Daily Current Affairs 9 March 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development (HRD)

Almost half the government schools in the country do not have electricity or playgrounds, according to a report submitted by the parliamentary panel on education.
In its report on the 2020-2021 demand for grants for school education submitted to the Rajya Sabha last week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development (HRD) expressed concern that budgetary allocations saw a 27% cut from proposals made by the School Education Department. Despite proposals for ₹82,570 crores, only ₹59,845 crores were allocated
Noting similar 27% reductions for the central and centrally sponsored schemes as well, the panel recommended that these core schemes get additional funds at the revised estimates stage.
The panel “expressed dismay” at the stark deficits in the government school infrastructure, citing the latest survey data. Only 56% of schools have electricity, with the lowest rates in Manipur and Madhya Pradesh, where less than 20% have access to power.
Less than 57% of schools have playgrounds, including less than 30% of schools in Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2017-18 survey.
The panel recommended that the HRD Ministry collaborate with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to construct boundary walls, and work with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to provide solar and other energy sources so that schools have access to power.
The parliamentary panel also slammed the government for its “dismal” rate of progress in building classrooms, labs, and libraries to strengthen government
higher secondary schools.
Out of 2,613 sanctioned projects for 201920, only three had been completed in the first nine months of the financial year, said the panel, warning that such delays would alienate students from government schools.
In government higher secondary schools, not a single additional classroom had been built by December 31, 2019, although 1,021 had been sanctioned for the financial year 201920.
Only three laboratories had been built — one each for physics, chemistry, and biology — despite sanctioned funds for 1,343 labs. Although 135 libraries and 74 art/craft/culture rooms had been sanctioned, none had been built with just three months left in the financial year.
Overall, for the core Samagra Shiksha Scheme, the department had only spent 71% of revised estimates by December 31, 2019

Parliamentary committees

Parliamentary committees are established to study and deal with various matters that cannot be directly handled by the legislature due to their volume. They also monitor the functioning of the executive branch.
The Parliamentary committees are of two kinds - Standing or permanent committees and Ad hoc committees. The former are elected or appointed periodically and they work continuously. The latter are created on an ad hoc basis as the need arises and they are dissolved after they complete the task assigned to them.

Standing Committees

A Standing Committee is a committee consisting of Members of Parliament. It is a permanent and regular committee which is constituted from time to time according to the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. The work done by the Indian Parliament is not only voluminous but also of a complex nature, hence a good deal of its work is carried out in these Parliamentary Committees.

Standing Committees are of the following kinds :

Financial Standing Committees (FSC)
Department Related Standing Committees (DRSC)
Others Standing Committees (OSC)

Source: The Hindu

2) Workplace safety still an issue: survey

The survey by the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), and Gender at Work.
The online survey was conducted to assess whether and how effectively media houses in India responded to the issue of sexual harassment at the workplace.
The survey had 456 participants, including journalists, journalism educators, trainers, and researchers. Most respondents were based in metropolitan centers such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Pune.
The survey findings were compiled in the report titled ‘creating safe workplaces: prevention and redressal of sexual harassment in media houses in India’.

Concerns:

The report notes that around 36% of the respondents have experienced sexual harassment at the workplace. Of the respondents who experienced such harassment at work, 53% did not report it for lack of awareness of the existing mechanism or fear of reprisal.
Worryingly, over 70% of respondents who had approached the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) to report sexual harassment at the workplace were not completely satisfied with the outcome.
A higher level of sexual harassment was reported from organizations that did not have a mechanism to deal with sexual harassment. 47% was the reported number. This points towards the fact that ICC though has its flaws, has a deterring effect.
The report also found that a large percentage of respondents had never attended a training workshop on sexual harassment, as required by The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, of 2013.

Conclusion:

The results of the survey underscore the need to undertake steps to increase awareness among the employees and address the lacunae in the existing framework to bring about a change in the work culture in workplaces.

