Daily Current Affairs 21 February 2020 | UPSC | Quiz

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) World’s second­-biggest control center for goods trains in Prayagraj

• The world’s second-­biggest Operation Control Centre for goods trains, built in India by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) is ready to begin operations and is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the end of this month
• The center, built at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, will be the ‘nerve­centre’ of the over 1,800 km­long eastern dedicated freight corridor
• The control center has a theater which measures 1560 sq m, with a video wall of more than 90 m and will be used as a one­stop shop for controlling and monitoring rail systems, including train operations and the power supply system
• The Dedicated Freight Corridor touted as one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country, is a 3,360 km stretch consisting of the Eastern and Western corridors. The Eastern corridor, which is being funded by the World Bank, will run from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni near Kolkata, traversing Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
• The Western corridor will have a similar operation control system at Ahmedabad.
• For the Eastern corridor, targeted to be completed by December 2021, The World Bank loan stands at about $1.86 billion
• Once operational, the freight corridor will help decongest the existing Indian Railway network, while also helping increase the average speed of goods trains to 70 kmph, from the existing 25 kmph.
• It will connect the existing ports and industrial areas for faster movement of goods… and will help increase the rail share in freight transportation from the existing 30% to 45%

Source: The Hindu

2) 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety

• Recently, the Minister of Road Transport & Highways represented India at the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm (Sweden).
• It is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in association with the World Bank and minister-led delegations from more than 80 countries.

Key Points

• Theme:
• The theme of the conference is ‘Achieving Global Goals 2030’.
• Objectives:
• It intends to bring road safety on the global agenda and renew the world community's commitment to safer roads.
• It also aims to define ways to accelerate action on proven strategies to save lives.
• Highlights:
• The conference adopted the “Stockholm Declaration” which calls for a new global target for road safety for 2030 and a set of innovative solutions to save lives on the world’s roads.
• It also aims to share successes and lessons from the implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020.
• India has reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations goal set under the UN Decade of Action of drastically reducing road accidents by the year 2030 during the event.

Numerics on Road Accidents

• Worldwide Scenario:
• Number of Deaths: The number of deaths on the world’s roads remains unacceptably high, with an estimated 1.35 million people killed each year.
• Leading Cause of Deaths: Road traffic crashes are the eighth leading cause of death globally for people of all ages, and the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years.
• Economic Burden: Road accidents cost countries around 3% of their respective GDP.
• National Scenario:
• Number of Deaths: It kills almost 1.5 lakh people annually in India.
• Drastic Drop: The accidents, as well as accident-related deaths in the period 2010-2018, dropped drastically compared with the previous decades, despite the very high rate of growth of automobiles.
• Severity: The road accident severity (the number of persons killed per 100 accidents) has increased by 0.6% in 2018 compared to 2017.

Global Initiatives for Road Safety

• Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety
• The declaration was signed in 2015 at the second Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety held in Brazil. The first conference was held in Russia (2009).
• Through the Brasilia Declaration countries plan to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 i.e.to half the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.
• The United Nations has also declared 2011-2020 as the decade of action for Road Safety.
• UN Global Road Safety Week
• It is celebrated every two years, the fifth edition of the UN Global Road Safety Week (6-12 May 2019) highlighted the need for strong leadership for road safety.
• The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP)
• It is a registered charity dedicated to saving lives through safer road

National Initiatives for Road Safety

• 4 E’s for Road Safety:
• Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had formulated a multi-pronged strategy based on 4 `E’s – Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency Care.
• Education: Awareness is generated through various Road Safety Campaigns utilizing audio-visual and other print media and through NGOs.
• Engineering: The engineering measures are considered essential for adoption to help in improving road safety leading to the reduction of accidents.
• Enforcement: The enforcement of road transport-related rules and regulations (like The Motor Vehicles Act 1988 and Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989) is an important aspect to ensure road safety.
• Emergency Care: The scheme like National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme (NHARSS) has been implemented to provide cranes and ambulances to States/UTs/NGOs for relief and rescue measures in the aftermath of accidents.

Source: PIB

3) National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) organized its 16th foundation day.
• On this occasion, the NCST has also decided to institute a national award named “NCST Leadership Award” which will be conferred for significant and exemplary services towards Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the country.

Scheduled Tribes

• As per Census-1931, Schedule tribes are termed as "backward tribes” living in the "Excluded" and "Partially Excluded" areas. The Government of India Act of 1935 called for the first time for representatives of "backward tribes" in provincial assemblies.
• The Constitution does not define the criteria for recognition of Scheduled Tribes and hence the definition contained in the 1931 Census was used in initial years after independence.
• However, Article 366(25) of the Constitution only provides a process to define Scheduled Tribes: “Scheduled Tribes means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution.”
• 342(1): The President may concerning any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor, by public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within tribes or tribal communities as Scheduled Tribe about that State or Union Territory.
• There are over 700 tribes that have been notified.
• The largest number of tribal communities (62) are found in Odisha.
• No Tribe was identified in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Pondicherry.

