Daily Current Affairs 15 December 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

 Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) PROJECT 17A SHIP ‘HIMGIRI’

• ‘Himgiri’, the first of the three Project 17A ships being built at M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata was launched today, 14 Dec 20. She made her first contact with the waters of Hoogly River at 1335 Hrs at the launch ceremony, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was the Chief Guest. In keeping with Naval traditions Smt Madhulika Rawat, spouse of CDS launched the ship to the chanting of invocations from the Atharva Veda. The ship has taken its name and crest of the second Frigate of the Leander Class of ships, which incidentally was launched 50 years ago in 1970. 
• Under the Project 17A program, a total of seven ships, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three ships at GRSE are being built with enhanced stealth features, advanced indigenous weapon and sensor fit along with several other improvements. The launch of ‘Himgiri’ has showcased GRSE’s commitment towards the building of three state-of-the-art warships of P17A for the Indian Navy. Over the years, GRSE has emerged as a leading shipyard having built over 100 ships. The yard has scaled up its infrastructure and skillsets to meet new challenges in building P17A ships. P17A ships are the first gas turbine propulsion and largest combat platforms ever built at GRSE. 
• Since its inception, Project 17A has upheld India’s vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat. P17A ships have been indigenously designed by the Directorate of Naval Design (Surface Ship Design Group) - DND(SSG), and are being built at indigenous yards namely MDL and GRSE. Naval shipbuilding provides a great opportunity to energize our economy post-COVID-19. Project 17A ships are sourcing 80% of the material/ equipment required for the project from indigenous vendors and with employment generation for over 2000 Indian firms and MSMEs within the country. The modular construction of the ship through outsourcing and integrated construction methodology is being used to enhance GRSE’s productivity for the delivery of ships targeted in August 2023.

Source: PIB

2) Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India

• NITI Aayogreleased a white paper: Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India with the vision:
• To make India’s public health surveillance system more responsive and predictive to enhance preparedness for action at all levels.
• The citizen-friendly public health surveillance system will ensure individual privacy and confidentiality, enabled with a client feedback mechanism.
• The improved data-sharing mechanism between Centre and states for better disease detection, prevention, and control.
• India aims to provide regional and global leadership in managing events that constitute a public health emergency of international concern.
• Vision 2035: Public Health Surveillance in India's a continuation of the work on health systems strengthening. It contributes by suggesting the mainstreaming of surveillance by making individual electronic health records the basis for surveillance. Public health surveillance (PHS) is an important function that cuts across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care. Surveillance is ‘Information for Action’.
• The Covid-19 pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to revisit (re) emerging diseases due to increased interaction between human-animal-environment. Early identification of this interference is essential to break the chain of transmissions and create a resilient surveillance system. This vision document is a step in that direction, it articulates the vision and highlights the building blocks. It envisions a citizen-friendly public health system, which will involve stakeholders at all levels, be it individual, community, health care facilities or laboratories, all while protecting the individual’s privacy and confidentiality.’
• The white paper lays out India’s vision of 2035 for public health surveillance through the integration of the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat. It also spells out the need for expanded referral networks and enhanced laboratory capacity. The building blocks for this vision are an interdependent federated system of governance between the Centre and states, a new data-sharing mechanism that involves the use of new analytics, health informatics, and data science including innovative ways of disseminating ‘information for action’.
• The paper released today is envisaged to serve as a vision document to propel public health surveillance in India and establish India as a global leader in the area.

Source: PIB

3) Gujarat to get mega renewable energy park

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for what is billed as the world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park in Gujarat’s Kutch district. 
• The park will generate 30,000 MW of power through solar panels and windmills on 72,600 hectares along the India­-Pakistan border. It is being set up by the Gujarat government with the participation of private players such as the Adani Group, which is the country’s largest renewable power generator, and Suzlon, a dominant player in wind energy. 
• The park will have dedicated zones for wind and solar energy storage as well as an exclusive zone for wind park activities.
• During the day­long visit to his home State, Mr. Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a desalination plant and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant in Kutch.
• To meet the growing water demand, Gujarat has turned to harness its vast coastline, taking steps to transform seawater into potable drinking water with the upcoming desalination plant at Mandvi, Kutch. The plant, with a capacity of 10 crore liters a day (100 MLD), will strengthen water security in Gujarat by complementing the Narmada Grid, the Sauni network, and the treated wastewater infrastructure. This is one of the five desalination plants the government plans to set up along the coastal regions of Kutch and Saurashtra
• Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of a fully automated milk processing and packing plant at Sarhad Dairy Anjar, Kutch. The plant will cost Rs 121 Crore and will have the capacity to process 2 Lakh Litres of milk per day.