Source: The Hindu

3) India Data Portal (IDP)

Aimed at collating government data, scattered across multiple sources for the consumption of policymakers, researchers, students, and journalists, the Indian School of Business (ISB) have developed a onestop open data portal, focusing on information related to agriculture.
In the age where the credibility of information is being questioned and scrutinized, often with good reason, a platform with credible data can be a game-changer. India Data Portal (IDP) incubated at ISB’s Bharti Institute of Public Policy is a platform that has data from multiple disciplines, subjects, and areas. In the first phase, the focus is on agriculture data, and in later phases, the portal will diversify to include datasets on financial inclusion, rural development, etc
Pointing out that IDP aims to integrate journalists as it’s ambassadors and fellows the major challenge faced by journalists in India is accessing and collating government data scattered across multiple sources for analysis and generating data-driven stories.
Mostly, data is available at different locations generally in accessible formats, which then requires extra effort in converting them into a format that can be analyzed. In other cases, even if the data is easily available, comparing it across geographies becomes a considerable challenge. These issues of unavailability of organized and linked data and inadequate platforms for rapid visualizations are addressed by the IDP

Source: The Hindu

4) Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)

The iconic and endangered Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) has fewer hunters because the younger generations of people across its Himalayan habitat are losing interest in animal products, a new study by wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC has found.
However, the reddish-brown arboreal mammal, not closely related to the iconic blackandwhite giant panda, is falling to traps laid for other animals, such as the musk deer and wild pigs, the report said.
The news is both good and bad for the red panda, whose survival is crucial for the eastern and northeastern and the eastern Himalayan forests
The only living member of the genus Ailurus, the Red Panda is listed as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. The animal has been hunted for meat and fur, besides illegal capture for the pet trade. An estimated 14,500 animals are left in the wild across Nepal, Bhutan, India, China, and Myanmar
In addition to looking at seizures, the researchers carried out market surveys, surveys of ecommerce websites and villagelevel surveys. About 5,000-6,000 red pandas are estimated to be present in four Indian states – Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, and West Bengal. This is the second-largest population after China (6,0007,000). Nepal accounts for 580 animals, while Bhutan and Mynamar have no estimate of the animal’s population.
Red pandas have been reported from 11 districts of
Arunachal Pradesh, which is presumed to hold the largest red panda population in the country.
The researchers found that neither India nor Bhutan had reported any incidences of poaching or illegal trade-in Red Pandas in the study period. “This may indicate that traditional demand for such products has reduced over time and might be indicative of the success of awareness campaigns undertaken in the areas,” the report said, indicating that younger people were not keen on using the pelt or meat of the animal. “None of the markets had any parts or products made of parts of the red panda for sale
In contrast, experts from Nepal reported about 25 incidences of Red Panda poaching, involving approximately 55 animals, and also claimed to have witnessed and/or confirmed reports related to poaching on six occasions involving 15 animals
The report also recommended transboundary law enforcement cooperation through the use of multi-government platforms like SAWEN (South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network)
The report titled “Assessment of illegal traderelated threats to Red Panda in India and selected neighboring range countries” has looked at a tenyear period from July 2010 to June 2019, and analyzed poaching and illegal trade of the species.

Source: The Hindu

5) ECI unveils road map for revamp

Recommendations proposed by the working groups set up by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Background:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had set up working groups in June 2019, to come up with recommendations for revamping the electoral process which could add value to the process.

The nine working groups, comprising ECI officials and State Chief Electoral Officers, had presented their draft recommendations recently.

The ECI has published 25 of the main recommendations and has invited comments or suggestions from the public.

Details:

Some of the major recommendations being considered by the ECI to include the following.
E-voter cards:

One of the major proposals is the issuance of electronic versions of the voter ID card for the convenience of voters.
A Voter ID Card, also known as the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) is a photo identity card that is issued by the Election Commission of India to all individuals who are eligible to vote.

Ease of voter service:

Since multiple numbers of forms create confusion and affect the efficiency in the process. There is the recommendation to replace all the forms for various voter services, including registration of new voters and change of address, with a unified and simplified form for all services to voters.

Registration of new voter:

Another recommendation is to start online registration facilities at the school or college-level for all prospective voters at 17 years of age, so they can be enrolled in the electoral roll as soon as they become eligible at 18.
The ECI also recommended four cut-off dates in a year to enroll as a voter. Currently, January 1 is the qualifying date so those who turn 18 after that date are not eligible to vote the whole year. The ECI has proposed January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 as the qualifying dates.
These measures would help enhance young citizen’s participation in the electoral process.

