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Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Daily Current Affairs, 24th August 2022

20:30

 


1)  World Gujarati Language Day 2022: 24 August

•World Gujarati Language Day 2022 is celebrated every year on 24 August. This day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of the great writer of Gujarat ‘Veer Narmad’. ‘Gujarati Diwas’ is celebrated because the poet Narmad was considered to be the creator of the Gujarati language. He has made Gujarati literature international.


2)  Defence Minister Hold Meetings In Tashkent

•Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Tashkent on Tuesday to attend the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting, which is to take place on August 24. Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Uzbekistan counterpart Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov. During the Annual Meeting, the SCO Member States will discuss defence cooperation and it is expected that a joint communique will be issued after the deliberations. Rajnath Singh’s address at the meeting is slated to be held on August 24, 2022.


3)  India Successfully Fight-Tests VL-SRSAM in Chandipur

•The Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), was successfully flight tested by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for Naval warships and the Indian Navy. The VL-SRSAM flight test was carried out from Chandipur Coast, in Odisha. The flight was successfully conducted from an Indian Naval ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for demonstration of vertical launching capability. The VL-SRSAM is equipped with Indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker. The VL-SRSAM is designed by three facilities of the DRDO for the Indian Naval Warships.


•It is designed and developed for the neutralization of various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets. The Defence Ministry of India Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Indian Navy, and the industry for the successful flight testing of VL-SRSAM.


4)  DRDO And Indian Navy Test Indigenous VL-SRSAM Missile

•Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully flight-tested the indigenously designed and developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. The flight test was carried out from a naval ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for demonstration of vertical launch capability.


5)  Rajesh Verma named as Secretary to President Droupadi Murmu

•Odisha cadre 1987-batch IAS officer, Rajesh Verma has been appointed as the Secretary to President Droupadi Murmu. He replaces the incumbent Kapil Dev Tripathi, a 1980-batch IAS officer. He is currently serving as Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs & has also served as principal secretary to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. In the past, Verma has also served as the Principal Secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Principal Secretary of Energy Department, Government of Odisha.


6)  Chhattisgarh government to set up 300 rural industrial parks in the state

•The Chhattisgarh government will set up rural industrial parks in the state. In the first year of the project, there will be 300 such parks. This move aimed to strengthen the rural economy and make the “gauthan” (cattle shed) a centre of livelihood. The project will be launched on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2. The first such park in Chhattisgarh came up in Kulgaon, Kanker district, which has been named Gandhi Gram.


7)  UP government to build India’s first education township

•The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to build an education township in the state. As per the Yogi Adityanath government, the education township will be developed on the idea of ‘Single Entry, Multiple Exit’. The move will provide high-quality education to the youth and equip them with a variety of professional skills in a single place. Besides, it will provide accommodation and many other facilities to both students and teachers.


8)  23rd Central Zonal Council meeting presided over by Amit Shah in Bhopal

•23rd Central Zonal Council Meeting: Union Home Minister Amit Shah led the 23rd Central Zonal Council Meeting in Bhopal. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, and Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, attended the meeting. Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Bhupesh Baghel, the chief minister of Chhattisgarh, participated virtually due to poor weather.


9)  U.K’s Growth -11% In 2020 Worst In 300 Years

•Britain’s economy shrank by a record-breaking 11% in 2020, earlier which was sought to be -9.9%, new figures by the Office of National Statistics show, highlighting the impact of Covid-19 restrictions, employment uncertainty and reduced demand, with limited growth in the final quarter narrowly avoiding a double-dip recession.


10)  Leading Economists Expects Q1 GDP Growth At 13-15.7%

•Leading economists have pencilled in a high 13-15.7 per cent uptick in the economy in the first quarter of 2022-23 with an upward bias. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, the group chief economic adviser at State Bank of India, said he expects the GDP to clip past 15.7 per cent in the first quarter with more chances of the final numbers printing in higher, while Aditi Nayar, the chief economist at the rating agency ICRA, said the economy will grow much lower at 13 per cent in the June quarter. The national statistical office will announce the first quarter GDP numbers later next week.


