Daily Current Affairs 1 March 2020 | UPSC Curent Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) The U.S. strikes a deal with Taliban

The U.S. signed a deal with the Taliban on Saturday that could pave the way for a full withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan over the next 14 months and represents a step towards ending the 18-year-war in the nation.

What's in the agreement?

Within the first 135 days of the deal, the US will reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600, with allies also drawing down their forces proportionately.
The move would allow US President Donald Trump to show that he has brought troops home ahead of the US presidential election in November.
The deal also provides for a prisoner swap. Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force prisoners would be exchanged by 10 March, when talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are due to start.
The US will also lift sanctions against the Taliban and work with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group.
In Kabul, activist Zahra Husseini said she feared the deal could worsen the situation for women in Afghanistan.

What's the background of the Afghan war?

It began when the US launched airstrikes one month following the 11 September 2001 attacks and after the Taliban had refused to hand over the man behind them, Osama bin Laden.
The US was joined by an international coalition and the Taliban were quickly removed from power. However, they turned into an insurgent force and continued deadly attacks, destabilizing subsequent Afghan governments.
The international coalition ended its combat mission in 2014, staying only to train Afghan forces. But the US continued its own, scaled-back combat operation, including airstrikes.
The Taliban has however continued to gain momentum and in 2018 the BBC found they were active across 70% of Afghanistan.
Nearly 3,500 members of the international coalition forces have died in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.
The figures for Afghan civilians, militants and government forces are more difficult to quantify. In a February 2019 report, the UN said that more than 32,000 civilians had died. The Watson Institute at Brown University says 58,000 security personnel and 42,000 opposition combatants have been killed.

Why has the war lasted so long?

There are many reasons for this. But they include a combination of fierce Taliban resistance, the limitations of Afghan forces and governance, and other countries' reluctance to keep their troops for longer in Afghanistan.
At times over the past 18 years, the Taliban have been on the back foot. In late 2009, US President Barack Obama announced a troop "surge" that saw the number of American soldiers in Afghanistan top 100,000.
The surge helped drive the Taliban out of parts of southern Afghanistan, but it was never destined to last for years.
The BBC World Service's Dawood Azami says there are five main reasons the war is still going on now. They include:
a lack of political clarity since the invasion began, and questions about the effectiveness of the US strategy over the past 18 years
the fact each side is trying to break what has become a stalemate - and that the Taliban have been trying to maximize their leverage during peace negotiations
an increase in violence by Islamic State militants in Afghanistan - they've been behind some of the bloodiest attacks recently
There's also the role played by Afghanistan's neighbor, Pakistan.
There's no question the Taliban have their roots in Pakistan, and that they were able to regroup there during the US invasion. But Pakistan has denied helping or protecting them - even as the US demanded it does more to fight militants.

Source: The Hindu

2) Pension Adalat, NPS awareness, grievance redressal at Jammu

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the ‘Pension Adalat’ and National Pension System (NPS) Awareness and Grievance Redressal Programme at Convention Centre, Jammu
The Programme is being conducted by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Government of India. The Minister also launched “Do You Know” Twitter Series on Family Pension, along with a booklet highlighting case studies with the interpretation of Pension Rules
Pension Adalats will help in on-the-spot redressal of pensioners’ grievances which has given the right of “Ease of Living” to the pensioners.
the grievance redressal system was quite neglected before 2014 but the day the present government has taken to power, the system has completely changed. The grievances have increased manifold from two lakhs to twenty lakhs which is evidence that the people have complete faith in the present government. The present government has a grievance redressal rate from 95 percent to 100 percent per week and the pension Adalat started a few years back is proof of it, he reiterated.
The Pension Adalats are being convened to bring on a common table the aggrieved pensioner, the concerned department, the bank or CGHS representative, wherever relevant, so that such cases can be settled across the table within the framework of extant rules.
In the Pension Adalat, 342 cases of Central Government pensioners of various departments and Ministries like Textiles, Defence, Forests, ASI, GSI, CGWB, CWC, C&AG, NSSO, DGDD, BSF, SSB, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, MIB, and JKGAD were discussed and subsequently, 289 such cases were settled on spot. The 53 pending cases were asked to be processed and settled within 15 days by the concerned departments.
For NPS subscribers, cases about Central Government Employees, as well as those of the UT of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), numbering more than 200, whose NPS accounts have certain irregularity, were taken up and their respective Pr. AOs and DDOs were called for a briefing and corrective action, so that the subscribers do not suffer continuous loss, resulting in lower annuity value, post their retirement.

Source: PIB

3) Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2019

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has released the 2019 report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
The report features India among top manufacturers of illicit and licit drugs that are smuggled to other countries and into the hands of addicts.

Global Scenario

Increased Smuggling of Pharmaceutical Drugs:

Drug traffickers tend to smuggle pharmaceutical drugs rather than illicit drugs (e.g. hashish, heroin,etc.) because of the more lenient penalties imposed for smuggling of controlled pharmaceutical drugs.

Phenobarbital Drug:

It is one of the most internationally traded controlled psychotropic substances, with more than 161 countries reporting imports of the substance in 2018.
It included on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for treating epilepsy (a neurological disorder).
China is the lead manufacturing country of phenobarbital in 2018, followed by India and Hungary.

Limited Usage of Pre-Export Notification:

It has also been noted that countries like China, South Korea, and the United States have received drugs without pre-notification through the PEN Online system.

PEN Online System

The Pre-Export Notification (PEN) Online is developed by UNODC/International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
It is used by the Member States exporting precursor chemicals to alert the national competent authorities in the importing country with the details of the export transaction.
It enables the easy on-line exchange of information between the Member States on shipments (export and import) of the chemicals required for the manufacture of illegal addictive drugs.
The system also facilitates electronic reply to acknowledge receipt and notify the exporting country of clearance to export. An electronic copy is sent to INCB by default.

National Scenario

Diversion of Pharmaceutical Drugs:

It has also noted an increased diversion of controlled pharmaceutical precursors, in particular ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, from licit to illicit channels has continued in India.

Precursors are chemicals that are used to manufacture narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine have been notified as ‘controlled substance’ in India.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 empowers the Central Government to declare any substance as ‘controlled substance’ after considering its possible use in the production or manufacture of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.

Tramadol Drug:

Globally most of the tramadol seized between 2013 and 2017 was reported to have originated in India. e.g.India was the source of 87% of the tramadol seized in Ghana in 2017.
Tramadol, sold under the brand name Ultram among others, is an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain.
The drug is under the control of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was established in 1997.
UNODC publishes the World Drug Report.

International Narcotics Control Board

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is the independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the implementation of the United Nations international drug control conventions.
It was established in 1968 by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961.
Its secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria.

Source: The Hindu

4) Delhi water doesn’t conform to ISO standards

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has submitted its report to the Supreme Court of India on drinking water standards in Delhi.

Key findings:

None of the drinking water samples randomly collected from across Delhi conforms to the ISO standards of purity in one or more requirements.
All the drinking water samples drawn from Delhi were non-conforming in one or more requirements as per IS 10500:2012 [specification for drinking water].
One of the main reasons for contamination in Delhi was the leaking pipes.

Background:

On January 13, the court ordered the pollution control board and the BIS to conduct a random check of water quality in Delhi and submit a report in a month.

What next?

The court has asked the BIS to suggest measures to improve water purity and asked it for reports on the samples taken from the other cities.

Source: The Hindu

5) Mission Purvodaya: Accelerated Development of Steel Sector

A workshop on “Enabling Procedures for Increase of Steel Usage for the Growth of Economy” was organized by the Ministry of Steel in partnership with the Government of Japan and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

Key Points

The Eastern belt has the potential to add more than 75% of the country’s incremental steel capacity. In India’s march towards a $5 trillion economy, the eastern states can play a major role where the steel sector can become the catalyst.
It is expected that out of the 300 MT capacity by 2030-31, over 200 MT can come from this region alone, driven by Industry 4.0.
Earlier, Japan and India have also launched the India Japan Steel Dialogue to ensure the sustainable growth of the steel sector. Iron ore exports from India, particularly Odisha, helped Japan in becoming a leading economic power.

