Table of Contents:
A. GS1 Related:
B. GS2 Related:
POLITY
1. Centre allows beacon use for emergencies
2. NFDC to dub regional movies in Hindi
3. Farm suicides get attention of Supreme Court
4. Fortified foods to tackle malnutrition
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Erdogan calls for war on terror
2. ASEAN wants stronger ties with China
C. GS3 Related:
ECONOMICS
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Great Indian Bustard breeding centre to be set up in Kota
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Blood group may predict heart attack risk: study
MISCELLANEOUS
1. Soon, ambulance to come to animals’ rescue with vet on board
D. GS4 Related:
E. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
F. Bills/Acts/Schemes/Orgs in News
G. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam
H. Archives
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Useful News Articles for UPSC Current Affairs
A. GS1 Related
Nothing here for Today!!!
B. GS2 Related
1. Centre allows beacon use for emergencies
What’s in news?
- The Centre issued a notification allowing officials on emergency and disaster management-related duties to use beacons on top of their vehicles.
- The notification allows use of multi-coloured — red, blue and white light — beacons on top of official vehicles related to “control of fire, police duty, defence forces or paramilitary forces for maintenance of law and order”.
- Officials on disaster management duties related to “natural disasters, including earthquake, flood, land slide, cyclone, tsunami, and man-made disasters such as nuclear disaster, chemical disaster and biological disaster” can use vehicles with multi-coloured beacons.
- The Transport Department of each State will need to issue a notice enlisting the list of authorities to whom the permission to use vehicles with multi-coloured lights.
2. NFDC to dub regional movies in Hindi
What’s in news?
- Presidential nod to a parliamentary panel recommendation that the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) either dub regional movies or have them carry Hindi subtitle
- The Committee of Parliament on Official Language has also recommended that film-makers submit their script in Hindi to the NFDC and make it available to all concerned
About NDFC:
- The NFDC facilitates line production services of shooting in India and animation services of overseas clients. It deals with film financing, production and distribution, and works under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- As of now, the corporation’s sub-rules on submission of applications for feature films state that the applicants should submit six copies of their script in English and one in the language the movie is to be made
- The recommendation only covers regional films produced by the NFDC
3. Farm suicides get attention of Supreme Court
Source:
- A study conducted across 13 States by the Union Agriculture Ministry throws up the all-too-familiar reasons that drive farmers to suicide
Reasons:
- Frequent crop failure, vagaries of the monsoon, absence of assured water resources, attacks of pests and diseases, debts, farming and social causes
- Union Home Ministry’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports up to 2015 reveal identical causes of suicides among farmers — bankruptcy, farming-related issues, family problems, illness, drug abuse or alcoholism
Centre views:
- In an affidavit filed by the Agriculture Ministry in the Supreme Court last week, the Centre agrees with the court that the deaths of farmers are an “unfortunate issue”
- But it can only formulate a line of action to resolve the issue, the actual implementation at the ground level is the responsibility of the individual States
SC hearing:
- The court is scheduled to hold a hearing on May 1 on this affidavit filed on the basis of a petition filed by the organisation, Citizens Resource and Action Initiative (CRANTI), against Gujarat
- The court expanded the ambit of the petition to farmers’ suicides across the country and had asked the Centre on March 27 to provide an action plan to end the human tragedy
- The affidavit suggests crop insurance, crop and enterprise diversification, government intervention through minimum support price (MSP) covering cost of production plus a reasonable profit margin, establishing farmers’ welfare cells as support groups and regulating informal credit market as remedies
Alternate view:
- There is a disconnect between the Centre and States, which leaves the farmer empty-handed
- “It is clear that the Centre controls most important policies pertaining to farm livelihoods whether it is MSP, credit, crop insurance, disaster compensation, trade policies and so on”
- “Often, the States are not consulted on these matters. The MSP is not realised by most farmers. Credit is being cornered by non-farmers”
- “Many of these policies are actually going against farmers’ interests. Unless these are addressed, farm suicides can’t be prevented”
The government affidavit:
- However, points to relief measures such as the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
- It provides farmers’ full insurance and had 390.02 lakh farmers covered and 386.75 lakh hectares insured with a sum of ₹1,41,883.30 crore during Kharif 2016
- The Agriculture Ministry said 172.94 lakh farmers had been covered with a total sum of ₹69,851.37 lakh crore during Rabi 2016-17
- It said the government had increased the target of agricultural credit from ₹9 lakh crore to ₹10 lakh crore in Budget 2017-18
- The Reserve Bank of India has allowed State and district level banks to take a lenient view on rescheduling of loans if crop loss is 33% or more
- The govt has highlighted the Kisan Credit Card scheme and the e-National Agricultural Market Scheme to “create a single unified market for the State and ultimately for the nation for agricultural commodities”
4. Fortified foods to tackle malnutrition
What’s in news?
- Malnutrition isn’t just about acute starvation.
- Healthy-looking people are malnourished too, because their diet does not include the right micronutrients. Such deficiencies can have serious effects. For instance, iron deficiency leads to critical problems during pregnancy, and not enough Vitamin A can lead to poor vision, infections, and skin problems.
How to tackle this?
- In the year 2016, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) released a set of standards. - Now, a number of enterprises will begin adding premixes of micronutrients to launch fortified foods.
- Milk cooperatives in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Assam and Maharashtra will fortify their products too.
- Targeting children, the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh governments have begun using fortified oil for their mid-day meal schemes. West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are now distributing fortified wheat flour through the public distribution system, and the Maharashtra government has started a pilot project.
