Current Affairs search results for tag: national-news

1. 488 journalists jailed, 46 killed across the world in 2021 - Reporters without Borders

Tags: International News

Reporters without Borders (RSF)’s the international non-profit organization for safeguarding the right to freedom of information, has released their latest annual roundup of violence and abuse suffered by journalists across the world.

Report Highlights-

• There are currently 488 media professionals imprisoned around the world, the highest number since Reporters Without Borders began counting more than 25 years ago.
• The number killed this year — 46 — was the lowest since it began issuing annual tallies, due to the relative stabilisation of conflicts in West Asia especially in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
• China once again has the highest number of imprisoned journalists at 127. Out of this number, more than half about 71 are Uighur journalists.
• The most dangerous countries were Mexico and Afghanistan, with seven and six journalist deaths respectively, followed by Yemen and India with four deaths each.

Reporters Without Borders (French: Reporters Sans Frontières; RSF)  RSF is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information.  RSF has consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the International Organisation of the Francophonie. Since 1995, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has been compiling annual round-ups of violence and abuses against journalists based on precise data gathered from 1 January to 1 December of the year in question. Headquarter - Paris, France Notable Report - World Press Freedom Index since 2002

2. Super Typhoon Rai lashes Philippines

Tags: International News

• Super Typhoon Rai, known locally as Odette, continued to wreak havoc across the Philippines, as the storm moved west across the archipelago, bringing with it heavy rain and widespread flooding.
• Rai, the 15th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, weakened slightly from a Category 5 to a Category 3 storm (as per Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale) after making landfall Thursday on Siargao Island, a popular tourist and surfing destination on the central east coast. 

Philippines Capital - Manila Currency - Philippine Peso President - Rodrigo Duterte

3. National Conference on Women winning against Tuberculosis (TB)

Tags: National News

•  It was organised by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in New Delhi.
• Vice President Venkaiah Naidu was the chief guest.
• Speaking on the occasion Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, called for making people ‘key partners’ in the campaign for ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025.
• Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani stated that in India, women account for nearly 36% of the total TB cases. TB among women often goes unreported as women do not come forward to seek medical care due to societal stigma & lack of awareness.
• The Government of India has set a target to eliminate TB from India by 2025.
• India has the largest TB population in the world and around one fourth of the TB population is found in India. 
• Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

4. Foundation Literacy and Numeracy Index

Tags: National News

The report on the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in India which highlights the importance of early education years in the overall development of a child was released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). 

• Foundation Literacy and Numeracy refers to basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills of children aged below ten years in India.

Key Highlights of the report:

• The report was prepared by “Institute of Competitiveness” and released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
• The index includes five pillars: 

(a) Educational Infrastructure,

(b) Access to Education

(c) Basic Health

(d) Learning Outcomes

(e) Governance. 

States and UT (Union Territory) were grouped into four categories, i.e. Large States, Small States, Union Territories and North Eastern States.

•  Among the Large State Category , West Bengal (58.95) topped the ranking followed by Tamil Nadu (55.49) and Maharashtra (53.11) and Bihar was at the bottom.
•  Among the Small States category, the top ranked state was Kerala (67.95) followed by Himachal Pradesh (57.36) and Punjab (56.17).
•  Among the Union Territories category, the top ranked UT was Lakshadweep (52.69) followed by Delhi (50.74) and Puducherry (50.08).
• Mizoram (51.64) is the top North-Estern State.
• The poor performing states in the overall index were Jharkhand (45.28), Odisha (45.58), Madhya Pradesh (38.69), Uttar Pradesh (38.49), Bihar (36.81).

About EAC-PM

The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) is a non-constitutional, non-statutory , independent body constituted to give economic advice to the Government of India, specifically the Prime Minister.

• The council serves to highlight key economic issues facing the country to the government of India from a neutral viewpoint.
• It advises the Prime Minister on economic issues like inflation, microfinance, and industrial output.
• It was first constituted in 2017.

The main functions of PMEAC are as follows:

• Analyzing any issue, economic or otherwise, referred to it by the Prime Minister and advising him thereon;
• Addressing issues of macro-economic importance and presenting views there on to the Prime Minister. This could be either suo-moto or on a reference from the Prime Minister or anyone else:
• Submitting periodic reports to the Prime Minister on macroeconomic developments and issues with implications for economic policy;
• Attending to any other task as may be desired by the Prime Minister from time to time.
• The current Chairman of the EAC-PM is Bibek Debroy. 

