POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has extended the last date of receipt of applications for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar – 2020.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar :

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar instituted by WCD Ministry to felicitate meritorious children, individuals and institutions of the country is given under two categories i.e., Bal Shakti Puraskar and Bal Kalyan Puraskar.
The Bal Shakti Puraskar aims to give recognition to children who have made extraordinary achievements in various fields including innovation, scholastic, sports, art and culture, social service and bravery.
the Bal Kalyan Puraskar is given as recognition to individuals and institutions, who have made an outstanding contribution towards service for children in the field of child development, child protection and child welfare.

Source :- PIB

Prime Minister Launches Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana

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 Prime Minister of India launched at Ranchi, the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed Persons, a pension scheme for the Vyaparis (shopkeepers/retail traders and self-employed persons) with an annual turnover not exceeding Rs 1.5 crore.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana :

Government has approved National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed Persons in acknowledgement of notable contribution of Vyaparis (shopkeepers/ retail traders and self-employed persons).
It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for entry age of 18 to 40 years with a provision for minimum assured pension of Rs 3,000/- monthly on attaining the age of 60 years.
The beneficiary should not be income taxpayer and also not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS (Govt.)/PM-SYM.
The Central Government shall give 50 % share of the monthly contribution and the remaining 50% contribution shall be made by the beneficiary.
The monthly contribution is kept low to make it affordable. For example, a beneficiary is required to contribute as little as Rs.100/- per month at a median entry age of 29 years.

Source :- PIB

India fails to feature in the top 300 World University Rankings 2020 list

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

The TIMES Higher Education (THE) recently released its World University Rankings 2020 edition.

Key Highlights :

In its 16th edition, THE’s World University Rankings 2020 included over 1,300 universities from 92 countries.
56 Indian institutions (up from 49 last year) made entry into the table this year, making India the fifth most-represented country in the list and the third in Asia (behind Japan and China).
The University of Oxford retained the top position for the consecutive fourth year.
India did not feature in the top 300 World University Rankings 2020
India had been the fifth most-represented nation and this is the first time since 2012 that India dropped out of the top 300 list.
India’s best represented university — Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore — fell from the 251-300 cohort last year to the 301-350 bracket this time due to significant fall in its citation impact. However, it improved in research environment, teaching environment and industry income. On the other hand, the upcoming Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar debuted in the ranking with a joint top position of 301-350 with IISc.

Source :- Business Standard

ECONOMY

Govt working on ‘one nation, one standard’

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

The government is working on setting ‘one nation, one standard’ on the lines of ‘one nation, one ration card’.

One Nation One Standard:

one nation, one standard’ in order to ensure quality products in the country

Need :

Currently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the only national body that frames standards. It has come out with over 20,000 standards for various products and services so far.
There are multiple standards in the country for single product/service and the purpose is to converge such standards with the BIS.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) :

BIS is National Standard Body of India established under BIS Act, 1986.
It is mandated for harmonious development of activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected.
It is headquartered at New Delhi.
BIS is involved in various activities such as standards formulation, product certification scheme, compulsory registration scheme, foreign manufacturers certification scheme, hall marking scheme, laboratory services, laboratory recognition scheme, sale of Indian standards, consumer affairs activities, promotional activities, training services, national & international level and information services.
BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to national economy in number of ways such as by providing safe reliable quality goods, promoting exports and imports substitute, minimizing health hazards to consumers, control over proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification and testing.

Source :- PIB

SECURITY

Army’s mountain strike Corps to conduct exercise in Arunachal

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Context :

The Army is scheduled to conduct a major Exercise ‘HimVijay’ beginning October 2019 in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with its newly created Integrated Battle Groups (IBG).

Exercise Him Vijay:

It will witness around 15,000 soldiers in three IBGs, carved out of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps, being tested for mountain warfare in terms of operational viability and logistics.
The Indian Airforce (IAF) will also participate for airlifting of soldiers and equipment as well as inter-valley transfer.
The exercise will coincide with the proposed visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Integrated Battle Groups :

The IBGs are part of overall force transformation initiated by the Army.
They are brigade-sized agile self-sufficient combat formations which can swiftly launch strikes against adversary in case of hostilities.
The Army is in the process of reorganising its major Corps into the IBGs, though the number of IBGs had not been decided yet.
Each IBG is tailor-made based on three T’s (Threat, Terrain and Task) and resources will be allotted based on the three T’s. They are tailored to mobilise within 12-48 hrs based on their location.