11)  Vikram Doraiswami appointed to UK as India’s High Commissioner

•Vikram K. Doraiswami, a seasoned diplomat appointed as India’s new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom which is seen as a significant position given the two nations’ expanding strategic alliance. Vikram K. Doraiswami is Indian High Commissioner  to Bangladesh currently. He is an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1992 batch. At May 1994, Vikram K. Doraiswami was appointed Third Secretary in the Indian High Commission in Hong Kong after completing his in-service training in New Delhi between 1992 and 1993.


12)  South Korea and the United States Began their Largest Joint Military Drills

•South Korea and the United States began their largest joint military drills in years with a resumption of field training. This year, the annual summertime exercise has been renamed ‘Ulchi Freedom Shield’ and it is scheduled to end on 1st September 2022. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has vowed to normalize the combined exercises and boost deterrence against the North. South Korea has separately started or launched the four-day Ulchi Civil Defence Drills, which is specially designed to boost the government readiness for the first time after the Coronavirus pandemic occurred.


•The government aims to improve the preparedness of the country to match the changing war pattern with the help of these civil and military exercises. These military exercises will also help in preparing the country against the threats against key facilities such as chip factories and supply chains.


13)  Sajith Sivanandan Appointed as the Head of Disney+Hotstar

•Sajith Sivanandan has been appointed as the executive vice-president and head of Disney+Hotstar. Disney’s International Content and Operations is India’s largest streaming service and Sajith Sivanandan has previously worked with Google. Sajith Sivanandan will be reporting to Chairman of Disney’s International Content and Operations Group, Rebecca Campbell, and President of Disney Star, K. Madhavan. He will start working with Disney+Hotstar in October with a dual reporting line of Disney Star.
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The HINDU Notes – 24th August 2022

14:35

 


📰 Sex ratio at birth normalises slightly: study

It fell from 111 boys per 100 girls in 2011 to 108 boys in 2019-21, says Pew report

•The latest study by the Pew Research Center has pointed out that “son bias” is on the decline in India as the average annual number of baby girls “missing” in the country fell from 480,000 (4.8 lakh) in 2010 to 410,000 (4.1 lakh) in 2019. The “missing” refers to how many more female births would have occurred during this time if there were no female-selective abortions.

•The problem began in the 1970s with the availability prenatal diagnostic technology allowing for sex selective abortions. Among the major religions, the biggest reduction in sex selection seems to be among the groups that previously had the greatest gender imbalances, particularly among Sikhs.

•The world over, boys modestly outnumber girls at birth, at a ratio of approximately 105 male babies for every 100 female babies. That was the ratio in India in the 1950s and 1960s, before prenatal sex tests became available across the country. India legalised abortion in 1971, but the trend of sex selection started picking up in the 1980s due to the introduction of ultrasound scan technology. In the 1970s, India’s sex ratio was at par with the global average of 105-100, but this widened to 108 boys per 100 girls in the early 1980s, and reached 110 boys per 100 girls in the 1990s. 

•“From a large imbalance of about 111 boys per 100 girls in India’s 2011 census, the sex ratio at birth appears to have normalised slightly over the last decade, narrowing to about 109 in the 2015-16 wave of the National Family Health Survey and to 108 boys in the latest wave of the NFHS, conducted from 2019-21,” the report says.

•The Pew Research Center report points out that between 2000 and 2019, nine crore female births went “missing” because of female-selective abortions. The report has also analysed religion-wise sex selection, pointing out that the gap was the highest for Sikhs. “In the 2001 census, Sikhs had a sex ratio at birth of 130 males per 100 females, far exceeding that year’s national average of 110. By the 2011 census, the Sikh ratio had narrowed to 121 boys per 100 girls. It now hovers around 110, about the same as the ratio of males to females at birth among the country’s Hindu majority (109), according to the latest NFHS,” the report says.

•Both Christians (105 boys to 100 girls) and Muslims (106 boys to 100 girls) have sex ratios close to the natural norm, and this trend is holding.