Source: The Hindu

4) Virus RNA found in sewage samples

• The detection of the presence of SARS­-CoV-­2 RNA in sewage samples has raised the possibility of using environmental water surveillance to monitor virus activity in infected areas, researchers have said. 
• Similar environmental surveillance for the poliovirus had played a critical role in the eradication of wild poliovirus globally.
• Published recently in the Indian Journal of Medical Research paper, titled “SARS-­CoV-­2 detection in sewage samples: standardization of method and preliminary observations” researchers claimed to have undertaken the study to standardize the methodology for detection of SARS-­CoV­-2 from sewage and explore the feasibility of establishing supplementary surveillance for COVID­-19
• They suggested that SARS-­CoV­-2 detection in wastewater could be used to understand the epidemiology of COVID­19. “Decreasing concentration or absence of virus at previously SARSCoV­2­positive sewage sampling sites may indicate successful implementation of COVID­-19 control strategies and it may provide evidence of the presence or absence of SARS-­CoV-­2­infected populations and confirmation of COVID­-19­ free zones
• The study, conducted by ICMR ­National Institute of Virology, (Mumbai unit) and Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, ICMR, Delhi, said the virus was also detected in stool samples of patients, indicating active infection of the gastrointestinal tract. 
• For the study, sewage samples were collected from six sites in Mumbai.

Source: The Hindu

5) Pandemic, poverty spur child marriages

• The COVID-­19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have proved to be new drivers of child marriages in rural Madhya Pradesh, with several reports of such ceremonies from different parts of the State during the ongoing marriage season
• Madhya Pradesh recorded 46 child marriages between November 2019 and March 2020, a figure that jumped to 117 in just three months of the lockdown from April to June, data provided by ChildLine India, an NGO, said
• According to ChildLine India, across India, 5,214 child marriages were reported in the first four months of the lockdown between March and June. 

Reason behind it

• As the lockdown started from march 2020 the small and poor farmers who don't have enough money to give protection to their daughters are getting them married so they are secure and have protection for their daughters. 
• Due to lack of money, they can't send their daughter's to school
• Child marriage is still a challenge in the State. Increased economic pressures due to the pandemic have pushed parents to marry off girls early

Source: The Hindu

6) Vaccine Literacy

• With a COVID­-19 vaccine seemingly just around the corner in India, vaccine literacy, and not publicity blitz about the emergence of one or more vaccines, is essential to building public trust, say, health experts. 
• This should be supplemented with aggressive testing and tracing strategies to keep a check on the infection numbers and test the efficacy of vaccines.
• Vaccine literacy is an important aspect in vaccine roll­out which often does not get the attention it deserves. Before a new vaccine is introduced it is absolutely essential to building the confidence of people which is only possible by openness and transparency in sharing critical data
• It is essential to engage civil society organizations in dialogue, sharing the data with them, and asking them to disseminate information to the people at large.
• This could be a slower process, But this will be more sustainable than a publicity blitz about the emergence of one or more vaccines

This could be done in three ways 

• By maintaining absolute transparency in vaccine trial data results and adverse events, 
• rigorous surveillance through smart testing and tracing strategies as they form the bedrock for a vaccination campaign and finally by ensuring that the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) and
• the regulator is composed of independent persons with significant technical experience who do not have a relation with the vaccine company or anyone who can influence.

Source: PIB

7) Public Wi-Fi Networks

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the proposal of DoT for setting up of Public Wi-Fi Networks by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide public Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs) spread across length and breadth of the country to accelerate the proliferation of Broadband Internet services through Public Wi-Fi network in the country. There shall be no license fee for providing Broadband Internet through these public Wi-Fi networks.
• The proposal will promote the growth of Public Wi-Fi Networks in the country and, in turn, will help in the proliferation of Broadband Internet, enhancement of income and employment, and empowerment of people.

Salient Features:

This Public Wi-Fi Access Network Interface will be known as PM-WANI.PM-WANI eco-system will be operated by different players as described herein under:

• Public Data Office (PDO): It will establish, maintain, and operate only WANI compliant Wi-Fi Access Points and deliver broadband services to subscribers.
• Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA): It will be an aggregator of PDOs and perform the functions relating to Authorization and Accounting.
• App Provider: It will develop an App to register users and discover WANI compliant Wi-Fi hotspots in the nearby area and display the same within the App for accessing the internet service.
• Central Registry: It will maintain the details of App Providers, PDOAs, and PDOs. To begin with, the Central Registry will be maintained by C-DoT.

