POLITY AND GOVERNANCE                                                                         

1. World Digital Competitiveness Rankings                                                           

2. National Launch of 10 Year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029)                  

3. YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme                                                                              

ECONOMY                                                                                                                

1. Bharat-22 ETF fourth tranche on October 3                                                       

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY                                                                      

1. What is Quantum Supremacy?                                                                          

SECURITY                                                                                                                

1. INDO-KAZAKHSTAN Joint Military Exercise KAZIND - 2019                            

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

World Digital Competitiveness Rankings

GS PAPER - 02 POLITY -  Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential

Context :

• The World Digital Competitiveness Ranking(WDCR) 2019 report has been released by the International Institute for Management Development(IMD).

Key Highlights :

• The US was ranked as the world's most digitally competitive economy, followed by Singapore in the second place.

• Sweden was ranked third on the list, followed by Denmark and Switzerland in the 4th and 5th place, respectively.

• Others in the list of top-10 most digitally competitive economy include Netherlands in the 6th place, Finland (7th), Hong Kong SAR (8th), Norway (9th) and Republic of Korea (10th).

• The largest jump in the overall ranking was registered by China, moving from 30th to 22nd, and Indonesia, from 62nd to 56th.

• India rose from 48th place in 2018 to 44th rank this year as the country has improved overall in all factors -- knowledge, technology and future readiness

  • the biggest improvement in the technology sub-factor level, holding first position in telecommunications investment           

                                                                                                              Source :- Business Standard

National Launch of 10 Year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029)

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

Context :

• The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, GoI launched the 10 Year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029)

Rural Sanitation Strategy:

• The strategy has been prepared by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation in consultation with the State Governments and other stakeholders.

• The strategy focuses on sustaining the sanitation behavior change that has been achieved under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), ensuring that no one is left behind, and increasing access to solid and liquid waste management.

• The strategy lays down the roadmap for Open defecation free(ODF) Plus which is the government’s next step in dealing with open defecation and sanitation issues in the country.

• The aim of the strategy is to take a step further from the construction and maintenance of toilets for rural households by focussing on waste water and solid waste treatment at the village and panchayat level.

• The strategy also demands focused intervention through capacity strengthening, IEC (Information, Education, and Communication), organic waste management, plastic waste management and water management.

• Further, the strategy also involves sanitation coverage of public spaces which will involve construction of community toilets as well as community sanitary complexes in gram panchayats.           

                                                                                                                                                             Source :- PIB

YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme

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

Context :

• Andhra Pradesh Government is set to launch a scheme for farmers called as YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme.

Rythu Bharosa scheme :

• The scheme aims to provide monetary support to farmers which will also include landless and tenant farmers.

• Under the scheme,each farmer holding up to five acres will be given financial assistance of Rs 12,500.

• The amount also includes Rs 6,000 per annum to each family being provided by the Centre under its PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

• The main feature of the scheme is that the money will be directly deposited in the farmer’s bank account doing away with all middlemen and avoiding the pitfalls of corruption of any kind in the disbursement of funds.

• The scheme is modelled on Telangana’s Rythu Bandhu scheme but Andhra Pradesh government has also decided to include tenant farmers.

                                                                                                                                                  Source :- Indian Express

ECONOMY

Bharat-22 ETF fourth tranche on October 3

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

Context :

• Government has decided to launch the fourth tranche of Bharat-22 Exchange traded fund(ETF) on October 3,2019.

Bharat - 22 ETF :

• Bharat 22 is an ETF that will track the performance of 22 stocks of Central Public Sector Enterprises(CPSE), Public Sector Banks(PSB’s)and strategic holding of SUUTI(Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India).

• The 22 stocks are diversified across six sectors such as basic materials, energy, finance,  FMCG , industrials and utilities.

• Bharat-22 ETF is managed by the ICICI Prudential AMC while Asia Index is the index provider.

  • The index will be rebalanced annually.

• The ETF mechanism has proven to be a smart, effective way for the government to help meet its disinvestment targets           

                                                                                                                             Source :- The Hindu

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

What is Quantum Supremacy?

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY -  Awareness in the fields of IT

Context :

• A scientific paper by Google has claimed that quantum processors have reached the regime of quantum supremacy.

More in the news:

• The research has found that quantum processor took 200 seconds to perform a calculation that would have been accomplished in 10,000 years by the world’s fastest supercomputer named Summit.

Quantum Supremacy:

• The phrase quantum supremacy was coined in 2011 by John Preskill, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology.

• It refers to a quantum computer solving a problem that cannot be expected of a classical computer in a normal lifetime.This relates to the speed at which a quantum computer performs.

                                                                                                                                               Source :- Indian Express

SECURITY

INDO-KAZAKHSTAN Joint Military Exercise KAZIND - 2019

GS PAPER - 03 SECURITY  - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests; Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Context :

• Joint Military Exercise KAZIND-2019 between India and Kazakhstan will be conducted at Pithoragarh

KAZIND-2019 :

• Exercise KAZIND-2019 is the fourth edition of an annual event which is conducted alternatively in Kazakhstan and India.

• The aim of this exercise is to conduct company level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain.

• During the exercise, aspects of emerging trends of global terrorism and hybrid warfare have also been included.

• The exercise will also enhance the level of defence cooperation which will further foster bilateral relations between the two nations.

                                                                                                              Source :- PIB

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