•The study points out that while the Sikhs make up less than 2% of the Indian population, they accounted for an estimated 5%, or approximately 440,000 (4.4 lakh), of the nine crore baby girls who went “missing” in India between 2000 and 2019. The share of “missing” girls among Hindus is above their respective population share.

📰 Govt. amends SC Judges Rules

Rent-free accommodation for 6 months for retd. Chief Justice

•The government on Tuesday amended the Supreme Court Judges Rules to entitle a retired Chief Justice rent-free Type-VII accommodation in Delhi for six months from the date of superannuation.

•A notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice said the accommodation would be other than the designated official residence.

•The amended Rules added that a retired Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court shall be entitled to a chauffeur, a secretarial assistant and round-the-clock security cover, in addition to his or her personal security guard for a period of a year from the date of retirement.

•Further, the amended Rules mandated that a retired Chief Justice and judges should be extended, as per protocol, courtesies at ceremonial lounges at airports.

•The government has amended the original Supreme Court Judges Rules of 1959 in exercise of powers conferred on it under the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act, 1958.

•A 2013 decision of the Supreme Court had taken a serious view of former Ministers, MPs and even retired Judges and government servants overstaying in bungalows beyond the allotted period.

•“Judges of any forum shall vacate the official residence within one month from the date of superannuation/retirement,” the Supreme Court had ordered.

📰 Benami law can’t be applied retrospectively: SC

Bench declares as ‘unconstitutional’ 2016 amendments which can send a person to prison for 3 years

•The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared as “unconstitutional and manifestly arbitrary” the amendments introduced to the Benami law in 2016, which apply retrospectively and can send a person to prison for three years even as it empowers the Centre to confiscate “any property” subject to a benami transaction.

•In a decision much awaited by businesses, a three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, declared as unconstitutional Sections 3(2) and 5 introduced through the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016. The 2016 law amended the original Benami Act of 1988, expanding it to 72 Sections from a mere nine.

•Section 3(2) mandates three years of imprisonment for those who had entered into benami transactions between September 5, 1988 and October 25, 2016. That is, a person can be sent behind bars for a benami transaction entered into 28 years before the Section even came into existence.

•Justice Ramana, who wrote the 96-page judgment, held that the provision violated Article 20(1) of the Constitution.

•Article 20(1) mandates that no person should be convicted of an offence, which was not in force “at the time of the commission of the act charged as an offence”. Section 5 of the 2016 Amendment Act said that “any property, which is subject matter of benami transaction, shall be liable to be confiscated by the Central Government”. The court held that this provision cannot be applied retrospectively.

•The CJI dismissed the government’s version that forfeiture, acquisition and confiscation of property under the 2016 Act was not in the nature of prosecution and cannot be restricted under Article 20. The court observed that the 2016 Act condemned not only transactions that were traditionally denominated as benami but also a “new class of fictitious and sham transactions”. The court said the intention of Parliament was to condemn property acquired from ill-gotten wealth. “These proceedings cannot be equated as enforcing civil obligations,” the CJI noted.

📰 Reviewing remission

SC should lay down norms for release of convicts on remission

•Public-spirited activists have done well to challenge in the Supreme Court the premature release of 11 convicts who were serving life terms for the gang-rape of a woman and the murder of at least seven people during the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. Bilkis Bano, the survivor, has not moved the courts so far, but it is clear that the controversial order of the Gujarat government, granting remission to the convicts, should be subject to judicial review. That those found guilty of multiple murders, including that of a three-year-old child, and a gang-rape, were found suitable candidates for premature release is unacceptable. Even otherwise there are specific legal grounds to question the government’s decision. The remission was based on a direction from a two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on a petition by one of the convicts. The question to be decided was whether the Gujarat government or the Maharashtra government was the appropriate government for considering their plea for remission. The Court ruled that the State government of Gujarat, where the crime occurred, should consider the matter, and not Maharashtra, the State to which the trial was transferred by the Supreme Court to ensure an impartial trial. While passing this order, the Bench also said the remission should be considered under a policy framed in July 1992, as that was the prevailing policy on the date of their 2008 conviction. This meant that the bar on granting remission to those convicted for murder and rape, found in the current policy, will not apply to these convicts.

