed solar photovoltaic systems and electric vehicles will help reduce electricity network losses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is one of the few ADB projects specially focused on demand-side energy efficiency targeting upstream efficiency opportunities and business models that can be scaled up in India and other ADB developing member countries. The project’s smart metering component will help address billing and collection inefficiencies. EESL will also explore business models to generate greater public demand for e-vehicles to support India’s current push for electric vehicles. Promoting awareness of the benefits of using energy efficient technologies is another feature of the project. Awareness campaigns will engage local organisations in knowledge-sharing and training, with a focus on women electricity consumers. Capacity building for electricity distribution, regulatory agencies, and other government bodies will also be carried out. India-US 2+2 Dialogue (Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) This 2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries and provides for a review of the security, defence and strategic partnership between India and the United States. This was the second 2+2 meeting and the first in US. At the Dialogue, both sides have Positively appraised the growing partnership between India and the United States, and noted that important milestones had been achieved since the inaugural 2+2 dialogue in 2018. Both sides reiterated their commitment to advancing a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Committed to further deepen military-to-military cooperation, including between the Indian Navy and the US Navy Fleets under US Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command, and Africa Command and intend to expand similar cooperation between their respective Armies and Air Forces. A number of other initiatives to enhance military-to-military cooperation were also agreed upon. Concluded the Industrial Security Annex during the visit. Priority initiatives have been identified for execution under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) programme. Also concluded a standard operating procedure for this process. These measures are expected to provide momentum to collaboration between the private defence industries of both India and the US. Agreed to move forward in their engagement in the area of defence innovation. GS-3 Successful launch of two BrahMos missiles from land and air platforms (Topic: Space) Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Air Force (IAF) and BrahMos jointly successfully conducted two BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles tests, one each from land and air platforms. The first missile launch was from a land based mobile launcher, where most of the components were indigenous, including the missile airframe, fuel management system and DRDO designed seeker. The second launch of the missile was carried out by Indian Air force (IAF) from SU-30MKI platform against a sea target. The test conducted in user configuration, revalidated the ship attack capability of the advanced air-launched cruise missile. During the test, the missile was gravity dropped from the air combat platform's fuselage and the two-stage weapon’s engine fired up and the missile straightaway propelled towards the intended target positioned at the sea, piercing it with pin point accuracy. DRDO successfully flight-tests Pinaka Missile System (Topic: Space) The Pinaka is an Artillery Missile System capable of striking into enemy territory up to a range of 75 kilometres with high precision. The Pinaka MK-II Rocket is modified as a missile by integrating with the Navigation, Control and Guidance System to improve the end accuracy and enhance the range. The Navigation system of the missile is also aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The mission achieved all the objectives including enhancing the range, accuracy and sub-system functionality. CSIR and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France ink MoU for Promotion and Support of Scientific and Technological Research (Topic: Technology) Aim: To establish a framework for cooperation between the two towards promotion and support of scientific and technological research. In view of the potentially beneficial and synergistic cooperation possibilities for translating science into technology CSIR and CNRS may explore strengthening their cooperation to foster joint innovation and transfer of technologies applicable to India or/and France and to other nations. This cooperation could include sharing good practices, promoting technology transfer and enhancing industry-academia cooperation. The broad research areas of mutual interest include Biotechnology including plant and marine biotechnology Health research Environment and climate change studies Engineering science and technology Material science and technology Energy science and technology Water research Prelims oriented News Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIV: A joint military training exercise between India and Nepal Global Innovation Index: India ranked 52nd; India became the first developing country to launch the Global Innovation Index (GII) in association with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Confederation of India (CII). EChO Network: A national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India with the