Objectives

• This is expected to be more business-friendly and in line with efforts for ease of doing business.COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated delivery of stable and high-speed Broadband Internet (data) services to an increasingly large number of subscribers in the country including areas that do not have 4G mobile coverage. This can be achieved by the deployment of Public Wi-Fi.
• Further, the proliferation of public Wi-Fi will not only create employment but also enhance disposable incomes in the hands of small and medium entrepreneurs and boost the GDP of the country.
• The proliferation of Broadband Services through public Wi-Fi is a step towards digital India and consequential benefit thereon.
• No License Fee for providing broadband internet services using public Wi-Fi Hotspots will massively encourage its proliferation and penetration across the length and breadth of the country. Availability and use of Broadband will enhance incomes, employment, quality of life, ease of doing business, etc.

Source: PIB

8) Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY)

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for Atmanirbhar Bharat RojgarYojana (ABRY) to boost employment in the formal sector and incentivize the creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid recovery phase under Atmanirbhar Bharat Package 3.0.
• Cabinet has approved an expenditure of Rs. 1,584 crore for the current financial year and Rs.22,810 crore for the entire Scheme period i.e. 2020-2023.

The salient features of the Scheme are as under:

• The government of India will provide subsidy for two years in respect of new employees engaged on or after 1st October 2020 and upto 30th June 2021
• The government of India will pay both 12% employees' contribution and 12% employers' contribution i.e.  24% of wages towards EPF in respect of new employees in establishments employing upto 1000 employees for two years,
• The government of India will pay only employees' share of EPF contribution i.e. 12% of wages in respect of new employees in establishments employing more than 1000 employees for two years.
• An employee drawing a monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who was not working in any establishment registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) before 1st October 2020 and did not have a Universal Account Number or EPF Member account number before 1stOctober 2020 will be eligible for the benefit,
• Any EPF member possessing Universal Account Number (UAN) drawing monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who made exit from employment during Covid pandemic from 01.03.2020 to 30.09.2020 and did not join employment in any EPF covered establishment up to 30.09.2020 will also be eligible to avail benefit,
• EPFO will credit the contribution in Aadhaar seeded account of members in an electronic manner,
• EPFO shall develop software for the scheme and also develop a procedure that is transparent and accountable at their end.
• EPFO shall work out modality to ensure that there is no overlapping of benefits provided under ABRY with any other scheme implemented by EPFO.

Source: PIB

9) Universal Service Obligation Fund Scheme

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the provision of a Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) Scheme for providing Mobile Coverage in Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam, namely KarbiAnglong and Dima Hasao, under the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) for North Eastern Region (NER).
• The project envisages providing mobile coverage to 2374 uncovered villages (1683 in Arunachal Pradesh and 691 in two districts of Assam) at an estimated cost of implementation of about Rs.2,029 crore including operational expenses for five years. 
• The project would be funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund.  The project is targeted to be completed by December 2022.
• The work-related provision of 4G mobile services in identified uncovered villages will be awarded through an open competitive bidding process as per extant USOF procedures.
• The provisioning of mobile services in the remote and difficult uncovered areas of Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam will enhance digital connectivity useful for self-reliance, facilitate learning, dissemination of information and knowledge, skill upgradation and development, disaster management, e-governance initiatives, the establishment of enterprises and e-commerce facilities, provision of adequate support to educational institutes for knowledge sharing and availability of job opportunities and fulfilling the vision of Digital India promoting domestic manufacturing and fulfilling the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Source: PIB

10) Quantum Communication between two DRDO Laboratories

• Secure communications are vital for defense and strategic agencies the world over and distribution of encryption keys from time to time is an important requirement in this context. Sharing of keys over the air or wired links requires encryption, which in turn requires encryption keys to be pre-shared. Quantum based communication offers a robust solution to sharing the keys securely. Defense Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) undertook the project for the development of this technology.
• A milestone of this project was achieved today when DRDO developed Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology that underwent trials in Hyderabad between two DRDO labs, DRDL and RCI, to show secure communication. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO team for the successful demonstration of QKD communication.
• The technology is developed by CAIR, Bengaluru, and DYSL-QT, Mumbai. Quantum Communication using a time-bin Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) scheme was performed under realistic conditions. The setup also demonstrated the validation of detection of a third party trying to gain knowledge of the communication. Quantum based security against eavesdropping was validated for the deployed system at over 12kms range and 10dB attenuation over the fiber-optic channel.
• A Continuous-wave laser source was used to generate photons without depolarization effect. The timing accuracy employed in the setup was of the order of picoseconds. The Single-photon avalanche detector (SPAD) recorded the arrival of photons and the key rate was achieved in the range of kbps with a low Quantum bit error rate. The software was developed for data acquisition, time synchronization, post-processing, determining Quantum bit error rate, and extracting other important parameters.  
• The work being done at DRDO will be used to enable start-ups and SMEs in the domain of quantum information technologies. It will also serve to define standards and crypto policies that can leverage the QKD system in a unified Cipher Policy Committee (CPC) framework for more secure and pragmatic key management for current and future military cryptographic systems.

Source: PIB