5. Supreme Court approves Bullock Cart Race in Maharashtra

Tags: National News

Supreme Court has allowed the resumption of the traditional rural bull racing sport popular as ‘bailgada’, ‘sharyat’, ‘chakkadi’ and ‘shankar path’.

A 2-judge Supreme Court (SC) Bench of Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice C.T.Ravikumar gave the nod to resume bullock cart races in Maharashtra that were prohibited since 2017, in response to an application filed by the Maharashtra government.

SC said the amended rules notified by the Maharashtra State under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 would apply to the conduct of the races until a final decision of SC’s constitutional bench on the 2018 Jallikattu case arrives.

Issues related to Animal Sport -These are ancient sports and the symbol of the cultural pride of the state - Legal provisions involved In 2011, the Centre added bulls to the list of animals whose training and exhibition is prohibited. In 2014, the Supreme Court banned the bull-taming sport, ruling on a petition filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that cited the 2011 notification. SC had favored the grant of constitutional status to rights of animals like citizens.  It also needs to be seen, that, whether these traditions can be protected as a cultural right of the people of the states which is a fundamental right. Article 29 (1) mandates that “any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same”. The sport is termed as the bull-taming and racing event and in a point of discussion is referred to violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The bulls may get injured during the sports which might lead to animal welfare issues. Safeguarding the wildlife and forests, and being compassionate towards living creatures are important aspects of directives principles of state policy (DPSPs) enshrined in Article 48A of Indian Constitution. Like Tamil Nadu’s Jallikattu, Karnataka too passed a law to save a similar sport, called Kambala.  Except in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, where bull-taming and racing continue to be organised, these sports remain banned in all other states including Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra(till date) due to the 2014 ban order from the Supreme Court. Kambala Kambala is a traditional bull buffalo race that generally takes place in coastal Karnataka from November to March.  Jallikattu A tradition over 2,000 years old (reference found in seals of Indus Valley Civilisation), Jallikattu is a competitive sport as well as an event to honour bull owners. It is a violent sport in which contestants try to tame a bull for a prize; if they fail, the bull owner wins the prize. It is popular in Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu known as the Jallikattu belt. It is celebrated in the second week of January, during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) Headquartered at Ballabhgarh in Haryana state, previously Chennai. The AWBI is a statutory advisory body on Animal Welfare Laws and promotes animal welfare in the country.  Established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (No. 59 of 1960) The board was initially within the jurisdiction of the Government of India's Ministry of Food and Agriculture. In 1990, the subject of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was transferred to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change, where it now resides People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) PETA headquartered in Virginia, USA, is the largest animal rights organization in the world.

6. President Ramnath Kovind on a 3-day State Visit to Bangladesh

Tags: International News

Indian President Ramnath Kovind is currently on a 3-day State visit to Bangladesh from December 15 to 17, 2021.

Bangladesh is observing the golden jubilee celebrations of its independence from Pakistan in 1971. Notably, President Kovind is the only foreign head of state invited to join the celebrations.

Highlights of his visit

• He visited the National Martyrs’ Memorial and paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The Indian President also planted an ‘Ashoka’ sapling at the memorial garden. 
• Subsequently, he visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum,Dhaka where he paid homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the nation of Bangladesh.
• The President reiterated that Bangladesh has a special place in India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy. 
• The President will also witness the Victory Day parade and attend the Victory Day reception hosted by the President of Bangladesh to mark the conclusion of the "Mujib Borsho (March 17, 2020, to December 16, 2021)” celebrations.
• As part of the celebration, President Kovind is also scheduled to inaugurate the renovated Sri Ramna Kali Mandir in Dhaka, which was completely destroyed by Pakistani forces during Operation Searchlight in 1971.
• A 122-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces will also participate in the celebration parade.

Bangladesh 

Capital of Bangladesh: Dhaka

Currency of Bangladesh: Taka 

President of Bangladesh: Mr. Abdul Hamid 

Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina 

7. Government has given approval for 21 greenfield airport in India

Tags: National News

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India has given approval to set up 21 greenfield airports in India.
• It will be set up in Mopain Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Kalaburagi, Bijapur, Hassan and Shimoga in Karnataka, Datia(Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat, Karaikal in Puducherry, Dagadarthi, Bhogapuramand Oravakal in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim,Kannur in Kerala and Hollongi (Itanagar) in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Out of which eight airports namely Durgapur, Shirdi, Sindhudurg, Pakyong, Kannur, Kalaburagi, Oravakal and Kushinagar have been operationalized.

