DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Aug. 19, 2022

Goa is the first Har Ghar Jal State in the country and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu the first Union Territory

Tags: National Government Schemes

According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Goa has become the first 'Har Ghar Jal' certified state in the country, where now all households have access to clean water through taps.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The people of all the villages in both these states and union territories have declared their village as 'Har Ghar Jal' through a resolution passed by the Gram Sabha and certified that safe drinking water is provided to all the households in the villages through taps.

• The ministry said potable water is available through tap connections to all 2.63 lakh rural households in Goa and 85,156 households in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

• All two lakh 63 thousand rural households of Goa and more than 85 thousand families of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are now getting clean and safe drinking water through taps.

First 'Har Ghar Jal' certified district in the country :

• Last month, the ministry had informed that Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh has become the first 'Har Ghar Jal' certified district in the country.

• Till then, Burhanpur was the only district in the country where people from each of the 254 villages had declared their villages as 'Har Ghar Jal' through a resolution passed by the Gram Sabha.

Jal Jeevan Mission :

• It is a flagship programme of the Government of India which was announced from the ramparts of Red Fort by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2019. 

• The objective of the mission is to supply potable tap water in adequate quantity, prescribed quality and on a regular and long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024.

• It is implemented by the Government of India in partnership with the States/Union Territories.

• This mission comes under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Funding Pattern :

• The fund sharing pattern between the Center and the states under the mission is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern states and 50:50 for other states.

• In the case of Union Territories, 100% contribution is made by the Centre.

Draft Indian Ports Bill, 2022 released for stakeholder consultation

Tags: National National News

To amend the British-era law for the port sector, the government has released the draft Indian Ports Bill, 2022 for stakeholder consultation.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• It has been drafted to consolidate and amend the laws relating to ports for prevention of pollution at ports and to ensure compliance of the country's obligation under maritime treaties and international instruments to which India is a party.

• Measures for the protection of ports have also been mentioned in the bill.

• This Bill 2022 will repeal and replace the existing Indian Ports Act, 1908.

• The proposed bill will streamline the development of the maritime sector, while also promoting ease of doing business by defining unnecessary delays, disagreements and responsibilities.

Objectives of the bill :

• To promote inter-state and Centre-State integrated planning through a purely advisory and recommendatory framework.

• Ensuring prevention of pollution measures for all ports in India involving India's obligations under international treaties.

• Addressing the gaps in the dispute resolution framework required for the growing port sector

• Introducing transparency and collaboration in development and other aspects through the use of data.

• To empower and establish State Maritime Boards for effective administration, control and management of non-major ports in India.

• To provide an adjudicatory mechanism for redressal of port related disputes.

• To set up a National Council to promote the structured growth and development of the port sector.

• Ensuring optimum utilization of India's coastline.

Why was this bill brought ?

• The Indian Ports Act, 1908 is over 110 years old.

• It is now imperative that the law be amended to reflect the current framework, incorporate India's international obligations, address emerging environmental concerns and assist in the consultative development of the port sector in the national interest.

Importance of Ports in India : 

• India has 7,500 km of coastline, 14,500 km of potential navigable waterways and strategic bases on major international maritime trade routes.

• About 95% of India's trade by volume and 65% by value is carried out through sea transport facilitated by ports.

• Several port-led development initiatives have been identified and taken up under the aegis of the Sagarmala Project of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

MP’s tribal-dominated Mandla becomes India’s first full functional literate district

Tags: State News

Madhya Pradesh’s city Mandla, which is a tribal-dominated region has become India’s first fully ‘functionally literate’ district. It has been announced by the state government.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The district administration had launched a campaign in 2020 to make the residents fully literate.

• With the aim of making people literate, the administration employed the education, and women and child development departments along with social workers.

• The tribals often complained to the authorities about fraudsters withdrawing money from their bank accounts and the root cause was that they were not functionally literate.

• To solve this problem, Mandla District Magistrate Harshika Singh started an initiative to make people functionally literate.