New voting methods:

Given the fact that approximately 30% of electors are not able to participate in elections for various reasons, the ECI is exploring the possibility and feasibility of different voting methods which remains secure and safe to ease and improve electoral participation.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering new voting methods,
One of the recommendations includes an Aadhaar-linked remote voting system on which IIT-Madras was working on.
The ECI has already implemented a one-way online transfer of postal ballots for service personnel and has implemented the same for the whole country in 2019.

Silence period:

Given the difficulties involved in regulating social media, the working group was asked to come up with recommendations to regulate social media platforms to ensure strict adherence to the provision of silence period before polling.
The working group has come up with recommendations as part of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) to impose a silence period of 48 hours before polling on social media and print media.

Other recommendations:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is also considering capping the campaign expenditure of political parties.

Source: The Hindu

6) The Sun brings out a fresh batch of sunspots

Research findings reported from a team of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata.

Background:

Solar dynamo:

Given the high temperatures in the Sun, matter exists there in the form of plasma, where the electrons are stripped away from the nuclei.
The Sun is made of hot ionized plasma whose motions generate magnetic fields in the solar interior by harnessing the energy of the plasma flows. This mechanism is known as the solar dynamo mechanism (or magneto-hydrodynamic dynamo mechanism). This generates the magnetized sunspots, giving rise to the solar cycle.
Given the nature of the solar dynamo, the part of its magnetic field that gives rise to sunspots reverses direction when it moves from one solar cycle to another.

Sunspots:

Sunspots are relatively cooler spots on the Sun’s surface.
The number of sunspots is not constant. Their number increases and decreases in cycles that last 11 years approximately. This cycle is called the solar cycle. The sun is currently at the minimum of one such cycle.

So far, astronomers have documented 24 such solar cycles, with the last one ending in 2019.

Sunspots occur in pairs, with a leader and a follower. They originate deep within the Sun and become visible when they pop out from the surface.

Sunspots are the point of origin for huge solar flares and coronal mass ejections that spew material from the sun’s surface into outer space.

Significance of sunspots:

Influence on the climate of the earth:

Sunspot activity may be correlated with climate on earth.
In the period between 1645 and 1715, sunspot activity had come to a halt on the Sun, commonly referred to as the Maunder minimum. This coincided with extremely cold weather globally. This observation seems to indicate that sunspots may have an impact on the climate of the earth.

Influence on space weather:

Solar activity affects space weather, which can have an impact on space-based satellites, GPS and power grids.
Given the increasing reliance on satellites and electricity, a complete understanding of solar activity is important.

Details:

The weakening trend in solar activity:

Following a weakening trend in solar activity over the past three sunspot cycles, there were predictions that the Sun would go silent into a grand minimum lasting many decades and the disappearance of solar cycles.
Some groups had claimed that this would give rise to a mini ice age and cooling of the global climate.

25th solar cycle:

A team from IISER Kolkata based on its work has shown that the next sunspot cycle, which marks the 25th sun cycle being documented, has begun.
They used the data from the instrument Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager aboard NASA’s space-based Solar Dynamics Observatory for their calculations.

Source: The Hindu

7) Assess crop damage due to hailstorm

Background:

Untimely hailstorm and rains have damaged 70% of the crops in Uttar Pradesh.

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY):

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)was launched in 2016.
PMFBY aims to provide a comprehensive insurance cover against the failure of the crop thus helping in stabilizing the income of the farmers.
The scheme is implemented by impaneled general insurance companies. The scheme is being administered by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Scheme covers all Food & Oilseeds crops and Annual Commercial/Horticultural Crops for which past yield data is available and for which requisite number of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) are being conducted under General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES).
Following stages of the crop risks leading to crop loss are covered under the Scheme:
Prevented Sowing/Planting/Germination Risk:
Standing Crop (Sowing to Harvesting): Losses due to non-preventable risks, viz. Drought, Dry spell, Flood, Inundation, widespread Pests and Disease attack, Landslides, Fire due to natural causes, Lightning, Storm, Hailstorm and Cyclone.
Post-Harvest Losses: Coverage is available only up to a maximum period of two weeks from harvesting, against specific perils of Hailstorm, Cyclone, Cyclonic rains, and Unseasonal rains
Localized Calamities: Loss/damage to notified insured crops resulting from the occurrence of identified localized risks of Hailstorm, Landslide, Inundation, Cloud burst and Natural fire due to lightening affecting isolated farms in the notified area.
Add-on coverage for crop loss due to attack by wild animals: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

Details:

Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister has directed officials to undertake a survey to ascertain the extent of losses in crops due to the recent hailstorm and rain in the State.
Instructions have also been given to insurance companies to ascertain the extent of loss, and pay for the damages caused to farmers.

Source: The Hindu

8) Women scientists receive international exposure through Indo-U.S. Fellowship for WISTEMM

The Indo-U.S. Fellowship for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (WISTEMM)” program of Department of Science and Technology(DST) in association with Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum (IUSSTF) have provided international exposure to several women scientists. Around 20 women scientists have visited 20 leading institutions across the United States of America for furthering their research work and to get trained in the state of the art technologies related to their research.
WISTEMM aims to provide opportunities to Indian Women Scientists, Engineers & Technologists to undertake international collaborative research in premier institutions in the U.S.A, to enhance their research capacities and capabilities.
The program is run for two categories of women scientists--- Women Overseas Student Internship (Module I) for women students pursuing Ph.D., and Women Overseas Fellowship (Module II) for women with the Ph.D. degree and holding a regular position at any recognized institution/laboratory in India.
The first batch of women scientists comprising 20 women has completed their visit to 20 leading institutions across the United States of America. Selected from among the application from the women scientific community, the second batch of 20 women is undergoing visit across premier institutions of USA this year.
The fellowship is for bright Indian women citizens within the age bracket of 21 to 45 years. Such abroad age criteria not only caters to those who are currently pursuing research but also to those outstanding women researchers who would want to return after having taken a break onto their research path. The funding support extended under the program includes stipend, airfare, health insurance, contingency, and conference allowances.
DST has started several pioneering initiatives for promoting women in science. In the year 2014, DST restructured all women-specific programs under one umbrella called Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN), which encompasses women-exclusive schemes and encourages them to foster their career by not only undertaking research in Science and Technology (S&T) but also focusing on S&T solutions of issues & challenges at the grassroots level for social benefits. The mandate of the KIRAN Program is to bring gender parity in S&T through gender mainstreaming. Women Scientist Scheme (WOS) addresses challenges faced by S&T qualified women primarily due to social responsibilities. Its two components WOS-A and WOS-B are directly implemented by KIRAN Division and the third component WOS-C or KIRAN-IPR is implemented by TIFAC with grant-in-aid from DST.
Providing avenues to women scientists and technologists for capacity building, knowledge and skill enhancement at the global level is another objective achieved through its international component called ‘International Fellowship for Women in Science’. The aim of the program is to provide opportunities to Indian Women Scientists, Engineers and Technologists to undertake collaborative research and gain exposure to excellent research facilities at the international level.

Source: PIB

9) Idlib (Testing the power of personal touch)

What’s so important about Idlib?

It is a city in northwestern Syria
Idlib is strategically important to the government of Syria. It borders Turkey to the north and connects highways running south from the city of Aleppo to the capital Damascus, and west to the Mediterranean city of Latakia.

Who controls the province?

The province – along with parts of Hama, Latakia, and Aleppo – is the last stronghold of the rebel and jihadist groups that have been trying to overthrow President Assad since 2011.
The opposition once controlled large parts of the country, but the Syrian army has retaken most of the territory over the past five years with the help of Russian air power and Iran-backed militiamen.
Now, the army wants to “liberate” Idlib.
Idlib has been controlled by several rival factions, rather than a single group. But the dominant force is the al-Qaeda-linked jihadist alliance, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Why did Syrian government forces target Idlib now?

In 2017, Russia and Turkey agreed to de-escalation in Idlib and the province is out of the control of the Syrian government.
When Syrian government forces overtook three other de-escalation zones elsewhere in Syria, Turkey approached Russia in 2018 with a proposal to establish a demilitarized zone in Idlib, in what came to be known as the Sochi accord.
Turkey also proposed that it would disarm the Sunni militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and remove it from the area, and agreed to reopen the crucial M4 and M5 highways.
However, the situation escalated when Turkey failed to deal with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham according to the terms of the proposal with Russia.
Turkey supports the Syrian rebels, while Russia backs the Syrian government’s campaign to retake the area.

What is currently happening in Idlib?

Fighting has intensified in Idlib in the last few weeks as a result of massive displacement, running into over half a million people.
The forces of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad backed by Russian air-power has ramped up airstrikes in Idlib.
Idlib’s importance can be corroborated by two factors.
One, that it essentially determines the faith and future of the Syrian Civil War.
Second, that it is currently the biggest contention point between Syria and its neighbor Turkey.
Why is Idlib important for Turkey?
Idlib’s proximity to the Turkish border makes it not only important for the Syrian government but also a cause of concern for Turkey.
Since the war started in Syria, thousands of displaced Syrians have sought refuge in Turkey over the years.
According to the latest known figures, Turkey presently hosts some 3.6 million refugees and is feeling the socio-economic and political strain of their presence in the country.
More conflict in Idlib would only serve to displace more people, pushing them towards the Turkish border. Turkey has been witnessing a surge in hostility among its citizens towards refugees and a fresh wave of refugees will only exacerbate the situation.

What is the issue between Turkey and Russia?

More than two dozen Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Syrian government forces.
The deaths mark a serious escalation in the direct conflict between Turkish and Russia-backed Syrian forces that have been waged since early February 2020.
As crisis soared in Syria’s Idlib and the possibility of a direct confrontation between Russia and Turkey was rising, the leaders of both the countries Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan agreed to implement a ceasefire in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib.
Both sides also agreed to establish a secure corridor along the strategically important M4 highway.

Conclusion

The unpredictability in the region may have been suspended temporarily, but Syria remains on the brink.

Source: The Hindu

10) Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020

The Lok Sabha has given its nod to the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill.
The Bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 (CMSP Act).

Under the Bill:

Allocation of coal/lignite blocks for composite prospecting license cum mining lease has been provided.
The requirement of previous approval in cases where the allocation of blocks was made by Central Govt has been dispensed with.
Removal of restriction on end-use of coal: Companies will be allowed to carry on coal mining operation for own consumption, sale or for any other purposes, as may be specified by the central government.
Transfer of statutory clearances to new bidders: The Bill provides that the various approvals, licenses, and clearances given to the previous lessee will be extended to the successful bidder for two years. During this period, the new lessee will be allowed to continue mining operations.
Advance action for auction: Under the MMDR Act, mining leases for specified minerals (minerals other than coal, lignite, and atomic minerals) are auctioned on the expiry of the lease period. The Bill provides that state governments can take advance action for auction of a mining lease before its expiry.

Significance:

This will speed up the process of implementation of projects, ease of doing business, simplification of procedure and benefit all the parties in areas where minerals are located.

Background:

In 2018, the government had allowed commercial mining by private entities but non-coal companies couldn’t participate in the auction.
In August 2019, the government announced 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) under the automatic route in coal mining for open sale, besides creating associated infrastructure, such as washeries.
Implications of this move- significance:
This opens up the sector to players outside steel and power as well as removes end-use restrictions.
It will create an efficient energy market and bring in more competition as well as reduce coal imports. India imported 235 million tonnes (mt) of coal last year, of which 135 mt valued at Rs 171,000 crore could have been met from domestic reserves.
It might also put an end to Coal India Ltd’s monopoly in the sector.
It would also help India gain access to high-end technology for underground mining used by miners across the globe.

New mining target:

In 2018, the government allowed commercial mining by private entities and set a mining target of 1.5 billion tonnes by 2020. Out of this, 1 billion tonnes was set to be from Coal India, while 500 million tonnes was to be from non-Coal India entities. This target has now been revised to 1 billion tonnes by 223-24.

Who grants permission for mining?

The state governments grant permission for mining, known as mineral concessions, for all the minerals located within the boundary of the state, under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and Mineral Concession Rules, 1960.
However, for minerals specified in the First Schedule to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, Central government approval is necessary before granting the mineral concession.
Minerals specified under the First Schedule include hydrocarbons, atomic minerals and metallic minerals such as iron ore, bauxite copper ore, lead precious stones, zinc, and gold.

Source: The Hindu