IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-01

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India makes modest progress in Human Development Index, fares poorly in gender equality

News

• Making a marginal improvement, India climbed one spot to be placed at 129 among 189 countries in the 2019 Human Development Index (HDI) report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• Last year, India ranked 130 in the index.

Human Development Index

• In India, 27.1 crore people were lifted out of poverty from 2005-06 to 2015-16. The steady progress was due to nearly three decades of rapid development, which had seen a dramatic reduction in absolute poverty, along with gains in life expectancy, education, and access to health care.
• The report stated that India’s HDI value increased by 50 per cent, from 0.431 to 0.647 per cent, placing it above the average for countries in the medium human development group (0.634) and above the average for other south Asian countries (0.642).
• The HDI is measured in three basic dimensions of human development for assessing long-term progress a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living.
• The report shows that from 1990-2018 life expectancy increased by 11.6 years and per capita income rose by 250 per cent.
• Despite India’s progress, it accounts for 28 per cent of the 1.3 billion multidimensional poor. The report also noted that despite the slight progress, gender-based inequalities still persisted in the country, affecting women.
• India ranks at a low 122 among 162 countries on the Gender Development Index.
• The three basic dimensions of human development are measured in different ways. A long and healthy life is measured by life expectancy.
• Knowledge level is measured by mean years of schooling among the adult population which is the average number of years of schooling received in a life-time by people aged 25 years and older and access to learning and knowledge by expected years of schooling for children of school-entry age which is the total number of years of schooling a child of school-entry age can expect to receive if prevailing patterns of age-specific enrolment rates stay the same throughout the child’s life.
• Standard of living is measured by Gross National Income (GNI) per capita expressed in constant 2011 international dollars converted using purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion rates.

Volcanic rocks may trigger massive unseen global warming effects: Study

News

• Greenhouse gas emissions directly from the movement of volcanic rocks can create massive global warming effects more than previously believed according to a study which may lead to changes in the way scientists estimate climate change.

Volcanic rocks

• The study, noted that changes in the planet’s geology caused the largest temporary global warming of the past 65 million years, based on scientists’ calculation of how carbon-based greenhouse gas levels linked to movements of magma below the Earth’s surface.
• The researchers, said one such role in climate change could be played by Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) extremely large accumulations of rocks forming when magma travelled through the crust towards the surface.
• They created a model of changes in carbon emissions during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) a short interval of maximum temperature lasting around 100,000 years some 55 million years ago.
• As part of the study, the researchers calculated the greenhouse gas fluxes associated with the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) one of Earth’s largest LIPs that spans Britain, Ireland, Norway and Greenland.
• The link between LIPs and changes in global climate during the Mesozoic era suggests that greenhouse gases released directly by these rocks could initiate a domino effect of changes in the Earth’s environment which could persists over 10,000 to 100,000 years.
• According to the researchers, the PETM is the largest natural climate change event of this era.
  It is an important yardstick for theories explaining current long-term increase in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere as an effect of human industry and agriculture.
• Greenhouse gas emissions to the ocean-atmosphere system drove 4-5 degree Celsius of global warming in less than 20,000 years.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

 Lok Sabha passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019

News

• The Lok Sabha passed the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill with 311 votes in favor. 80 MPs voted against the Bill.
• The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan escaping religious persecution there.

Delhi pollution: SC partially lifts ban on construction, allows work only during day time

News

• The Supreme Court partially lifted its ban on construction activities in Delhi-NCR, allowing work from 6 am to 6 pm, even as the air quality in the national capital remained in the “very poor” category for the sixth consecutive day.

Partially lifted ban

• Taking into account the report of the Central Pollution Control Board, the Supreme Court permitted construction activities during the day but the ban would be enforced during the night.
• The apex court also directed Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to submit a report on the stubble burning in each state by December 11.
• On the other hand, the Centre told the apex court they have set up a high-level committee, in association with IIT, to examine the use of technology like smog towers to combat pollution.
• Earlier in November, the apex court imposed a ban on all kinds of construction work in view of the rising pollution levels in the national capital.
• The apex court had said dust emanating from construction sites was one of the major internal contributors to air pollution in the capital. The court also said that a fine of Rs 1 lakh would be imposed on those violating the order.
• Delhi-NCR witnessed one of the worst episodes of smog this year, with AQI hovering between 490 and 500. Schools were directed to remain shut in view of the rising pollution, and the Delhi government’s odd-even scheme was also brought into force.

India hires US lobbying firm to build image

News

• The Indian Embassy in the United States has hired Cornerstone Government Affairs, an American lobbying firm, in an effort to build a positive opinion in Washington DC and beyond.