Source :- The Hindu

Indo-Thailand Joint Military Exercise Maitree - 2019

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Context :

Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-2019 between India and Thailand will be conducted at Foreign Training Node, Umroi (Meghalaya) from 16-29 Sep 2019.

Joint Military exercise maitree :

Exercise MAITREE is an annual training event which is being conducted alternatively in Thailand and India since 2006.
Notably, in the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Exercise MAITREE with Thailand is significant in terms of the security challenges faced by both the nations in the backdrop of changing facets of global terrorism.
The scope of this exercise covers company level joint training on counter-terrorism operations in jungle and urban scenario.
The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army (IA) and Royal Thailand Army (RTA) which in turn will further foster defence cooperation and bilateral relations between the two nations.

Source :- PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

India joins the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life

Context :

India has joined the Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development (R&D) Hub as a new member.

Key Facts and Datas :

Globally, more than 700,000 people die from AMR infections and the number is expected to spike to more than 10 million deaths each year, if proper action is not taken, according to the World Health Organization.
India, which is among countries with the highest bacterial disease burden in the world.
AMR is a cause of worry in developing nations, including India, where the burden of infectious disease is high and healthcare spending is low. The country is also the largest consumer of antibiotics in the world.
The consumption of antibiotics in the country increased by 103 per cent from 2000 to 2015, the highest in low and middle-income countries, according to a study.

Global Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research and Development (R&D) :

The Global AMR R&D Hub was launched in May 2018 in the margins of the 71st session of the World Health Assembly, following a call from G20 Leaders in 2017.
The Global AMR R&D Hub supports global priority setting and evidence-based decision-making on the allocation of resources for AMR R&D through the identification of gaps, overlaps and potential for cross-sectoral collaboration and leveraging in AMR R&D.
The operation of the Global AMR R&D Hub is supported through a Secretariat, established in Berlin and currently financed through grants from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).

Significance of Joining :

By partnering with the Global AMR R&D Hub, India looks forward to working with all partners to leverage their existing capabilities, resources and collectively focus on new R&D intervention to address drug-resistant infections
AMR is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once could successfully treat the microbe.
Today, the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance continue unabated around the world.
Given the important and interdependent human, animal, and environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance, India considers it reasonable to explore issues of antimicrobial resistance.

Source :- PIB; Down To Earth

Water found for the first time on potentially habitable planet

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

CONTEXT :

Astronomers have for the first time discovered water in the atmosphere of an exoplanet with Earth-like temperatures that could support life.
- data from the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed water vapour in the atmosphere of an exoplanet called K2-18b.

K2-18b :

K2-18b was discovered in 2015 and is one of hundreds of super-Earths — planets with a mass between Earth and Neptune — found by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft.
Exoplanet K2-18b is eight times the mass of Earth.
The planet orbits the cool dwarf star K2-18, which is about 110 light years from Earth in the Leo constellation.

Hubble Space Telescope:

It is world’s first space-based optical telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990. It still remains operational.
It has been named after astronomer Edwin Hubble.
It is one of NASA’s Great Observatories. NASA’s series of Great Observatories satellites are four large, powerful space-based astronomical telescopes.
The telescopes other than Hubble include the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope

Source :- The Hindu

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13th SEPTEMBER 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has extended the last date of receipt of applications for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar – 2020.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar :

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar instituted by WCD Ministry to felicitate meritorious children, individuals and institutions of the country is given under two categories i.e., Bal Shakti Puraskar and Bal Kalyan Puraskar.

The Bal Shakti Puraskar aims to give recognition to children who have made extraordinary achievements in various fields including innovation, scholastic, sports, art and culture, social service and bravery.

the Bal Kalyan Puraskar is given as recognition to individuals and institutions, who have made an outstanding contribution towards service for children in the field of child development, child protection and child welfare.