•There are at least two grounds on which the remission order appears illegal. First, the State government made a decision on its own without consulting with the Centre. Under Section 435 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, such consultation with the Centre is mandatory in cases probed by the CBI. Further, the composition of the committee that recommended remission for the convicts consisted of two BJP legislators. Ideally, a remission panel should comprise senior government officials in charge of home or law, a district judge, the prison superintendent, and officers who deal with probation and rehabilitation of offenders. The presence of political members certainly vitiates its decision. Further, it appears that the objection of the district judge concerned was disregarded, casting a shadow on the legitimacy of the remission. It will be appropriate if the Supreme Court constitutes a Bench of sufficient size to reconsider judgments that allow the remission policy obtaining on the date of conviction, instead of the policy currently in force; as well as decide the question of whether the ‘appropriate government’ should be the one in the State where the crime took place, or the State to which the trial was transferred on judicial orders. It can also spell out the contours of a rational remission policy, one that will be informed by humanitarian considerations as well as the scope for reform of the offenders and their sense of remorse.

📰 Are freebies a way to mask state inaction?

Ultimately, the voter suffers in the form of higher taxes or the opportunity cost of less development

•In March 2021, Thulam Saravanan, a legislative Assembly candidate for the Madurai South constituency in Tamil Nadu, offered extraordinary sops such as ₹1 crore and a car worth ₹20 lakh for each household, a robot for every homemaker, ₹1 crore to youth looking to start a business, a 100-day trip to the moon, a 300-feet artificial glacier to keep people cool etc. He lost the polls. Nevertheless, his promises weren’t far off from those of the major political parties in power. In promising freebies, parody has increasingly meshed with reality.

•All political parties offer freebies now. In 1967, DMK founder C.N. Annadurai promised a ₹4.5 kg bag of rice at ₹1 if his party was elected to power. His campaign, for “three measures of rice for ₹1”, saw the party sweep the elections. The party could provide just 1 kg of rice for ₹1 instead. Once launched, the scheme continued to grow, with ₹146 crore allocated in July 2020 to provide 5 kg of free rice per person to all PMKAY cardholders in Tamil Nadu.

•Over time, freebies expanded beyond rice, to gas stoves, colour TVs, laptops, payments for household work etc. Spreading beyond Tamil Nadu, the trend has caught on in other States as well – the Delhi government has notably offered water and electricity (up to a certain limit) free for the city’s voters; the Himachal Pradesh government is offering locals free power upto 125 units, along with free water in villages and a 50% discount in bus fares for women; in Assam, the State government has announced direct and indirect cash benefit schemes worth ₹6,000 crore impacting nine lakh beneficiaries. This begs the question – has an entitlement mentality been encouraged, creating a cradle-to-grave welfare state?

•Of course, welfarism as a political philosophy has long roots – whether in the West or in India. Our political economy is riven with such schemes – whether one calls them freebies, loan write-offs, waivers or simply direct transfers.

•Every year, governments at the Centre and State expand the distribution of private goods such as LPG cylinders to ordinary citizens, while offering subsidies and in some cases covering the full cost. Does a shift to such policies mean that Indian policymakers have simply given up on tackling poverty and inequality? Instead of pushing for building public assets, social capacity and society, India’s policymakers seem to have pivoted towards direct transfers and welfarism (via distribution of private goods for free). Is the state only going to be compensatory in nature in the future, in lieu of government inaction and a lack of focus on delivering good public services?

Costs and consequences

•Over time, such frivolous promises have had consequences – Andhra Pradesh annually spends close to ₹1.62 lakh crore across various such schemes; the push in Punjab to offer free electricity to 51 lakh households will inevitably add to the unpaid dues to the tune of ₹7,117 crore of the State discom (Shroff, Kaushal, August 2022); five States, namely Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab are noted to have raised ₹47,316 crore over a period of two years by mortgaging public assets (Batra, Shubham, August 2022).

•Many States will find recently announced freebies difficult to fund – for example Andhra Pradesh announced freebies in FY23 that would consume almost 30.3% of its own tax revenue; for Madhya Pradesh, this figure was close to 28.8%; for Punjab this was around 45.4%; and for West Bengal, it came to 23.8% (RBI Bulletin, June 2022). Over the past five years, banks have written off loans worth ₹10 lakh crore, with the share of public sector banks in such NPA write-offs typically between 60% and 80%. And yet, the freebie culture continues to be promoted.

•Of course, not every scheme or manifesto promise is a freebie – some parties may offer free electricity, LPG cylinders, public transportation and loan waivers; other schemes are more focused on the development and capital expenditure.

•Free food at schools for students, as offered under the mid-day meal scheme, should not be classified as a freebie, given that it helps improve the health of our children. Under K. Kamaraj, the third Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the mid-day meal scheme was launched in municipality schools, with funding coming mostly from public donations (later supplemented by Centre and State funds). The impact was immediate, with student attendance going up twofold on days when the mid-day meal scheme was in place. Any scheme that offers significantly positive social externality (compared to other initiatives) should not be considered a freebie.

•Reforming this will require initiatives on multiple tracks. Governments (whether State or Centre) announcing freebies should be required to provide a funding plan to bolster Parliament (and State Assembly) budgetary understanding and enhance their ability to act. A Budgetary Office should be established to aid in writing policies and conducting budgetary analysis.

The way out

•Given the difficulty in classifying a scheme as “essential” or a “freebie”, governments should be statutorily bound towards key financial indicators such as government debt-to-GDP ratio, revenue expenditure as a percentage of government income, revenue collection efficiency etc. Transfers towards capital expenditure schemes should be prioritised over other schemes. Banning political parties for promising freebies would be a step too far and hence, the Election Commission should push political parties to provide a funding mechanism for such promises.

•More importantly, we need to have a conversation within and between political parties. Making such promises is an insult to voters, when many such promises are simply left unfulfilled. Meanwhile, for those promises that are fulfilled, over time the ordinary voter has to pay the cost in the form of higher taxes or the opportunity cost of less development. Changing this political culture will require governments to stick to fiscal probity and make credible policies — something that has been rarely seen in our polity. Enacting a scheme to win the next election, while enabling generational theft is something that should be taboo.

•There should be a debate on this culture of entitlement among the voters as well. They have been disappointed for so long with Indian policymakers that they would rather seek short-term benefits instead of a push to build state capacity in a way that meaningfully improves their lives. A different state and society could emerge through such conversations – one which provides a network of competent public hospitals, high-quality schools and provides an enabling environment for the working population to build skills, save up and invest. Rejuvenating India must be our singular aim for the next quarter century.

📰 The implications of the 5G roll-out for law enforcement
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VISION IAS World History Study Material in English PDF

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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 24.08.2022

06:57
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Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Daily Current Affairs, 22nd August 2022

19:04

 


1)  International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition

•The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is an international day celebrated on August 23 of each year. The day was chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade.


2)  World Water Week 2022: 23 August to 1 September

•World Water Week 2022 takes place from 23 August to 1 September. The World Water Week is an annual event organized by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1991 to address the global water issues and related concerns of international development. The theme of the 2022 World Water Week is: “Seeing the unseen: The value of water”, which helps us view water in new and fascinating ways.


This overarching theme is captured in three main perspectives:


•The value of water for people and development.

•The value of water for nature and climate change.

•The financial and economic value of water.


3)  Rashtriya Puruskar Portal Launched by Union Government

•Union Government has launched Rashtriya Puruskar Portal to bring together all the awards of the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Government of India. The Rashtriya Puruskar Portal will make sure that all the awards are under one platform to ensure transparency and public partnership or Jan Bhagidari. The portal allows every citizen and organization to nominate individuals and organizations for various categories of Awards instituted by the Government of India.