specific focus of increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment. EChO Network would develop a national network to catalyse a new generation of Indians who can synthesize interdisciplinary concepts and tackle real-world problems in medicine, agriculture, ecology, and technology. With no precedent for such a network anywhere in the world, EChO Network establishes a new platform to change how science is embedded in our modern society. India’s remarkable jump in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report 2020 India ranks 63rd among 190 countries improving by 14 ranks from its rank of 77 in 2019. The 2020 edition of the Report acknowledges India as one of the top 10 improvers, third time in a row, with an improvement of 67 ranks in 3 years. It is also the highest jump by any large country since 2011. Launch of Export Credit Insurance Scheme (ECIS) called ‘NIRVIK’ for exporters in which increased insurance cover for export credit has been extended by banks from existing average of 60% to 90% for both Principal and Interest. The online “Origin Management System” gives single access point for all exporters, for all Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) and for all agencies. India has 15 FTAs/PTAs and 7 lakh ‘Certificates of Origin’ are issued annually. Launch of Phase III of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Aims at consolidation of 1,25,000 Kms Through Routes and Major Rural Links that connect habitations to Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals with an estimated cost of Rs. 80,250 crores (Central Share of Rs. 53,800 crores) for the period 2019-20 to 2024-25. The funding pattern for the PMGSY-III will be 60:40 between Centre and the States for States other than NE & Himalayan States and 90:10 for NE and Himalayan States as applicable for Central sponsored schemes. As on 16 December 2019, a total of 1,53,491 rural road works have been completed under the PMGSY Scheme connecting 97.27% of the eligible and feasible habitations and adding up a road length of 6,07,900 Kms across the country. Out of the above, a road length of 36,063 Kms has been constructed using green technologies, a major portion of which includes Waste plastic and cold mix technology. Annular Eclipse of the Sun on 26th December The next solar eclipse will be visible from India on June 21, 2020. It will be an annular solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs on a new moon day when the Moon comes in between the Earth and the Sun and when all the three objects are aligned. An annular solar eclipse will occur when the angular diameter of the Moon falls short of that of the Sun so that it cannot cover up the latter completely. As a result a ring of the Sun’s disk remains visible around the Moon. Eclipsed Sun should not be viewed with the naked eye, even for a very short time. It will cause permanent damage of the eyes leading to blindness even when the moon covers most portion of the Sun. Safe technique to observe the solar eclipse is either by using proper filter like aluminized Mylar, black polymer, welding glass of shade number 14 or by making projection of Sun’s image on a white board by telescope. Quotes There is a need to create a ‘Sankalpit Bharat, a ‘Sashakt Bharat’, a ‘Swachch Bharat’ and a ‘Shrestha Bharat’”.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Somali Dervish movement: Negatives of ‘lost’ 1985 Somali epic found at NFAI Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I Decolonization In news: The negatives of an epic Somali film thought to have been lost were ‘discovered’ in the vaults of the Pune-based National Film Archive of India (NFAI). Value addition For Prelims: The Somali Dervish movement was an armed resistance to the colonial powers – particularly the British – in the Horn of Africa, between 1899 and 1920 It was led by the Sufi Muslim poet and militant leader Sayyid Mohamed HORN OF AFRICA Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th December 2019 Src: Click here It is a peninsula in Africa. It consists of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. It extends hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden Uighur Muslims: Indonesian Muslims protest China's treatment of Uighurs Part of: GS Prelims In news: Nearly thousand Muslims marched to the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia’s capital to protest China’s treatment of its Uighur Muslims Value addition For Prelims: Uigurs, are a minority Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as native to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. China rejects the idea of them being an indigenous group Since 2016, it is estimated that over a million Uyghurs have been detained in Xinjiang re-education camps.