Cornerstone

• This comes about a month-and-a-half after a US Congressional hearing on the Kashmir situation, where the government was criticised for its decision to revoke special status for J&K under Article 370.
• According to latest Foreign Agents Registration Act filings, the government has hired Cornerstone Government Affairs on a three-month contract to represent it in Washington.
• Cornerstone will provide “strategic counsel, tactical planning and government relations assistance on policy matters before the U.S. Government, the U.S. Congress, and select state governments, as well as academic institutions and think-tanks,” according to a copy of the contract filed with the US Justice Department. The contract is worth $40,000 per month.
• The contract went into effect December 1 and is up to February 29.
• Cornerstone has a strong track record of lobbying in the White House, US Congress members and committees and different branches of the US administration, including US Trade Representatives’ (YSTR) office, Homeland Security, Defence, Treasury and others.
• At a time when India is facing tough questions from US Congress members on Kashmir, and is negotiating trade deal with the USTR’s office and team, and faces scrutiny on H1B visa issues from several US Congress members, services of such lobbying firms may come in handy.
• Located in downtown Washington DC, Cornerstone Global Affairs is a prominent lobbying firm, which was founded in 2002 as a bipartisan public affairs firm.
• Cornerstone has emerged as one of the big lobbying firms in the Donald Trump administration, which took in $9.26 million for its advocacy work throughout the beginning of 2017 – about $1 million more than the first six months of 2016.

Bihar: 34,549 water bodies, 19,739 roads encroached, govt survey shows

News

• A recent survey by the Bihar government has shown that 34,559 water bodies and 19,739 roads across the state have been encroached upon for years.

Encroachment

• The survey was ordered after the maximum cases registered under the Public Grievances Redressal Act, 2015, were found to be encroachment-related. The government had lodged 1,803 cases against encroachers of water bodies.
• The land and revenue department recently asked all divisional commissioners and district magistrates to clear encroachments from water bodies and roads.
• The government’s special drive, though long overdue, was initiated after it launched the Jal Jeevan Hariyali mission in a bid to revive water bodies. Water table in the state has gone down from 10 to 200 feet over the last decade.
• A cumulative report district authorities, submitted to the land and revenue department, showed that of 1,48,231 water bodies across the state, 34,559 had been encroached upon.

Establish central monitoring agency to manage water resources: NHRC to Centre

News

• THE National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Centre to look into the issue of establishing a central monitoring agency to manage and control water resources that are shared by two or more states within specific time limit.
• The NHRC has also directed the government to take up the complaints regarding compensation to flood-affected residents in Kolhapur and Sangli as per their claims and not on ad hoc basis.

Five Sainik schools enroll girls, rest to join league

News

• The government has approved admission of girls in five Sainik schools for the academic session 2020-21 after a pilot project and now decided to admit girls in all 31 Sainik Schools in the country for which a time-bound action plan will be implemented, Rajya Sabha was told.

Admission of girls

• The government has approved admission of girls in five Sainik Schools Kalikiri (Andhra Pradesh), Kodagu (Karnataka), Ghorakhal (Uttarakhand), Chandrapur (Maharashtra) and Bijapur (Karnataka) for the academic session 2020-21.
• The government has made a provision of 10 per cent reservation for girls in such schools.
• If any state felt the need for Sainik Schools they can send the proposal to the Centre.

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to manage waste collection in the city

News

• The entire waste collection system will be run by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation now as the much-awaited memorandum of understanding has been signed between the waste collectors and the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation after a year-long deadlock.
• It is the corporation that will directly send bills of waste collection to the house owners.

Waste collection system

• The system will begin from January onwards with the corporation’s twin-bin hopper tipper vehicles going around house to house collecting the waste. The independent waste collectors will be working as helpers in these vehicles.
• The MoU comes just a month before the city is to compete with other cities in Swachhta Survekshan. This will help the MC in ensuring that the segregation of waste is done. If it is not done, the house owner can be penalised.
• For this present system, around 250 vehicles will be required by the MC. One vehicle will carry out waste collection from 800 houses. As per the medical officer of health wing, there are around 1,700 waste collectors in the city. But the exact number is yet to be ascertained.
• The entire plan would be brought in the General House meeting scheduled this month so that the corporation can begin the system from January onwards. Already there are small 100 twin-bin vehicles with them and Smart City Limited has also decided to give 40 such vehicles.
• Chandigarh generates 540 metric tonnes of waste of which 90 tonnes are of construction and demolition waste.
• It is estimated that of the remaining 450 tonnes of waste, 120 tonne is horticulture waste, which will be processed and composting will be done for the 110 tonnes of wet waste.
• Of the remaining 220 tonnes, 80 per cent of the waste is recyclable and just 150 tonnes will be left for the garbage processing plant to process.

Telling Numbers: Year on year, drop in malaria, dengue and chikungunya cases

News

• In 2018, the country recorded 4,29,928 cases of malaria, 1,01,192 cases of dengue, and 57,813 clinically suspected cases of chikungunya.
• For each of these diseases, the number of cases was less than in 2017, when there were 8,44,558 cases of malaria, 1,88,401 of dengue and 67,769 of chikungunya.

