SOCIAL ISSUES

India halved its poverty rate since 1990s: World Bank

GS PAPER - 01 SOCIETY - poverty and developmental issues

Context :

According to the World Bank, India has halved its poverty rate since the 1990s and achieved a seven plus growth rate over the last 15 years.

Key Highlights :

India has achieved annual growth exceeding 7% over the last 15 years.
- India halved its poverty rate since the 1990s, and enjoyed strong improvements in most human development outcomes
India’s growth is expected to continue and elimination of extreme poverty in the decade is within reach.
While an estimated 13 million people enter the working age population each year, only three million new jobs are being generated on an annual basis

Key Recommendations by world Bank :

Land will need to be used more productively in urban areas by the spatial transformation of cities achieving agglomeration economies and in rural areas by increased agricultural productivity.
Water management will need to provide for shifting water allocation to higher-value uses and policies to increase the value of water use within sectors.
Electricity generation will need to be less carbon intensive while ensuring proper electricity connectivity to all.
India’s rapidly growing economy needs investment in infrastructure, an estimated 8.8 percent of GDP or $343 billion a year until 2030.
Sustained growth will also need to accelerate inclusion, especially to create more and better jobs.
Public sector institutions will need to be modernised to deliver services and regulations that match the aspirations of a middle income country.
This will entail improving accountability and effectiveness, improving the ability of the state to interface with the private sector, and strengthening the compact among tiers of government to improve service delivery.

Source :- Business Standard

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Release of two diagnostic kits developed under ‘Make in India’ initiative

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

Context :

Two diagnostic kits developed by ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, namely the Bluetongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) and the Japanese Encephalitis IgM ELISA kit were released

Japanese Encephalitis IgM ELISA kit :

The Japanese Encephalitis lgM ELISA Kit is helpful for assessing the active infection of (Japanese Encephalitis) JE virus in the swine population which predicts the outbreak of JE in humans.

Japneese Encephalitis :

Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus spread by mosquitoes and is related to same genus as yellow fever, dengue and West Nile Viruses.
JEV is the primary cause for viral Encephalitis in a large number of countries in the Asian continent. In 1871, the first case of Japanese Encephalitis was recorded in Japan.
JEV is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes of the Culex Species (mainly Culex tritaeniorhynchus) which breeds mostly in the rice fields.
Japanese Encephalitis is also transmitted by mosquitoes when they feed on wild birds and pigs infected with JEV. The disease does not transmit from one person to another.
The disease transmission is very high during rainy seasons due to the drastic increase in the population of vector.

Bluetongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) :

With the help of the Kit, Bluetongue Virus can be controlled with the vaccination of susceptible animals, vector control and quarantine of infected animals with good management practices.
Apart from the vaccination, the early diagnosis and isolation of the infected animals are one of the commonly suggested preventive methods for controlling the spreading of the disease.

Bluetonge :

Bluetongue (BT) virus is an insect-transmitted viral disease of domestic and wild ruminants that includes the camelid species.
The disease is widespread among the sheep, goats, cattle, buffaloes, and camels in the country.

Source :- PIB

Centre plans 'Vigyan Jyoti' to help girl students to opt for STEM education

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

Context :

Government is planning a programme called Vigyan Jyoti to help girl students inculcate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Background :

The programme is to be launched in the backdrop of low percentage of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM).
The data shows that females comprised 24% of the total pass-out students in STEM subjects in engineering, 22% at the postgraduate level, 28% at M Phil and 35% at the PhD level.

Vigyan Jyoti :

The programme aims to tap 100 girl students in 550 districts from 2020-2025.
The programme comes under the aegis of the Department of Science & Technology(DST).
The programme will cover girl students from grade 9 to 12.It will choose students based on their percentile.
The programme will help girl students inculcate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM).
The programme also has financial dimension.The girls will be given a modest financial incentive to cover their additional expenses like travel to camps.
It will also include holding science camps for the girl students in nearby IITs, NITs and national laboratories.

Source :- Business Standard

Gujarat, Tamil Nadu top performers under PM-JAY health scheme

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

Context :

Government's flagship programme the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) crossed the milestone of 50 lakh mark.

Key Highlight:

Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have emerged as the top-performing states under the scheme
In just over a year later, Ayushman Bharat has completed 50 lakh hospital admissions.
There were 9 hospital admissions every minute across India in the first year.
Under the government-funded health assurance scheme, free secondary and tertiary treatment worth Rs 7,901 crore has been carried out in the 32 states and UTs implementing the scheme.
As per the National Health Authority (NHA) data, more than 60 per cent of the amount spent has been on tertiary care.
Segments like cardiology, orthopaedics, radiation, oncology, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, and urology have emerged as the top tertiary specialities.

Ayushman Bharat Scheme:

Launched in September 2018, the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme remains one of India’s most ambitious health schemes ever.
It was launched as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage.
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme having central sector component under Ayushman Bharat Mission anchored in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
It is an umbrella of two major health initiatives, namely Health and wellness Centres and National Health Protection Scheme.
- 5 lakh existing sub-centers will bring health care system closer to the homes of people in the form of Health and wellness centres. These centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases and maternal and child health services.
- The government aims to provide a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to 500 million Indians free of cost. This includes families from lower-income groups that fall under the socio-economic caste census (SECC) data of 2011.
States can implement PMJAY either through the insurance route or the trust route or both.
- The states implementing the scheme through the insurance mode select the insurance companies through an open tender process.
- The states implementing the scheme through the trust mode may engage Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and Implement Support Agencies (ISAs) through an open tender process for implementing the scheme.

Source :- The Hindu

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Water flowing to Pak will be diverted to fields in Haryana, Rajasthan

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its neighborhood- relations.

Context :

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India would put to use its share of water from the rivers flowing to Pakistan and ensure that every single drop was used for the country’s farmers.

Indus Water Treaty :

The six rivers of the Indus basin originate in Tibet and flow across the Himalayan ranges to end in the Arabian sea south of Karachi.
Preceding partition, it was one common network for both India and Pakistan. However, while partition managed to draw terrestrial borders, the question of how to divide the Indus waters was something that needed to be worked out.
Since the rivers flowed from India to Pakistan, Pakistan was unsurprisingly threatened by the prospect of being fed by India.
In 1960, the two countries reached a decisive step with the intervention of the World Bank wherein precise details were laid out regarding the way in which the waters would be distributed.
The components of the treaty were fairly simple.
- The three western rivers (Jhelum, Chenab and Indus) were allocated to Pakistan while India was given control over the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej).
- While India could use the western rivers for consumption purpose, restrictions were placed on building of storage systems.
- The treaty states that aside of certain specific cases, no storage and irrigation systems can be built by India on the western rivers.

Source :- The Hindu

ECONOMY

North East Expo 2019

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

Context :

The Union Minister of State for Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region presided over as the chief guest for the North East Expo 2019 organised in New Delhi.

North East Expo 2019 :

Organised by: All India Women’s Education Fund Association (AIWEFA)
As part of the event, the campaign ‘Khadi Goes Global’ has been initiated.
It brings together all the eight states of northeast India to create a platform with the North East handloom, handicrafts and the farm sector, at the Expo.
The Expo will provide a platform for entrepreneurs from the eight northeast states to open up trade and commerce with ASEAN and BIMSTEC nations through Tea Diplomacy and Khadi Diplomacy.
It will include panel discussions, back-to-back meetings, art, culture, food stalls, and stalls on northeast handlooms and handicrafts. This event also aims to identify and carry out the preservation of the distinctive arts of the different tribes of the North East.
The objective of panel discussions is to analyse the current state of unique food products, handlooms and handicrafts from the North East region.
- The panel will further look to understand its contribution to the local economy, identify issues and challenges concerning their sustainability and outline measures needed for strengthening and promoting the unique ecosystem globally.

All India Women’s Education Fund Association (AIWEFA) :

Founded in 1929 by Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali and Lady Irwin.
Chief objective: Helping women to empower themselves.
Its main work focuses on promoting education for women in India.
It established the Lady Irwin College in New Delhi in 1932.
It has been conferred with the Special Consultative Status (ECOSOC) by the UN.
It also has observer status with UNFCCC.
It also engages research in educational materials, providing housing for women teachers in rural areas, encouraging publication of textbooks, initiating schemes for vocational training, increasing awareness on social, legal, political and economic matters.

Source :- PIB

Maritime States Development Council

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

The Ministry Of Shipping Organizes the 17th Meeting of Maritime States Development Council.

National Port Grid :

The Ministry of Shipping is working on a plan to develop a national port grid based on the synergy between major and minor ports in the country.
There are 204 Minor ports in the country, of which only 44 are currently functional.
- Extensive study will be done for the revival of each port, identifying the specific cargo linked to it and the downstream industry.

Expansion Of Port Capacity :

Ministry of Shipping is planning expansion of port capacity through the implementation of well-conceived infrastructure development projects, increasing the efficiency of port operations through the implementation of a package of recommendations to cut time and cost,
digitization of processes to reduce and finally eliminate human interface and to strongly address environment related concerns.

Maritime State Development Council(MSDC) :

Maritime State Development Council(MSDC) is an apex advisory body for the development of the Maritime sector.
MSDC was constituted in May 1997 under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Shipping.
It aims to ensure integrated development of Major and non-Major Ports.It also assess in consultation with State Governments for the future development of existing and new Minor Ports.
Further, MSDC also monitors the development of minor ports, captive ports and private ports in the Maritime States with a view to ensure their integrated development with Major Ports.
It also assess the requirements of other infrastructure requirements like roads/rail/IWT and make suitable recommendations to the concerned Ministers.

Source :- PIB

Authorized World Skills India Training Centers (AWSITC)

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

Context :

The Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), announced the launch of 14 authorize World Skills India Training Centers (AWSITC) across 9 cities in India, for the Media and Entertainment sector.

Authorized World Skills India Training Centers (AWSITC) :

The new institutes are being set up for advanced skill training of candidates in the media and entertainment sector, not just to compete in the WorldSkills and IndiaSkills competitions buts also to further develop the skilling eco-system for training candidates for the international market.
They are set up in partnership with the MESC (Media & Entertainment Skill Council).
They will help the candidates to enhance their skills as per the global standards and the training programs will be designed as per the NSQF level (National Skills Qualifications Framework), which will be industry linked. All candidates will get hands-on training on live projects.
Certification courses of 9 months to 36 months duration on graphic design technology, 3D Digital Game and Print Media technology will be offered at the centres.

Source :- PIB

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Army Corps of EME's 'Project Beehive' to be up and running by Oct 2020

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Context :

Indian Army has launched a project named Project Beehive.

Project Beehive :

Project Beehive was launched by the Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers(EME) on September 1,2019.
The project seeks to achieve greater automation of the Corps and connect all its workshops to an integrated smart network with real-time data analytics capabilities.
The centralised network would allow Indian army to access data about any equipment across the country in real-time basis,
The project would also have the capability to analyse the data and say which equipment is due for maintenance.
The project has been divided into eight modules of which the first module is ready and the second is under preparation.
The Army had earlier automated its workshops under WASP (Workshop Honey bees) which is now being upgraded to be on the same level with Beehive.

Source :- The Hindu ; Business Standard

SECURITY

35th Raising Day Ceremony of National Security Guard (NSG)

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

Context :

Union Minister for Home Affairs celebrated the 35th raising day ceremony of National Security Guard (NSG) at NSG headquarters located in Manesar, Gurugram.

National Security Guard :

The NSG is a counter-terrorism unit that formally came into existence in 1986 by an act of Parliament- ‘National Security Guard Act, 1986’.
- The idea behind raising such force came in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star (an Indian military action carried out to remove militant religious leader from the Golden Temple, Amritsar) in 1984, Akshardham Temple attack and the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi, for ‘combating terrorist activities with a view to protect states against internal disturbances.’
It operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs
The NSG is headed by a Director-General, who is an IPS officer.
It is a task-oriented force and modelled on the SAS of the UK and the GSG – 9 of Germany.
It has two complementary elements:
- Special Action Group (SAG) – comprising Army personnel
- Special Ranger Group (SRG) – comprising personnel drawn from the state police forces and the Central Armed Police Forces.
NSG Motto: “Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha”
They are also called ‘Black Cats’.

Functions :

Neutralising terror threats
Handling hijacking situations
Post blast investigations (PBI)
Bomb disposal
Engaging and neutralising terrorists in specific situations
Hostage rescue

Operations Undertaken :

Operation Black Thunder (Golden Temple, Amritsar, 1986 & 1988)
Operation Ashwamedh (Indian Airlines Flight-IC427 hijacking, India, 1993)
Operation Thunderbolt or Vajra Shakti (Akshardham Temple attack, Gujarat, 2002)
Operation Black Tornado (Mumbai Blasts, 2008)

Source :- PIB

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16th OCTOBER 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

SOCIAL ISSUES

India halved its poverty rate since 1990s: World Bank

GS PAPER - 01 SOCIETY - poverty and developmental issues

Context :

According to the World Bank, India has halved its poverty rate since the 1990s and achieved a seven plus growth rate over the last 15 years.

Key Highlights :

India has achieved annual growth exceeding 7% over the last 15 years.

India halved its poverty rate since the 1990s, and enjoyed strong improvements in most human development outcomes

India’s growth is expected to continue and elimination of extreme poverty in the decade is within reach.

While an estimated 13 million people enter the working age population each year, only three million new jobs are being generated on an annual basis

Key Recommendations by world Bank :

Land will need to be used more productively in urban areas by the spatial transformation of cities achieving agglomeration economies and in rural areas by increased agricultural productivity.

Water management will need to provide for shifting water allocation to higher-value uses and policies to increase the value of water use within sectors.

Electricity generation will need to be less carbon intensive while ensuring proper electricity connectivity to all.

India’s rapidly growing economy needs investment in infrastructure, an estimated 8.8 percent of GDP or $343 billion a year until 2030.

Sustained growth will also need to accelerate inclusion, especially to create more and better jobs.

Public sector institutions will need to be modernised to deliver services and regulations that match the aspirations of a middle income country.

This will entail improving accountability and effectiveness, improving the ability of the state to interface with the private sector, and strengthening the compact among tiers of government to improve service delivery.

Source :- Business Standard

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Release of two diagnostic kits developed under ‘Make in India’ initiative

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

Context :

Two diagnostic kits developed by ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, namely the Bluetongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) and the Japanese Encephalitis IgM ELISA kit were released

Japanese Encephalitis IgM ELISA kit :

The Japanese Encephalitis lgM ELISA Kit is helpful for assessing the active infection of (Japanese Encephalitis) JE virus in the swine population which predicts the outbreak of JE in humans.

Japneese Encephalitis :

Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus spread by mosquitoes and is related to same genus as yellow fever, dengue and West Nile Viruses.

JEV is the primary cause for viral Encephalitis in a large number of countries in the Asian continent. In 1871, the first case of Japanese Encephalitis was recorded in Japan.

JEV is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes of the Culex Species (mainly Culex tritaeniorhynchus) which breeds mostly in the rice fields.

Japanese Encephalitis is also transmitted by mosquitoes when they feed on wild birds and pigs infected with JEV. The disease does not transmit from one person to another.

The disease transmission is very high during rainy seasons due to the drastic increase in the population of vector.

Bluetongue sandwich ELISA (sELISA) :

With the help of the Kit, Bluetongue Virus can be controlled with the vaccination of susceptible animals, vector control and quarantine of infected animals with good management practices.

Apart from the vaccination, the early diagnosis and isolation of the infected animals are one of the commonly suggested preventive methods for controlling the spreading of the disease.

Bluetonge :

Bluetongue (BT) virus is an insect-transmitted viral disease of domestic and wild ruminants that includes the camelid species.

The disease is widespread among the sheep, goats, cattle, buffaloes, and camels in the country.

Source :- PIB

Centre plans 'Vigyan Jyoti' to help girl students to opt for STEM education

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

Context :

Government is planning a programme called Vigyan Jyoti to help girl students inculcate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Background :

The programme is to be launched in the backdrop of low percentage of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM).

The data shows that females comprised 24% of the total pass-out students in STEM subjects in engineering, 22% at the postgraduate level, 28% at M Phil and 35% at the PhD level.

Vigyan Jyoti :

The programme aims to tap 100 girl students in 550 districts from 2020-2025.

The programme comes under the aegis of the Department of Science & Technology(DST).

The programme will cover girl students from grade 9 to 12.It will choose students based on their percentile.

The programme will help girl students inculcate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM).

The programme also has financial dimension.The girls will be given a modest financial incentive to cover their additional expenses like travel to camps.

It will also include holding science camps for the girl students in nearby IITs, NITs and national laboratories.

Source :- Business Standard

Gujarat, Tamil Nadu top performers under PM-JAY health scheme

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

Context :

Government's flagship programme the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) crossed the milestone of 50 lakh mark.

Key Highlight:

Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have emerged as the top-performing states under the scheme

In just over a year later, Ayushman Bharat has completed 50 lakh hospital admissions.

There were 9 hospital admissions every minute across India in the first year.

Under the government-funded health assurance scheme, free secondary and tertiary treatment worth Rs 7,901 crore has been carried out in the 32 states and UTs implementing the scheme.

As per the National Health Authority (NHA) data, more than 60 per cent of the amount spent has been on tertiary care.

Segments like cardiology, orthopaedics, radiation, oncology, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, and urology have emerged as the top tertiary specialities.

Ayushman Bharat Scheme:

Launched in September 2018, the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme remains one of India’s most ambitious health schemes ever.

It was launched as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017, to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage.

It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme having central sector component under Ayushman Bharat Mission anchored in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

It is an umbrella of two major health initiatives, namely Health and wellness Centres and National Health Protection Scheme.

5 lakh existing sub-centers will bring health care system closer to the homes of people in the form of Health and wellness centres. These centres will provide comprehensive health care, including for non-communicable diseases and maternal and child health services.

The government aims to provide a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to 500 million Indians free of cost. This includes families from lower-income groups that fall under the socio-economic caste census (SECC) data of 2011.

States can implement PMJAY either through the insurance route or the trust route or both.

The states implementing the scheme through the insurance mode select the insurance companies through an open tender process.

The states implementing the scheme through the trust mode may engage Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) and Implement Support Agencies (ISAs) through an open tender process for implementing the scheme.

Source :- The Hindu

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Water flowing to Pak will be diverted to fields in Haryana, Rajasthan

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its neighborhood- relations.

16^th OCTOBER 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS