Daily Current Affairs 14 March 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Govt brings masks and hand sanitizers under the Essential Commodities Act

• In view the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 (Corona Virus) and concern of the logistics for COVID-19 management particularly during the last couple of weeks and that masks (2 ply & 3 ply surgical masks, N95 masks) and hand sanitizers have been noted to be either not available with most of the vendors in the market or are available with great difficulty at exorbitant prices, Government has notified an Order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare these items as Essential Commodities up to 30th June 2020 by amending the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. It has also issued an advisory under the Legal Metrology Act. Under the E.C Act, after discussions with the manufacturers, States can ask them to enhance their production capacity of these items, to make the supply chain smooth, while under the L.M. Act the States can ensure sale of both the items at MRP.  
• On these two items, the States may now notify the Central order in their official Gazette, also issue their own orders under the EC Act to that effect and take necessary actions as per the situation prevailing in the respective States.  Under the EC Act, powers of the Central Government have already been delegated to the States by way of orders from 1972 to 1978.  The States/UTs, therefore, may take action against the offenders under the EC Act and PBMMSEC Act. An offender under the EC Act may be punished with imprisonment up to 7 years or fine or both and under the PBMMSEC Act, he can be detained for a maximum of 6 months.
• The decision would empower the Government and States/UTs to regulate the production, quality, distribution, etc. of masks (2 ply & 3 ply surgical masks, N95 masks) and hand sanitizers and to smoothen the sale and availability of these items and carry out operations against orders speculators, etc. and those involved in overpricing, black-marketing, etc. It will enhance the availability of both the items to the general people at reasonable prices or under MRP. The States are also advised to give publicity of State Helplines for registering complaints by the consumers of the above two items. 

Source: PIB

2) Promoting the use of biopesticides and fertilizers

• To promote the use of biopesticides in agriculture, Central Insecticide Board & Registration Committee has formulated simplified guidelines for registration of biopesticides as compared to chemical pesticides. During provisional registration granted under Section 9 (3B) of The Insecticides Act, 1968, the applicant is allowed to commercialize the bio-pesticides, unlike chemical pesticides.
• Government of India through organic farming schemes of ParamparagatKrishiVikasYojana (PKVY), Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) and Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) aims for sustainable agriculture production with the eco-friendly process in tune with nature, promoting organic inputs and chemical-free agriculture produce for improving the health condition of the people.
• Under, ParamparagatKrishiVikasYojana (PKVY), the assistance of Rs. 50,000 per hectare for 3 years is provided, out of which Rs. 31,000 (62%) is given to the farmers directly through DBT, for inputs (bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, vermicompost, botanical extracts, etc.) production/ procurement, post-harvest management, etc.
• Under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), the farmers are given the assistance of Rs. 25000 per hectare for 3 years for both on-farm & off-farm organic inputs, and seeds/ planting material.
• Under, Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme, the Government of India promotes the production of bio-fertilizers by providing 100% assistance to State Government / Government Agencies up to a maximum limit of Rs.160.00 lakh/ unit for setting up of state of art liquid/ carrier-based Bio-fertilizer units of 200 Tonnes Per Annum capacity. Similarly, for individuals/ private agencies assistance up to 25% of cost limited to Rs.40 lakh/unit as capital investment is provided through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.
• Amount spent under, ParamparagatKrishiVikasYojana during the last three years (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19) and current year (2019-20) is Rs. 152.82 crore, Rs. 203.46 crore, Rs. 329.46 crore and Rs. 226.42 crore respectively.
• Amount spent under, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region during the last three years (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19) and current year (2019-20) is Rs. 47.63 crore, Rs. 66.22 crore, Rs. 174.78 crore and Rs. 78.83 crore respectively.
• Under the Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme, no amount has been disbursed to National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development during 2016-17 and 2017-18; however, during 2018-19, an amount of Rs.276.168 lakh was disbursed.
• The use of bio-pesticides is promoted by educating farmers through Farmer Field schools and Human Resource Development programs (2 & 5 days) under the Integrated Pest Management approach. The bio-pesticides (Trichoderma, Metazhizium, Beauveria, etc.) are also multiplied in the Central and State Government laboratories and distributed to farmers. During the last 5 years (2015-16 to 2019-20), 3472 Farmer Field Schools and 647 Human Resource Development programs were conducted under Integrated Pest Management and 1,04,160 farmers and 25,880 pesticide dealers and State Extension officials have been trained.

Source: PIB

3) Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP)

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for introducing the Scheme for Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) under which a mechanism would be created for reimbursement of taxes/ duties/ levies, at the central, state and local level, which are currently not being refunded under any other mechanism, but which are incurred in the process of manufacture and distribution of exported products. This scheme is going to give a boost to the domestic industry and Indian exports providing a level playing field for Indian producers in the International market so that domestic taxes/duties are not exported.
• Under the Scheme, an inter-ministerial Committee will determine the rates and items for which the reimbursement of taxes and duties would be provided. In line with “Digital India”, refund under the Scheme, in the form of transferable duty credit/electronic scrip will be issued to the exporters, which will be maintained in an electronic ledger. The Scheme will be implemented with end to end digitization.
• The refunds under the RoDTEP scheme would be a step towards “zero-rating” of exports, along with refunds such as Drawback and IGST. This would lead to the cost competitiveness of exported products in international markets and better employment opportunities in export-oriented manufacturing industries.  In line with the vision of Prime Minister, various export-oriented industries are being reformed and introduced to better mechanisms to increase their productivity, boost exports and contribute to the overall economy.

Salient features:

• At present, GST taxes and import/customs duties for inputs required to manufacture exported products are either exempted or refunded. However, certain taxes/duties/levies are outside GST and are not refunded for exports, such as VAT on fuel used in transportation, Mandi tax, Duty on electricity used during manufacturing, etc. These would be covered for reimbursement under the RoDTEP Scheme.
• The sequence of introduction of the Scheme across sectors, prioritization of the sectors to be covered, degree of benefit to be given on various items within the rates set by the Committee will be decided and notified by the Department of Commerce (DoC).
• The rebate would be claimed as a percentage of the Freight On Board (FOB) value of exports.
• A monitoring and audit mechanism, with an Information Technology based Risk Management System (RMS), would be put in to physically verify the records of the exporters. As and when the rates under the RoDTEP Scheme are announced for a tariff line/ item, the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) benefits on such tariff line/item will be discontinued.

Source: PIB 

4) Wings India 2020

• Wings India 2020, the biennial civil aviation and aerospace event was launched today at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. The event is being organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation along with the Airports Authority of India and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry). More than 100 exhibitors, over 20 states and over 500 delegates are participating in the flagship event of Civil Aviation.
• FICCI-MoCA- Deloitte ‘UDAN 4.0+ knowledge paper on the changing landscape of the Indian aviation sector under the regional connectivity scheme’ was also released during the event. A panel discussion on ‘Capacity Building- Airlines and Airports’ was held which saw the active participation of global CEO and industry experts. The day also witnessed air shows by Indian Air Forces’ Mark Jeffery Team and Sarang Team.
• The Aerobatic show showcased the Extra 300L by Indian Air Forces’ Mark Jeffery Team and ALH Dhruv helicopters by Indian Air Forces’ Sarang Team on 12th March 2020. Embraer E195, Honda Jet HA420, Diamond DA42, Cessna 182T, Cessna 206, Bell 505, Dornier 228 were on static display. The first day of the event bore a positive response with many companies showing interest in collaborations and business acquisitions.  Concerning the business opportunities, the first day of the event initiated discussions and conversations from airlines, exhibitors and companies to recognize and celebrate the excellence, triumphs, and innovations of key stakeholders within the Aviation industry.

Source: PIB 

5) Nuclear Power Plants in India

Recently, the government provided details related to various nuclear power plants in the country.

• Presently, India has 22 operating nuclear power reactors, with an installed capacity of 6780 MegaWatt electric (MWe). Among these eighteen reactors are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and four are Light Water Reactors (LWRs).
• The nuclear energy program in India was launched around the time of independence under the leadership of Homi J Bhabha.
• Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is being implemented by the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), a wholly-owned Enterprise of the Government of India under the administrative control of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor

• PHWR is a nuclear power reactor, commonly using unenriched natural uranium as its fuel. It uses heavy water (Deuterium oxide D2O) as its coolant and moderator.
• The heavy water coolant is kept under pressure, allowing it to be heated to higher temperatures without boiling, much as in a typical pressurized water reactor.
• While heavy water is significantly more expensive than ordinary light water, it yields greatly enhanced neutron economy, allowing the reactor to operate without fuel enrichment facilities.

Light Water Reactor

• The light-water reactor is a type of thermal- neutron reactor that utilizes normal water as opposed to heavy water.
• It is fuelled by Low Enriched Uranium.
• It uses water as both a coolant method and a neutron moderator.
• It produces heat by controlled nuclear fission.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

• A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor that generates more fissile material than it consumes. These are designed to extend the nuclear fuel supply for electric power generation.
• Breeder reactors achieve this because their neutron economy is high enough to create more fissile fuel than they use, by irradiation of fertile material, such as Uranium-238 or Thorium-232 that is loaded into the reactor along with fissile fuel.
• PFBR is a 500 MWe fast breeder nuclear reactor presently being constructed at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu).
• It is fuelled by Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel.

Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel

• MOX fuel is manufactured from plutonium recovered from used reactor fuel, mixed with depleted uranium.
• Mixed oxide (MOX) fuel provides almost 5% of the new nuclear fuel used today.
• MOX fuel also provides a means of burning weapons-grade plutonium (from military sources) to produce electricity.

Depleted Uranium

• To produce fuel for certain types of nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons, uranium has to be "enriched" in the U-235 isotope, which is responsible for nuclear fission.
• During the enrichment process, the fraction of U-235 is increased from its natural level (0.72% by mass) to between 2% and 94% by mass.
• The by-product uranium mixture (after the enriched uranium is removed) has reduced concentrations of U-235 and U-234. This by-product of the enrichment process is known as depleted uranium (DU).

Source: PIB 

6) Groundwater affects Himalayan slip and climate as the mountains dance to its tune

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, have found the mighty Himalayas subside and move up depending on the seasonal changes in groundwater. Since Himalayas play a very important role in influencing climate in the Indian subcontinent, the study funded by DST will help in understanding how hydrology affects climate.
• The Himalayan foothills and the Indo-Gangetic plain are sinking because its contiguous areas are rising due to tectonic activity associated with landmass movement or continental drift. The new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research shows that subsidence and uplift are found to be associated with seasonal changes in groundwater, apart from the normal, common reasons. Water acts as a lubricating agent, and hence when there is water in the dry season, the rate of a slip of the fault in this region is reduced.
• Nobody till now has looked at the rising Himalayas from a hydrological standpoint. Ajish Saji, working towards his Ph.D. under Prof Sunil Sukumaran, has looked at this phenomenon through this innovative prism. The water storage and surface load variations are quite tricky to quantify through the application of extant global models.
• In the Himalaya, seasonal water from glaciers, as well as monsoon precipitation, plays a key role in the deformation of the crust and the seismicity associated with it. The subsidence rate is associated with groundwater consumption.
• The researchers have made the combined use of Global Positioning System(GPS) and Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) data, which has made it possible for them to quantify the variations of hydrologic mass. The GRACE satellites, launched by the US in 2002, monitor changes in water and snow stores on the continents. This made it possible for the IIG team to study terrestrial hydrology.
• According to the researchers, the combined GPS and GRACE data suggest a 12% reduction in the rate of the subsurface slip. This slip refers to how fast the fault is slipping relative to the foot and hanging wall. The slip occurs at the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), due to hydrological variations and human activities, over which there is the periodic release of accumulated strain.

Source: PIB 

7) Foreigners Tribunals

Amnesty International has raised allegations over the functioning of the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in Assam.

Key Points

• In a report titled ‘Designed to Exclude’, Amnesty International has asserted that the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court had enabled the FTs to create a statelessness crisis in Assam.
• There appear to be aberrations in some cases to the policy of assessing the performance of an FT member.
• The organization has observed that the FTs that determined the paramount right to citizenship in Assam were often dismissive, used derogatory language, controlled their own procedures and applied them in arbitrary ways.
• It has also called for a review of the existing legislative regime governing the determination of nationality in India.

Foreigners Tribunals in Assam

• The tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, to determine if a person staying illegally is a “foreigner” or not.
• Every individual, whose name does not figure in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC), can represent his/her case in front of the appellate authority i.e. Foreigners Tribunals (FT).
• Assam has set up FTs, specifically to handle the cases of 19.06 lakh people left out of the updated NRC.
• Under the provisions of Foreigners Act 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964, only Foreigners Tribunals are empowered to declare a person as a foreigner.
• The Assam Police Border Organisation, a wing of the State police tasked with detecting foreigners, readies the cases for the tribunals to decide who is a foreigner and who is not.

Foreigners Tribunal Member

• Each FT member is appointed under the Foreigners Tribunal Act, 1941, and Foreigners Tribunal Order, 1984, as per the guidelines issued by the government from time to time.
• A member can be a retired judicial officer of the Assam Judicial Service, a retired civil servant not below the rank of secretary and additional secretary with judicial experience, or a practicing advocate not below the age of 35 years and with at least seven years of practice.
• A member is also required to have a fair knowledge of the official languages of Assam (Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, and English) as well as be conversant with the historical background to the foreigners’ issue.

Amnesty International

• AI is an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in London on May 28, 1961,
• It seeks to publicize violations by governments and other entities of rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), especially freedom of speech and of conscience and the right against torture.
• It also works with intergovernmental human rights bodies to expand and enforce human rights protections in international law.
• In 1977 AI was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Source: The Hindu

8) National Creche Scheme

• National Creche Scheme (earlier named as Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme) is being implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/UTs with effect from 1.1.2017 to provide daycare facilities to children (age group of 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers. The salient features of the National Creche Scheme are as follows:
• Daycare Facilities including Sleeping Facilities.
• Early Stimulation for children below 3 years and pre-school education for 3 to 6 years old children.
• Supplementary Nutrition ( to be locally sourced)
• Growth Monitoring
• Health Check-up and Immunization

Further, the guidelines provide that :

• Crèches shall be open for 26 days in a month and for seven and a half (7-1/2) hours per day.
• The number of children in the crèche should not be more than 25 per crèche with 01 Worker and 01 helpers respectively.
• User charges to bring in an element of community ownership and collected as under: 
• BPL families - Rs 20/- per child per month.
• Families with Income (Both Parents) of up to Rs. 12,000/- per month – Rs. 100/- per child per month 
• Families with Income (Both Parents) of above Rs. 12,000/- per month – Rs. 200/- per child per month.

As on 11.03.2020, 6453 creches are functional across the country under the  National Creche Scheme.
Grants have been released to the State Governments/UT Administration for crèches found functional and taken over by them.
As on date, the Government of Kerala has taken over 479 creches under the erstwhile RGNCS and running under National Creche Scheme.
Regular and strict monitoring is conducted at different levels to ensure the effective running of the Scheme and also to ensure that the beneficiaries are delivered services as envisaged in the Scheme. Monitoring of implementation of the scheme is being undertaken through meetings and video conferences with the officials of State Governments/ UT. Ministry officials undertake field visits to ascertain the status of implementation of the scheme. NITI Aayog conducts the third party evaluation.

Source: PIB

9) Nidhi Companies

Recently, The Central Government has amended the provisions related to Nidhi companies under the Companies Act, 2013 and the Rules.

• The amendments have been made to make the regulatory regime for Nidhi Companies more effective.
• This will accomplish the objectives of transparency & investor friendliness in the corporate environment of the country.

Key Points

• Under Nidhi Rules, 2014, Nidhi is a company that has been incorporated as a Nidhi with the object of cultivating the habit of thrift and saving amongst its members, receiving deposits from, and lending to, its members only, for their mutual benefit.
• It is a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013.
• It works on the principle of mutual benefits that are regulated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Nidhi Company is a class of Non-Banking Financial Company(NBFC) and Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has powers to issue directives for them related to their deposit acceptance activities.
• However, since these Nidhis deal with their shareholder-members only, RBI has exempted them from the core provisions of the RBI Act and other directions applicable to NBFCs.

Source: PIB 

10) Bear and Bull Markets

• Recently, the many Indian indices including the NSE Nifty index have entered into ‘bear market’ territory in the backdrop of the declaration of the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Bear Market

• A bear market refers to the market where share prices are continuously declining.
• Its downward trend makes investors believe that the trend will continue, which, in turn, perpetuates the downward spiral.
• It is considered riskier to invest in a bear market, as many equities lose value. Thus, most investors withdraw their money from the markets.
• During a bear market, the economy slows down and unemployment rises as companies begin laying off workers.

Bull Market

• A bull market refers to a market that experiences a sustained increase in market share prices.
• It ensures investors that the uptrend will continue over the long term.
• It signifies that the country's economy is strong and employment levels are high.

Source: Economics Time

11) National Biopharma Mission

• The National Biopharma Mission (NBM) is an industry-Academia Collaborative Mission for accelerating biopharmaceutical development in the country. Under this Mission, the Government has launched Innovate in India (i3) program to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector. The mission will be implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). The mission was approved in 2017 at a total cost of Rs 1500 crore and is 50% co-funded by the World Bank loan. It is managed through a dedicated Program Management Unit (PMU) at BIRAC. Together with National and International experts, the most promising projects are selected in response to open Request for Applications issued by the PMU. The oversight of the mission activities is provided by the inter-ministerial Steering Committee chaired by the Secretary-DBT. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) provides approval and reviews the scientific progress of its components. Further downstream, domain-specific Scientific Advisory Groups (SAG), each for the activities/ product development partnerships, are responsible for providing scientific decision making and knowledge and oversight necessary for TAG.
• The program is promoting entrepreneurship by supporting small and medium enterprises for indigenous product development (Novel Cell lines, indigenously developed Biologics, devices and Raw materials for Biologics manufacturing) and through establishment of shared facilities and Technology Transfer Offices.
• Innovation is being promoted in India for inclusiveness. This scientifically driven enterprise aims at developing an ecosystem for affordable product development and is focused on the following 4 verticals:
• Development of product leads for Vaccines, Biosimilars and Medical Devices that are relevant to the public health need by focussing on managed partnerships.
• Presently the mission is supporting the development of candidate vaccines for Cholera, Influenza, Dengue, Chikungunya, and Pneumococcal disease;  Biosimilar products for Diabetes, Psoriasis, emergency situations & Oncology and 08 products for the development of MedTech Devices for Imaging, Pumps for dialysis, MRI and Molecular Biology devices.
• Upgradation of shared infrastructure facilities and establishing them as centers of product discovery/discovery validations and manufacturing.
• Support is being extended by the Mission for establishing shared facilities. 15 facilities have been funded for - Biopharmaceuticals development (7), MedTech device development (6) and Vaccine Development (2).
• Develop human capital by providing specific training to address the critical skills gap among the nascent biotech companies across the product development value chain in areas such as Product development, intellectual property registration, technology transfer, and regulatory standards.
• Technology Transfer Offices: To help enhance industry-academia inter-linkages and provide increased opportunities for academia, innovators and entrepreneurs to translate knowledge into products and technologies, 5 Technology Transfer Offices are being considered for funding under NBM.

Source: PIB 

12) Minimum Support Price for Copra for 2020 season

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for 2020 season.
• The MSP for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of milling copra has been increased to Rs. 9,960/- per quintal for 2020 season from Rs. 9,521/- per quintal in 2019 and the MSP for ball copra has been increased to Rs. 10,300/- per quintal for 2020 season from Rs. 9,920/- per quintal in 2019. This will accrue a benefit of Rs 439/- per quintal in the milling copra and Rs 380/- increase in the Ball Copra.
•  This is to ensure a return of 50 percent for milling copra and 55 percent for ball copra over the all India weighted average cost of production.
• The approval is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• The increase in MSP for copra for 2020 season is in line with the principle of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the all India weighted average cost of production which was announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19.
• It assures a minimum of 50 percent as the margin of profit as one of the important and progressive steps towards making possible doubling of farmers' incomes by 2022.
• The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India Limited (NCCF) will continue to act as Central Nodal Agencies to undertake price support operations at the MSP in the coconut growing states.
• Last year when there was a crash in prices in Tamil Nadu, the timely intervention by Govt of India through purchase at MSP, pushed the market sentiment upward benefitting the copra farmers.
• India is number one in the production and productivity of Copra in the World.

Copra

• Copra (or khobara) is the dried meat or kernel of the coconut, which is the fruit of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Coconut oil is extracted from copra, making it an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields de-fatted coconut cake after oil extraction, which is mainly used as feed for livestock.

Economics

• Copra production begins on coconut plantations. Coconut trees are generally spaced 9 m (30 ft) apart, allowing a density of 100–160 coconut trees per hectare. A standard tree bears around 50–80 nuts a year, and average earnings in Vanuatu (1999) were US$0.20 per kg (one kg equals 8 nuts)—so a farmer could earn approximately US$120 to US$320 yearly for each planted hectare. Copra has since more than doubled in price and was quoted at US$540 per ton in the Philippines on a CIF Rotterdam basis (US$0.54 per kg) by the Financial Times on 9 November 2012.
• In 2017 the value of global exports of copra was $145-146 Million. The largest exporter was Papua New Guinea with 35% of the global total, followed by Indonesia (20%), Solomon Islands (13%) and Vanuatu (12%). The largest importer of copra is the Philippines, which imports $93.4 Million or 64% of the global total. A very large number of small farmers and tree owners produce copra, which is a vital part of their income.

Source: PIB 

13) Average Life Expectancy 

• As per the report titled SRS Based Life Table 2013-17 published by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Government of India, the average life expectancy at birth has increased from 49.7 during 1970-75 to 69.0 in 2013-17, registering an increase of 19.3 years during this period. As per the same report, the life expectancy at birth for males and females during 2013-17 was 67.8 and 70.4 years respectively. The State/UT-wise details are provided in Annexure. However, State/UT-wise average life expectancy of male and female in the rural and urban areas of the country may also be accessed from the report SRS Based Life Table 2013-17 available at the portal of Census of India
• A cross-sectional multi-centric community-based study of elderly population aged 60 years and above conducted jointly by the Government of India and WHO Country Office in India has revealed that diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease, poor vision, difficulty in hearing, anemia, arthritis, fall/fractures, bowel complaints, urinary complaints, depression, weight loss, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, TB, etc. are common among older patients.
• Recognizing the need for specialized accessible health care for the elderly, the Government of India has launched various programs, including the National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE) and Integrated Programme for Older Persons such as Ayushman Bharat. These programs aim to provide health care facilities to senior citizens (aged 60 years and above) at primary, secondary and tertiary health care delivery systems and to further increase the average life expectancy of people. The Government of India has also enacted ‘Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007’.
• Average life expectancy in India 

The measures taken/proposed by the Government of India for providing better health services to ensure healthy lives and to further improve the average life expectancy of the people in the country are as follows:

• Mobilization of public health action at multiple levels
• The Ayushman Bharat effort, with its two components of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), addresses the disparity in access and reduces out of pocket expenditure for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization for   40% of India’s population. The scheme provides hospital care for about 1,350 illnesses at secondary and tertiary level impaneled public and private hospitals. HWC encourages healthy choices and behaviors including Yoga and other physical activities.
• National Health Mission (NHM) is creating a network of 1,50,000 HWCs by upgrading existing sub-centers (SCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), which is universal and free to all those who access public health facilities. The CPHC basket of services cover 12 key service areas, which go beyond the Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and  Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) services to include screening and care for NCDs (diabetes, high blood pressure, oral, breast, cervical cancers, etc.), elderly care, palliative, and rehabilitative care, Oral, Eye and ENT care, mental health and first-level care for emergencies and trauma, etc.
• Continuum of care is being provided to all elderly citizen of age above 60 years from preventive and promotive up to rehabilitation in Geriatric units of District Hospital,      Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres under National program for    Healthcare of Elderly (NPHCE).
• Palliative care is being provided to terminal cases of cancer, AIDS, etc. under the National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC).
• Providing financial support in the form of untied funds, annual maintenance grants and Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) funds for the development of health facilities and ensuring services.
• Providing infrastructural support to State/UTs in constructing new health facilities and/or for up-gradation of infrastructure, Mother & Child Health (MCH) wings, up-gradation of the trauma centers & First Referral Units, Operationalization of the blood banks, etc.
• Operationalizing health facilities in rural areas (through the placement of human resources in difficult areas, the supply of equipment, drugs, and diagnostics).
• Also, certain new initiatives have been undertaken like the Screening for Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), Mothers Absolute Affection (to promote exclusive breastfeeding), Pradhan Mantri Shurakshit Matratva Abhiyan (to improve access to specialist maternal care through voluntary participation of private providers), Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program, Mission Indradhanush (to immunize partially or uncovered population), Rashtriya Swasthya Bal Karyakram (RBSK), Kayakalp (to promote cleanliness, hygiene and Infection Control Practices in public Health Care Facilities), Labour room quality improvement initiative- LAQSHYA (Initiative to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity, and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OT and ensure respectful maternity care), Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) (to end all preventable maternal and neonatal deaths), etc.

Source: PIB 

14) Increased Manpower at SFIO

The government is set to more than double the manpower at the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to nearly 350 as the office continues efforts to curb corporate wrongdoings.

Serious Fraud Investigation Office

• It is a multi-disciplinary organization under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, consisting of experts in the field of accountancy, forensic auditing, law, information technology, investigation, company law, capital market and taxation for detecting and prosecuting or recommending for prosecution white-collar crimes/frauds.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• The Computer Forensic and Data Mining Laboratory (CFDML) was set up in 2013 to provide support and service to the officers of SFIO in their investigations.
• SFIO was initially set up by the Government of India by way of a resolution dated 2nd July 2003. At that time SFIO did not enjoy a formal legal status.
• Section 211 of the Companies Act, 2013 has accorded statutory status to the SFIO.
• SFIO has powers to arrest people for the violation of the Company law.
• SFIO can initiate an investigation into the affairs of a company under the following circumstances:
• On receipt of a report of the Registrar or inspector under section 208 (Report on Inspection made) of the Companies Act, 2013.
• On intimation of a special resolution passed by a company that its affairs are required to be investigated.
• In the public interest.
• On request from any department of the central government or a state government.