National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 14th October 2019

India – China Informal Summit

Topic: International Relations

In News: The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and the President of the People’s Republic of China Mr Xi Jinping held their Second Informal Summit in (Mamallapuram) Chennai Recently.

More on the Topic:

• The two Leaders exchanged views on the age-old commercial linkages and people-to-people contacts between India and China.
• In this regard the two leaders agreed on establishment of sister-state relations between Tamil Nadu and Fujian Province, exploring the possibility of establishing an academy to study links between Mahabalipuram and Fujian province on the lines of the experience between Ajanta and Dunhuang and conducting research on maritime links between China and India in view of our extensive contacts over the centuries.
• The leaders have decided to designate 2020 as Year of India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges.
• To celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations the two countries will organize 70 activities including a conference on a ship voyage that will trace the historical connect between the two civilizations.
• The two Leaders have decided to establish a High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue mechanism with three-pronged objective of enhancing trade volumes, bridging the massive bilateral trade deficit, and increasing mutual investment in sectors agreed upon.
• If the mechanism works, it will not only succeed in taking away one of the major irritants in ties but also allow influential stakeholders in the business communities of both countries to promote ties as well as help New Delhi and Beijing work more closely on the multilateral stage.

Source: Hindu and MEA

HIV- AIDS

Topic: Health 

In News: According to Mizoram State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) data Mizoram became the state with highest HIV prevalence rate.

More on the Topic:

• The virus “strike rate” has made Mizoram top the list of States with an HIV prevalence rate of 2.04% followed by two other north-eastern States Manipur with 1.43% and Nagaland with 1.15%.
• Data shows that 21% of the positive cases from 2006 to March 2019 have been transmitted sexually, 1.03% of the transmission route being homosexual.
• The next major cause, accounting for 12% cases, is infected needles shared by intravenous drug users.

National Statistics:

• National prevalence rate is 0.22%.
• India is estimated to have around 87.58 (36.45 – 172.90) thousand new HIV infections in 2017, showing new HIV infection decline by 85% since the peak of 1995 and by 27% between 2010-2017.
• Since 2005, when the number of AIDS related deaths (ARD) started to show a declining trend, the annual number of AIDS related deaths has declined by almost 71%.

About HIV-AIDS:

• HIV attacks CD4, a type of White Blood Cell (T cells) in the body’s immune system. T cells are those cells that move around the body detecting anomalies and infections in cells.
• After entering body, HIV multiplies itself and destroys CD4 cells, thus severely damaging the human immune system. Once this virus enters the body, it can never be removed.
• Weak immune system makes a person prone to opportunistic infections and cancer. It becomes difficult for a person infected with this virus to recover from even a minor injury or sickness.

Government Programmes:

• The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), launched in 1992, is being implemented as a comprehensive programme for prevention and control of HIV/ AIDS in India.
• India is among 193 countries that are aiming to end AIDS by 2030 and achieve 90-90-90 targets by 2020; which are not just milestones set by UNAIDS but also enshrined in Government of India’s National Health Policy (NHP 2017).
• The 90-90-90 targets include goals like 90% of all people living with HIV (PLHIV) will know their HIV status, 90% of all PLHIV will receive antiretroviral therapy- ART, and 90% of all people receiving ART will have suppressed viral load to minimize HIV transmission.
• The HIV/AIDS Act, 2017 safeguards the rights of people living with HIV and affected by HIV. The provisions of the Act address HIV-related discrimination, strengthen the existing programme by bringing in legal accountability, and establish formal mechanisms for inquiring into complaints and redressing grievances.

Source: The Hindu

Graded Response Action Plan

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Graded response Action plan will kick off at Delhi and its neighbourhood with stricter measures to fight air pollution.

Recent pollution control measures:

• In 2018, the ban on using diesel generator sets was implemented only in Delhi. In the current year (2019), it is being extended to a few NCR towns.
• Notably, many areas here see regular power cuts.
• Rural areas are, however, being left out of this stringent measure because of unreliable power supply. The measures that are coming into force will be incremental.
• As pollution rises, and it is expected to rise as winter approaches, more measures will come into play depending on the air quality.
• All these measures are part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) that has been in effect for 2 years in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

About GRAP:

• The GRAP was formulated in 2016 and approved by the Supreme Court in the same year. It was notified in 2017 by the Centre, and draws its authority from this notification.
• It was planned after several meetings of EPCA (Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority) with state government officials and experts.
• GRAP institutionalised the measures to be taken when air quality deteriorates.
• It aims to roll out progressively tougher actions as pollution levels rise, without waiting for an emergency to impose strict measures.
• The GRAP plan is incremental in nature. So, it does not include action by various state governments to be taken throughout the year to tackle emissions.
• Rather, when the air quality shifts from poor to very poor, the measures listed have to be followed.
• If air quality reaches the severe stage, GRAP talks about shutting down schools and implementing the odd-even road-space rationing scheme.
• The plan requires action and coordination among 13 different agencies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan (NCR areas). At the top is the EPCA, mandated by the Supreme Court.
• Before the imposition of any measure, EPCA holds a meeting with representatives from all NCR states. A call is taken on which actions have to be made applicable in which town.

How effective has GRAP been?

• GRAP has been successful in doing two things that had not been done before –
• creating a step-by-step plan for the entire Delhi-NCR region.
• getting on board several agencies: all pollution control boards, industrial area authorities, municipal corporations, regional officials of IMD and others.
• The biggest success of GRAP has been in fixing accountability and deadlines.
• For each action to be taken under a particular air quality category, executing agencies are clearly marked.
• In a territory like Delhi, where a multiplicity of authorities has been a long-standing impediment to effective governance, this step made a crucial difference.
• Clear demarcation of responsibilities has made easier the coordination among as many as 13 agencies from 4 states.
• Three major policy decisions that can be credited to EPCA and GRAP are, the closure of the thermal power plant at Badarpur, bringing BS-VI fuel to Delhi before the deadline set initially and the ban on Pet coke as a fuel in Delhi NCR.