(UN) International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the main feature of the camps is to ensure adherence to Chinese Communist Party ideology. Non-Performing Asset: Gross NPAs may rise to 9.9% by next Sept., says RBI report Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III Economy Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th December 2019 SRC: The Hindu For Mains: The gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio of banks may increase to 9.9% by September 2020 from 9.3% in September 2019. due to change in macroeconomic scenario, marginal increase in slippages and the denominator effect of declining credit growth. The asset quality of agriculture and services sectors, as measured by their GNPA ratios, deteriorated to 10.1% Reviving the twin engines of consumption and investment remains the key challenge even while remaining vigilant about spillovers from global financial markets. Value addition For Prelims: A non performing asset (NPA) is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue for a period of 90 days. NPAs classified further into Substandard, Doubtful and Loss assets. Substandard assets: Assets which has remained NPA for a period less than or equal to 12 months. Doubtful assets: An asset would be classified as doubtful if it has remained in the substandard category for a period of 12 months. Loss assets: As per RBI, “Loss asset is considered uncollectible and of such little value that its continuance as a bankable asset is not warranted, although there may be some salvage or recovery value.” MGNREGA: fewer jobs since July, wider demand-supply gap Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III Policy Vulnerable sections In news Jobs generated under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have shown a dip compared to last year after July. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is also witnessing a deceleration of activity . 2018-19, the year that preceded the Lok Sabha elections, saw a record number of households demanding as well as being provided employment under the flagship rural public works programme. In 2018-19, demand was registered from 5.88 crore households, and 5.27 crore of them were provided work. Funds: For 2019-20, the Modi government has allocated Rs 60,000 crore towards MGNREGA. But out of this budgeted sum, Rs 9,493.80 crore would be required for clearing the liabilities of wages, material and administrative costs for previous years. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th December 2019 SRC: IE Fall in Employment due to: The fall in MGNREGA employment after July has been largely due to the onset of the southwest monsoon. Rainfall during the monsoon season (June-September) this year was 10% above the historical long-term average — the highest since 1994 — whereas it was 9.4% below average in 2018 Value addition For Prelims: PM-KISAN Scheme It aims to extend direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year to farmer families, having cultivable land upto 2 hectares. This income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal instalments of Rs. 2,000 each. Around 12 Crore small and marginal farmer families are expected to benefit. This programme will be funded by Government of India. This programme will entail an annual expenditure of Rs.75,000 crore. PM-KISAN would pave the way for the farmers to earn and live a respectable living. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage. The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments (MAINS FOCUS) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. China, Iran and Russia: held joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman In news: China, Iran and Russia held joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States. This is being seen as a response to recent US manoeuvers in the region. exercise has been launched from the port city of Chabahar (The Chabahar port, which is near Iran’s border with Pakistan, was built with Indian assistance and is operated by India) Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th December 2019 SRC:TOIsreal Why tensions? Last year U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six nations and re-imposed sanctions on the country, crippling its economy. Several attacks recently on international merchant vessels, including Saudi tankers, in Gulf waters which the United States blamed on Iran. US accused Iran of carrying out drone attacks on oil fields in Saudi Arabia. The attacks had immediately reduced Saudi Arabia’s oil production by half (5% of global oil production), Since attacks US sent a number of its troops to the region, and provided Saudi Arabia with missile defence systems. Gulf of Oman: The Gulf of Oman connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz (through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes), which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It borders Iran and Pakistan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th December 2019 SRC: CNN Why Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman? The Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman are key areas for international trade and maintaining security in the waterways is an important task Significance: The Gulf of Oman, where the exercise is being held, is a critical waterway as it connects the Arabian Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, a 33-km wide passage which opens into the Persian Gulf — located between energy producers Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman (the exclave of Musandam), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A fifth of the world’s oil passes through this waterway — around 30% of all sea-borne crude oil globally. Since 2019, Gulf of Oman has been a focal point of global tensions. Conclusion: The three-nation drill is expected to further provoke US It may bolster security of international maritime commerce, combating piracy and terrorism and sharing information… and experience The most significant challenge to the post-Cold War international order is the growing power of ambitious states opposed to the West. Iran, Russia, and China are taking advantage of the U.S. withdrawal from the world stage and while they seek opportunity, cooperation between them remains fragmentary. Connecting the dots: Do you think this Tri- lateral exercise is going to Impact India? What do you think will be the next step of US? 