•Rashtriya Puruskar Portal is the first of its kind in the history of India to provide information about all awards to the public on a single digital platform. The information includes criteria, selection procedure, and details of past awardees. The portal is very simple and user-friendly which enables all citizens of India and various organizations to interact with it and nominate individuals and organizations. The last date for nominations for the Padma Shri Award is 15th September 2022, for the National Award for Excellence in Forestry is 30th September 2022, and for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puruskar 2023, the last date is 31st August 2022.


4)  Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Vidya Rath – School on Wheels’ project

•Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched the ‘Vidya Rath -School on Wheels’ project. This project aims at providing economically challenged underprivileged children to access elementary education for a period of 10 months. The project was launched at a function held at the premises of Gauhati High Court in Assam.


5)  Country first indigenous monkeypox test kit launched

•India has developed the first indigenously-developed RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox disease. The kit is developed by Transasia Bio-Medicals, the kit was unveiled by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Centre Ajay Kumar Sood. The kit would help in early detection and better management of the infection which the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern.


6)  Punjab & Haryana agree to be name Chandigarh airport after Bhagat Singh

•The Punjab and Haryana governments have agreed to name the Chandigarh International Airport in Mohali after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The decision was taken during a meeting between Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann & Haryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala. The Punjab government has already declared a state holiday on March 23, the martyrdom day of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.


7)  Govt Grants Permission To Defence Forces To Buy Emergency Weapons Through Make in India

•Taking a major step towards strengthening the Indian defence forces, the Centre has allowed them to purchase critical weapon systems for their operational requirements through an emergency procurement route. The approval was given in a meeting of the Defence Ministry which was headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It is pertinent to note that the defence forces have extensively used the emergency procurement powers in the past and further strengthened their preparedness through these acquisitions. Also, by utilising the power in different phases, they had equipped themselves with the necessary weaponry to handle any conflict or aggression by enemies on both sides.


8)  India’s First Observatory To Monitor Space Activity To Come Up In Uttarakhand

•India’s first commercial space situational awareness observatory, to track objects as small as 10 cm in size orbiting the earth, will be set up in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand by Digantara, a space sector start-up. The space situational awareness (SSA) observatory will help India track any activity in space including that of space debris and military satellites hovering over the region. Currently, the United States is a dominant player in monitoring space debris with observatories in multiple locations and commercial companies providing additional inputs from across the world. 


•The observatory in Uttarakhand will fill the crucial gap in SSA observations in the region as there is a lack of such facilities between Australia and southern Africa. The high-quality observations, along with those of its partner ground-based sensor network, would help improve its ability to monitor events occurring in deep space, especially in the geostationary, medium-Earth, and high-Earth orbits.


9)  65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to be host by Canada

•The 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) will be led by Amos Masondo, the chair of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), along with a distinguished team of MPs. The 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC), will be held in Halifax, Canada, from August 22 to 26, 2022. The 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference provides delegates of Commonwealth parliaments and legislatures with an annual forum to discuss parliamentary system improvements and international political issues.


10)  Indians Remitted $6 Billion Q1 Of FY23 Under LRS Scheme

•Outward remittances under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) liberalised remittance scheme (LRS) made a strong comeback in the first quarter of FY23 as Indians increased spending on international travel, maintenance of close relatives, and gifts. The latest data for Q1-FY23 released by the RBI shows that remittance by Indians under the scheme jumped 64.75 per cent to over $6.04 billion from $3.67 billion in Q1FY22. The amount remitted in Q1FY23 is even higher than that in Q4FY22, where outward remittance under LRS was to the tune of $5.8 billion.


11)  Greece’s left enhanced EU scrutiny after 12 years of pain

•Greece‘s exit from the EU‘s enhanced surveillance framework for Greece‘s economy, ending 12 years of suffering and giving it more flexibility to make its own policies. Greece’s economic performance and policies have been rigorously watched under the framework since 2018 to ensure it carried out the reforms pledged during three multilateral bailouts from the European Union (EU) and the IMF between 2010 and 2015, totaling more than 260 billion euros ($261 billion).