Diseases in number

• The highest number of malaria cases in 2018 was recorded in Uttar Pradesh, at 86,486, followed by Chhattisgarh (78,717), Odisha (66,311), Jharkhand (57,095) and West Bengal (26,440). Except Uttar Pradesh, all these states registered a lower number of cases than in 2017. In Uttar Pradesh, the number of cases rose from 32,345 in 2017.
• For dengue, Punjab recorded the highest number of cases in 2018, at 14,890, down from 15,398 cases in 2017. It was followed by Maharashtra (11,011), Rajasthan (9,587), Gujarat (7,579) and Delhi (7,136). While the number of cases decreased in Punjab and Delhi between 2017 and 2018, it rose in each of the other three states.
• For clinically suspected cases of chikungunya, the highest count was 20,411 in Karnataka, down from 32,831 cases in 2017. Karnataka is followed by Gujarat (10,601), Maharashtra (9,884), Jharkhand (3,405) and Madhya Pradesh (3,211).
• Dengue and chikungunya are outbreak-prone diseases, and therefore their numbers vary from state to state and from time to time.
• Therefore, a year-on-year increase in the number of cases for a particular state depends on when an outbreak happens.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

As RBI buys dollars, Rupee falls 2.5% in 2019 despite huge foreign funds flow

News

• In an apparent change in stance away from managing excess volatility in the rupee, the Reserve Bank of India seems to be containing any sharp appreciation in the currency.
• Despite the recent gush of foreign fund flows into the equity and debt markets, the rupee has remained relatively weak against the United States dollar.

Foreign funds flow

• A weak currency aids exports, and helps a country be competitive in international trade. Many countries including China and Brazil are alleged to have kept their currencies weak, provoking the US to either impose or threaten tariffs on their products.
• In the current calendar year so far, the rupee has depreciated by almost 2.5 per cent, even as foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have pumped in a net Rs 1.31 lakh crore.
• Analysts said the RBI has been buying dollars to keep the rupee from sharp appreciation. This is reflected in the surge in India’s foreign exchange reserves by almost $20 billion to $448.59 billion on November 22 from $428.60 billion on August 30.
• Over the last 11 months, FPIs have poured in Rs 1,31,291 crore, and forex reserves have jumped by around $55 billion (for the week ended November 22). The rupee, on the other hand, has weakened against the US dollar from 70.02 at the beginning of the year to 71.20 on December 3, 2019.
• It is also important to note that crude oil prices have remained largely stable. It was around $60 per barrel in January, climbed to levels of $75 in April, and is currently trading around $65 per barrel.
• By comparison, in 2017, when FPIs pumped over Rs 2,00,000 crore into the Indian securities market and forex reserves jumped by $49 billion, the rupee also strengthened significantly against the dollar from 68.37 in the beginning of January 2017 to 63.5 at the end of December.

Odisha to bank on PM-Kisan to fund 60 per cent annual aid to farmers

News

• Almost a year after launching its agriculture livelihood assistance scheme KALIA with great fanfare, the Odisha government has decided to bank on the money under the Centre’s PM-Kisan to fund 60 per cent of the annual Rs 10,000 assistance to farmers promised under KALIA.

KALIA assistance

• • The cut in its support component could save the state government hundreds of crores in a year. Currently, the government is distributing KALIA assistance for the Rabi season.
  • In December last year, Chief Minister  announced his cabinet’s approval to Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme under which Rs 10,180 crore will be spent over three years for providing financial assistance to cultivators and landless agricultural labourers in the state.
  • Under KALIA, financial assistance of Rs 25,000 is to be provided over five crop seasons to small and marginal farmers to buy seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and for labour and other investments. This means each beneficiary is supposed to receive Rs 10,000 per year.
  • This assistance is meant for farmers owning less than two hectares of agricultural land. Over 36 lakh farmers had received Rs 5,000 each under KALIA in the first crop season after its announcement.
  • The farmer continues to get Rs 10,000. The only difference is now he is getting Rs 4,000 under KALIA and Rs 6,000 under PM Kisan.
  • Keeping parity of both the schemes (KALIA and PM Kisan), the small and marginal farmers may be given.Rs 4,000 per year from 2020-21, so that they will get Rs 10,000 annually i.e Rs 6,000 from PM Kisan.
  • KALIA also provides financial assistance of Rs12,500 to each landless agricultural household for activities allied to agriculture, such as goat-rearing units, mini-layer unit, duck units, fishery kits for fisherman, mushroom cultivation and beekeeping.

With duplicate SIM, cyber fraudsters rob finance firm of Rs 50 lakh

News

• A Pune-based businessman was cheated to the tune of Rs 50 lakh by online fraudsters who allegedly procured a SIM card of a mobile phone number that was registered in his name and linked to his bank account.

Cyber fraud

• Based on the complaint filed, police have booked unidentified cyber fraudsters along with 28 bank account holders under sections 465, 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), pertaining to forgery, and sections of the Information Technology Act.
• Probe has revealed the cyber fraudsters managed to block the SIM card of the complainant’s mobile phone number and procure a new SIM card from the telecom company by submitting forged documents in his name, without either his knowledge or consent.
• Using this new SIM card, the fraudsters transferred Rs 50 lakh from his firm’s bank account to 28 other accounts through illegal online transactions. The one time passwords (OTPs) generated for these transactions were posted on the new SIM card, which was in possession of the fraudsters.
• On learning about the cyber fraud, the complainant filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell. He also asked the telecom company to block the new SIM card issued in his name and procured another SIM card. After preliminary probe, an FIR has been lodged and further investigation is on to identify the accused.

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