What are the shortfalls?

• A major concern with the EPCA and the GRAP has been the focus on Delhi.
• Delhi has always been the first one to have stringent measures enforced.
• Other states have managed to delay several measures, citing lack of resources.
• For GRAP as well as EPCA, the next challenge is to extend the measures to other states effectively.

Source: Indian Express

Mamallapuram

Topic: Art and Culture

In News: Indian China informal summit was recently held at Mamallapuram, Tamilnadu recently.

More on the Topic:

Mamallapuram-China Connection:

• Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram, as it is commonly referred to, was established by Narasimhavarman I of the Pallava dynasty as a seaport town in the seventh century AD.
• Narasimhavarman was hailed as “Mamallan” for his excellence in warfare and hence, the seaport town was named Mamallapuram.
• The Pallavas had sent their envoys to China as they had a good relationship with them. The China-Pallava dynasty relationship included an understanding on defence.
• Narasimhavarman II had offered help to the Chinese rulers to take on the Arabs and Tibetans.
• Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang went around the Pallava kingdom of Narasimhavarman I and lauded the people’s valour, conduct, and excellence in education.
• Another significant aspect to the Sino-Indian summit being held at Mamallapuram is that India and China have had trade relations dating back to the pre-Christ period.
• Tamil literary work, Pattinapalai talks of a Chinese ship dropping anchor on the east coast, in Tamil Nadu. Some Chinese literature, too, make references to contacts with Tamil Nadu regions.
• Mamallapuram was a thriving port until the end of ninth century AD with the town being part of China’s ‘Silk Route’ and India’s ‘Spice Route’.
• Kanchipuram’s silk industry owes its genesis to the import of raw silk from China through Mamallapuram.

Monuments:

• Mahabalipuram is known for its world heritage site complex of Group of monuments of the Pallava Period. Most of the monuments at Mahabalipuram are rock cut and They denote the early Dravidian architecture and have inculcated in themselves the Buddhist elements of architecture.
• Thirukadalmallai: This is first and foremost of Mahabalipuram sculptures. It is one of the 108 Divya desam. This temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, was built by Pallavas to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea. It’s not a rock cut temple but was built as free standing temple.
• Descent of the Ganges or Bhagiratha’s Penance: This is a giant open-air bas relief. It depicts Bhagiratha bringing down the Ganges to earth. It is world ’s largest open air bass relief.
• Varaha Cave Temple: Varaha Cave Temple or the Adivaraha Cave Temple is a rock-cut cave temple located at Mahabalipuram. This rock cut temple dates back to 7th century and is considrered to be one of the finest testimonial to the ancient Vishwakarma Sthapathis.
• Shore Temple: Shore Temple is granite made temple at Mahabalipuram built during the reign of Narsimhavarman. This group of temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is oldest strucutral temple (in contrast with rock cut temples) in India. The Shore Temple marks the culmination of the architectural efforts that began with the cave temples and monolithic rathas. Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi.

Source: Hindu

Project Beehive

Topic: e-Governance

In News: The Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) has launched a major initiative under Project Beehive for automation of the entire Corps to enable real-time monitoring and response of its 2,000 workshops across the country.

More on the Topic:

• The 2,000 workshops across India will be connected into the beehive and each of them will be able to track their equipment and readiness in realtime.
• For instance, on a click, all critical readiness states is displayed. The equipment, how much mileage was done, when is the next service due and so on. It also allows easy forecast of requirements.
• The Army is collaborating with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on this and EME officers were part of the product development.

Source: Hindu

Correlation between mothers’ education and the well-being of children

Topic: Reports and Indices

In News: A first-of-its kind pan-India survey conducted by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry on nutrition levels among children shows a direct correlation between mothers’ education and the well-being of children.

More on the Topic:

• The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNSS) studied 1.2 lakh children between 2016 and 2018 and measured food consumption, anthropometric data, micronutrients, anaemia, iron deficiency and markers of non-communicable diseases.
• Diet diversity, meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet are the three core indicators of nutrition deficiency among infant and young children.
• Data from the CNNS study show that with higher levels of schooling in a mother, children received better diets. Only 11.4% of children of mothers with no schooling received adequately diverse meals, while 31.8% whose mothers finished Class XII received diverse meals.
• Levels of stunting, wasting and low weight were higher in children whose mothers received no schooling as opposed to those who studied till Class XII.
• Anaemia saw a much higher prevalence of 44.1% among children up to four years old with mothers who never went to school, versus 34.6% among those who completed their schooling.
• But on the flip side, a higher level of education among mothers meant that their children received meals less frequently.
• Such children were also at higher risk of diabetes and high cholesterol as relative prosperity could lead to higher consumption of sugary drinks and foods high in cholesterol.
• Children in the age group of 10-19 showed a higher prevalence of pre-diabetes if their mother had finished schooling (15.1% versus 9.6%). The prevalence of high cholesterol levels was at 6.2% in these children as opposed to 4.8% among those whose mothers never attended school.

Source: Hindu

Plastic to Tea conversion

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: In an attempt to discourage the use of plastic, Bangalore city corporation is offering a cup of tea in exchange for four plastic bottles at some of the Indira canteens.

More on the Topic:

• This initiative was taken up following an alarming increase in use of plastic. The corporation seized around 14 tonnes of plastic from retail and wholesale shops recently.
• The corporation has entered into an agreement with one of the Cement factory of to collect plastic to be mixed with cement, which gives more strength to the cement.

Source: Hindu