IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC PRELIMINARY EXAM ( JULY-PART -5)

1.KRISHI KALYAN CESS:

·         The finance minister proposed the Krishi Kalyan Cess (KKC) in the February 2016 Budget.

·         With effect from June 1, KKC adds on another 0.5 per cent to service tax.

·         Amounts collected via cess are meant be segregated in government accounts and used for a specific purpose.

·         The KKC is based on the idea that levying a cess on a thriving sector service sector (58% of GDP) of the economy can help fund a lifeline to a sector that is in distress (Agriculture).

·         KKC is not calculated on service tax, but on the total value of the service that is being provided.

·         KKC is levied, charged, collected and paid to the government independent of service taxes.

·         It is not applicable on services mentioned in the 'negative list' and 'mega exemption list'.

2.MAHASHANGARH DECLARED AS THE SAARC CULTURAL CAPITAL FOR 2016-17:

·         An archaeological site in Bogra, Bangladesh, Mahasthangarh (3rd century BC site) has been declared as the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SARRC) cultural capital for the year 2016-17.

·         The cultural capital will be the historic place will host festivals on literature, films, foods and dances from October 2016 to September 2017.

·         The same year 2016-17 has also be declared the SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage.

·         Mahasthangarh is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh.

3.CABINET GIVES ‘IN-PRINCIPLE’ NOD TO SET UP PORT IN TN:

·         The Centre gave its ‘in-principle’ approval to set up the country’s 13th major port at Enayam, near Colachel in Tamil Nadu.

·         The new port at Enayam will reduce the logistics cost for exporters and importers in south India who currently depend on trans-shipment in Colombo or other ports leading to additional port handling charges.

·         India has 12 major ports at present — Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Managlore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V.O. Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

4.INDIA CERTIFIED YAWS, MATERNAL AND NEONATAL TETANUS FREE BY WHO:

·         Neonatal (in the first 28 days of birth) deaths annually.

·         India being certified as the first yaws-free nation.

·         Yaws is a chronic bacterial infection thataffects the skin, bones and cartilages.

·         India has achieved this important milestone in May this year much before the WHO global target year of 2020.

5.UNION HRD MINISTRY LAUNCHES PRASHIKSHAK, AN ONLINE TEACHER EDUCATION PORTAL:

·         'Prashikshak’ is launched with a vision to strengthen District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) and bring quality teachers into the Indian school education system.

·         Developed by the ministry of HRD in collaboration with Central Square Foundation The objective of Prashikshak is to help DIETs make informed decisions about their institutes,compare the performance of their institute against other DIETs in the state/country as well as help aspiring teachers make informed decisions about which institute to join.

6.UNION GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES INTENSIFIED DIARRHOEA CONTROL FORTNIGHT:

·         Health Ministry today launched ‘Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight' (IDCF).

·         Under this various activities has been planned including visits by ASHA(Accredited Social Health Activist) workers to all such households which have children under the age of five.

·         The children will be administered Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) and Zinc therapy by the ASHA workers while they will also be counselled about the benefits and the process of preparing it.

·         The main reasons for diarrhoeal attacks amongst children are contaminated water, malnutrition, inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene and lack of immunisation.

·         Under this initiative, government aims at covering over 80 per cent of children (of the 10 crore children below five years of age) affected by diarrhoea across the country.

7.HIDDEN HUNGER:

·         Hidden hunger is a form of under nutrition that occurs when intake and absorption of vitamins and minerals (such as zinc, iodine, and iron) are too low to sustain good health and development in children and normal physical and mental function in adults.

·         Causes include poor diet, disease, or increased micronutrient needs not met during pregnancy and lactation.

8.BIO-FORTIFICATION:

·         Biofortification: a nutrition-specific intervention designed to enhance the micronutrient content of foods through the use of agronomic practices and plant breeding.

9.GLOBAL NUTRITION REPORT:

·         Published by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

·         The World Health Organization(WHO) is a Global Nutrition Report Partner.

10.MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT GRANTS MINORITY STATUS TO JEWS:

·         The Jews have been a part of Indian society for over 2,300 years now.

·         Maharashtra Cabinet approves minority status to Jew community.

·         According to 2001 Census, the number of Jews living in India was 4,650 with 2,466 of them living in Maharashtra.

·         At present, there are six notified minority communities in India - Muslims, Christians, Buddhists,Sikhs, Parsis and Jains.

11.KERALA GOVERNMENT IMPOSES 14.5 PER CENT FAT TAX ON JUNK FOOD:

·         Kerala Government has proposed a “Fat Tax” on fast food items like burgers, pizzas at 14.5% tax on branded restaurants.

