Current Affairs search results for tag: national

1. Bill to raise women’s legal age of marriage to 21

Tags: National News

• The Union Government next week is going to introduce The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021
• The bill will amend The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
• The bill seeks to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years and bring it at par with men.

The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 / Sharda Act  The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, passed on 28 September 1929, in the Imperial Legislative Council of India. The bill was popularly known as the Sharda Act, after its sponsor Harbilas Sharda. It fixed the age of marriage for girls at 14 years and boys at 18 years.  In 1949, after India's independence, it was amended to 15 for girls, and  In 1978 to 18 for girls and 21 for boys. Later in 2006, The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act replaced the imperial Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929.

2. ICMR Approved CoviDelta Diagnostic Kit

Tags: National News

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved the CoviDelta diagnostic kit.
• CoviDelta diagnostic kit is developed indigenously by Pune ­based GenePath Diagnostics.
• The kit detects all current variants of COVID­19 and detects Delta and Omicron variants in a single test.
• It was used to detect the presence of the first Omicron case in Pune.

3. The World Health Organisation has granted emergency approval to Covovax (NVX-CoV2373)

Tags: International News

• It is an Indian manufactured Coronavirus Vaccine.
• It is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India under license from the U.S.­ based Novavax
• Covovax requires two doses and is stable at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius refrigerated temperatures.
• It will be distributed as part of global vaccine­ sharing system COVAX(COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access). 
• COVAX is a worldwide initiative through the alliance of  GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is the 3rd vaccine from India after Covi Shield and Covaxin to receive WHO emergency use listing (EUL).

4. CCI revoked Amazon deal with Future group

Tags: National News

•  The Competition commission of India has revoked its earlier approval to Amazon's 2019 deal with Future Coupons, a subsidiary of Kishore Biyani-led Future Group.
• In 2019, Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings, a direct subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc, signed an agreement with the Future Coupons Private Limited (FCPL) for buying 49 percent of its shares  for Rs 1431 crore .
•  Later ,Future Coupon Private Limited (FCPL) and the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) complained  to the CCI to cancel the approval for the 2019 deal between Amazon and Future Coupons on the grounds that Amazon had “concealed facts” at the time of seeking approval for its investment.
•  The CCI held Amazon guilty of concealing the facts and imposed a penalty of Rs. 200 crore on Amazon and cancel the deal
• Future Group is the owner of the popular departmental stores like Big Bazar Central etc.

Competition Commission of India (CCI) The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the chief national competition regulator in India.  It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. It enforces the Competition Act, 2002 (last amended in 2009). It promotes healthy market competition and prevents activities that have an adverse effect on competition in India.  CCI also approves combinations under the act so that two merging entities do not overtake the market. Formed in 14th October 2003 Headquarters - New Delhi Current Chairman - Ashok Kumar Gupta

5. “Swarnim Vijay Varsh Special" Train

Tags: National News

•  Indian railway has launched a special “Swarnim Vijay Varsh train” for the visiting Bangladeshi freedom fighters (Mukti Jodha) and Armed Force personnel.
• The train which will start from Safdarjung station, Delhi will take the guests to Agra and Ajmer.
•  The Bangladeshi are visiting India to take part in the events as part of the “Swarnim Vijay Varsh” celebrations organised to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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. 

10. 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.

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