Comprehensive News Analysis - 15 February 2016

Useful News Articles

A. GS1 Related:

1. Muslims in West Bengal more deprived, disproportionately poorer: Amartya Sen

Topic: Society

Category: Minority issues

Location: The Hindu, Page 8

Key Points:

• Name of the report: Living Reality of Muslims in West Bengal

• Produced by 2 Kolkata-based research organizations :Association SNAP(Social Network for Assistance to People) and Guidance Guild, in association with Prof. Sen’ s trust, Pratichi India

• Based on survey carried out in 325 villages and 75 urban wards

• Findings: Muslims have a literacy rate 7% lower than the state’s average; health facilities lacking in areas with more percentage of Muslim population.

1. Central nodal agency to curb human trafficking planned

Topic: Society

Category: Women and child issues

Location: The Hindu,Page 12 &13

Key Points:

• The Global Slavery Index of 2014, released by Australia based Walk Free Foundation says 1.4 crore workers in India are bonded laborers.

• The Under Secretary (Prison Reforms and Anti Trafficking Cell),MHA, GoI said the union government has decided to set up a central nodal agency to prevent human trafficking.

• He also said that the government was mooting a law complementary to the nodal agency

• The government has also proposed to revamp the rehabilitation scheme for rescued bond workers

• Aid is to be raised from Rs 20000 to Rs 3 lakh

• A three tier funding scheme is proposed:3 lakh to disabled persons and transgenders,2 lakh for women and children and 1 lakh for adult men

B. GS2 Related:

1. Ministry rejects smart card plan for unorganized workers

Topic: Governance

Category: Welfare schemes-implementation

Location: The Hindu, Page 15

Key Points:

• The Unorganized Workers’ Identification Number Scheme (UWIN) was mooted in Sept 2014 by the labor ministry.

• The scheme is proposed to provide a smart card to unorganized workers entitled to benefits under various welfare schemes

• The portable smart card would have details of bank account, mobile numbers and benefits of social security schemes that can be availed by the workers

• The unorganized sector workforce accounts for 89% of the total workforce according to government estimates.

• The finance ministry rejected the plan citing design related issues.

C. GS3 Related:

1. NIA to hand over photos of Pathankot attackers to Pak

Topic: Security

Category: security challenges in border areas

Location: The Hindu, Page 12

Key Points:

• National Investigation Agency(NIA) is to send photos of Pathankot attackers to Pakistan

• Their bodies are to be kept in deep freezers under police protection till their identities are established

• The calls made by the attackers from snatched phones were numbers registered with service providers in Pakistan

• India believes Jaish-e-Mohammad, an extremist Islamist group based in Pakistan was behind the attack

• Pakistan is expected to cooperate with India as Pakistan is a signatory of UNSC resolution 1373 on counter terrorism

• The SAARC Convention of which Pakistan is a member also necessitates her to cooperate with India.

2. Indian Gravity wave detector 8 years away

Topic: Technology

Category: indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Location: The Hindu, Page 13

Key Points:

• India LIGO(INDIGO) an Indian replica of the 2 US LIGO detectors would take at least 8 years and cost Rs 1200 cr

• The project that was to be located in Australia is scheduled to be located in India.

• US is ready to ship many of its components

• 25 sites are being considered. North India is ruled out because of seismicity and sandstorms

• The Deccan plateau is considered best suited.

• The third detector would improve the chances of detecting G waves and also increase Indian contribution and know how

• Indians have already contributed to the discovery of G waves substantially.

3. Jaitley hints at cutting equity in banks

Topic: Economy

Category: State of Indian Economy

Location: The Hindu, Page 12

Key Points:

• The finance minister hinted that the government equity in public sector banks would be reduced to 51-52%

• A confirmation along with more reforms is awaited in the coming budget

• The government is committed to zero interference in the banks he said

• He also said the boards of the banks have to professionalized

4. Auto exports decline 19% in January

Topic: Economy

Category: State of Indian Economy

Location: The Hindu, Page 15

Key Points:

• Passenger car shipments fell to 33909 units in Jan this year from 41 787 units in Jan 2015.

• Main export markets: neighboring countries, Europe, Algeria.

• Problems: Algeria-changes in technical regulations, Sri Lanka-high taxation, Europe-general slump in demand

• Domestic car sales also declined marginally after 14 months of continued growth

• The slump in manufacturing sector is increasing worries about reaching 7.6% growth expectation in March

5. Russia to continue targeting rebels

Topic: international relations

Category: global affairs

Location: The Hindu, Page 14

Key Points:

The Syrian war: no end in sight

• The Munich (Germany) talks agreed upon expanding humanitarian aid. Ceasefire agreements were not finalized.

• Major Powers agreed to a limited cessation of hostilities in Syria but the deal does not take effect until the end of this week.

• It was not signed by any warring parties — the Damascus government and numerous rebel factions fighting it

• Russian bombing raids directed at rebel groups are meanwhile helping the Syrian army to achieve victory in the battle for Aleppo, the country’s largest city before the conflict.

• The Kurdish YPG militia, helped by Russian air raids have seized an ex-military air base at Menagh last week, angering Turkey

• In response, Turkish army shelled Kurdish militia in northern Syria(There is ongoing Kurdish insurgency in Turkey)

• Meanwhile, Putin and Obama have agreed to intensify cooperation to implement the agreement on Syria struck in Munich.

• But the Kremlin statement said Russia would continue bombing raids against Islamic State and other rebel groups fighting Assad (Syrian govt).

• A senior ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Russia had gained the upper hand in Syria and the surrounding region through armed force

• Thus even a temporary ceasefire is only a distant possibility

6. U.N.: civilian injuries in Afghan war worst since 2009

Topic: international relations

Category: India’s neighbors

Location: The Hindu official site

Key Points:

• The U.N.’s Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said 2015 had the “highest number of total civilian casualties recorded by UNAMA since 2009.

• Name of the report: ‘Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’

• 10% of civilian casualties were women, up 37% percent from the year before. 25% were children, up 14 %.

• 62 percent of all civilian casualties are attributed to anti-government elements, which includes the Taliban

• 17 percent were blamed on pro-government forces and 2 percent on international military forces.

• Twin suicide attacks in the capital Kabul, Taliban’s assault on the northern city of Kunduz were highlighted as reasons for the rise in causalities

D. GS4 Related:

E. Important Editorials: A Quick Glance

1. Prime Minister Modi urged to make reality match ‘Make in India’ hype

Topic: Economy

Category: State of Indian Economy

Location: The Hindu, Page 12

• 10 pavilions have been erected for the ‘Make in India Week’ event in Mumbai

• The Make in India initiative was launched by the PM to spark a renewed sense of pride in India’s manufacturing on 25 September 2014.

• roadblocks:

1. key legislation such as GST and land acquisition bill are stuck in parliament

-)According to the Boston Consulting Group:

2.- the proportion of manufacturing to GDP has been stuck at around 17% for five years, below the government’s goal of 25 %

3.-India may only create 8 million jobs by 2022, well below the government’s goal of 100 million

4. India lacks the infrastructure and the skills for its exports to compete internationally says some experts

• businesses want custom duty and export incentives, tax rationalization and removal of ambiguous land acquisition policies

• Wins: foreign direct investment nearly doubled to $59 billion last year, the seventh most in the world(UNCTAD)

F. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:

i. Global Slavery Index

ii. GDP

iii. UNSC Resolution 1373

iv. NIA

v. UNCTAD

vi. Kurdish militancy

vii.FDI

viii.GST

G. Fun with Practice Questions 🙂

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