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(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)
The Government has reiterated its commitment in providing Wi-Fi in all the villages through GramNet with connectivity between 10mbps to 100 mbps speed. BharatNet also plans to provide 1 GBPS connectivity, which can be expanded up to 10 GBPS and C-DOT’s XGS-PON will help in a great way to achieve this
Cabinet approves
Signing of Agreement between India and Peru on Cooperation in the field of Medicinal Plants: India is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity and more than 7000 species of plants are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk and documented systems of traditional medicines like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy (AYUSH System of Medicine). The Republic of Peru is one of the Latin American Countries which are the biodiversity hotspots in the world and like India, Peru is also having rich biodiversity of medicinal plants and the medicinal plants based traditional medicine practices are prominently practiced by indigenous people.
Considering the richness of medicinal plants biodiversity and uses of these resources in Indigenous Traditional Systems of medicines in both countries and to strengthen the bilateral cooperation, the proposed Agreement on cooperation, in the field of medicinal plants is envisaged.
Establishment of an International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure: The CDRI will serve as a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure. It will bring together technical expertise from a multitude of stakeholders. In doing so, it will create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities and practices, with regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs. Few concrete initiatives work at the intersection of Sendai Framework, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Climate Change Adaptation with a focus on infrastructure. Focus on disaster resilient infrastructure would simultaneously address the loss reduction targets under the Sendai Framework, address a number of SDGs and also contribute to climate change adaptation. Hence, there is a clear niche for a Global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
MoU between India and Guinea on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy: The MoU will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of Traditional Systems of Medicine. This will be of immense importance to both countries considering their shared cultural heritage.
MoU between India and Gambia on Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine: The MoU will provide a framework for cooperation between India and Gambia for the promotion of traditional systems of medicine and will mutually benefit the two countries in this field. Activities mentioned in the MoU will boost the importance of AYUSH Systems of Medicine in Gambia. As a consequence of the MoU, exchange of experts for training of the practitioners, and Scientists undertaking collaborative research in Traditional Systems of Medicine are expected to lead to new innovations in drug development and practice of Traditional Medicine.
Infusion of capital by Government in IDBI Bank: It will help in completing the process of IDBI Bank’s turnaround and enable it to return to profitability and normal lending, and giving Government the option of recovering its investment at an opportune time.
(Topic: Environment Conservation, Climate Change)
Desertification is a worldwide problem directly affecting 250 million people and a third of the earth’s land surface.
Key National Focus Areas
Geographical Focus Areas
It is the common resolve of the World to combat desertification and India will lead from the front and move the world in a positive direction, taking into cognizance the support of other countries.
Desertification: Degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas (Not the natural expansion of existing deserts)
Land Degradation: Deterioration in the quality of land (its topsoil caused usually by excessive or inappropriate exploitation)
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – Bonn (Germany)
Legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. It is one of the three Rio Conventions along with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
India became a signatory to UNCCD on 14th October 1994 and ratified it on 17th December 1996.
The main objective of the convention is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, involving long-term integrated strategies that focus simultaneously, in affected areas, on improved productivity of land, and the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources, leading to improved living conditions, in particular at the community level.
The Convention’s 197 parties work together to improve the living conditions for people in drylands, to maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and to mitigate the effects of drought. The UNCCD is particularly committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification and land degradation.
Logo by India:
Note:
India hosted the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
COP-13: Held in Ordos, China
Prelims oriented News
Poshan Maah of India: September
Best Ministry for Implementation of Swachhata Action Plan for 2018-19: Indian Railways
Best Swachh Iconic Place Award: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST), Mumbai
India’s longest electrified railway tunnel: Between Cherlopalli and Rapuru railway stations in Andhra Pradesh
Ujjwala Yojana achieves target of 8 crore LPG connections 7 months ahead of target date
Project ‘Bal Basera’ for the welfare of children of Construction Workers deployed at AIIMS Rishikesh. Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has signed a MoU with CPWD Officers’ Wives Association for organising heath camps and managing crèches at construction sites in a formal and organised manner on large scale and on pan India basis so that workers and their children could lead a healthy productive life.
Launch of Campaign Angikaar & E-Course on Vulnerability Atlas:
TB Division of the Health Ministry signs MoU with Wadhwani Institute to explore Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions in combating TB:
As part of the collaboration, Wadhwani AI would be supporting National TB programme become AI-ready which would include, developing, piloting, and deploying AI-based solutions. It would support the programme in vulnerability and hot-spot mapping, modelling novel methods of screening and diagnostics and enabling decision support for care-givers apart from supporting the RNTCP in adoption of other AI technologies.
The Revised National TB Control Programme has been at the forefront of adoption of newer technologies in healthcare. Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides a unique opportunity for the health sector, bringing efficiency, saving resources and bringing accuracy in interpretation and enhancing quality of service delivery. Its use in this sector has an ample scope to improve outcomes, especially in situations where resources are limited. India is committed to ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Global Sustainable Development targets.
100% FDI under automatic route for coal mining activities: The decision of 100% FDI under automatic route for coal mining activities including associated processing, infrastructure in the coal sector will help in many ways –
India Launches World’s First Ever Facial Bio-Metric Data Based Seafarer Identity Document:
The shipping sector is seeing major developments in the areas of coastal shipping, inland waterways and other maritime activities. This is leading to generation of employment in the sector, which is evident in the growing number of Indian seafarers in the international shipping industry. The total number of Indian seafarers who were employed on Indian or foreign flag vessels increased from 154349 in 2017 to 208799 this year, showing an unprecedented increase of 35%.
North East Rural Livelihood Project (NERLP)
Department of Fertilizers to promote Cloth/Jute bags, locally tailored, to reduce the Consumption of Single Use Plastics: An effective ban on single use plastic can happen if an alternative is available in the market. Cloth/Jute bags, locally tailored and produced can be viable alternative. Women’s self-help groups can easily be trained for tailoring and marketing of such cloth bags (contribute as additional source of income to them).
Declaration of certain individuals as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967: Invoking the recent amendments in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Central Government has decided to declare the following individuals as terrorists and add their names to Schedule 4 of the Act:
All of the above are involved in terrorist attacks in India, and have been designated as global terrorists under United Nations. Earlier when terrorist organizations were banned, the individuals associated with it simply changed names and continued to carry out terrorist activities.
Quotes
On Left Wing Extremism
LWE is one of the major internal security challenges faced by the Nation for the last several decades and it has no place in ‘New India’. LWE organizations are against democratic institutions and use violence to subvert the democratic process at ground level. They actively seek to prevent development in the least developed regions of the country. Their strategy is to misguide people and keep them ignorant.
On Skilled Labour
The skilled labour force is vital for the country to make rapid economic progress. The youth need to be trained and imparted skills in tune with the fast-changing technological scenario.
Personality in News
Shri Ram Jethmalani
Served as the Union law minister and the minister of urban development in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. In 2010, he was elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
Jethmalani had played a leading role during the emergency period from 1975 to 1977. He was critical of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and his sharp commentary against the government earned him an arrest warrant during the time.