Source :- PIB

Prime Minister Launches Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana

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 Prime Minister of India launched at Ranchi, the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed Persons, a pension scheme for the Vyaparis (shopkeepers/retail traders and self-employed persons) with an annual turnover not exceeding Rs 1.5 crore.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana :

Government has approved National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed Persons in acknowledgement of notable contribution of Vyaparis (shopkeepers/ retail traders and self-employed persons).

It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for entry age of 18 to 40 years with a provision for minimum assured pension of Rs 3,000/- monthly on attaining the age of 60 years.

The beneficiary should not be income taxpayer and also not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS (Govt.)/PM-SYM.

The Central Government shall give 50 % share of the monthly contribution and the remaining 50% contribution shall be made by the beneficiary.

The monthly contribution is kept low to make it affordable. For example, a beneficiary is required to contribute as little as Rs.100/- per month at a median entry age of 29 years.

Source :- PIB

India fails to feature in the top 300 World University Rankings 2020 list

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

The TIMES Higher Education (THE) recently released its World University Rankings 2020 edition.

Key Highlights :

In its 16th edition, THE’s World University Rankings 2020 included over 1,300 universities from 92 countries.

56 Indian institutions (up from 49 last year) made entry into the table this year, making India the fifth most-represented country in the list and the third in Asia (behind Japan and China).

The University of Oxford retained the top position for the consecutive fourth year.

India did not feature in the top 300 World University Rankings 2020

India had been the fifth most-represented nation and this is the first time since 2012 that India dropped out of the top 300 list.

More in the news:

According to THE, the best Indian institutions are generally characterised by relatively strong scores for teaching environment and industry income, but perform poorly when it comes to international outlook.

The Indian government has strong ambitions to boost the global standing of its top universities and attract foreign students, academics and research collaboration. It now needs to back up these aspirations with high levels of investment, increasing global competition.

Source :- Business Standard

ECONOMY

Govt working on ‘one nation, one standard’

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

The government is working on setting ‘one nation, one standard’ on the lines of ‘one nation, one ration card’.

One Nation One Standard:

one nation, one standard’ in order to ensure quality products in the country

Need :

Currently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the only national body that frames standards. It has come out with over 20,000 standards for various products and services so far.

There are multiple standards in the country for single product/service and the purpose is to converge such standards with the BIS.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) :

BIS is National Standard Body of India established under BIS Act, 1986.

It is mandated for harmonious development of activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected.

It is headquartered at New Delhi.

Source :- PIB

SECURITY

Army’s mountain strike Corps to conduct exercise in Arunachal

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Context :

The Army is scheduled to conduct a major Exercise ‘HimVijay’ beginning October 2019 in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with its newly created Integrated Battle Groups (IBG).

Exercise Him Vijay:

It will witness around 15,000 soldiers in three IBGs, carved out of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps, being tested for mountain warfare in terms of operational viability and logistics.

The Indian Airforce (IAF) will also participate for airlifting of soldiers and equipment as well as inter-valley transfer.

The exercise will coincide with the proposed visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Integrated Battle Groups :

The IBGs are part of overall force transformation initiated by the Army.

They are brigade-sized agile self-sufficient combat formations which can swiftly launch strikes against adversary in case of hostilities.

The Army is in the process of reorganising its major Corps into the IBGs, though the number of IBGs had not been decided yet.

Each IBG is tailor-made based on three T’s (Threat, Terrain and Task) and resources will be allotted based on the three T’s. They are tailored to mobilise within 12-48 hrs based on their location.

Source :- The Hindu

Indo-Thailand Joint Military Exercise Maitree - 2019

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY - Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Context :

Joint Military Exercise MAITREE-2019 between India and Thailand will be conducted at Foreign Training Node, Umroi (Meghalaya) from 16-29 Sep 2019.

Joint Military exercise maitree :

Exercise MAITREE is an annual training event which is being conducted alternatively in Thailand and India since 2006.

Notably, in the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Exercise MAITREE with Thailand is significant in terms of the security challenges faced by both the nations in the backdrop of changing facets of global terrorism.

The scope of this exercise covers company level joint training on counter-terrorism operations in jungle and urban scenario.

The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army (IA) and Royal Thailand Army (RTA) which in turn will further foster defence cooperation and bilateral relations between the two nations.

Source :- PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

India joins the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life

Context :

13^th SEPTEMBER 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS