WBCS Current Affairs 06/02/2017 to 11/02/2017

1. Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile dubbed as Ashwin was successfully test-fired from launching complex-IV of Dhamara Abdul Kalam defence base off Odisha coast. The test assed missile’s killing capability by intercepting a target, mimicking an incoming enemy missile in mid-air. The success of test has boosted India’s position in the exclusive club of AAD countries United States, Russia and Israel. Key Facts The interceptor missile is a 7.5-metre-long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile. It is equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer, inertial navigation system and an electro-mechanical activator. It can destroy the incoming hostile ballistic missile in the endo-atmospheric region (less than 30 km altitude) at a low altitude of less than 30 kms. It has its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars, Comment India has a double-layered ballistic missile defence (BMD) system capable of tracking and destroying hostile missiles both outside (exo) and inside (endo) the earth’s atmosphere. The first phase BMD system capable of killing enemy missiles fired from 2,000 km away. It is expected to be inducted in the armed forces soon. The second phase BMD system, capable of destroying enemy missiles fired from 5,000 km away is still under development.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 06/02/2017 to 11/02/2017.

2. The Pakistan Navy has kicked of its biannually-held multinational AMAN 2017 naval exercise in Karachi, Pakistan. 37 countries are participating in the international event. Aman-17 is the fifth edition such exercise which Pakistan has been holding biannually since 2007. Previous exercises were held in 2007, 2009, 20011, and 2013, and 2016 respectively. About AMAN 2017 The theme of AMAN 2017 is “together for peace”. It is intended to devise procedures and techniques against conventional and non-conventional threats.

3. The Union Government has constituted inter-departmental task force comprising members of various regulatory Ministries and enforcement agencies to crack down on benami firms. It is first major post-demonetisation move undertaken by Government for unearthing black money from shell companies used for large-scale money laundering and tax evasion. Key Facts The task force will be headed by Revenue Secretary and Corporate Affairs Secretary to monitor the actions taken by various agencies. The involved agencies will invoke the stringent Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 against the shell companies and freeze their accounts and strike off the names of dormant companies. It will also initiate disciplinary action against professionals abetting the companies and entry operators, who are used to launder unaccounted-for incomes into the banking system for projecting them as white money. Background There are about 15 lakh registered companies in India, but only 6 lakh of them file their annual returns. It has raised suspicion that a large number of these companies are indulging in financial irregularities. During a small sample analysis of such companies conducted by Government has found that Rs.1,238 crore in cash was deposited in these entities during the November-December 2016 period, after demonetisation. It also has been found that 560 beneficiaries have laundered money to the extent of Rs. 3,900 crore with the help of 54 professionals, who have been identified by the Government.

4. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed senior bureaucrat Ajay Tyagi (58) as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Mr. Tyagi will have tenure of 5 years or till the age of 65 years or until further orders. He will succeed UK Sinha whose term ends on March 1, 2017. His name was recommended by the search-cum-selection panel headed by the cabinet secretary along with some other candidates.

5. India ranked low 43rd among the surveyed 45 nations in 2017 International Intellectual Property Index (IIPI). In this edition, India is just above Pakistan (44th) and Venezuela (45th). The fifth annual index was released by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Centre (GIPC) in its report titled ‘The Roots of Innovation’. Key Facts This year the index includes 90% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and seven new economies Egypt, Hungary, Kenya, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Spain were included. India scored a meagre 8.75 out of a total of 35 points, falling significantly behind the median score of 15.39. Besides, the average score of India’s regional neighbours was 17.64. This is for fifth consecutive year India has been ranked at the near bottom in the index. Last year, India was placed 37 out of 38 countries. India was ranked last or next-to-last in the previous four years. Top 5 Countries in 2017 IIPI: United States (1st), United Kingdom (2nd), Germany (3rd), Japan (4th), Sweden (5th), France (6th), Switzerland (7th), Singapore (8th), South Korea (9th) and Italy (10th). BRICS countries: China (27th), South Africa (33rd), Brazil (32nd) and Russia (23rd). This year India has made some increment, but still has to do a lot more to build up a positive impression of its IPR policy with adequate legislative reforms required by innovators. There was slight improvement in India’s overall scores in this edition mainly because of the inclusion of five new indicators in the index on which India performed very strong. About International Intellectual Property Index (IIPI) The index started in 2012 by USGIPC ranks countries based upon 35 parameters each having one point weightage. Some of the parameters are patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and market access, enforcement, and ratification of international treaties.

6. The National Deworming Day is observed every year on February 10 with main objective to combat parasitic worm infections among preschool and school-age children across India. This year it is third edition of the observance of this day after it was launched in 2015 by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The goal of the day is to deworm all preschool and school-age children between the ages of 1-19 years in order to improve their overall health, cognitive development, nutritional status and quality of life. On this day, Albendazole tablets are given to all targeted children. This year for the first time, deworming tablets were given to the private schools children also. About Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) also known as parasitic worm is a type of helminth infection (helminthiasis) caused by different species of roundworms. They are among the most common worms infections worldwide caused specifically by those worms which are transmitted through soil contaminated with faecal matter These worms interfere with nutrient uptake in small children causing parasitic infestation. They live in human intestines and consume nutrients meant for the human body. The parasitic infestation or diseases lead to severe complications among the children resulting in anemia, malnutrition and improper mental and physical development. According to WHO, India has the highest burden of STH in the world, with estimated 220 million children (aged 1-14) to be at risk of worm infections.

7. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled the first phase of the ambitious Station Redevelopment Programme. It is the world’s largest transit-oriented development programme ever executed. As part this programme, tenders are being floated for 23 of a total of the total 400 A1 and A category stations selected re-developing in the first phase. Stations being modernised in 1st phase: Lokmanya Tilak, Pune, Visakhapatnam, Thane,Howrah, Faridabad, Jammu Tawi, Kamakhya, Secunderabad, Udaipur City, Vijaywada, Chennai Central, Ranchi, Kozhikode, Bangalore Cantt, Yesvantpur, Bhopal, Mumbai Central, Bandra Terminus, Borivali and Indore.

8. The Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan released the Special Edition of “Atlas for Visually Impaired (India)” in English Braille in New Delhi. This Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under Department of S&T. It is world’s first braille atlas for the visually impaired

9. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched pilot Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops (RISPC) for protecting the growers from the risks such as pest attacks, yield loss and income decline caused by fall in prices. It was announced by Union Minister of State (MoS) Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. About Revenue Insurance Scheme for Plantation Crops (RISPC) RISPC announced in September 2016 is improved form of the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) Scheme, 2003 which was closed 2013. It was launched for protecting growers of plantation crops from twin risks of yield loss due to pest attacks, adverse weather parameters etc. and income loss caused by fall in domestic and international prices. It shall be covering tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom and tobacco plantations and shall be implemented by the commodity boards. It will be implemented on a pilot basis for two years i.e. till 2018 in eight districts in West Bengal, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu. On the basis of performance of the scheme in pilot project, it will be considered for extension to other districts.

10. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has indigenously developed Telemetry & Telecommand Processor (TTCP) and its productionisation will be initiated with the help of Indian industry. The processor development was undertaken up by ISRO as part of ‘Make in India’ campaign to replace the expensive imported equipment necessary for uplinking and downlinking to satellites.

11. The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has constituted a sub-committee of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) to look into issues of girl’s education. It will be headed by Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari. It will submit its report to the Union government within one year.

12. Kerala’s Nilambur teak known internationally for its superior timber quality and elegant appearance will be added to the list of Kerala produces with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. In this regard, IPR Cell of the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) with the support of the Nilambur Teak Heritage Society, the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and the Department of Forests have applied for GI tag.GI tag is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries with regards to its special quality or reputation attributes. The status to the products marks its authenticity and ensures that registered authorised users are allowed to use the popular product name. Benefits of GI Status (i) Legal protection to the products (ii) Prevents unauthorised use of a GI tag products by others (iii) Helps consumers to get quality products of desired traits (iv) Promotes economic prosperity of producers of GI tag goods by enhancing their demand in national and international markets. Legal Authorities associated with GI: It is covered as an element of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. At international level, GI is governed by World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In India, GI registration is governed by the Geographical Indications of goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 which came into force in September 2003. Darjeeling tea was the first product to accorded with GI tag in India.

13. India and United Kingdom (UK) have signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to ease restrictions on the number of scheduled flights between the two countries. The MoU was formally signed by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju on behalf of India and Lord Tariq Ahmad of UK during his visit to India.

14. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up an inter-disciplinary Standing Committee on cyber security to examine various threats and suggest measures to deal with it. The committee will suggest appropriate policy interventions to strengthen cyber security and resilience in a bid to strengthen cyber security system. Functions of Committee Review the threats inherent in the existing or emerging technology on an ongoing basis. Study adoption of various security standards and protocols and also act as interface with stakeholders. Suggest appropriate policy interventions to strengthen cyber security and resilience Background The committee has been set up based on the recommendations of the expert panel on information technology examination and cyber security headed by Meena Hemachandra. In recent times, banks have taken steps to strengthen their defences against cyber-attacks, but the diverse and ingenious nature of recent attacks has necessitated an ongoing review of the cyber security landscape and emerging threats. Recent Cyber-attacks In 2016, as many as 32.14 lakh debit cards were compromised in the cyber-attacks. It was the biggest-ever breach of debit card data in India. Of the debit cards affected, about 26.5 lakh were Visa and Master Card-enabled and 6 lakh were RuPay enabled. To tackle the threat, RBI had issued swift guidelines to banks, mandating cyber security preparedness for addressing cyber risks.

15. The Union Government has turned down the recommendation of Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee to come up with a new law for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The parliamentary committee has recommended replacing Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 which governs CBI. Government stated that it might impinge on the federal structure of the Constitution. Recommendations of Committee Powers given to the CBI under the DSPE Act are not adequate considering the pace of changing times as it has grown into a more dynamic agency specialising in prevention, investigation and prosecution of crimes. In this context, there is need for a separate statute for the CBI for making it an independent and accountable agency. Government’s Position Separate statute for the CBI will necessitate amendment of Constitution which may also impinge on the federal structure of the Constitution. The mandate of Parliament to enact a law which would be in conflict with Entry 2 of List II of the Seventh Schedule which is in the domain of the States. In this case, CBI may be conferred with powers which will impinge on all the powers of investigation of offences which are conferred on the State police. About Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) CBI is the foremost investigative police agency in India. It is non constitutional and non-statutory body. It was established in 1941 as Special Police Establishment and was renamed to present nomenclature in 1963. Headquarters: New Delhi. Motto: Industry, Impartiality, Integrity. It derives power to investigate from Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. It is under administrative control of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel.

16. India will make a presentation on the proposed Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement to World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo and India Inc. The global pact proposed by India to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and professionals across borders for short-term work. The proposed services pact is similar to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Goods adopted by the WTO Members in 2014 at Bali Summit to ease customs norms for boosting global goods trade. Some proposed features TFS Agreement Covers measures across all modes of supply for services delivery in cross-border trade, related to entry into the market as well as those applied post-entry. Seeks to ensure portability of social security contributions, as well as make sure charges or fees for immigration or visas transparent, reasonable and non-restrictive in nature. Pave the way for a single window mechanism for foreign investment approvals. Ensure cross-border insurance coverage to boost medical tourism. Ensure publication of measures impacting services trade and timely availability of relevant information in all the WTO official languages as well as free flow of data and information for cross-border supply of services.

17. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up separate Enforcement Department to effectively monitor banks in case they violate regulations and speed up regulatory compliance. The department will be operational from April 1, 2017 i.e. the next financial year (2017-18). It will mainly deal with the penalties imposed on banks for violation of norms.

18. The Union Cabinet has been apprised of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology and innovation. The MoU was signed between India’s Technology Development Board (TDB), Department of Science & Technology and France’s public Investment Bank Bpifrance. Key Facts The agreement will ensure exchange of best practices and setting up of coordinated measures to foster technological exchanges. The exchanges under it will be through collaboration between companies, organizations and institutions of France and India. The agreement also aims to carry out activities related to exchange of best practices in the field of Science & Technology through the India’s Technology Development Board and Bpifrance. About Technology Development Board (TDB) TDB is a statutory body established under Technology Development Board Act, 1995. Its mandate is to promote development and commercialisation of indigenous technology and adaptation of imported technology for wider application. It consists of 11 Board members. The board plays a pro-active role by encouraging enterprises to take up technology oriented products. The Union Government had reconstituted the board in March 2000. It is the first organization of its kind within the government framework with the sole objective of commercializing the fruit of indigenous research. It provides financial assistance to research and development institutions and equity capital or loans to industrial concerns. The loan carries a simple interest rate of 5% per annum.

19. The Union Cabinet has been apprised of the Framework Agreement between India and Vietnam on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes. The Framework Agreement was signed in September 2016. It will enable pursuing the potential interest areas of cooperation such as space science, technology and applications between both countries.

20. Dr P Raghu Ram, President of Association of Breast Surgeons of India was awarded prestigious Dr B C Roy national award for outstanding service in the field of socio-medical relief for 2016. The award will be conferred on him by President Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of the Doctors day observed every year on 1st July.

21. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Senegal in the field of Health and Medicine. Both countries will set up a Working Group to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of this MoU.

22. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan’ (PMGDISHA) to make 6 crore rural households digitally literate by March 2019. PMGDISHA is expected to be one of the largest digital literacy programmes in the world. This approval comes in line with the announcement made by Union Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2016-17. Key Facts Under the scheme, 25 lakh candidates will be trained in the FY 2016-17; 275 lakh in 2017-18; and 300 lakh in 2018-19. The outlay for this project is Rs. 2,351.38 crore to usher in digital literacy in rural India. To ensure equitable geographical reach, each of the 250,000 Gram Panchayats across the country will be expected to register an average of 200-300 candidates. Digitally literate persons will be able to operate computers/digital access devices, send and receive emails, access government services, browse internet, search for information, undertaking cashless transactions, etc.. The scheme will be implemented under the supervision of Ministry of Electronics and IT in collaboration with States/UTs through their designated State Implementing Agencies, District e-Governance Society (DeGS), etc. Background As per the 71st National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) Survey on Education 2014, only 6% of the total 16.85 crore rural households have a computer. It highlights that more than 15 crore rural households i.e. 94% do not have computers. Besides, significant numbers of these households are likely to be digitally illiterate.

23. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headed by RBI Governor Urjit Patel has kept the key policy rates unchanged. It was central bank’s sixth bi-monthly and last policy for the financial year 2016-17 and overall the third by the MPC. All six members of the MPC voted in favour of holding rates. Besides, RBI also changed its stance from accommodative to neutral. It also lowered GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.9%. However the apex bank expects a rebound in GDP growth to 7.4% in 2017-18. Policy Rates Repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF): Unchanged at 6.25 percent. Reverse repo rate under the LAF: Unchanged at 5.75 per cent. Marginal standing facility (MSF): Unchanged at 6.75 per cent. Bank Rate: Unchanged at 6.75 per cent. Reserve Ratios Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks: Unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liability (NDTL). Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Unchanged 20.75 per cent.

24. Arunachal Pradesh became the first state in the northeast to implement e-Cabinet solution for the state cabinet members. It is a powerful governance tool that will be used to streamline its decision-making process. Using this system, state cabinet members can access the cabinet notes before the meeting. Key Facts The e-Cabinet system is being implemented by the state department of Information Technology and Communication. Entire business of the Cabinet can be conducted using the e-Cabinet solution. It will help ministers prepare for cabinet meetings, conduct them and review minutes, entirely without paper. The e-Cabinet solution will provide remote access to the ministers to view Cabinet notes and at the same it will be circulated in advance for proper analysis and feedback. The system has a multi-user secure solution that keeps relevant information organised and updated in real time, giving a clear overview of each item under discussion to ministers. Its adaptation will reduce average length of the cabinet meetings present from 4-5 hours to just 30-90 minutes and eliminate the need of printing and delivering thousands of pages of documents.

25. Sourabh Verma has won the men’s singles title in the 81st Senior National Badminton Championships tournament. In the final match, held at Patna (Bihar, he defeated Lakshya Sen by 21-13, 21-12 score. Other Category winners Women’s Singles title: Rituparna Das won the Women’s Singles title by defeating Reshma Karthik by 21-12, 21-14 score. Women’s doubles event: Duo of Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant won the title by defeating the pair of Shikha Gautam and Sanyogita Ghorpade by 21-9, 21-11 score. Men’s doubles event: Duo of Satwik Sai Raj and Chirag Shetty won the title by defeating Nand Gopal K and Sanyam Shukla by 21-17, 16-21 and 21-16 score. Mixed doubles event: Duo of Satwik Sai Raj and Maneesha K won the title by defeating the pair of Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan by 21-14, 21-18 score.

26. The Lok Sabha has passed the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to enable employers to pay wages to workers through cheque or directly crediting to their accounts. The bill will replace the Ordinance promulgated by the President in December 2016 to amend the Payment of Wages Act, 1936. Key Provisions of the Bill Method of payment of wages: Earlier, under the parent Act employer can pay his employee’s wages either by cheque or by crediting it into his bank account after obtaining his written authorisation. Permit the employer to pay an employee’s wages: (i) by cheque; or (ii) by crediting them into his bank account or (iii) in coin or currency notes. It removes the requirement of obtaining prior written authorization for payment of wages by cheque or through a bank account. It empowers Union or state government to specify certain industrial or other establishments where the employer should pay his employees only by: (i) cheque; or (ii) crediting the wages in his bank account. Background The Union Government had decided to take the ordinance route amend the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 because after demonetisation of the Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 banknotes in November 2016 had led to a cash crunch, and employers were finding it tough to pay workers in cash.

27. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the Department of Revenue, Union Ministry of Finance has entered into four more unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs). These four APAs are related to Manufacturing, Financial and Information Technology sectors. They cover international transactions such as Contract Manufacturing, Software Development Services and IT Enabled Services. With this, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has reached 130. It includes 122 Unilateral APAs and 8 bilateral APAs. In the current financial year (2016-17), total 66 APAs (5 bilateral APAs and 61 unilateral APAs) were signed. About Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) The APA Scheme was introduced in the Income-tax (IT) Act in to provide certainty to taxpayers in domain of transfer pricing by specifying methods of pricing and determining prices of international transactions in advance. The Rollback provisions under this scheme were introduced in 2014. The scheme seeks to foster government’s aim of non-adversarial tax regime. Benefits: (i) Boost to economy and ease of doing business. (ii) Strengthen Government’s mission of fostering a non-adversarial tax regime. (iii) Introduces certainty in tax law by reducing compliance costs and make tax regime investment friendly. (iv) Provides certainty to taxpayers regarding transfer pricing to avoid disputes between taxpayer and tax regulator.

28. Scientists from Japan have developed terahertz (THz) transmitter technology, a next generation system which can transmit digital data over 10 times faster than 5G mobile networks. It will pave transmitting digital data at a rate exceeding 100 gigabits per second (gbps) over a single channel using the 300-gigahertz band. Key Facts The THz band is a new and vast frequency resource expected to be used for future ultrahigh-speed wireless communications. The THz transmitter achieves a communication speed of 105 gigabits per second using the frequency range from 290 GHz to 315 GHz. These range of frequencies are currently unallocated but fall within the frequency range from 275 GHz to 450 GHz. It paves way for faster downloads and improve in-flight network connection speeds. Terahertz wireless is high-data-rate minimum-latency communications. Its possible applications include fast download from contents servers to mobile devices and ultrafast wireless links between base stations. In 2016, scientists had demonstrated that the speed of a wireless link in the 300-GHz band can be greatly enhanced by using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Later in 2017 they showed six times higher per-channel data rate, exceeding 100 gbps for the first time as an integrated-circuit-based transmitter.

29. The fourth edition of BIMSTEC Summit-2017 will be held in Nepal. It was announced in the 17th session of BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) held in Kathmandu, capital Nepal. In this meeting, delegates of seven member countries reviewed the progress made by BIMSTEC and recommended future course of action to strengthen regional cooperation among the group. The importance of BIMSTEC was highlighted during the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit held at Goa in October 2016. In this summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed his desire to promote BIMSTEC and assured full cooperation it needs to move on. About BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative on Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) The BIMSTEC is the sub-regional group of seven countries in South Asia and South East Asia lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. They are India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka from South Asia and Myanmar, Thailand from South East Asia. Established: 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh. Objectives: Technological and economical cooperation among south Asian and south East Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. It also covers cooperation in commerce, technology, investment, agriculture, tourism, human resource development, fisheries, transport and communication, textiles, leather etc.

30. According to new census carried out by the Odisha State Forest and Environment department in 2016, as many as 181 Irrawaddy dolphins have been sighted in the state. This marks a significant drop from 2015 survey which had recorded 450 dolphins. The 2016 dolphin census in Odisha reported Humpback dolphins (34), bottlenose dolphins (31) and five pantropical spotted dolphins.

31. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), a United Nations agricultural agency has called for International collaboration on wheat rust to curb threat to global supplies. According to studies produced by scientists in collaboration with FAO, wheat in Africa, Asia and Europe is increasingly threatened by fresh groups of wheat rust. Key Facts The studies have showed emergence of two new groups or races of both yellow rust and stem rust in various regions of the world. They highlight urgent need for early detection and rapid action to keep the wheat rust under control which spread rapidly over long distances by wind. If not detected and treated on time, they can turn a healthy looking crop, only weeks away from harvest, into a tangle of yellow leaves, black stems and shriveled grains. Wheat is a source of food and livelihoods for over 1 billion people in developing countries. Some of the most vulnerable regions are also the highest producers of wheat. Northern and Eastern Africa, the Near East, and West, Central and South Asia alone account for some 37% of global wheat production. What is Wheat Rust? Yellow rust is a fungal disease which turns leaves yellowish and stops the photosynthesis. It is caused by the Magnaporthe oryzae fungus and was discovered in Brazil in 1985. The fungus attacks the leaf of the crop and eats its chlorophyll, thereby affecting the plant’s growth. It can cause up to 20% yield loss. In recent times, due to temperature rise caused by climate change has contributed to the spread of the fungus.

32. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in the country at Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is largest ever in any campaign against these two diseases will start from five States/UTs viz. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa and Lakshadweep covering nearly 3.6 crore target children.
Key Facts The MR campaign is largest ever vaccination campaign aimed to target around 41 crore children across the country against two diseases. Under it all children aged between 9 months and less than 15 years will be given a single shot of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination free-of-cost acros irrespective of their previous vaccination status or disease status. Measles vaccine is currently provided under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). However, rubella vaccine will be a new addition to it. After the completion of the campaign, MR vaccine will be introduced in routine immunization and will replace measles vaccine, given at 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age of child. Measles immunization will directly contribute in reduction of under-five child mortality and with combination of rubella vaccine, it will control rubella and prevent CRS (congenital rubella syndrome) in country population. About Measles Measles is a deadly disease and one of the important causes of death in children. It is highly contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing of an infected person. It can make a child vulnerable to life threatening complications such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and brain infection. Globally, in 2015, measles killed an estimated 1, 34,200 children, mostly under-five years. In India, it killed an estimated 49,200 children. About Rubella Rubella is generally a mild infection, but has serious consequences if infection occurs in pregnant women, causing CRS, which is a cause of public health concern. CRS is characterized by congenital anomalies in the foetus and newborns affecting the eyes (cataract, glaucoma), ears (hearing loss), brain (mental retardation, microcephaly) and heart defects, causing a huge socio-economic burden on the families in particular and society in general. In 2010, an estimated 1,03,000 children were born with CRS globally, of which around 47,000 children (46%) were in South-East Asia Region.

33. Assam Government has launched Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) to bring about paradigm shift towards holistic development of villages in the state. The scheme is a mega mission aimed at bringing in revolutionary changes by doubling the farm income in the State. As per Situation Assessment Survey (period from 2002-03 to 2012-13), the farm income in Assam was recorded only 0.88% as against national average of 5.2%.

34. The Union government has formed a six-member committee to study the ways to improve India’s Haj policy and look into the issue of subsidy to the pilgrimage in light of a 2012 Supreme Court order on gradually reducing and abolishing it by 2022. The convenor of committee is Afzal Amanullah, former Consul-Consul General of India in Jeddah. Besides, former Bombay High Court judge SS Parkar, former Haj Committee of India Chairman Qaiser Shamim, former Air India Chairman and Managing Director Michael Mascarenhas and Muslim scholar, Kamal Faruqui, are its members.

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