12)  Jitendra Singh unveiled first completely indigenously built hydrogen fuel cell bus

•Union Minister Jitendra Singh in Pune, unveiled the first hydrogen fuel cell bus made in India. Dr. Jitendra Singh referred to Green hydrogen as a superb clean energy vector that enables deep decarbonization of hard-to-abate emissions from the refining industry, the fertiliser industry, the steel industry, the cement industry, as well as from the heavy commercial transportation sector.


13)  International Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad: India ranks 3rd

•Indian team secured the third rank in the medal tally at the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA). India held the third position jointly with Singapore with students winning three gold and two silver medals.  In the medals tally, India was placed jointly in the third position along with Singapore, behind Iran’s official team (5 golds) and guest team (4 golds, 1 silver).
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Vision IAS Mains 365 Updated Classroom Study Material English 2022 PDF

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Vision IAS Mains 365 Updated Classroom Study Material  English 2022 PDF

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The HINDU Notes – 22nd August 2022

14:31

 


📰 ‘Tomato flu’ detected among children in India, says Lancet

Cases reported in Kerala, T.N. and Odisha; precautions taken to check spread

•A new infection dubbed tomato flu, or tomato fever, has been detected in India mostly among children younger than five, according to a report in the Lancet Respiratory Journal.

•The “non-life-threatening” virus was first identified in Kollam district of Kerala on May 6. As of July 26, more than 82 children younger than five had been reported with the infection by government hospitals in Kerala, the report published in the August 17 issue of the journal said.

•It further said that this endemic viral illness triggered an alert in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

•Additionally, 26 children (aged one to nine) were reported with the infection in Odisha. “To date, apart from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, no other region in India has been affected by the virus. However, precautionary measures are being taken by the Kerala Health Department to monitor the spread of the viral infection and prevent its spread in other parts of India,” the report noted.

Primary symptoms

•The primary symptoms of tomato flu are similar to those of chikungunya, which include high fever, rashes, and intense pain in the joints. As with other viral infections, further symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration, swelling of joints, body aches, and common influenza-like symptoms, which are similar to those manifested in dengue.

•As tomato flu is similar to chikungunya and dengue as well as hand, foot, and mouth disease, the treatment is also similar — isolation, rest, plenty of fluids, and hot water sponge for the relief of irritation and rashes. Supportive therapy of paracetamol for fever and body ache and other symptomatic treatments may be required.

•Similar to other types of influenza, tomato flu is very contagious and children are at an increased risk of exposure as viral infections are common in this age group and the spread is likely to be through close contact, the report noted

•Young children are also prone to this infection through the use of nappies, touching unclean surfaces, and putting things directly into the mouth.

•Given the similarities to hand, foot, and mouth disease, if the outbreak of tomato flu in children is not controlled and prevented, the transmission might lead to serious consequences by spreading in adults as well, the report said.

•“The ‘tomato flu’ is caused by Coxsackie virus A 16. It belongs to Enterovirus family. Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a frequent febrile rash illness of childhood caused by enteroviruses (EV): Coxsackie A16 (CA16), EV A71, Coxsackie A6, Coxsackie B and Echo viruses,” said Dr. Suresh Kumar Panuganti, paediatrician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad.

📰 ‘Kerala Savari’, India’s first online taxi service as a public option

Why is the Kerala government launching its own app-based taxi service? How is it different from existing private players?

•Kerala has soft launched ‘Kerala Savari’, to ensure decent service to passengers along with fair remuneration to auto-taxi workers. It is operated by the Motor Workers Welfare Board under the aegis of the Labour Department.

•Kerala Savari only charges an 8% service charge in addition to the rate set by the government. Of the 8% service charge, 6% will go to the technical partner, and the remaining 2% will go to the implementation of this scheme and for providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers.

•Kerala Savari is a safe and reliable online service for women, children, and senior citizens. A police clearance certificate is mandatory for drivers joining the scheme apart from the required proper training.

•The story so far: Kerala has soft launched ‘Kerala Savari’, the country’s first online taxi service owned by a State government, to ensure fair and decent service to passengers along with fair remuneration to auto-taxi workers. Operated by the Motor Workers Welfare Board under the aegis of the Labour Department, the Kerala Savari ensures safe travel for the public at ‘government approved fares’ without any ‘surge pricing’. The ‘Kerala Savari’ app would be made available to the public on online platforms shortly as it is under the scrutiny of Google now.

