National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 4th February 2020

NCRB Missing Women and Children Report

Topic: Reports and Indices

In News: According to a study by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) the highest number of women and children who go missing in the country are from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh respectively.

More on the Topic:

• In 2019, the Supreme Court had directed the NCRB to analyse the data on missing persons (especially on women and children) so that areas prone to persons being trafficked can be identified.
• According to the report, the three States where the highest number of women went missing in the three years are Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
• Mumbai and Pune recorded the highest number of such incidents.
• The maximum number of missing children reports were recorded in Maharashtra and West Bengal in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018.
• In Madhya Pradesh, Indore reported the highest number of missing children.
• In West Bengal, Kolkata district had the maximum number of missing children reported in 2018.

Significant Reason for missing Cases:

• Some young people run away from home due to unbearable conditions of abuse and maltreatment and they become vulnerable to trafficking, violence, drug addiction, prostitution and other risks of exploitation and involvement in crime.
• Many missing persons end up getting trafficked.

Source: Hindu

Army: deficiencies in the provision

Topic: Governance

In News: In a report tabled in Parliament, the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) pulled up the Army for deficiencies in the provision of special clothing, rations and housing for troops in high-altitude areas, including Siachen.

More on the Topic:

• The CAG said the institute was yet to implement the proposal by the Kargil Review Committee in 1999 for the Indian National Defence University (INDU) even as the project cost had been revised from ₹395 crore to ₹4,007.22 crore, up 914%.
• There were delays of up to four years in the procurement of high-altitude clothing and equipment, leading to an acute shortage of essential clothing and equipment. There was a critical shortage of snow goggles, ranging from 62% to 98%.
• The troops had not been issued ‘multi-purpose boots’ from November 2015 to September 2016, and had to resort to the recycling of available boots.
• The special rations authorised for troops in high-altitude areas to meet their daily energy needs compromised the calorie intake of the troops by as high as 82%.
• The housing project, aimed at improving the living conditions of the troops in high-altitude areas, was delayed beyond the stipulated time.
• There were discrepancies between the assets shown in the Numerical Asset Register and those on the ground.

Kargil Review Committee report    To review the events leading up to the Pakistani aggression in the Kargil District of Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir and to  recommend measures considered necessary to safeguard national security against such armed intrusions, a committee under K. Subrahmanyam was set up. Recommendations: ·  The Committee recommended that there must be a full time National Security Adviser. Members of the National Security Council, the senior bureaucracy need to be continually sensitised to assessed intelligence pertaining to national, regional and international issues. ·  Kargil highlighted the gross inadequacies in the nation’s surveillance capability, particularly through satellite imagery. It highlighted the fragmented nature of communication capabilities in India and its inadequacy in funding. ·  The role and the tasks of the para-military forces have to be restructured particularly with reference to command, control and leadership functions. They need to be trained to much higher standards of performance and better equipped to deal with terrorist threats. ·  It recommended a detailed study in order to evolve force structures and procedures that ensure improved border management and a reduction, if not the elimination, in the inflow of narcotics, illegal migrants, terrorists and arms. ·  It suggested the need to enhance India’s Defence outlays as budgetary constraints have affected the process of modernisation and created certain operational voids. Priority should be given for equipping infantrymen with superior light weight weapons, equipment and clothing suited to the threats they are required to face in alpine conditions. ·  It recommended that the entire gamut of national security management and apex decision-making and the structure and interface between the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Headquarters be comprehensively studied and reorganised. · It recommended the publication of a White Paper on the Indian nuclear weapons programme. · It recommended that the Government must review its information policy and develop structures and processes to keep the public informed on vital national issues by publishing authentic accounts of the 1965 and 1971 wars as well as Kargil war. · Facilitating defence exports, the better utilisation of highly sophisticated industrial capacity and related manpower. · The establishment of a civil-military liaison mechanism at various levels, from the ranking Command headquarters to the operational formations on the ground is most necessary to smoothen relationships during times of emergency and stress, like war and proxy war.