• District administration launched a major campaign to make them functionally literate from 15 August 2020 by roping in the school education department, women and child development department, anganwadi and social workers to educate women and senior citizens.

• Within two years the entire district has become functionally literate.

• According to a survey in 2011, the literacy rate in the district was 68 percent.

• Another report in 2020 stated that more than 2.25 lakh people in the district were not literate and most of them were tribals living in forest areas.

• According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate of Madhya Pradesh is 69.32 percent. In this, male literacy is 78.73 percent while female literacy is 59.24 percent.

What is Functional Literacy ?

• It refers to an individual's ability to engage in all those activities that require literacy for the effective functioning of his group and community and also enables him to read, write and calculate for his own sake.

World Photography Day

Tags: Important Days

World Photography Day is celebrated every year on 19 August.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The day is an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography.

• Photography is one of the most important art forms, it is a means of expressing one's feelings and personal expression by pictures.

• There is a famous saying of Henrik Ibsen in which he said, 'A picture is worth a thousand words'.

• Sometimes pictures express feelings more effectively than words.

• The first permanent photograph of an object was taken in year 1826 by the Frenchman Joseph Nicephore Niepce.

Theme of World Photography Day 2022 :

• Theme 2022 - "Pandemic Lockdown through the lens."

• This theme sheds light on how we view the pandemic-induced lockdown through the camera or lens.

• The lockdown was imposed due to the Corona epidemic and during that period many people learned the wonderful skills related to photography.

History of World Photography Day :

• World Photography Day celebration started in France on January 9, 1839.

• At that time a photography process was announced which was called the dagorotype process and this process is today considered to be the world's first photography process.

• It was invented by Joseph Nicephore and Louis Douger, who were the native of France.

• On August 19, 1839, the French government announced this invention and got its patent.

• To remember this forever, 'World Photography Day' is celebrated every year on 19th August.

China's funding for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor down 56%

Tags: International News

China's funding to Pakistan for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) declined by about 56% in the first half of 2022.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Other countries such as Russia, Egypt and Sri Lanka saw a 100% drop of BRI engagement compared to 2021.

• The project is running from Gwadar port in Pakistan to Kashgar city in Xinjiang, China.

• The project is not running as per the initial promise due to lack of transparency, debt problem, poor management and corruption.

• The project is facing local opposition and frequent attacks on the project and its personnel in Pakistan and other security challenges.

• Apart from this, the deteriorating economic condition of Pakistan is also affecting the project.

• According to reports, China has recently asked for its military presence in Pakistan to safeguard and look after the project.

• China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project, on the other hand, is also facing global criticism for its inadequate transparency of loans.

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) :

• It is a project connecting China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Gwadar Port in Pakistan's western province of Balochistan.

• The length of this project is 3,000 km.

• It is a bilateral project between Pakistan and China. 

• It aims to promote connectivity across Pakistan through a network of energy, industrial and other infrastructure development projects, highways, railways and pipelines.

• It is a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China’s army to take part in Vostok-2022 exercise in Russia

Tags: Defence International News

The People's Liberation Army of China will participate in the strategic command and staff exercise Vostok-2022 in Russia from 1 - 5 September.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• India, Belarus, Tajikistan, Mongolia and other countries will also participate in the exercise.

• The exercise will be held under the command of the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, at 13 training grounds of the Eastern Military District.

• During the exercise, the participating forces will practice measures to maintain military security in the eastern sector.

• The exercise will contribute to "friendly cooperation between the armed forces of all countries".

• It will advance the level of strategic dialogue by all parties and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats.

• Last year, India participated in Exercise ZAPAD 2021 in Russia, in which 17 countries including China and Pakistan participated.

India’s Exercises with China & Russia :

• China - Exercise Hand-in-Hand

• Russia - Exercise Indra, Exercise TSENTR

17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to be held at Indore in January 2023

Tags: National National News

According to the External Affairs Ministry the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 will be held at Indore in January next year. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Secretary, Consular, Passport and Visa Division, Ausaf Sayeed and Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains signed an MoU to host Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

• The MoU was signed in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas :

• On January 9, 1915, this day was chosen as Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa.