Greenfield Airport means a new airport will be built in an area where there is no Airport.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation: Jyotiraditya Scindia

8. National Helpline 14566 launched by the Government against atrocities on SCs/STs

Tags: National News

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has initiated a National Helpline Against Atrocities (NHAA), to prevent atrocities against people belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). 
• The Helpline is available round the clock on toll-free number “14566” across the country in Hindi, English and regional language of the State/UTs.

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment: Virendra Kumar

9. Government approves policy to make India hub of global semiconductor and display maker manufacturing

Tags: National News

• The government has approved a Rs 76,000 crore incentive plan to establish chip and display industries in India as it seeks to become an electronics manufacturing hub and cut reliance on supplies from China, which is the largest supplier of semiconductor chips in the world.

Highlights of the policy 

• The production-linked incentives (PLI) will be offered to companies over six years. It expects to attract investments worth ₹1.70 trillion for more than 20 units.
• Two chipmakers and two display manufacturers are expected to set up units in the next four years under the plan, and each of them will invest ₹30,000-50,000 crore. Further, 20 companies, including chip packaging firms and compound semiconductor companies that make chips for the automotive sector, power equipment, etc., are expected to be operational in three years, with investments in the range of ₹3,000-5,000 crore.
• Under the scheme, the government will extend financial support of up to 50% of the project cost to firms selected to set up semiconductor and display fabs in India. It will also work closely with states to establish high-tech clusters with requisite infrastructure such as land, semiconductor-grade water, high-quality power, logistics and research ecosystems to house the fabs.
• The scheme will generate 35,000 direct and 100,000 indirect jobs,
• The government hopes the incentive plan will facilitate the production of critical components used in automobiles and mobile phones locally. In addition, incentives provided under the scheme will help design, fabricate, pack and test the semiconductor chips and develop a complete ecosystem.
• India seeks to reshape supply chains to cut its reliance on China amid a global chip shortage that has impacted the production of goods ranging from cars to computers.

10. India votes against UN draft resolution on climate change

Tags: International News

• India voted against a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) linking climate to security. This resolution was moved by Niger, which holds the UNSC presidency for December. It was also sponsored by Ireland.
• Niger organized a debate titled ‘Maintenance of international peace and security: security in the context of terrorism and climate change”. One of the objectives of the debate was to examine how terrorism and security risks could be linked to climate change.
• The resolution was vetoed by Russia even though 12 countries voted in its favour with China abstaining from the vote and India voting against it.

India’s views

 Government of India’s views was put forward by India’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations, T.S. Tirumurti. According to him 

• It was an attempt to shift climate talks from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to the Security Council and a “step backward” for collective action on the issue.
• As per India, the reason countries were attempting to bring climate talks to the Security Council was that decisions could be taken as per the will of a few states who can veto any resolution  without consensus or the involvement of most developing countries, which is clearly neither desirable nor acceptable.
• The draft resolution, as per India, would undermine progress made at Glasgow, where the latest round of talks under the UNFCCC, the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), concluded in November.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter. Its powers include establishing peacekeeping operations, enacting international sanctions, and authorizing military action.  Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council consists of fifteen members, of which five are permanent: The People's Republic of China,  The French Republic,  The Russian Federation,  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and  The United States of America. Permanent members can veto any substantive resolution The remaining ten members are elected on a regional basis to serve a term of two years.  The body's presidency rotates monthly among its members. The current temporary members are- Estonia (2021) India (2022) Ireland (2022) Kenya (2022) Mexico (2022) Niger (2021) Norway (2022) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2021) Tunisia (2021) Viet Nam (2021)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) UNFCCC established an international environmental treaty to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system", in part by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. It is highly targeted towards sustainable development. It was signed by 154 states at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992.  The secretariat of the UNFCCC was established in Geneva in 1992 and was later shifted to Bonn, Germany in 1995. The Kyoto Protocol, which was signed in 1997, was the first implementation of measures under the UNFCCC to control the emission of greenhouse gases to deal with global warming.  The Kyoto Protocol came into force in 2005 and it was replaced by the Paris Agreement of 2016. Conference of Parties(COP) The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC. It meets annually to assess the progress made by the member countries in dealing with climate change.   The 26th COP was held at  Glasgow, Scotland, UK from 31st October to 13th November 2021. The 27th COP 2022 will be held from 7th to 18th November 2022 at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

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