UPSC 2017: Comprehensive News Analysis - July 16

Basic Information:

In News

• In a 26-page judgment, the Supreme Court throws points out that human rights and the National Human Rights Commission have suffered a slow death at the hands of the government and the State authorities.
• Neglect and stagnation suffered by the NHRC has imperilled human rights in the nation like in fake encounter’ killings of Manipur

Problems faced by NHRC

• The NHRC, which had investigated 20 of these deaths, was stonewalled for years by the authorities.
• It is actually headed by a former Chief Justice of India or judges of the Supreme Court, had declared its own failure and termed itself a “toothless tiger”.
• The intention of the NHRC is to more effectively assist the criminal justice delivery system and avoid any factual controversies while respecting human rights.
• It is not as if the dignity of only living persons needs to be respected. Even the dignity of the dead must be given due respect.

NHRC’s revised guidelines of 2010

• It makes magisterial inquiry into every police encounter death
• The NHRC has to be informed of every encounter death.
• However, these guidelines are given scant respect by the States.
• In many States, human rights commissions are obvious in their absence for years.

What is the issue?

• To combat the alarming rise in caesarean section operations in India, Union Government is considering audit of private hospitals
• They will be asked to display the data of normal and C-section deliveries prominently

Recent step taken by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry

• The Ministry has written to Health Ministery asking that it be made mandatory for private hospitals enrolled with the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to display the data of C-section and normal deliveries
• The Ministery has further demanded that the Health Ministry direct State governments to conduct periodic audits of private hospitals to ensure unnecessary procedures are not being conducted

Increased cases of C-Section Deliveries

• According to the latest data from the National Family Health Survey 2014-15 (NFHS-4), C-section surgeries have doubled over the last decade across India
• The NFHS-4 data revealed that Telangana has the highest number of C-section deliveries in the country, with 74.9% babies born this way in private hospitals
• Over 40% of the deliveries in Bihar were C-sections, while 58 % of the deliveries in Maharashtra were through C-section procedures
• As per World Health Organization guidelines, 10-15% of deliveries being C-sections is considered appropriate

In News

Demand-Supply gap shrinking

• Affordable housing schemes are on a growth curve in 2017
• Huge demand in housing segments is being met with increasing supply

Present Scenario

• In housing sector, massive demand and massive unsold residential inventory is co-existing
• Why: This is the result of pricing mismatch

Governments Efforts under the ‘Housing for All by 2022’

• The government is collaborating with private builders and developers under a public-private partnership (PPP) model to make ‘Housing for All by 2022’

Other efforts by the government

• The government has provided 39 per cent higher allocations for affordable housing development vis-à-vis FY17 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
• It has also extended the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme to loans of value up to Rs 12 lakh
• Government policies like the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) have infused fresh buyer confidence into the realty sector
• The most important decision by government is that it a has granted infrastructure status to affordable housing

Observation of ICRA

• According to the ICRA, the affordable housing segment in India is set to grow at a faster pace than the rest of the real estate sector
• Also, it will be the key growth driver for the Indian mortgage finance market

Positive things that are coming in the affordable  Housing sector

• The segment has lost its “down market” label and become a serious and respectable business sector for developers
• It is a given that the demand-supply gap is huge, but the fact is that it is narrowing visibly for the first time in several decades

In news:

• The Trump administration is likely to unveil its South Asia policy in the coming weeks.
• The review is likely to include the United States’ position on its relations with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• National Defense Authorization Act 2018: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill worth about $ 621.5 billion that will enable increased cooperation with India in the defense sector.

In News:

Trilateral Naval exercise, Malabar 2017

• The trilateral Naval exercise, Malabar 2017, involving India, the U.S. and Japan, is strategically very important and meant to maintain the rule of law and maritime security in the region.
• It is for safeguarding peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region” and there could be more exchanges involving ground and air forces and an exchange of personnel in various areas.

Asia-Africa Growth Corridor project

• Envisaging an India-Japan collaboration in Africa
• For a free and open Indo-Pacific region and to make this region more inter-connected and prosperous.
• It is not particularly counter-balancing to some initiative such as China’s Belt and Road project,
• This initiative is important for prosperity and security of this region
• India has vast experience, network in eastern part of Africa and Japan have good technology and financing to support African development.
• Japan has been working with Indian officials and businessmen for “a concrete development plan” in Africa.

Recent takeaways

• Civil nuclear agreement, signed between the two countries last year, given the Diet’s approval.
• Japanese investors in India were “very happy” with roll out of the GST.

Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Fixing a major piece of the climate puzzle

Nothing here for Today!!!

PIB Articles                           

Nothing here for Today!!!

G. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam

Question 1: Consider the following disabilities:

Question 2: The strategic oil- and gas bearing region called “Yamala Peninsula” is located 
in which country?

Question 3: Rajgir Mahotsav is celebrated in _________.

Question 4: Sangai Festival is celebrated in which among the following states of India?

Question 5: The “Aichi Targets” are related to ________.