‘Go Tribal Campaign’ of Tribes India                                                                         

First Resilient Kerala Program                                                                                    

Only 20% of Nirbhaya Fund has been used by States until 2018                            

G-20 resolves to free Internet of extremism                                                              

At G20 trilateral, China proposes 5G partnership with India, Russia                     

Nipah virus: Experimental antiviral drug shows promise                                        

Mining polluted two major rivers in Goa, hit ecology: Study                                  

L 98-59b: A new planet discovered by NASA mission                                             

Cosmic waves discovery could unlock the mysteries of space                              

‘Go Tribal Campaign’ of Tribes India

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes.

Context :

• The Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, launched the “Go Tribal Campaign” of Tribes India.

• The Minister also launched ‘Tribes India’ globally through Amazon Global Selling

“Go Tribal Campaign” :

• The campaign has been launched to widely promote the use of tribal products.

• To promote the use of tribal handicrafts, handicrafts and natural products.

Tribes india :

• Joint collaboration between TRIFED and Amazon, the tribal products will be available in about 190 countries and will help in establishing export market of tribal products worldwide.

• With this collaboration, tribal products shall be available in the US and will help establish export market of tribal products.

• The range of tribal products for sale has been increased many a fold in recent years and it provides them ample employment opportunities also.

• The collaboration with Amazon, the market for tribal products will definitely get a boost.

More in news:

• Collaboration of Tribes India with Central Silk Board for development, promotion, marketing of tribal silk products and empowerment of tribal reelers and weavers.

                                                                                                                                                                   Source :- PIB

First Resilient Kerala Program

GS PAPER - 03 DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Context :

• The Government of India, the Government of Kerala and the World Bank have signed a Loan Agreement of USD 250 million for the First Resilient Kerala Program to enhance the State's resilience against the impacts of natural disasters and climate change.

First Resilient Kerala Program :

• The Resilient Kerala Program will focus on strengthening the State's institutional and financial capacity to protect the assets and livelihoods of poor and vulnerable groups through an inclusive and participatory approach.

• The New Program is part of the Government of India’s support to Kerala’s ‘Rebuild Kerala Development Programme’ aimed at building a green and resilient Kerala. This partnership will identify key areas of policy and institutional strengthening to maximize development impact.

• It is the first of two Development Policy Operations aiming to mainstream disaster and climate resilience into critical infrastructure and services.

• State partnership is a key pillar of the Bank’s new Country Partnership Framework for India. Through such partnerships, the Bank will support select States striving to bring about systemic improvements in the way development initiatives are planned and executed.

Objective :

• Improved river basin planning and water infrastructure operations management, water supply and sanitation services

• Resilient and sustainable agriculture, enhanced agriculture risk insurance

• Improved resilience of the core road network

• Unified and more up-to-date land records in high-risk areas

• Risk-based urban planning and strengthened expenditure planning by urban local bodies

• Strengthened fiscal and public financial management capacity of the state.

Need :

• The 2018 floods and landslides in Kerala led to severe impact on property, infrastructure, and lives and livelihoods of people. One sixth of the State’s population – about 5.4 million people – were affected while 1.4 million were displaced from their homes, especially the poor and vulnerable segments of the population.

                                                                                                                                                         Source :- PIB

Only 20% of Nirbhaya Fund has been used by States until 2018

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

• According to Government data,the States and UTs have utilised less than 20% of the budget allocated to them under the Nirbhaya Fund between 2015 and 2018.

More in the news:

• The top five States ranked in terms of utilisation of money across various schemes under the Nirbhaya Fund were Chandigarh (59.83%), Mizoram (56.32%), Uttarakhand (51.68%), Andhra Pradesh (43.23%) and Nagaland (38.17%). However, the government data shows more money was utilised by Chandigarh than what was allocated to it under Central Victim Compensation Fund as well as Women Helpline Scheme.

• The worst five States include Manipur, Maharashtra, Lakshadweep – which didn’t spend even a single penny – and were followed by West Bengal (0.76%) and Delhi (0.84%).

• The data shows that none of the 36 States and UTs have spent any money on the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children programme.

Nirbhaya Fund :

• The Nirbhaya fund scheme seeks to support initiatives by the government and NGOs working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring the safety of women in India.

• The fund was set up in 2013 in the aftermath of the gruesome gang-rape and murder in Delhi.

• The key schemes under which the States have been allocated money include  :

  • Emergency Response Support System

  • Central Victim Compensation Fund

  • Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children

  • One Stop Scheme

  • Mahila Police Volunteer and

  • Universalisation of Women Helpline Scheme.

                                                                                                                                                         Source :- The Hindu

G-20 resolves to free Internet of extremism

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests.

Context :

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other G20 leaders recently resolved to prevent the use of the Internet to fund and facilitate terrorism and extremism, saying that while the Internet must be “open, free and secure”, it could not serve as a safe haven for terrorists.

• The leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in a statement after the Osaka summit said they are committed to act to protect people from terrorist and violent extremism conducive to terrorism (VECT) exploitation of the internet.

