30 August 2019: PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam.

August 30th, 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

Aqua Aquaria India 2019

Context:

The Vice President Shri Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the 5^th edition of India’s international aquaculture show, the Aqua Aquaria India 2019.

Details:

• The Aqua Aquaria India exhibit is organised by The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) once every two years.
• It is one of the largest aquaculture cum aquariculture shows in Asia.
• It offers a platform for the stakeholders of aquaculture and ornamental fish to meet, discuss various aspects and be updated on the latest developments in the area.
• Renowned experts from all over the world will give technical sessions on various related aspects.
• In 2019, the fifth edition is being held at Hyderabad. About 5000 delegates from India and abroad are participating this time.
• Date of the event: 30^th August to 1^st September 2019.
• The previous edition was held at Mangalore in Karnataka, in 2017.

About MPEDA:

• MPEDA was established by an Act of Parliament in 1972.
• It is engaged in promoting the marine products industry with special reference to exports from the country.
• It regulates exports of marine products.
• It is also the nodal agency for the holistic development of seafood industry in India.
• It focuses on market promotion, capture fisheries, culture fisheries, processing infrastructure & value addition, quality control, research and development.

New Cabinet Secretary

Context:

Shri Rajiv Gauba today took over as the new Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India after the superannuation of Shri P.K. Sinha.

About the Post of the Cabinet Secretary (CS)

• The Cabinet Secretary is the top-most executive official and senior-most civil servant of the Government of India.
• He/she is the ex officio head of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
• He/she reports directly to the Prime Minister.
• From 2010, the term of a Cabinet Secretary is four years.

Functions of the CS:

1. He/she heads the Cabinet Secretariat.
2. Is the chief coordinator of the Union Government.
3. Is the chairperson of the Civil Services Board, the Senior Selection Board, the Conference of Chief Secretaries of States, etc.
4. Advises the PM.
5. Prepares the agenda for and minutes of the Cabinet meetings.

GeM and SIDBI sign MoU

Context:

The Government e Marketplace (GeM) has signed an MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to benefit MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Women Self Help Groups and various loan beneficiaries under MUDRA and Stand-up India scheme.

Details:

• This will enable promotion of special initiatives of GeM like Womaniya and Start-up Runway with SIDBI stakeholders.
• Both parties will take steps to ensure payments within a guaranteed timeframe to sellers, enhance working capital availability through bill discounting and control NPAs through control of end use.

About Start-up Runway:

• This scheme was launched in February 2019.
• It was initiated by GeM to promote entrepreneurship through innovation.
• It is an opportunity for agile and lean Startups to reach out to the universe of Government Buyers by offering products and services that are unique in concept, design, process and functionality through StartUp Runway corner.
• This scheme will help startups to:
  • Introduce their unique innovations to government and PSU buyers.
  • Assess utility and market acceptability of startup products/services.
  • Spur hyper-local job-creation and wealth generation to achieve inclusive growth by way of helping startups.

About Womaniya:

• It is an initiative to enable women entrepreneurs and women self-help groups (WSHGs) to sell handicrafts and handloom, accessories, jute and coir products, home décor and office furnishings, directly to various Government ministries, departments and institutions.
• The initiative seeks to develop women entrepreneurship on the margins of society to achieve gender-inclusive economic growth.

National Lab Directory

Context:

The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan launched National Lab Directory.

Details:

• The National Lab Directory is a one-stop-shop for all testing needs of the industries, academia, researchers and other stakeholders who need to get their Testing Facilities accredited / certified / recognised.
• The Directory presently encompasses NABL accredited, BIS Recognised/Empanelled Labs, Hallmarking Labs.
• The labs which are recognised/notified by FASAI, APEDA, EIC, can also be indicated accordingly.
• All testing facilities for various labs can be searched by Products, IS standards, etc.
• Besides intelligent search cutting across various databases interlinked through APIs, there is an interactive Geographical Information System and Drill Down Dashboard.
• This Directory will benefit all stakeholders such as manufacturers, consumers, regulatory agencies, government and research institutions in identifying the test facilities that are required for assessing conformity of relevant products or in testing for the purpose of research and development.

Mt. Kun (7077 m)

Context:

The Indian Army conducted a mountaineering expedition to Mt. Kun between 30^th July and 29^th August 2019. Men and women took part in the expedition.

About Mt. Kun:

• Kun is the second-highest peak in between the Zanskar and Kargil regions of Ladakh.
• The mountain was first climbed in 1913.
• It is a part of the Nun Kun mountain massif in the Himalayas.
• Nun (7135 m) is the highest peak in the part of the Himalayan range lying on the Indian side of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The massif is in Kargil District.
• Kun is located north of Nun and is separated by a 4 km-long snowy plateau.

CBDT constitutes Start-up Cell for redressal of grievances related to Start-ups

Context:

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has constituted a Start-up Cell for redressal of grievances related to Start-ups.

Details:

• As part of the measures for mitigating the genuine difficulties of Start-ups, it was decided that a dedicated cell would be set up under a Member of CBDT for addressing the specific problems of Start-ups.
• The Cell will work towards redressal of grievances and mitigate tax-related issues in case of Start-up entities with respect to administration of the Income-tax Act, 1961.
• Start-up entities can approach the Cell for speedy resolution of their grievances. This initiative is the latest amongst the recent initiatives taken by CBDT to further ease the compliance issues pertaining to Start-ups.

MoU between TB Division of the Health Ministry and Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence

Context:

The Central TB Division of the Health Ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence to explore the application of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence technology in its fight against TB.

Details:

• Wadhwani AI would be supporting National TB programme become AI-ready which would include, developing, piloting, and deploying AI-based solutions.
• It would support the programme in vulnerability and hot-spot mapping, modelling novel methods of screening and diagnostics and enabling decision support for care-givers apart from supporting the RNTCP in adoption of other AI technologies.
• The Revised National TB Control Programme has been at the forefront of adoption of newer technologies in healthcare.
• India is committed to ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Global Sustainable Development targets.

About TB:

• Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable.
• TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.

What are Latent TB and active TB?

• Latent TB: In this condition, you have a TB infection, but the bacteria remain in your body in an inactive state and cause no symptoms. Latent TB, also called inactive TB or TB infection, isn’t contagious. It can turn into active TB, so treatment is important for the person with latent TB and to help control the spread of TB. About one-third of the world’s population has latent TB.
• Active TB: This condition makes you sick and in most cases can spread to others. It can occur in the first few weeks after infection with the TB bacteria, or it might occur years later.

Estimates of Gross Domestic Product for the First Quarter (April-June) of 2019-20

Context:

The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter (April-June) Q1, of 2019-20.

Details:

• The GDP at 2011 – 2012 prices for 2019 – 20 is estimated to be Rs. 3,585,175 crore, which is a 5% increase from 2018 – 19.
• The GDP at current prices for 2019 – 20 is estimated to be Rs. 4,892,693 crore, which is an 8% increase from the 2018 – 10 value.

Observations:

• This GDP growth for the first quarter of the financial year 2019 – 20 has been the slowest in more than six years.
• The manufacturing sector is the sector which is leading in dragging the GDP growth down.
• The ‘agriculture, forestry and fishing’ and construction sectors registered a dip in the growth rates.
• Mining and quarrying saw a rise in growth rate.
• Sectors which registered an over 7% growth in Q1 are:
  • Electricity, Gas, Water Supply & Other Utility Services
  • Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication and Services Related to Broadcasting
  • Public Administration, Defence and Other Services

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