Mission Purvodaya

It was launched in 2020 for the accelerated development of eastern India through the establishment of an integrated steel hub in Kolkata, West Bengal.
The focus will be on eastern states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal) and the northern part of Andhra Pradesh which collectively holds ~80% of the country’s iron ore, ~100% of coking coal and a significant portion of chromite, bauxite and dolomite reserves.
The Integrated Steel Hub would focus on 3 key elements:

Capacity addition through easing the setup of Greenfield steel plants.
Development of steel clusters near integrated steel plants as well as demand centers.
Transformation of logistics and utility infrastructure which would change the socio-economic landscape in the East.

The objective of this hub would be to enable swift capacity addition and improve the overall competitiveness of steel producers both in terms of cost and quality.

Iron & Steel Industry

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon in which the carbon content ranges up to 2%. Iron ore, coking coal, and limestone are required in the ratio of approximately 4 : 2: 1. Some quantities of manganese are also required to harden the steel.
The iron and steel industry is the basic industry since all the other industries — heavy, medium and light, depend on it for their machinery. Iron and steel are heavy industry because all the raw materials, as well as finished goods, are heavy and bulky entailing heavy transportation costs.
India is currently the 2nd largest producer of crude steel in the world.
Production and consumption of steel are often regarded as the index of a country’s development. Per capita finished steel consumption in 2018 was 224.5 kg for the world and 590.1 kg for China. The same for India was 74.1 kg in 2018.
The Government has launched the National Steel Policy 2017 that aims to increase the per capita steel consumption to 160 kgs by 2030-31.
Odisha is the highest steel producing state in the country. The ores of Odisha are rich in haematites.
Growth of the steel industry would lead to:

Employment opportunities across the entire value chain.
Socio-economic growth of Eastern India.
The reduced disparity between the East and other regions of the country.

Iron Ores

Hematite and magnetite are the most important iron ores in India.
Hematite

Hematite refers to a ferric oxide containing no crystal water, and its chemical formula is Fe2O3 (iron oxide).
The pure hematite theoretical iron content is 70%.
Its appearance is from red to light gray, sometimes black, and the stripes are dark red. Commonly known as “red mine.”
Hematite is abundant in nature, but pure hematite is less, often co-existing with magnetite and limonite.

Magnetite

The main iron-bearing mineral of magnetite is tri iron tetroxide, and its chemical formula is Fe3O4.
The theoretical iron content is around 72%.
The appearance color is usually carbon black or slightly light blue-black, metallic luster, streaks (color appearing on the board when the surface is uneven on the white porcelain plate) black. Commonly known as the green mine.
The most prominent feature of this ore is its magnetic nature.
Magnetite is generally very hard, dense in structure and poor in reducing performance.

Source: PIB

6) National Investigation Agency (NIA):

The Delhi High Court has sought response of the Centre and the AAP government on a PIL seeking National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe under the unlawful activities law UAPA into the violence in northeast Delhi over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

Background:

A petition filed has urged the court to direct the Centre to order the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to find out the “anti-national forces” behind the agitations and to probe the role of People’s Front of India (PFI) which is alleged, “funding, motivating and supporting the protests”.

About NIA:

It acts as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency. It is empowered to deal with terror-related crimes across states without special permission from the states. Established under the National Investigation Agency Act 2008. Governing Body: Ministry of Hime Affairs.

Jurisdiction:

A State Government may request the Central Government to hand over the investigation of a case to the NIA, provided the case has been registered for the offenses as contained in the schedule to the NIA Act.
Central Government can also order NIA to take over the investigation of any scheduled offense anywhere in India.

Composition:

Officers of the NIA are drawn from the Indian Police Service and Indian Revenue Service.

Special NIA Courts:

Various Special Courts have been notified by the Central Government of India for the trial of the cases registered at various police stations of NIA under Section 11 and 22 of the NIA Act 2008. Any question as to the jurisdiction of these courts is decided by the Central Government. These are presided over by a judge appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the High Court with jurisdiction in that region. Supreme Court of India has also been empowered to transfer the cases from one special court to any other special court within or outside the state if the same is in the interest of justice in light of the prevailing circumstances in any particular state. The NIA Special Courts are empowered with all powers of the court of sessions under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for the trial of any offense. An appeal from any judgment, sentence or order, not being an interlocutory order, of a Special Court lies to the High Court both on facts and on the law. State Governments have also been empowered to appoint one or more such special courts in their states.

Source: The Hindu

7) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana

32 projects have been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).

The projects are spread across almost 17 States, leveraging an investment worth ₹406 crores.
These projects envisage the creation of direct and indirect employment, especially in rural areas.

Key Points

Food processing plays an important role in connecting Indian farmers to domestic and international consumers and markets.

The introduction of modern processing techniques for food results in improved shelf-life of the agricultural produce and ensures steady revenue for farmers.

The processed food market is expected to grow to $543 billion by 2020 from $322 billion in 2016, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.6%.

Compound Annual Growth Rate

CAGR is the mean annual growth rate of an investment over a specified period longer than one year.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana

In 2016, MoFPI introduced an umbrella Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters or SAMPADA, which was proposed to be implemented with an allocation of ₹6,000 crores for the period of 2016-20.
In 2017, SAMPADA was renamed as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
It is a Central Sector Scheme.
Objectives:

To supplement agriculture.
To create processing and preservation capacities.
To modernize and expand existing food processing units to increase the level of processing.
To add value leading to the reduction of wastage.

Seven component schemes under PMKSY:

Mega Food Parks.
Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure.
Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Clusters.
Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages.
Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities.
Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure.
Human Resources and Institutions.

Under PMKSY, capital subsidy in the form of grants-in-aid ranging from 35% to 75% of the eligible project cost subject to a maximum specified limit is provided to investors under the various schemes for undertaking infrastructure, logistic projects and setting up of food processing units in the country.

8) Red Snow

The phenomenon of “red snow” or “watermelon” has been observed over the last few weeks around Ukraine’s Vernadsky Research Base, off the coast of Antarctica’s northernmost peninsula.
The snow is red because of red-pigmented, microscopic algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis Chlamydomonas, which thrives in freezing water as the ice melts.

Key Points

This phenomenon has been known since ancient times but now it raises concerns about climate change.

Aristotle is believed to be one of the first to give a written account of red snow, over 2,000 years ago. He attributed the redness of the snow to the color of worms and grub (larva of an insect), which are found in long-lying snow.

According to modern-day scientists, it is an algae species, Chlamydomonas nivalis Chlamydomonas which exists in the snow in the polar and glacial regions and carries a red pigment to keep itself warm.

Algae contain chlorophyll (green pigment) as well as a red carotene layer in their cells which mixes with the green color to cause snow to look like “raspberry jam”.
This layer is also said to protect the algae from ultraviolet radiation.

These algae change the snow’s albedo (the amount of light or radiation the snow surface is able to reflect back).

The intensity of the redness increases with the dense presence of the algae. The darker tinge leads to more absorption of heat by the snow. Subsequently, the ice melts faster.
The melting is good for the microbes that need the liquid water to survive and thrive but it is bad for already melting glaciers.

Source: Indian Express

9) Renewable Energy Management Centers (REMCs)

Recently, the Northern Region Renewable Energy Management Centre (NR-REMC) was inaugurated at a function in New Delhi.

Key Points

Renewable Energy Management Centers (REMCs)

They are equipped with Artificial Intelligence based Renewable Energy (RE) forecasting and scheduling tools.
They provide greater visualization and enhanced situational awareness to the grid operators.

Renewal energy supply can be seasonal (wind) or limited to some hours in the day (solar). It disturbs the power grid, used to the seamless supply of thermal power.

Need: The Government of India’s target of 175 GW Renewable Energy (RE) capacity by 2022 driving accelerated RE penetration poses challenges to the grid management due to the intermittent and variable nature of RE generation.
The Government of India had approved the implementation of the REMCs as a Central Scheme and had mandated POWERGRID, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Power as an Implementing Agency.
Presently, 55 GW of Renewable (Solar and Wind) is being monitored through the eleven REMCs, located in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan.

Source: PIB

10) Initiatives for Gender Equality in Science

The President of India has announced a few initiatives for gender advancement and equality in academic and research institutions on the National Science Day (28th February) celebrations.
The theme for National Science Day 2020 is “Women in Science”.

Key Points

Vigyan Jyoti Scheme:

Vigyan Jyoti Scheme is launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
It is intended to create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
It also offers exposure for girl students from the rural background to help to plan their journey from school to a job of their choice in the field of science.

GATI Scheme:

The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) will develop a comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing Gender Equality in STEM.

Source: PIB