Key Points

• Formation: NCST was set up with effect from 19th February 2004 by amending Article 338 and by inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the 89th Constitution Amendment Act, 2003. Hence, it is a constitutional body.
• Objective: Article 338A inter-alia gives powers to NCST oversee the implementation of various safeguards provided to STs under the Constitution or under any other law for time being in force or under any other order to the Government and to evaluate the working of such safeguards.
• Composition: It consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and 3 other members who are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
• At least one member should be a woman.
• The Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson and the other Members hold office for a term of 3 years.
• The members are not eligible for an appointment for more than two terms.
• The Chairperson has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Ministers, the Vice-Chairperson has the rank of a Minister of State and other Members have the rank of a Secretary to the Government of India.

Duties and Functions

• To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the STs under the Constitution or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government.
• To inquire into specific complaints concerning the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the STs.
• To participate and advise in the planning process of socio-economic development of the STs and to evaluate the progress of their development.
• To present to the President, annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguards.
• To make in such reports, recommendations as to the measures that should be taken by the Union or any State for effective implementation of those safeguards and other measures for the protection, welfare and socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes.
• To discharge such other functions about the protection, welfare and development and advancement of the Scheduled Tribes as the President may subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament by rule specify.

Source: PIB

4) Tirur Vettila

• Tirur vettila has obtained a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Tirur Vettila is a type of betel leaf which is grown in Tirur and nearby areas of Malappuram district of Kerala.
• Tirur Vettila is unique for its significantly high content of total chlorophyll and protein in fresh leaves.
• Tirur vettila possesses some special biochemical characters like unique flavor and aroma.
• Eugenol is the major essential oil in Tirur betel leaf contributing to its pungency.
• The leaves are nutritive and contain anticarcinogens, showing future opportunities in anticancer drugs.
• Betel vine was reported to have immunosuppressive activity and antimicrobial property.
• The Intellectual property rights (IPR) Cell of Kerala Agricultural University has received National IP Award, 2019 of Government of India its efforts in the facilitation of GI Registration.

Other GI Products from Kerala

Kaipad rice, Pokkali rice, Wayanad Jeerakasala rice, Wayanad Gandhakasala rice, Vazhakulam pineapple, Marayoor jaggery, Central Travancore jaggery, and Chengalikodan nendran.

5) International protection for Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican and Asian Elephant

India’s proposal to include Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant, and Bengal Florican in Appendix I of the UN Convention on migratory species was unanimously accepted today at the ongoing thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on MigratorySpecies (CMS) in Gandhinagar.

Asian Elephant

• The Government of India has declared an Indian elephant as National Heritage Animal. The Indian elephant is also provided the highest degree of legal protection by listing it in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Placing Indian elephant in Schedule I of the CMS Convention, will fulfill the natural urge of migration of Indian elephant across India’s borders and back safely and thereby promote conservation of this endangered species for our future generations. Intermixing of smaller subpopulations in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar and widen the gene base of these populations. It will also help to reduce human-elephant conflicts in many parts of its migratory routes.
• Mainland Asian elephants/Indian elephants migrate over long distances in search of food and shelter, across States and Countries. Some elephants are residents while others migrate regularly in annual migration cycles; the proportion of resident and migratory populations depends upon, size of regional populations, as well as on extent, degradation, and fragmentation of their habitats.
• The challenges confronting Asian elephant conservation in most elephant Range States are habitat loss and fragmentation, human-elephant conflict, and poaching and illegal trade of elephants.
• India, being the natural home of the largest population of mainland Asian elephant/Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), wishes to promote conservation of this species, by seeking natural migration of elephants in all range countries

Great Indian Bustard

• The Great Indian Bustard, an iconic, critically endangered and conservation dependent species, exhibits transboundary movements, and its migration exposes it to threats such as hunting in the boundary area of Pakistan-India and power-line collisions in India. 
• The Great Indian Bustard is a Critically Endangered species with a small population of about 100–150 individuals that are largely restricted to the Thar desert in Rajasthan, India. The species has disappeared from 90% of this range; their population has reduced by 90% within 50 years (six generations), and their threats are expected to increase in the future.

Bengal Florican

• The Bengal Florican an iconic, critically endangered species of topmost conservation priority, exhibits transboundary movements, and its migration exposes it to threats such as land-use changes, collision with power transmission lines at the boundary area of India-Nepal and probable power-line collisions. 
• Populations have declined as a result of habitat loss, hunting and the species no longer breeds outside Protected Areas in the Indian subcontinent, except in a few areas of Assam.

The CMS Conference underway in Gujarat has kicked off the Super Year for Environment, which will include a UN Summit in September and culminate in the UN Biodiversity Conference at the end of 2020, when a new global biodiversity strategy for the next decade will be adopted - the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

Source: PIB

6) CHILDLINE India Foundation

According to the data compiled by the CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF), 35% of the total cases of sexual abuse were committed by neighbors.

CHILDLINE India Foundation

• CIF is the largest network of agencies involved in the protection of children.
• CIF is the nodal agency appointed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to manage CHILDLINE helpline 1098 - a free, emergency phone service for children in need aid and assistance.
• It is also the sole agency/body responsible for establishing the CHILDLINE service across the country, monitoring of service delivery and finance, training, research and documentation, creating awareness, advocacy as well as resource generation for the service.

