Daily Current Affairs 20 January 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) 2G mobile phones connection restored in Jammu and Kashmir

• All prepaid mobile connections and 2G mobile Internet services were restored in parts of Jammu and Kashmir on 18 Jan 2020, even as the authorities’ bid to provide limited access Internet has hit the ‘whitelist’ wall after poor speeds in four districts of Jammu made websites inaccessible.
• Voice and short messaging service (SMS) facility on all local prepaid SIM cards across J&K shall be restored 2G mobile data services on the post­paid mobiles for accessing whitelisted sites shall be allowed in all 10 districts of Jammu division, besides Kupwara and Bandipora districts of the Kashmir Valley
• Telecom service providers  would initiate the process for verification of credentials of prepaid subscribers as per the norms applicable for postpaid connections
• However, Internet will remain suspended in Srinagar and seven other districts of the Valley. 
• Information technology firms would also be provided with fixed-line Net connectivity with the precautions directed by the Home department. The department has invoked SubSection (2) of Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and Sub­Rule (1) of Rule 2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, and decided to make “only 153 websites whitelist” available

About the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 of Section 5 Subsection (2)

On the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of the public safety, the Central Government or a State Government or any officer specially authorized in this behalf by the Central Government or a State Government may, if satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of an offense, for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct that any message or class of messages to or from any person or class of persons, or relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by or transmitted or received by any telegraph, shall not be transmitted, or shall be intercepted or detained, or shall be disclosed to the Government making the order or an officer thereof mentioned in the order:

Provided that press messages intended to be published in India of correspondents accredited to the Central Government or a State Government shall not be intercepted or detained, unless their transmission has been prohibited under this sub-section.

About Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017 of Rule 2 subrule (2)

Subrule (1): 

Directions to suspend the telecom services shall not be issued except by an order made by the
Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs in the case of Government of
India or by the Secretary to the State Government in-charge of the Home Department in the case of
a State Government (hereinafter referred to as the competent authority), and in unavoidable
circumstances, where obtaining of prior direction is not feasible, such order may be issued by an
officer, not below the rank of a Joint Secretary to the Government of India, who has been duly
authorized by the Union Home Secretary or the State Home Secretary, as the case may be:
Provided that the order for suspension of telecom services, issued by the officer authorized by the
Union Home Secretary or the State Home Secretary shall be subject to the confirmation from the
competent authority within 24 hours of issuing such order:
Provided further that the order of suspension of telecom services shall cease to exist in case of
failure of receipt of confirmation from the competent authority within the said period of 24 hours.

Subrule (2):

Any order issued by the competent authority under sub-rule (1) shall contain reasons for such

direction and a copy of such order shall be forwarded to the concerned Review Committee latest by

next working day. 

Reason Of suspension of the Internet in Capital

The action necessary “in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India” and “for maintaining public order in J&K”.

List of Accessible sites

• The 153 websites include limited access to mailing services, banking, education, travel, employment, entertainment, banks, automobile sites, and utility sites among others.  No news portal is among the list.  All the social media platforms are barred, as per the order. 
• Most users, especially of BSNL, complained that they were not able to even access the 153 approved sites.
• The official websites and employment websites are heavy data sites and require more than 2G speed to access the contents. I have been trying to access the sites with no success in the past three days. I wanted to download the NEET syllabus 2020  said Javeed Ahmad, a student from Jammu city. 

2) India-Pakistan Trade freeze Affects the local businessman of Punjab and Jammu

• At least 9,354 families, roughly 50,000 people, in Punjab and nearly 900 families in Kashmir have been directly affected by the shutdown of trade between India and Pakistan across the Wagah­Attari border and the Line of Control (LoC) Salamabad­Chakhan da Bagh routes in 2019, says a report.
• The cancellation of MFN (most favored nation) status to Pakistan and the trade routes’ closure following the February 14 last Pulwama terror attack, as well as Pakistan’s counter­measures, including an airspace ban and suspension of trade relations, have resulted in losses in billions of dollars and hundreds of job days

About Most Favored Nation Status

• A most-favored-nation (MFN) clause requires a country to provide any concessions, privileges, or immunities granted to one nation in a trade agreement to all other World Trade Organization member countries. Although its name implies favoritism toward another nation, it denotes the equal treatment of all countries
• Most-favoured-nation (MFN): treating other people equally Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners. Grant someone a special favor (such as a lower customs duty rate for one of their products) and you have to do the same for all other WTO members.

Officials said the decisions on trade were meant to be a tough message for Pakistan and would affect Pakistan’s economy even more than India’s. Former Ambassador to the United States Arun Kumar Singh said, “Even though ties have been much worse in the past like after the Parliament attack, trade had never been touched.”