- The FSSAI is also working with small local suppliers, for instance local flour grinding mills, to get them to add premixed micronutrients.
Way forwards:
- Consumer should be made aware of such fortified foods.
Basic Information
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
- FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Erdogan calls for war on terror
What’s in news?
- Delegation-level talks between India and Turkey
- Visiting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack on CRPF personnel in Sukma and expressed solidarity with India.
- Turkey and India called for a collective fight against terrorism.
- During the discussion about cross0border terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged for a common strategy against states that use terrorism as an instrument of power.
- Turkey reiterated its support to India’s UNSC bid.
- President Erdogan in a TV interview before arriving in India had called for end to the violence in Kashmir and starting a multilateral dialogue involving India and Pakistan. However India maintained that it had never shied away from holding bilateral talks in line with the 1972 Shimla Pact and the 1999 Lahore agreement and said the main issue in Kashmir is of terrorism.
2. ASEAN wants stronger ties with China
What’s in news?
Manila summit highlights:
- The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has focussed on a regional trade (the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) pact and shoring up economies of some of the lesser developed countries in the grouping.
- Summit took note of the improving cooperation between ASEAN and China.
- It welcomed the progress to complete a framework of the code of conduct in the South China Sea by mid-2017.
Code of conduct:
- The code is a non-binding document that urges self-restraint and resolution of disputes through direct negotiations
- The document welcomed the operationalisation of the Guidelines for Hotline Communications among senior officials of the ministries of foreign affairs of ASEAN countries and China in response to maritime emergencies.
- The leaders focused on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations, pointing out that the giant free trade pact will boost global trade. The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement between ASEAN and six other states — Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. The document highlighted a commitment to assist Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to enable them to bolster regional integration.
- The leaders reiterated their full support for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and for concerned parties to explore all avenues for immediate dialogue.
Key Fact:
- The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
C. GS3 Related
Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. Great Indian Bustard breeding centre to be set up in Kota
What’s in news?
- India’s first captive breeding centre for Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) — Rajasthan’s state bird — will be set up at Sorsan in Kota district, and a hatchery centre at Nokh in Jaisalmer.
- The Centre had decided last year to set up such centres in Rajasthan considering the declining population of GIBs, listed as critically endangered under the wildlife Act, 1972.
- In natural conditions, the breeding of GIBs is slow and even their survival chances are less, be it due to predators or other reasons.
- To protect the species, the state government is developing additional closures and grasslands, and constructing predator-proof fencing in breeding areas.
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Blood group may predict heart attack risk: study
What’s in news?
A new study by researchers analysed the association between blood group and coronary reveals the following notable information:
- People having a non-O blood group such as A, B or AB may be at an increased risk of suffering a heart attack {9 per cent increased risk of coronary events and a 9 per cent increased risk of cardiovascular events, especially myocardial infarction (heart attack)}
- Researchers found that the odds ratio (OR) for all coronary events was significantly higher in carriers of A blood group.
- The OR for combined cardiovascular events was significantly higher in non-O blood group carriers.
- The higher risk for cardiovascular events in non-O blood group carriers may be due to having greater concentrations of von Willebrand factor – a blood clotting protein.
- Non-O blood group carriers, specifically those with an A blood group, are known to have higher cholesterol. And galectin-3 protein, which is linked to inflammation and worse outcomes in heart failure patients, is also higher in those with a non-O blood group.
- Blood group should be considered in risk assessment for cardiovascular prevention, together with cholesterol, age, sex and systolic blood pressure.
What is an Odds ratio?
- An odds ratio (OR) is a measure of association between an exposure and an outcome. The OR represents the odds that an outcome will occur given a particular exposure, compared to the odds of the outcome occurring in the absence of that exposure.
Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Soon, ambulance to come to animals’ rescue with vet on board
What’s in news?
- “Gauvansh Chikitsa Mobile Vans” – an ambulance service catering exclusively to cows was launched.
- The service will transport ill and injured cows to gau shalas or take them to a veterinary for treatment
- A veterinarian along with an assistant will be present in the ambulance.
- A “gau seva toll-free number” was also launched.
- The service will be available in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Mathura and Allahabad.
D. GS4 Related
Nothing here for Today
PIB Articles Editorials Roundup
E. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
F. Bills/Acts/Schemes/Orgs in News
| BILLS/ACTS/SCHEMES/ORGANISATIONS IN NEWS | About the Article |
G. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam
Question 1: Recently “Gauvansh Chikitsa Mobile Vans” was launched in
which state?
- U.P.
- Bihar
- Madhya Pradesh
- Tamil Nadu
Question 2: Deficiency of Vitamin A can lead to _____.
- Poor vision
- Bleeding of gums
- Soft bones
- None of the above
Question 3: “Oilzapping” is a _______.
- New technique used in extraction of oil from wells.
- New technique to get rid of oil spills using Chemicals.
- New technique to get rid of oil spills using bacteria.
- None of the above
Question 4: Identify the correct statement with reference to “Fortification of
foods”.
- Fortification of food is a technique of adding key vitamins ,minerals and other nutrients to staple foods
- Fortification of food techniques main idea is to fight against malnourishment
- Both A and B
- None of the above
Answer
(c)
Type: Health Issues
Level: Moderate
Explanation:
Question 5: Identify the correct statement with reference to the Great Indian
Bustard.
- It has been classified as critically Endangered species under the IUCN’s Red data book
- It has been classified as critically Endangered species under the wildlife Act of 1972.
- Recently Great Indian Breeding center was setup in Kota, Rajasthan
- All are correct
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H. Archives:
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