More in the news  :

• They asserted that while the internet must be open,free and secure but it cannot serve as a safe haven for terrorists.

• The leaders also called for implementing relevant UN resolutions,the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and other instruments including the 2017 Hamburg G20 Leaders Statement on Countering Terrorism.

• However,they said that such efforts must respect human rights and fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression and access to information.

• They also welcomed the UN Security Council Resolution 2462 which stresses the essential role of Financial Action Task Force(FATF) in setting global standards for preventing and combating money laundering, and terrorist financing.

                                                                                                                                                          Source :- The Hindu

At G20 trilateral, China proposes 5G partnership with India, Russia

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests.

Context :

• In Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Xi urged the three countries to “expand cooperation in 5G network, high technology, connectivity, energy and other areas,”

More in the news:

• Xi also called for reforming the World Trade Organisation (WTO), based on consensus.

• Xi also proposed during the meeting that the three countries should become guardians of “global and regional peace and stability”.

• Without going into details, he said the trio should “advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept…”

• Xi said the three countries should jointly combat terrorism in all forms, and work together to address global challenges such as climate change and cybersecurity.

• He pointed out that the rise of protectionism and unilateralism had seriously affected the stability of the global landscape, dragged down world economic growth, and exerted a negative impact that cannot be ignored on the international order on which emerging-market countries and developing countries depend.

                                                                                                                     Source :- The Hindu

Nipah virus: Experimental antiviral drug shows promise

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY -  Awareness in the field of bio technology

Context :

• Researchers from the National Institutes of Health,U.S have shown that Remade Sivir drug used for Ebola treatment can stop Nipah virus from making new copies of its genome.

More in the news:

• The ones that did not receive the drug developed respiratory problems.But the four animals which were treated with the drug survived.

Nipha :

• Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.

• It is a member of the genus Henipavirus in the family Paramyxoviridae. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of Nipah virus.

• It was first recognised in 1998-99 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore.

• In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.

• The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

                                                                                                                                                          Source :- The Hindu 

Mining polluted two major rivers in Goa, hit ecology: Study

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

• According to a study conducted by the Marine Science Department of Goa University,iron ore mining in Goa has adversely impacted the sediments of major rivers in the state.

Key Highlights :

• Researchers carried out detailed assessments of the impact of mining on the sediment cores of the rivers in Goa and also on the metal concentration in the Zuari estuary.

• The iron ore mining activity in Goa has left an adverse impact on the sediment of two major rivers in the state, which has ultimately affected the bottom-dwelling organisms in them

• The study also revealed that while the Bicholim river is "strongly polluted" with iron and manganese, the Mandovi river is "moderately polluted" with manganese and lead.

• The Terekhol river,though unpolluted in the past but is getting polluted with copper and chromium in the recent years because of human interference.

                                                                                                                 Source :- Business Standard

L 98-59b: A new planet discovered by NASA mission

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY  - Awareness in the Filed of Space.

Context :

• NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered a new planet, the tiniest of its finds so far.

• It has been named L 98-59b.

L 98-59b :

• It is between the sizes of Mars and Earth and orbits a bright, cool, nearby star.

• L 98-59b is around 80% of Earth’s size and about 10% smaller than the previous smallest planet discovered by TESS.

• The two other planets in the system namely L 98-59c and L 98-59d are around 1.4 and 1.6 times Earth’s size respectively.

• Further,the L 98-59b is a record for TESS but even smaller planets have been discovered in data collected by NASA’s Kepler satellite including Kepler-37b which is only 20% larger than the Moon.

TESS :

• NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) is an all-sky survey mission that seeks to discover exoplanets around nearby bright stars.

•  It was launched in April 2018,aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

                                                                                                                Source :- Indian Express

Cosmic waves discovery could unlock the mysteries of space

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the field of Space.

Context :

• A team of international astronomers have determined for the first time the precise source of a single/ one-off fast radio bursts (FRBs).The signal has been named FRB 180924.

Key Highlights :

• The signal is named after the date of detection and it originated in the outskirts of a Milky Way-sized galaxy roughly 3.6 billion light-years from Earth.

• The signal only lasted for 1.3 milliseconds but was so powerful that it emitted as much energy as the Sun would do in 80 years.

• Further, tracking it down could help scientists finally understand what causes these one-off FRBs.

• This is the second FRB ever to have been traced to a location.Scientists previously had traced FRB 121102 to a region of a dwarf galaxy some three billion light-years away but this signal bursts repeatedly making difficult to track down.

Fast Radio Burst (FRBs) :

• Fast radio bursts are intense bursts of radio emission that have durations of milliseconds and exhibit the characteristic dispersion sweep of radio pulsars.

• FRBs flash for only a micro-instant but can emit as much energy in a millisecond as the Sun does in 10,000 years.

• The first was discovered in 2007 ad so far over 80 have been detected.

• Exactly what creates these high-energy surges of long waves at the far end of the electromagnetic spectrum remains the subject of intense debate, though scientists now agree they originate in far away galaxies.

                                                                                                                                        Source :- Business Standard

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