UPSC 2017: Comprehensive News Analysis - July 16

TABLE OF CONTENT

A. GS1 Related
B. GS2 Related
Polity
1. ‘Scant respect for NHRC’
2. Give data of C-section and normal deliveries: Maneka
3. Housing For All By 2022: With demand-supply gap shrinking, affordable housing segment 
set to grow 
International Relations
1. U.S. likely to unveil South Asia policy soon
2. Malabar drills aim at giving regional security, says Japan
C. GS3 Related
Environment and Ecology
1. Fixing a major piece of the climate puzzle 
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

 

Need Expert Guidance on how to prepare for Current Affairs

 

UPSC Current Affairs 2017: News Analysis

 

A. GS1 Related


 

Nothing here for Today!!!

B. GS2 Related


Category: POLITY

1. ‘Scant respect for NHRC’

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.
Basic Information

National hman rights commission

  • It is autonomous body created by an Act of Parliament.
  • Headed by a former Chief Justice of India
  • Authority to grant interim relief
  • Authority to recommend payment of compensation or damages
  • The Chairperson and the Members of the Commission are appointed by the President of India, on the recommendations of a Committee consisting of:
  • The Prime Minister (chairperson)
  • The Home Minister
  • The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha
  • The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
  • The Speaker of the Lok Sabha
  • The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha

2. Give data of C-section and normal deliveries: Maneka

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
Basic Information

What are C-Section Deliveries?

  • Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the use of surgery to deliver one or more babies
  • A caesarean section is often performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother at risk
  • This may include obstructed labour, twin pregnancy, high blood pressure in the mother, breech birth, problems with the placenta, umbilical cord or shape of the pelvis, and previous C-section
  • A trial of vaginal birth in some of these situations, including after C-section, may be possible
  • Some C-sections are also performed upon request
  • The World Health Organization recommends that they should be done based on medical need and in many cases they are lifesaving for the mother and baby.

3. Housing For All By 2022: With demand-supply gap shrinking, affordable housing segment set to grow

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

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Fixing a major piece of the climate puzzle

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.

2. Malabar drills aim at giving regional security, says Japan

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.

 

C. GS3 Related


Category: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Fixing a major piece of the climate puzzle

In News

  • Fixing air-conditioning would be the best and more effective solution to climate change
  • New research indicates that adding improved efficiency in refrigeration and phasing out fluorinated gases used for cooling, as mandated by international agreement, could eliminate a full degree Celsius of warming by 2100

Air-conditioners and Climate change

  • Hydrofluorocarbons account for about 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is thousands of times as potent as carbon dioxide and may account for up to 19 percent of emissions by 2050 if their manufacture continues unchecked.
  • India to the Philippines to South Africa, air-conditioners are increasingly a must-have item.
  • Businesses and homeowners in Asia and Africa are expected to buy about 700 million air-conditioners by 2030, and 1.6 billion by mid -century.

Measures taken

  • Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
  • The landmark 1987 pact designed to close the hole in the ozone layer by banning ozone-depleting coolants called chlorofluorocarbons/CFCs.
  • The amendment reached last year in the capital of Rwanda binds nations to phase out HFCs, avoiding an estimated half degree Celsius of warming by 2100.

Way forward?

  • Nations must call for new regulatory policies on manufacturing standards and labeling.
Basic Information

Kigali agreement

  • Kigali Amendment which amends the 1987 Montreal Protocol aims to phase out Hydrofluorocarbons by the late 2040s.
  • Under Kigali Amendment, in all 197 countries, including India have agreed to a timeline to reduce the use of HFCs by roughly 85% of their baselines by 2045
  • The Kigali Agreement for HFCs reduction will be binding on countries from 2019
  • It also has provisions for penalties for non-compliance

 

D. GS4 Related


Nothing here for Today!!!

 

PIB Articles                           

 

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


PRELIMS WORTHY FACTUAL INFORMATION

 

 

F. Bills/Acts/Schemes/Orgs in News


Nothing here for Today!!!

 

G. Practice Questions for UPSC Prelims Exam


Question 1: Consider the following disabilities:
  1. Muscular Dystrophy
  2. Acid Attack Victim
  3. Dwarfism

Which among the following has been identified as disability under The Rights Of Person With Disability Act, 2016

  1. 1 only
  2. 1 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 2 only
  4. 1,2 and 3
See
Answer


(d)

Topic: Current Affairs
Level: Moderate

Explanation: 

 

Question 2: The strategic oil- and gas bearing region called “Yamala Peninsula” is located 
in which country?
  1. Russia
  2. Norway
  3. Vietnam
  4. China
See
Answer


 (a)

Topic: Geography-Map based
Level: Moderate

Explanation:

The Yamal Peninsula stretches some seven hundred kilometres into the Arctic Ocean from the Russian mainland below the Arctic Circle. It is believed that his region has one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world.

Question 3: Rajgir Mahotsav is celebrated in _________.
  1. Rajasthan
  2. Bihar
  3. Uttar Pradesh
  4. Madhya Pradesh
See
Answer


(b)

Topic: Culture
Level: Moderate

Explanation:

Rajgir, the ancient capital of the Magadhan empire in Bihar is held sacred by both Buddhists and Jains for its association with the Buddha and Mahavir. Department of Tourism, Bihar holds a colourful festival of dance and music, Rajgir Mahotsav or Dance Festival every year in Rajgir.

Question 4: Sangai Festival is celebrated in which among the following states of India?
  1. Assam
  2. Manipur
  3. Bihar
  4. Karnataka
See
Answer


(b)

Topic: Culture
Level: Moderate

Explanation:

The Manipur Sangai Festival is an annual calendar mega-event of the Government of Manipur spearheaded by the Tourism Department that seeks to showcase and promote the finest of Manipur’s arts & culture, adventure sports, indigenous cuisines, handloom & handicrafts, fine arts, indigenous games & music and various other niche products to a regional, national and global audience.

Question 5: The “Aichi Targets” are related to ________.
  1. Conservation of Biodiversity
  2. Conservation of Wetlands
  3. Conservation of Coral reefs
  4. Prevention of Plastic use
See
Answer


(a)

Topic: Environment and Ecology
Level: Moderate

Explanation:

The Aichi Targets are a set of 20, time-bound, measureable targets for the conservation of biodiversity. The targets were agreed by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010. Achievement of the targets will contribute to reducing, and eventually halting, the loss of biodiversity at a global level by the middle of the twenty-first century.

 

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