12.QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT 2 AGAINST SOCIAL EVILS:

·         Quit India 2 Swaraj to Suraj Movement against various social ills during commemoration of Platinum Jubilee anniversary of the Quit India Movement launched by Maharashtra Government.

·         On 8th August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi had given the clarion call of Quit India at the historic August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai.

·         It would emphasize on freedom from social evils farmer suicide, illiteracy, wastage of water, malnutrition, addiction among youth and corruption in order to achieve faster all-inclusive progress on all fronts.

13.SWAYAM:

·         SWAYAM : It stands for “Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds”.

·         Microsoft has been selected as the technical partner for HRD ministry's SWAYAM platform that will launch 2,000 massive open online courses(MOOC).

·         over three crore students will be benefited under this platform.

·         After three years of launching the app, AICTE will take over the entire app from Microsoft.

·         As per the sources, a deal of Rs 38 crore has been signed between Microsoft and All India Council of Technical Education.

14.VIDYANJALI SCHEME:

·         The HRD Ministry has launched an initiative called ‘Vidyanjali’ to encourage youngsters to volunteer their services at any neighbourhood government school.

·         This is sub-programme under SSA launched to enhance community and private sector involvement in Government run elementary schools across the country under the overall aegis of the SSA.

·         Aim: To strengthen implementation of co-scholastic activities in government schools through services of volunteers.

·         Retired teachers, professionals government officials, defence personnel and women who are home makes can also offer to help under this programme which has been started on a pilot basis across 2,200 government schools in 21 states.

15.GLOBAL GENDER GAP REPORT:

·         The Global Gender Gap Index was first introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006 as a framework for capturing the magnitude of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress over time.

·         The study examines 144 countries across four standards of health, education, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

·         India ranks 87 in WEF gender gap report 2016.

16.FUND OF FUNDS FOR FUNDING SUPPORT TO START-UPS:

·         The Cabinet has approved the establishment of ‘Fund of Funds for Startups’ (FFS) at Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for contribution to various Alternative Investment Funds (AIF), registered with SEBI which would extend funding support to startups in line with the ‘Startup India Action Plan’.

17.CABINET INCREASES THE LIMIT FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN STOCK EXCHANGES FROM 5% TO 15%:

·         The Union Cabinet has given its approval for raising foreign shareholding limit from 5% to 15% in Indian Stock Exchanges for a stock exchange, a depository, a banking company, an insurance company, a commodity derivative exchange.

18.ARVIND SUBRAMANIAN COMMITTEE TO TACKLE THE SHORTAGE OF PULSES:

·         The Union government established a committee to consider increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the bonus for pulses, a move that could promote pulses farming.

·         In a move to contain the shortage of pulse, the government also decided to increase the buffer stock of pulses to 20 lakh tonnes from the current eight lakh tonnes.

19.SCHEME FOR SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURING OF STRESSED ASSETS (S4A):

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued guidelines called Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A).

·         Aim of these guidelines-

·         To strengthen the lenders’ ability to deal with stressed assets.

·         Put real assets back on track of entities facing genuine difficulties by providing an avenue for reworking financial structure.

·         The S4A is an optional framework for the resolution of large stressed accounts.

·         The S4A envisages determination of sustainable debt level of a stressed borrower and bifurcate outstanding debt into sustainable debt and equity/quasi-equity instruments.

20.INFLATION TARGETING:

·         India adopted an inflation(CPI based) target of 4% for next five years under the monetary policy framework.

·         The Government fixes inflation target at 4 per cent with upper tolerance level of 6 per cent and lower limit of 2 per cent.

21.MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE:

·         A six member monetary policy committee is to be setup to decide key policy rates.

·         Governor of RBI (ex officio Chairperson)

·         The six member MPC has been entrusted with the task of fixing the benchmark policy rate (repo rate) required to contain inflation within the specified target level.

·         The panel will have three members from RBI.

·         They are the governor, deputy governor and another officer.

·         The other three members will be decided by the centre based on the recommendations of a panel headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

·         The RBI governor will have a vote in case of a tie.

22.GRID OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY CORRIDORS TO IMPROVE ROAD CONNECTIVITY:

·         The National Highway Authority of India proposed a ‘National Highway Grid.’

·         The grid will include 27 horizontal and vertical highway corridors spread across the country.

·         The corridors, that will crisscross and connect with each other, will be spaced at a distance of 250 kilometres.

23.GENERATION OF ETHANOL:

·         FIRST GENERATION ETHANOL:

·         The first generation biofuels refer to the fuels that have been derived from sources like starch, sugar, animal fats and vegetable oil.

·         The oil is obtained using the conventional techniques of production. Example- Bio-diesel, Vegetable oil, Bio Gas, Bio alcohol, Syngas.

