Govt. unveils centre for data analytics

Why in news? With a view to fast-tracking the adoption of data analytics in the government to improve delivery of services to citizens, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday unveiled a Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics (CEDA).

About Centre of Excellence for Data Analytics (CEDA).

• The centre would help build analytic solutions that are specific to a particular problem which may relate to a single or a combination of departments, an official statement said.
• Centre would also provide data profiling tools and techniques along with necessary expertise to analyse the data for quality issues.
• While data cleaning shall be done for making the data ready for analytical use, recommendations shall also be given in order to help the department take necessary actions to further improve their data collection process.
• Besides creating the analytics solutions for the government departments, CEDA would also focus on training and enabling the departments to do self-service analytics.

First human case of rat virus found

Why in news? A man has developed the world’s first ever human case of the rat version of the hepatitis E virus.

Details

• There had previously been no evidence the disease could jump from rats to humans, to cause clinical infection.
• The disease was found in a 56-year-old man who persistently produced abnormal liver function tests following a liver transplant.
• He could have contracted the illness through food infected by rat droppings.
• Rat hepatitis E virus is very distantly related to human hepatitis E virus variants.
• It has a major public health significance.

About Hepatitis E

• Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by infection with a virus known as hepatitis E virus (HEV).
• The virus is transmitted via the faecal-oral route, principally via contaminated water.
• Hepatitis E is found worldwide, but the prevalence is highest in East and South Asia.
• Two different patterns are observed, where hepatitis E is found in: resource-poor areas with frequent water contamination; and areas with safe drinking water supplies.
• A vaccine to prevent hepatitis E virus infection has been developed and is licensed in China, but is not yet available elsewhere.

Prevention

At the population level, transmission of HEV and hepatitis E disease can be reduced by

• maintaining quality standards for public water supplies;
• establishing proper disposal systems for human feces.
• On an individual level, infection risk can be reduced by:
• maintaining hygienic practices such as hand-washing with safe water, particularly before handling food;
• avoiding consumption of water and/or ice of unknown purity; and
• adhering to WHO safe food practices.

Freedom to pray

Why in news? Recently, the Supreme Court’s ruled, in a 4:1 majority, that the exclusionary practice of women in the 10-50 age group from the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, violates the rights of women devotees.

Background

• The apex court was assessing the constitutionality of the Sabarimala custom of excluding women in their ‘menstruating years’. The custom was allowed by Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship Act, 1965.
• It is important to note that the state of Kerala had supported the entry of women into the temple, arguing that the “custom” of excluding women violated their rights.
• However, on the other hand, the Travancore Devaswom Board had supported the custom of not allowing women into the temple, saying that temples across the country do not allow women who are menstruating. The Ayyappa Seva Sangham had argued that the court has to find a way to uphold this custom so that other “similar customs” are not disturbed.

Judgement

• The majority held that devotees of Lord Ayyappa do not constitute a separate religious denomination and that the prohibition on women is not an essential part of Hindu religion.
• In conclusion, the Court has attempted to grapple with the stigmatisation of women devotees that is largely based on a medieval view of menstruation as symbolising impurity and pollution.
• To Chief Justice Dipak Misra, any rule based on segregation of women pertaining to biological characteristics is indefensible and unconstitutional.
• Further, devotion cannot be subjected to the stereotypes of gender.
• Stigma built around traditional notions of impurity has no place in the constitutional order, and exclusion based on the notion of impurity is a form of untouchability.
• Devotees of Ayyappa do not constitute a separate religious denomination.
• Fundamental rights claimed by worshippers based on ‘custom and usage’ must yield to the fundamental right of women to practise religion. The decision reaffirms the Constitution’s transformative character and derives strength from the centrality it accords to fundamental rights.

Govt. creates high-level group to advise on boosting trade

Why in news?

Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu has approved the constitution of a high-level advisory group (HLAG) to look into the opportunities and ways to address the ongoing challenges in the global trade scenario.

About  high-level advisory group (HLAG)

• The terms of reference (ToR) of the HLAG are to examine the prevailing international trade dynamics, including, but not confined to, the rising protectionist tendencies, especially on the part of major economies, non-engagement by some countries on outstanding trade negotiation issues and commitments, including the Doha Development Agenda, and their insistence on pursuing negotiating mandates, in many cases prematurely and without efforts, to build consensus and common understanding.
• The government added that the HLAG would meet regularly over the next two months and make specific implementable recommendations in light of the terms of reference, including on each of the areas, to facilitate the formulation of future trade policies.
• The HLAG will be chaired by, among others, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Member Surjit Bhalla, and other members will include S. Jaishankar, Former Foreign Secretary and Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor, Government of India.

River pollution: NGT directs States to act

Why in news?Taking suo motu cognisance of a report in The Hindu on the increase in polluted river stretches in the country, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed all States and Union Territories to prepare action plans within two months.

Directions

• The action plans should aim at improving the polluted stretches for at least bathing purposes.
• Chief Secretaries of each State and administrators of UTs will be personally accountable for failure to formulate action plan.
• Four-member committees, comprising representatives of State pollution control boards and the State governments, be constituted for preparing and executing the action plans.
• The action plan will include components like identification of polluting sources including functioning or status of sewage treatment plants, common effluent treatment plants, solid waste management and processing facilities, quantification and characterisation of sewage generated in the catchment area of the polluted river stretch.

Background

The Hindu had reported, quoting data from the Central Pollution Control Board, that the number of polluted river stretches in the country had increased to 351 from 302 over the last two years.