National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams- 16th February 2019

Kashmir Terrorist Attack

Topic: Internal Security

In News: India revoked the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status of Pakistan and warned of more measures in response to its support for terrorist groups targeting India.

More on the topic:

• The suicide car bombing in Pulwama district killed 40 paramilitary personnel, making it one of the worst incidents of violence in the history of the State’s insurgency. The attacker — a school dropout who had gone missing last year amid heightened volatility in the State — rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

What is Most Favored Nation Status :

• A most favored nation (MFN) clause requires a country to provide any concessions, privileges, or immunities granted in a trade agreement to one nation to all other World Trade Organization member countries. Although its name implies favoritism toward another nation, it denotes the equal treatment of all countries

Source: The Hindu

Vande Bharat

Topic: Science and Technology

In News:  The inaugural trip of India’s first semi-high speed train, Vande Bharat Express, was flagged off by Prime Minister at the New Delhi railway station.

More on the Topic:

• The train, named ‘Train 18’ at the concept stage, is a plush 16-coach, air-conditioned, self-propelled train set and doesn’t have a locomotive.
• The express will ply between Delhi and Varanasi, with halts at Kanpur and Allahabad. It will complete the 780-km journey in eight hours, slicing off 180 minutes from the current travel time of 11-and-a-half hours.
• This is India’s fastest train to date, capable of commercial speeds up to 160 km per hour. On the Delhi-Varanasi route, however, its top speed would be restricted to 130 km per hour.
• Keeping with the Railways’ stated aim of offering a “totally new travel experience” to passengers, the train’s interiors have the look and feel of a commercial airplane.
• All the coaches are equipped with automatic doors, a GPS-based passenger information system, and free WiFi. But the Wi-Fi can only be used to access select entertainment content provided by the Railways. The toilets are bio-vacuum type, similar to those on airplanes.

 Source: The Hindu

Scrapping of Section 66A

Topic: Indian Polity

In News: The Supreme Court  directed all States to sensitise their police personnel about its March 24, 2015, verdict which had scrapped Section 66A of Information Technology Act, so that people are not unnecessarily arrested under the struck down provision. It also asked all High Courts to send the verdict copy to all trail.

More on the Topic:

• Section 66A had been dubbed as “draconian” for it allowed the arrest of several innocent persons, igniting a public outcry for its scrapping. This had led to the Supreme Court striking it down as unconstitutional in March, 2015 in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India.
• Section 66A defines the punishment for sending “offensive” messages through a computer or any other communication device like a mobile phone or a tablet. A conviction can fetch a maximum of three years in jail and a fine.

Why SC struck down section 66A?

• The SC had noted that Section 66A arbitrarily, excessively and disproportionately invades the right of free speech, under article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution, and upsets the balance between such right and the reasonable restrictions that may be imposed on such right and the definition of offences under the provision was open-ended and undefined.
• The court also said that the provision, introduced in 2009 to the original Act of 2000, used expressions “completely open-ended and undefined” and every expression used was “nebulous” in meaning. “What may be offensive to one may not be offensive to another.
• What may cause annoyance or inconvenience to one may not cause annoyance or inconvenience to another. Even the expression ‘persistently’ is completely imprecise.

Source: The Hindu

Antibiotic-resistant NDM-1 gene found in pristine Arctic

Topic: Health

In News: The recent detection of the antibiotic resistant (AR) gene NDM-1, first isolated in India, in the Arctic region is a further indication of the globalisation of antimicrobial resistance.

More on the Topic:

• The first finding of NDM-1 in the environment, rather than a clinic setting, was in surface waters of Delhi, in 2010.
• So finding NDM-1 in the High Arctic three years after the first report of its presence in the environment was very intriguing. The results show how far reaching and fast resistance can move around the globe.
• The findings point towards the involvement of migratory birds, who could carry the resistance in the gut and transfer it to the Arctic soil through faecal matter.
• “However, it is also possible that it may have migrated with humans and spread via local wildlife, or it may be a combination of factors.

About Antimicrobial Resistance:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once could successfully treat the microbe.
• The term antibiotic resistance (AR or ABR) is a subset of AMR, as it applies only to bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics.
• Resistant microbes are more difficult to treat, requiring alternative medications or higher doses of antimicrobials. These approaches may be more expensive, more toxic or both.
• Microbes resistant to multiple antimicrobials are called multidrug resistant (MDR). Those considered extensively drug resistant (XDR) or totally drug resistant (TDR) are sometimes called “superbugs”.

Source:The Hindu

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan pension scheme

Topic: Government Initiatives

In News: The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan scheme will be implemented from 15 th February 2019.

More on the Topic:

• Under the scheme, workers of the un-organised sector will receive a minimum assured pension of three thousand rupees per month after attaining the age of 60 years.
• The workers whose monthly income is 15 thousand rupees per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18 to 40 years are eligible for the scheme.
• Around 42 crore workers are estimated to be engaged in the unorganized sector in the country.
• The scheme was announced in the interim Budget. During the receipt of pension, if the subscriber dies, the spouse of the beneficiary will be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension. It said family pension is applicable only to a spouse.
• The scheme is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme on a 50:50 basis where prescribed age-specific contribution shall be made by the beneficiary and the matching contribution by the Central Government.
• The subscriber will be required to have a mobile phone, savings bank account and Aadhaar number. All the branch offices of LIC, ESIC and EPFO and all Labour offices of Central and State Governments will guide the unorganised workers about the Scheme, its benefits and the procedure to be followed.

Source: PIB

Least Available Depth Information System (LADIS) Portal

Topic: e-Governance

In News: Moving a step ahead towards ensuring optimum use of National Waterways, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) launched a new portal LADIS – Least Available Depth Information System.

More on the Topic:

• IWAI has designed LADIS to facilitate the day to day operations of inland vessels plying on National Waterways and to avoid any hindrance in service and operation.
• It will enhance credibility and efficiency of information sharing to achieve seamless operations on National Waterways, besides pre-empting problems that may occur during movement of vessels.
• LADIS will ensure that real-time data on least available depths is disseminated for ship/barge and cargo owners so that they can undertake transportation on NWs in a more planned way.
• The portal being hosted on IWAI’s website iwai.nic.in has been developed in-house.
• Initially LAD information will be available for NW-1, NW-2, Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route and NW-3, along with the date of survey.
• An assured depth of waterway is required for seamless movement of vessels.
• If real time information is made available regarding LADs in stretches of various NWs, it will help transporters by guiding them on the suitability of time of movement.

About National Water Ways Authority of India:

• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) came into existence on 27th October 1986 for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.
• The Authority primarily undertakes projects for development and maintenance of IWT infrastructure on national waterways through grant received from Ministry of Shipping.

Source: The Hindu

Shift in Phenology

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Across the world, scientists have recorded a shift in phenology in several tree species with the rising air temperatures.

More on the Topic:

• Phenology is the time of flowering, fruiting, and arrival of leaves.
• In Germany an examination of data from 1961 to 2000 showed that the phenology of fruit trees and field crops had clearly advanced as air temperatures had drastically changed since the late 1980s.
• Another study across Europe revealed that a warming in early spring (February to April) by 1 degree Celsius caused an advance in the beginning of the growing season by seven days.
• In India, Kani Kona flowers in Kerala blossomed two months ahead of Vishu.
• Vishu is the Malayalam New Year celebrated during the Mid-April.
• The ‘kani konna’ or the Indian laburnum is the state flower of Kerala.

Source: PIB