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. National Population Register (NPR) : The Union Government to conduct Census 2021 and update the National Population Register The Union Cabinet recently approved a proposal to conduct Census 2021 and update the National Population Register (NPR) in all the States/UTs except Assam. To spend Rs 8,754 crore for the Census 2021 and Rs 3,941 crore for updating the NPR. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th December 2019 SRC: ET National Population Register (NPR): The NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. It includes both Indian citizens as well as a foreign citizen. The objective of the NPR: To create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The first National Population Register was prepared in 2010 and updating this data was done during 2015 by conducting door to door survey. Also essential for providing good governance Citizenship Act: It is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District, State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. The announcement on the NPR came amid continuing protests against the recent Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, in many parts of the country Concerns: NRC or NPR exercise, in combination with the recently enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, could lead to disenfranchisement and harassment of the poor and undocumented segments of the population was not born out of anyone’s imagination Criticisms The NRC, as it was rolled out in Assam, puts the burden of proof on citizens to establish that they are indeed citizens. The undocumented and the poor will bear the brunt of this approach. The proposed format for enumerating the NPR only exacerbates this concern and adds a third axis to the ongoing confusion and turmoil. With the passage of the CAA, and the announcement of the NRIC, there is enough factual basis for doubting the government’s claim that the NPR has nothing to do with the NRIC. Way forward: If the government has a rethink on its strident position on the NRC, it must say so upfront, and at any rate desist from denigrating critics. Conclusion: The NPR is not about citizenship but only about residency. However, when additional questions such as “place of birth of father and mother”, etc are being proposed for the forthcoming exercise, the concern that this may be a prelude to the NRIC is logical. Connecting the dots: Do you think NPR creates Confusion among people? Do you think NPR NRC and CAA are Inter related? 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 Increase in the Rainfall contribute to the fall in MGNREGA employment PM-KISAN aims to extend direct income support for the veterans Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements Somali Dervish movement was an armed resistance to the British colonial powers Somalia is a part of Horn of Africa Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Uyghurs community recently in news are recognized as native to_______________ China India Somalia Bangladesh ANSWERS FOR 27 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 B 3 B 4 C MUST READ Fuel to the fire: On Cabinet announcement on NPR The Hindu Decisive shift: On Chief of Defence Staff The Hindu Endless wait: on Afghanistan Presidential election The Hindu The Mig-27 flies into the sunset, bringing a bitter-sweet career to an end. IE CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) ACT: Don’t pander to the vote bank ET RBI’s rate advice Live mint More than 235,000 flee northwest Syria flare-up: UN TOI
Successful Launch of Earth Observation Satellite ARCHIVES Search 27th Nov, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 3 Development in Space Technology In news: India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its forty ninth flight (PSLV-C47), successfully launched Cartosat-3 along with 13 Nanosatellites of USA from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. Cartosat 3 is (India’s) highest-resolution (a panchromatic resolution of 0.25m) civilian spacecraft. It is also the most complex and advanced Earth observation satellite ISRO has built so far. This is the 21st flight of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in 'XL' configuration and 74th launch vehicle mission overall from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The PSLV-C47 has 6 solid strap-on motors. The Cartosat 3 satellite will be placed at an orbit of 509 km and inclination of 97.5 degrees. The spacecraft is designed to study our planet from low-Earth orbit for at least the next five years. The CARTOSAT-3, which has an overall mass of over 1,600 kilograms, will address the increased users' demands for large-scale urban planning rural resource infrastructure development coastal land use Land cover Among the 13 nano-satellites are FLOCK-4P, 12 in numbers, with mission objective of earth observation, and one satellite named MESHBED, whose mission objective is a communication testbed. All India Radio (AIR) IAS UPSC - Successful Launch of Earth Observation Satellite Source: Click here
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