Why has the State government decided to launch this initiative?

•The alleged unfair trade practices and violation of consumer rights by private app-based cab aggregators have come as a major concern for governments. Recently, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) had issued notices to cab aggregators Ola and Uber for unfair trade practices and violation of consumer rights. Passengers often complain about the deficiency in services including charging exorbitant fares during peak hours, unprofessional behaviour from the part of drivers, lack of proper response from customer support, and undue levy of cancellation charges despite the cab driver refusing to accept the ride booked by the passenger etc.

•It is against this backdrop that the Kerala government has decided to come up with an app-based platform to offer auto-taxi service for the public. As private companies are purely focusing on profit making, the government-controlled online taxi service is a service-oriented scheme — a win-win situation for both passengers and taxi-auto drivers and owners.

What are the main attractions of ‘Kerala Savari’?

•Private cab aggregators used to make a killing with surge pricing during peak hours or in the event of rains. The passengers were often forced to pay through their nose during these critical times. But there will be no fluctuation in fares on Kerala Savari irrespective of day or night or rain.

•When private app-based taxi companies increase the charges for services up to two to three times during emergencies, neither passengers nor workers benefit from it. But Kerala Savari only charges an 8% service charge in addition to the rate set by the government, whereas the private cab aggregators charge up to 20 to 30% service charge. The taxi owner will get the approved fare on ‘Kerala Savari,’ while cab owners working for private online companies would often get a fare which is below the government-approved rate.

•Furthermore, of the 8% service charge collected from passengers, 6% will go to the technical partner, and the remaining 2% will go to the implementation of this scheme and for providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers. The government will not be benefiting from this scheme. For instance, if the passenger travelled a distance fixed for ₹100, the total fare would be ₹108 including service charge. The car owner will get ₹100 and the remaining ₹8 would be used for running the facility and for providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers. In the case of online private cab aggregators, the car owner used to get below the rate of ₹100 although he covered a distance fixed for the same fare band. In addition, they would charge more than 20% service charge.

What are the security-related features of ‘Kerala Savari’?

•One of the major issues that arise with app-based taxi services is that of the security of passengers. Kerala Savari is claimed as a safe and reliable online service for women, children, and senior citizens. This consideration has been given importance in app designing and driver registration. A police clearance certificate is mandatory for drivers joining the scheme apart from the required proper training.

•A panic button system has been introduced in the app. This button can be pressed in the event of a car accident or in cases of any other danger. One can do it completely privately. If the driver presses the panic button the passenger will not be alarmed and the same goes for when the passenger presses the panic button. When one presses the button, there is an option to select the Police, Fire Force, and Motor Vehicle Department numbers. If you are in such a dangerous situation that you cannot select any option, press the button for a few seconds and you will be directly connected to the police control room.

•It has also been decided to install GPS in vehicles at a subsidised rate. This will be implemented in a phased manner. A 24-hour call centre has been prepared for this purpose. A state-of-the-art call centre is functioning at the district office of the Motor Workers Welfare Board. The call centre works in such a way that all service-related issues can be resolved immediately.

Will the new government initiative end the monopoly of private cab aggregators?

•Kerala has over five lakh autorickshaws and one lakh cabs. The State government plans to bring all auto-taxi workers engaged in the sector under the new platform. Since smartphone literacy is high in Kerala, the State is hopeful of bringing them under the scheme in a short span of time. In addition, the Kerala government has also decided to provide fuel, insurance, and tyre subsidies for vehicle owners in the future and has already initiated talks with major companies in this regard. After the evaluation of the first phase of the project in Thiruvananthapuram, it will be extended to the entire State in a phased manner. Kerala Savari is expected to reach Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kannur municipal limits within a month.

📰 Factoring in the risk
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IAS Parliament Mainstorming 2022 Fact & Figures PDF: A Compilation of Data Points published in The Hindu

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