·         SECOND GENERATION ETHANOL :

·         Second-generation biofuels, also known as advanced biofuels, can be produced by using biomass consisting of the unused (Ligno-) cellulosic plant parts such as stems, leaves and husks.

·         THIRD GENERATION BIOFUELS:

·         Third generation biofuel refers to biofuel derived from algae. Algae are capable of much higher yields with lower resource inputs than other feedstock.

·         The list of fuels that can be derived from algae includes:

·         Biodiesel, Butanol, Gasoline, Methane, Ethanol, Vegetable Oil and Jet Fuel.

24.INDIA BECOMES 35TH MEMBER OF MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME:

·         India became the 35th member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which will enable India to buy high-end missile technology and also enhance its joint ventures.

·         MTCR aims at restricting the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

·         MTCR - Informal and voluntary association of countries that works toward the non-proliferation of unmanned delivery systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction and seeks to coordinate national export licensing efforts.

·         It was originally set up in 1987 by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, and the United States.

·         China, Pakistan, Israel and Iran have not yet joined the voluntary regime.

·         Admission to the MTCR would open the way for India to buy high-end missile technology, also making more realistic its aspiration to buy state-of-the-art surveillance drones.

·         The MTCR membership will provide a boost to India's space and missile technology, besides the government's Make in India initiative.

25.WASSENAAR AGREEMENT:

·         The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, commonly known as the Wassenaar Arrangement, is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) with 41 participating states including many former COMECON (Warsaw Pact) countries.

·         The Wassenaar Arrangement has been established in order to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations.

26.AUSTRALIA GROUP:

·         The Australia Group (AG) is an informal forum of countries which, through the harmonisation of export controls, seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.

·         The group, initially consisting of 15 members, held its first meeting in Brussels, Belgium, in September 1989.

·         With the incorporation of Mexico on August 12, 2013, it now has 42 members, including the European Commission, all 28 member states of the European Union, Ukraine, and Argentina.

·         The name comes from Australia's initiative to create the group.

·         Australia manages the secretariat.

27.NSG(NUCLEAR SUPPLIER GROUP):

·         The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports.

·         The NSG was founded in response to the Indian nuclear test in May 1974 and first met in November 1975.

·         It has also been referred to as the London Group, or the London Suppliers Group. The name of the "London Club" was due to the series of meetings in London.

·         The NSG Guidelines also contain the so-called “Non-Proliferation Principle,” adopted in 1994, whereby a supplier, notwithstanding other provisions in the NSG Guidelines, authorises a transfer only when satisfied that the transfer would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

·         As of 2014 NSG has 48 members.

·         2016/2017 NSG Chair Country: Republic of Korea

·         The European Commission and the Chair of the Zangger Committee participate as observers.

28.INDIA AND BANGLADESH TRANSIT FACILITY “KOLKATA-ASHUGANJ-TRIPURA”:

·         The transit facility “Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura” under the revised Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol between India and Bangladesh became operational after Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed it during his visit to Dhaka in June 2015.

·         It has compacted the time of the journey of cargo from 30 days to just 10 days between central India and Northeastern states.

·         The Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura transit route will provide central India cheaper and easier contact to the seven interior northeastern states.

·         Under this Bangladesh is allowed to transit goods to Bhutan and Nepal while India can access Myanmar via Bangladesh giving impetus to Act east policy.

·         Though this protocol trade and development will not only allowed between Bangladesh and India but also in the entire sub-region simplifying trade and growth in the sub-region.

29.UNION GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES POCSO E-BOX:

·         Launched by the Minister for Women and Child Development.

·         Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), e-Box, is an online complaint management system for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against the offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012.

·         E-Box is very simple to operate and will help to maintain the confidentiality of the complaint.

·         The e-Box is incorporated prominently in the home page of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) website http://ncpcr.gov.in/ where a user has to simply push a button named POSCO e-Box.

30.MHADEI RIVER WATER TRIBUNAL:

·         Mhadei river has a length of 77 km, 29 km of which lies in Karnataka and 52 km in Goa.

·         It originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in the Belgaum district of Karnataka.

·         Mhadei is also known by the name Mandovi in Goa.

·         The Mahadayi water-sharing dispute has the states of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka fighting for water from the Mahadayi river.

31.UNION GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES ACCESSIBLE E-LIBRARY SUGAMYA PUSTAKALAYA:

·         Sugamya Pustakalaya: A step towards an Accessible Digital India” (An online library for persons with visual disabilities).

·         “Sugamaya Pustakalaya” is an online platform that makes accessible content available to printdisabled people.

·         It has been created by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH) in collaboration with member organizations of Daisy Forum of India and powered by TCS Access, Integrating libraries across India and the Globe, including the largest international library, ‘Bookshare’.

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