Source: Hindu

Cancer Day

Topic: Health

In News: February 4 is World Cancer Day and the WHO has released two global reports on the occasion.

More on the Topic:

• According to World Health Organization (WHO) report, One in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime, and one in 15 Indians will die of cancer.
• The six most common cancer types in India are breast cancer (1,62,500 cases), oral cancer (1,20,000 cases), cervical cancer (97,000 cases), lung cancer (68,000 cases), stomach cancer (57,000 cases), and colorectal cancer (57,000). Together, these account for 49 per cent of all new cancer cases.
• There are an estimated 16 million new cancer cases, 7,84,800 cancer deaths, and 2.26 million 5-year prevalent cases in India’s population of 1.35 billion.
• Tobacco-related cancers account for 34-69 per cent of all cancers in men, and constitute 10-27 per cent of all cancers in women in most regions in India.
• The report aims to set the global agenda on cancer, mobilise stakeholders and help countries set priorities for investing in cancer control and universal health coverage.

Source: Hindu

Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ)

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: 2,130 backwater islands of Kerala, including Maradu, have been brought under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regime thereby imposing curbs on development activities. The list of the islands was prepared by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies.

More on the topic:

• CRZ Notification 2018 is based on the recommendations of Shailesh Nayak committee.
• Coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers, and backwaters were declared as CRZs under coastal zone regulation notification in 1991.
• CRZs have been classified into 4 zones for the purpose of regulation:
• CRZ-I: includes ecologically sensitive areas, where no construction is allowed except activities for atomic power plants, defense.
• CRZ-II: includes designated urban areas that are substantially built up. Construction activities are allowed on the landward side only.
• CRZ-III: includes relatively undisturbed areas, mainly rural areas. No new construction of buildings allowed in this zone except repairing of the existing ones. However, constructions of dwelling units in the plot area lying between 200-500m of the high tide line is allowed.
• CRZ-IV: includes the water area covered between Low Tide Line and 12 nautical miles seaward. Except for fishing and related activities, all actions impugning on the sea and tidal water will be regulated in this zone.

Source: Hindu

e-visa facility

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: India temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China in view of the coronavirus.

More on the Topic:

• The India e-Visa is an electronic authorization to travel to India for business, tourism, or medical visits.
• When applying for an e-Visa, it is not necessary to submit your passport or other personal documents to the consulate.
• The e-Visa approval will be issued in advance electronically before your departure to India.
• At the immigration checkpoint the actual visa will be placed inside your passport.

Source: Hindu

Indian Vaccine to control Swine Fever

Topic: Health

In News: The ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)’s Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has developed cell culture Classical Swine Fever vaccine.

More on the Topic:

• The vaccine will help to save several rabbits. This is because the current vaccine called the Lapinised CSF (Classical Swine Fever) being used is produced by sacrificing large number of rabbits.
• The total requirement of the vaccine in India is 22 million doses per year. However, hardly 1.2 million doses are being produced currently. This is because, only 50 doses can be produced from a rabbit spleen.
• The new vaccine invented gives immunity for 2 years as compared to the previous vaccines that provided immunity for 3 to 6 months.
• The deadly fever in pigs contribute to 10% of the country’s total meat production. The CSF is one of the deadliest diseases of pigs that is causing loss of Rs 400 crores to India annually.
• It is also one of the reasons for the swine population to decline in 2019 as compared to the previous census 2012.

Source: Hindu

Santusht Portal

Topic: e-Governance

In News: Ministry of Lobour and Employment launched the Portal Santusht.

More on the Topic:

• It is an Implementation Monitoring Cell. The portal addresses delivery of public services, their transparency, accountability, schemes and policies at grass root level.
• The portal aims to address the speedy redressal of grievances of workers and employers.
• It monitors services that are provided by the health insurance and EPFOs (Employment Provident Fund Organization).
• Also, it monitors the services provided by the ESICs (Employment State Insurance Corporation) to the formal sector workers.

Source: The Hindu