Bureau of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF)

• According to the report, authored by researchers at the Bureau of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF), the measures that led to a 200% duty increase on imports from Pakistan at Punjab saw even the relatively meager bilateral trade of $2.56 billion in 2018­ 19 dropping to $547.22 million (April­August 2019) and imports dropping from about $500 million to just $11.45 million. Exports to Pakistan “mainly” go through the sea route (about 80%), while imports, including rock salt, dry dates, cement, and gypsum, come largely through the land route in Punjab.
• As a result, members of the Attari Truckers Union, who had invested an estimated ₹350 crore ($49 million) in the business, have lost all hope of recovering their losses.
• Similarly, the closure of LoC trading points in Jammu and Kashmir has put small trade, handicrafts sellers, truckers, laborers, and hotel owners near the LoC in Baramulla and Poonch out of business, said trader Mohammad Iqbal Lone. The losses do not account for the much larger impact of restrictions on trade and tourism imposed after the August 5 decision on Article 370, which the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry had estimated at approximately Rs 10,000 crore ($1.4 billion) by October 2019.

Reason To Take MFN Status from Pakistan

In the suspension order, the Union Home Ministry said trade would be resumed after “putting into place a stricter regulatory regime” to block misuse of the route for “weapons, narcotics, and currency,” but nine months later, there are no signs of resumption of LoC trade.

3) Center allows for oil, gas exploration

• The Environment Ministry has exempted oil and gas firms, looking to conduct exploratory drilling, from seeking environmental clearance. 
• The clearance is for both on­shore and offshore drilling explorations and the process is an ecologically-­intensive exercise that involves digging multiple wells and conducting seismic surveys offshore.
• Even exploratory surveys have merited the highest level of environmental scrutiny called category ‘A’  that required project proponents to prepare an environmental impact assessment (EIA) plan, have it scrutinized by a Centrally constituted committee of experts and subject the proposal to a public hearing involving the locals of the proposed project site
• While public hearings, even for category A projects are frequently exempted if they are offshore, the new amendments demote exploratory projects to the category of ‘B2’. This means it will be conducted by the States concerned and will not require an EIA. 
• The move is part of a larger process of decentralization by the Centre in that it seeks to farm more regulatory actions to State and local units. 
• Environmentalists aver that this can mean lax oversight. Developing an offshore or onshore drilling site as a hydrocarbon block will, however, continue to merit a “category A” treatment, the Ministry notification, made public
• Last year, ONGC and the Vedanta group were granted permission to conduct exploratory oil surveys in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
• Chennai­-based environment activist Nityanand Jayaraman has argued that offshore drilling operations can possibly affect fish, lead to a build­up of heavy water contaminants, disorient whales and sea life that rely on sonar for navigation and exacerbate the risk of oil spills. 
• This led to protests spearheaded by the DMK and the Congress, that argued that the exploratory drilling would lead to the destruction of agricultural fields in the Cauvery delta.

4) Madhya Pradesh focuses on reviving threatened tree species

• In a marked shift from the British­-era focus on high-value timber to indigenous species having traditional value, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department in 2019 planted 70 lakh saplings of such threatened tree species in a bid to revive biodiversity, support livelihoods, and combat climate change.
• With around a quarter of its area under forests, Madhya Pradesh, according to the India State of Forest Report, 2019, has the largest forest cover of 77,482.49 sq. km in the country. And of the 216 naturally occurring tree species in the State, 32 face the threat of extinction
• Under working plans prepared by 11 locals units across the State, the threatened species were identified as having less than 1% of cover in forests, based on surveys in 300­400 plots of 0.1 hectares each selected randomly in each district. Moreover, the wing collated data based on field studies and reviewed third-party studies by research institutes. 
• A species was deemed threatened also due to the present threat and future threat perception to it
• The threatened species include bija, having high timber and fodder value, used to cure diabetes and make concussion equipment; tinsa used to improve fertility in women; salai, producing resin and gum; and dahiman, used to cure high blood pressure

5) Piyush Goyal to lead Indian Delegation to World Economic Forum 2020

• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways, Piyush Goyal, will lead the Indian delegation to the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos from January 20th to 24th 2020. The Commerce and Industry Minister will participate in the WEF along with Union Minister of State for Shipping and Chemical and Fertilizers, Mansukh L. Mandaviya and Chief Ministers of the States of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, Finance Minister of Punjab and the IT Minister of Telangana. Secretary Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, senior officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Invest India are also part of the delegation. 
• Commerce and Industry Minister will hold bilateral meetings with Ministers of Australia, South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Korea, and Singapore. He will also meet the Director-General of the World Trade Organization and Secretary-General of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• Apart from this Commerce and Industry Minister will hold bilateral meetings with CEOs of companies, attend WEF sessions and round tables on Accelerating Investments in Indian Railways and attracting Global Institutional Investments in India.
• Commerce and Industry Minister will also participate in an informal WTO Ministerial gathering being held in Davos during this period.
• The WEF annual meeting in Davos engages the world’s top leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of the year. The theme of the 2020 meeting is stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.

6) NDRF celebrates its 15th Raising Day

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated  its 15th Raising Day
• NDRF has saved more than One lakh lives in its 3100 operations and rescued/evacuated over 6.7 lakh people during disasters. 
• NDRF has so far imparted training to more than 4000 volunteers and has a target to give training to more than 70000 volunteers by 2024  at the local levels in different parts of the country.
• A workshop was also be conducted on ‘Urban flooding & challenges’ and ‘Biological Emergencies & New Technology in Disaster Management’. The program was attended by the Heads of premier disaster management Institutes, senior officers of Central Police Forces and dignitaries from various central agencies.

