National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams- 6th December 2019

by Mentors4ias · December 6, 2019

Global Climate Risk Index 2020

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Environment think tank Germanwatch has released Global Climate Risk Index 2020.

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In the Climate Risk Index 2020, India’s rank has worsened from the 14th spot in 2017 to 5th in 2018 in the global vulnerability ladder.
India has also recorded the highest number of fatalities due to climate change and the second highest monetary losses from its impact in 2018. India’s high rank is due to severe rainfalls, followed by heavy flooding and landslide that killed over 1000 people.
The report shows that extreme weather, linked with climate change, is not only affecting poorer countries like Myanmar and Haiti, but also some of the world’s richest countries.
Japan is the worst-hit country in 2018 (the last year covered by the data), while Germany and Canada were both also in the ‘bottom 10’, that is, the most affected.
The index results showed that the “signs of climate crisis”, on all continents, could no longer be ignored.

Source: Hindu

Transgender Persons’ Bill, 2019

Topic: Social Justice

In News: RajyaSabha has passed Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019. The bill has already been passed in LokSabha.

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Key Provisions:

Definition of a transgender person: The Bill defines a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth. It includes trans-men and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities, such as kinnar and hijra. Intersex variations are defined to mean a person who at birth shows variation in his or her primary sexual characteristics, external genitalia, chromosomes, or hormones from the normative standard of male or female body.
Prohibition against discrimination: The Bill prohibits the discrimination against a transgender person, including denial of service or unfair treatment in relation to: (i) education; (ii) employment; (iii) healthcare; (iv) access to, or enjoyment of goods, facilities, opportunities available to the public; (v) right to movement; (vi) right to reside, rent, or otherwise occupy property; (vii) opportunity to hold public or private office; and (viii) access to a government or private establishment in whose care or custody a transgender person is.
Right of residence: Every transgender person shall have a right to reside and be included in his household.
Employment: No government or private entity can discriminate against a transgender person in employment matters, including recruitment, and promotion.
Education: Educational institutions funded or recognised by the relevant government shall provide inclusive education, sports and recreational facilities for transgender persons, without discrimination.
Health care: The government must take steps to provide health facilities to transgender persons including separate HIV surveillance centres, and sex reassignment surgeries. The government shall review medical curriculum to address health issues of transgender persons, and provide comprehensive medical insurance schemes for them.
Certificate of identity for a transgender person: A transgender person may make an application to the District Magistrate for a certificate of identity, indicating the gender as ‘transgender’. A revised certificate may be obtained only if the individual undergoes surgery to change their gender either as a male or a female.
Welfare measures by the government: The Bill states that the relevant government will take measures to ensure the full inclusion and participation of transgender persons in society.
Offences and penalties: The Bill recognizes the following offences against transgender persons: (i) forced or bonded labour (excluding compulsory government service for public purposes), (ii) denial of use of public places, (iii) removal from household, and village, (iv) physical, sexual, verbal, emotional or economic abuse. Penalties for these offences vary between six months and two years, and a fine.
National Council for Transgender persons (NCT): The NCT will consist of: (i) Union Minister for Social Justice (Chairperson); (ii) Minister of State for Social Justice (Vice- Chairperson); (iii) Secretary of the Ministry of Social Justice; (iv) one representative from ministries including Health, Home Affairs, and Human Resources Development. Other members include representatives of the NITI Aayog, and the National Human Rights Commission. State governments will also be represented. The Council will also consist of five members from the transgender community and five experts from non-governmental organisations.

Why the transgender community is protesting against it?

The bill was drafted and passed without approaching anyone from the community. As a result, assumptions were made based on stereotypes.
The process to obtain this certificate is to show proof of sex reassignment surgery, which A) is not something all transgender people want B) is a very expensive procedure, which many aren’t able to afford C) does not have a clear definition regarding how the District Magistrate will actually examine the person or their documents D) is a violation of privacy.
It also does not specify the kind of surgery they are expecting, because there is more than one type.
This also contradicts the 2014 NALSA (National Legal Services Authority of India) judgement by the Supreme Court, which gave transgender people the right to self-identify, and did not mandate surgery.
The Bill makes sexual abuse against a transgender person a punishable offence. However it fails to clearly define what constitutes sexual abuse.
The Bill does not provide any reservations to transgender people, who often come from disadvantaged backgrounds and find it hard to get mainstream jobs or quality education.
If the family of a transgender person is unable to take care of them, the person may be placed in a rehabilitation centre, with orders from the court. This denies the right of a person to join other transgender communities, such as the hijra community.
The Bill does not have any provisions to apprehend those who discriminate against, bully, or harass transgender people at educational institutes, workplaces or anywhere else.
The Bill also has no mention of things like marriage rights, adoption rights, property rights, social security, or pension. This deprives the transgender community of some of the most fundamental rights.

Source: Hindu, IDSA

Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund

Topic: Economy

In News: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for creation and launch of Bharat Bond Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).

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It is to create an additional source of funding for Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), Central Public Financial Institutions (CPFIs) and other Government organizations.
Bharat Bond ETF would be the first corporate Bond ETF in the country.
ETF will be a basket of bonds issued by CPSE/CPSU/CPFI/any other Government organization Bonds (Initially, all AAA rated bonds)
Each ETF will have a fixed maturity date. As of now, it will have 2 maturity series – 3 and 10 years. Each series will have a separate index of the same maturity series.

Exchange Traded Fund:

An ETF is a type of fund that tracks the underlying assets and divides ownership of those assets into shares.
The underlying assets can be shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.
Shareholders do not directly own or have any direct claim to the underlying investments in the fund, rather they indirectly own these assets.
The ETFs trading value is based on the net asset value of the underlying stocks that it represents.
ETF shareholders are entitled to a proportion of the profits, such as earned interest or dividends paid, and they may get a residual value in case the fund is liquidated.
ETF Vs Mutual Fund – The transaction of stocks and bonds under the Mutual Fund is with the company that manages the fund.
Whereas in ETF, the ownership of the fund can easily be bought, sold or transferred in the same way as shares of stock, since ETF shares are traded on public stock exchanges.

Source: Hindu

INDRA 2019 Exercise

Topic: Government Schemes

In News: The Joint tri service exercise between India and Russia, INDRA 2019 is to be held in Pune and Goa.

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The INDRA series of exercise began in 2003 and the First joint Tri Services Exercise was conducted in 2017, It will be a historic occasion for two of the world’s greatest Armed Forces to join hands and successfully conduct an exercise of this magnitude with professionalism, to imbibe the best practices from each other, jointly evolve and drills to defeat the scourge of terror under the United Nation mandate.
The contingents of both the countries will share expertise and their professional experience. The espirit-de-corps and goodwill shall be the key areas during the exercise which will facilitate further strengthening of bonds between the defence forces of India and Russia.

Source: Hindu

Reservations in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to extend reservation for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for 10 years, but is learnt to have done away with a similar quota for the Anglo-Indian community.

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Article 334 of Indian Constitution provides for reservation of seats and special representation of SC/ST’s and from Anglo-Indian community (by nomination) in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
In the original constitution of 1949, it states that such special representation will cease to have effect after 10 years.
Parliament through various constitution amendment has extended the time period of reservation for the communities.
The 95th constitution amendment extended the reservation upto January 26, 2020.
Thus, the reservation for these categories in the lower House of Parliament and the State Assemblies was to expire on 25th January next year.
So, Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to extend reservation for SC/ST’s in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for another 10 years.
But a question mark prevailed over whether it has extended reservations for two seats in the Lok Sabha for the Anglo-Indian community.
Article 334, clause b provides for nomination of 2 Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha.
Presently, there are 84 members from the Scheduled Caste and 47 from the Scheduled Tribe communities in Parliament.

Source: Hindu

Mega Food Park

Topic: Government Schemes

In News: In Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister for food processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated Avantee mega Food Park in Dewas.

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This first food park of central India is spread over 51 acres and has been constructed at a cost of about 150 crore rupees. About 5 thousand local people will get employment from this Mega Food Park.
About Maha Food Park Scheme: The Scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers income and creating employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on “Cluster” approach and envisages creation of state of art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri / horticultural zone for setting up of modern food processing units in the industrial plots provided in the park with well-established supply chain.
Mega food park typically consist of supply chain infrastructure including collection centers, primary processing centers, central processing centers, cold chain and around 25-30 fully developed plots for entrepreneurs to set up food processing units.
Projects under it are merged under comphrehensive flagship scheme of ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana.’

Source: PIB