Key Points

• The number of Phone Calls: The largest number of phone calls were made to seek intervention for abuse cases (17%), followed by those pertaining to child labor (13%), education (12%), runaways (11%) and missing children (11%).
• Nature of Abuse: The nature of abuse children suffered shows that 37% of the complaints were about child marriage, 27% about physical abuse and 13% regarding sexual abuse. The remaining 23% constituted emotional, corporal, domestic and cyber abuse.
• Profile of Abusers: The analyses show that 35% of the total 8,000 cases of sexual abuse were committed by neighbors, 25% by strangers and 11% by family members. The remaining 29% of perpetrators were friends, relatives, teachers, institutional staff, hospital staff, police and step-parents

Source: The Hindu

7) Empowered ‘Technology Group’ on Emerging Technologies

The Union Cabinet has approved the constitution of an empowered “Technology Group” to advise the Government on priorities and strategies for research on emerging technologies across sectors.

• Composition: It will be a 12-member group with the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (Prof. K VijayRaghavan) as its Chair.
• Mandate
• To render timely policy advice on latest technologies;
• Mapping of technology and technology products;
• Commercialization of dual-use technologies developed in national laboratories and government Research and Development (R&D) organizations;
• Developing an indigenization road map for selected key technologies; and
• Selection of appropriate R&D programs leading to technology development.
• The group will also facilitate cross-sector collaborations and research alliances with universities and private companies and formulate “standards and a common vocabulary” to screen proposals for research and development.
• The three pillars of the work of the Technology Group include:
• Policy Support;
• Procurement Support; and
• Support on Research and Development proposals.

Source: PIB

8) 4th Anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) 

• The 4th Anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) will be observed tomorrow. On 21st February 2016, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Mission with the vision to deliver catalytic interventions to rural areas on the threshold of growth.
• Undertaken by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, the SPMRM focuses on cluster-based integrated development through Spatial Planning. Rurban clusters are identified across the country’s rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization - i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters.
• The Mission aims to transform these Rurban clusters by stimulating local economic development, enhancing basic services, and creating well planned Rurban clusters. This would lead to the holistic development of the region and encourage integrated and inclusive rural development.
• Under the mission 300 Rurban clusters are envisaged to be developed in a timebound manner. Of these 296 clusters have been selected and a number of Integrated Cluster Action Plans (ICAPs) approved are 288 and Detailed Project Reports of 240 have been approved.
• SPMRM is a Core Centrally Sponsored Scheme, The Mission has two fund streams: (1) Convergence through various Central sector schemes, centrally sponsored schemes, State sector/ sponsored schemes/programs, CSR funds, and (2) Critical Gap Funds (GCF). It provides for GCF up to Rs. 30 crores per cluster for Non-tribal clusters, and up to Rs. 15 crores per cluster for Tribal and Hilly State clusters.
• Currently, the total Central Share funds released to date are Rs. 1,842.97 cr. Total investment approved in 288 ICAPs is Rs.28,075 cr with convergence being Rs.21,194 cr and Rs. 6,882cr. Of this, total expenditure, as on 30th November 2019, was Rs.6,689 cr of which Rs. 5,619 cr formed convergence and Rs. 1,071 cr under GCF. The GCF Funds release is expected to cross the target of Rs. 1,200 crore by 31st March 2020.
• Infrastructure planned in these clusters includes provision of 24/7 water supply to all households, Solid and Liquid Waste Management facilities at the household and cluster level, provision of Inter and Intra village roads within the cluster, adequate street lights and public transport facilities using green technologies. Economic amenities in a cluster comprise various thematic areas in the sectors of Agri Services and Processing, Tourism, and Skill Development to promote Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
• SPMRM clusters focus on selecting interventions from the following components depending on locally felt need as identified during the baseline survey:
• (i) Sanitation, 
• (ii) Piped Water Supply,
•  (iii) Solid and Liquid Waste Management, 
• (iv) Village Street Lights and Electrification, 
• (v) Access to Village Streets With Drains, 
• (vi) Inter Village Roads Connectivity, 
• (vii) Public Transport, 
• (viii) Skill Development Training Linked to Economic Activities, 
• (ix) Agri-Services Processing and Allied Activities, 
• (x) Health, 
• (xi) Education, 
• (xii) Digital Literacy, 
• (xiii) Citizens Service Centres, 
• (xiv) LPG Gas Connection, 
• (xv) Environment, 
• (xvi) Employment Generation and SHG Formation, 
• (xvii) Tourism Promotion, 
• (xviii) Sports Infrastructure, 
• (xix) Social Infrastructure, 
• (xx) Rural Housing, 
• (xxi) Social Welfare.
• Going forward, the Ministry of Rural Development is taking steps to expedite Mission’s on-ground progress. The Mission is seeking an extension by 2 years to complete all the identified works. Ministry has received requests on several forums and communications from many States and elected officials to allocate more Rurban clusters. NITI Aayog has recently shared with Ministry that based on learning from the success of the Rurban clusters, a new and extended program for over 1,000 clusters in next 3 years may be planned

Source: PIB