About NDRF

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is specialized constituted "for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. : section 44–45 The "Apex Body for Disaster Management"[citation needed] in India is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The Chairman of the NDMA is the Prime Minister.
• The responsibility of managing disasters India is that of the State Government. The ‘Nodal Ministry’ in the central government for the management of natural disasters is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• When 'calamities of severe nature' occur, the Central Government is responsible for providing aid and assistance to the affected state, including deploying, at the State's request, of Armed Forces, Central Paramilitary Forces, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and such communication, air and other assets, as are available and needed.
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is under the National Disaster Management Authority. The head of the NDRF is designated as Director-General. The Director Generals of NDRF are IPS officers on deputation from Indian police organizations. Director-General wears the uniform and badges of rank of an army three-star general.

7) ELECRAMA 2020

• Union Minister of Heavy Industries &Public Enterprises, Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar today inaugurated ELECRAMA 2020, at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• ELECRAMA is the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry and a platform to connect the world with the Indian industry in respect of technology, new trends and innovation for the future energy transition.
• Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises said that the annual growth of energy should be 10% for many years to come even if the country’s economy grows at a rate of 6% annually. Referring to demand more relief by the industry
• 3.5 crore households were given power connections under SAUBHAGYA (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) scheme.
• The Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Minister asked the electrical industry to focus on the quality of electrical equipment stating that the main cause of fire incidents in many cases is the poor quality of equipment and faulty wiring. The Minister urged the power industry to become part of the product chain and not just a supplier of spare parts. He mentioned the success story of LED bulbs which led to the saving of thousands of crores of rupees in power bills to the customers and also protecting the environment through installation of 400 million LED bulbs.
• The per capita consumption of energy is very low in India as compared to developed countries.
• Electrical vehicles will reduce environmental pollution and also lead to efficiency in the use of energy.  t There are around 5 lakh electrical vehicles including two-wheelers and four-wheelers in the country.
• The Power Minister said that per capita consumption need to be tripled to reach the global average of 3600 units.

8) China­-Myanmar Economic Corridor

• China’s Xi Jinping doubled down on his support for fallen rights icon Aung San Suu Ky signing dozens of infrastructure and trade deals and meeting with the Myanmar Army chief accused of overseeing a genocide against Rohingya Muslims. The Chinese President’s state visit to Myanmar’s purpose­built capital came as Western investors give a wide berth to the country due to the Rohingya crisis.
• A 2017 military crackdown on the minority, which UN investigators called genocide, forced around 7,40,000 people from western Rakhine state over the border into Bangladesh. Beijing has stood by the increasingly isolated nation and reaffirmed its position in a joint statement in Chinese state media as Mr. Xi’s plane left the capital after two days, escorted by a fighter jet
• The Asian giant is now Myanmar’s largest investor even as distrust of its ambitions lingers among the public. More than 30 agreements were on Mr. Xi’s final day of his visit — with Ms. Suu Kyi and Mr. Xi seated across from each other on long tables alongside related Ministers.
• Details were scant but among the 33 deals was a concession and shareholders agreement on the $1.3 billion Kyaukhphyu deep­sea port and economic zone, located in a part of Rakhine State left largely unscathed by the 2017 violence.
• There was also a letter of intent for “new urban development” in Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon and feasibility studies for rail links.
• The aim is to carve out a so-called “China­Myanmar Economic Corridor” — a path of infrastructure from China’s landlocked south to Myanmar’s western Rakhine state which would serve as Beijing’s long­awaited gateway to the Indian Ocean

9) Coronavirus

• China reported four more cases of pneumonia believed to be caused by a new coronavirus strain, causing rising concern globally that disease health officials do
• not yet fully understand could spread during a key holiday period.
• The new virus, which was discovered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, belongs in the same large family of coronaviruses that includes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002/03 outbreak that also started in China.
• Though experts say the new virus does not appear to be as lethal as SARS, there is little known about its origins and how easily it can spread. Thailand and Japan have confirmed new cases of the virus earlier this week, stoking worries globally as many of the 1.4 billion Chinese people will travel abroad during the Lunar New Year holidays that begin next week.
• Authorities around the world including in the United States, Thailand, and South Korea have stepped up monitoring of travelers from Wuhan as part of their efforts to prevent the disease from spreading.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned that a wider outbreak is possible, though it has advised against any travel restrictions for China. The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission (WMHC) said the four new individuals diagnosed with the new virus are in stable condition, adding it has confirmed 45 cases in the city as of Thursday. A day earlier, the commission confirmed the death of a second patient. 
• Nearly 50 people are now known to have been infected globally, but all of them either live in Wuhan or have traveled to the city.
• A report published by the London Imperial College’s MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis said there are likely “substantially more cases” of the new coronavirus than currently announced by Wuhan authorities: its base scenario estimate is that there would be 1,723 cases showing the onset of related symptoms by Jan. 12.