• Mahatma Gandhi led India's freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.

• Celebration of Pravasi Diwas started in India in 2003.

• In the year 2015 it was revised and it was decided to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas every two years.

• The 16th Pravasi Divas Conference was held in New Delhi with the theme "Contribution to Self-reliant India".

• This day marks the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.

Government launches Online Marketplace feature "Aqua Bazar" in “Matsya Setu” app

Tags: National National News

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala launched the Online Market Place feature "Aqua Bazar" in the “Matsya Setu” mobile app on 19 August 22 during the 9th general body meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

What is Aqua Bazar App ? 

• The app is developed by the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar.

• It has been developed with funding from National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad through Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMSY).

• It will assist fish farmers and stakeholders in locating fish seeds, feed and medicines as well as essential services for the fisheries sector.

• Farmers will also be able to list table-sized fish for sale.

• It aims to connect all the stakeholders in the aquaculture sector.

National Fisheries Development Board :

• It was established in 2006 as an autonomous body.

• It works under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

• It aims to increase fish production and productivity in the country and coordinate fisheries development in an integrated and holistic manner.

Over one lakh villages across the country turned ODF plus

Tags: National Government Schemes

According to Jal Shakti Ministry Over one lakh villages have declared themselves as open defecation-free (ODF) Plus.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• These villages maintain their ODF status and have systems in place for solid and liquid waste management.

• They are also working towards making their villages clean, green and healthy.

• The Swachh Bharat Mission reinforces the government's commitment to promoting rural sanitation and improving the quality of life of its citizens.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the Swachh Bharat Mission with the aim of making the country open defecation free.

• Rural India has become open defecation free 11 years ahead of the SDG-6 target set by the United Nations.

The top five performing states :

• These states are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

• In these states the maximum number of villages have been declared as ODF Plus.

What are ODF Plus Villages ?

• 'Open Defecation Free' (ODF) is a term used to describe communities that are using toilets instead of open defecation.

• A village that maintains Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, ensures solid and liquid waste management and is visually clean is called "ODF Plus Village".

• Toilet facilities should be ensured in all households, primary schools, panchayat houses and Anganwadi centers in these villages.

• At least 80% of households should manage their solid and liquid waste effectively and have minimum litter and minimum stagnant water.

• ODF Plus villages have been divided into three categories -Aspiring, Rising and Model. 

About the Swachh Bharat Mission :

• Launched - on 2nd October 2014

• Launched by - Prime Minister Narendra Modi

• Aims  -  to achieve the vision of a ‘Clean India’ by 2nd October 2019.

• Slogan - One step towards cleanliness

• It is a restructured version of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan launched in 2009.

• The first phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission lasted till October 2019.

• Phase 2 is being implemented between 2020-21 and 2024-25.

India’s first portal on arrested narco offenders

Tags: National National News

India's first portal named 'NIDAAN', a first-of-its kind database on arrested narco offenders ' gets operational.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

About NIDAAN Portal :

• NIDAAN or the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-offenders - has been developed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

• It is part of the Narcotics Coordination Mechanism (NCORD) portal which was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the National Conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' in Chandigarh on July 30.

• The platform gets its data from ICJS (Inter-operable Criminal Justice System) and e-Jail (a cloud-based application) repositories.

• It is planned to be integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) in future.

• ICJS, an initiative of the Supreme Court's e-committee, was created to enable seamless transfer of data and information between various pillars of the criminal justice system such as courts, police, prisons and forensic science laboratories.

Significance of the Portal :

• It is a one stop solution for all drug related data of offenders.

• It will help the investigating agencies as an effective tool for linking together various aspects during investigation of drug cases.

• This will enhance the capacity of all law enforcement agencies working against drug offences.

• It hosts data about the accused who have been arrested for drug offences.