comprehensive current affairs 25 july 2020

Madhunani Paintings.

The artists from Madhubani District of Bihar have recently became famous for making masks with hand-painted Madhubani Motifs.

Highlights:

• The origin of Madhubani painting is from Mithila region of Bihar. It is one of the oldest and most famous Indian art forms which is also practised in Nepal.

• Its art can also be noticed in the Ramayana, the Indian epic. It is also known as Mithila or Madhubani art.

• It is popular because of their tribal motifs and use of bright earthy colours. Traditionally the women of the village drew these paintings on the walls of their dwelling, as a demonstration of their feelings, hopes, and ideas.

• It includes geometrical patterns, floral, animal and bird motifs. The colours used in paintings comprise natural extracts from plants and other natural sources.

• The colours are applied flat with no shading and no empty space is left. These are usually dark and bright with pigments like lampblack (obtained from coal) and ochre (earthy yellow pigment).

• These paintings are not made with modern brushes but rather with twigs, matchsticks, and fingers. But now artists use brushes, nib-pens and synthetic colours as well to paint.

• It is based on the mythological characters which depict the life of Hindu deities like Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, and Saraswati.

• Its widely painted designs are of Tulasi plant, court scenes, wedding scenes, social happenings etc.

• It also has heavenly bodies like the Sun and the Moon often form the centrepiece of paintings.

Women Army officers will be getting permanent commission.

The Ministry of Defence has issued the formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of permanent commission (PC) to women officers in the Army.

The order specifies the grant of permanent commission to SSC women officers in all the 10 streams in which they presently serve — Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Intelligence Corps, in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate General and Army Educational Corps, the Army said.

The order follows a Supreme Court verdict in February that directed the government that women officers be granted PC and command postings in all services other than combat.

Following this, Army chief Gen. Manoj Naravane said it was an enabling one and gave a lot of clarity on how to move forward. He stated that the same procedure for male SSC officers would be followed for women to give permanent commission.

About 322 women officers had approached the top court and the issue of command postings came up in the discussion on subsequent avenues after the grant of PC.

 

CPCB issues guidelines on disposal of COVID waste.

Central Pollution Control Board, CPCB has issued fresh guidelines on disposal of COVID-19 waste. It has directed that masks and gloves used by everyone, whether infected or not, should be cut and kept in paper bags for minimum 72 hours before disposing off them.

The CPCB also directed commercial establishments shopping malls, institutions and offices to follow the same procedure with discarded protective personal equipment,PPE from general public.

It asked to ensure that general solid waste and biomedical waste generated from quarantine centres and quarantine homes is not mixed and they should be collected separately.

It added that leftover food, empty juice bottles or tetra packs, empty water bottles, packaging material, and any other items, generated or handled by COVID-19 patient should be collected along with other general solid waste in bags securely tied for handing over to waste collectors.

The CPCB also recommended use of bio-degradable or non-disposable cutlery to minimize waste generation.

Bachpan Bachao Andolan

 The Delhi High Court has recently sought responses from the Delhi government on a petition that said statements of child witnesses lodged at child welfare centres should be  recorded through video conferencing and not physically in courts. It has been filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in view of the outbreak of Covid-19.

About Bachpan Bachao Andolan:

• It is India's largest movement campaigning for the rights of children.

• It was started in 1980 by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi.

• Its mission is to Identify, release, rehabilitate and educate children in servitude through prevention, direct intervention, mass mobilisation and legal action to create a child-friendly society.

• It functions as a Non-Government Organisation (NGO), which has centred its focus on ending bonded labour, child labour and human trafficking, as well as demanding the right to education for all children.

• It organises Baal Panchayat on the occasion of World Day against Child Labour i.e. 12th June.

• It has so far freed more than 88,000 children from servitude, including bonded labourers.

• Kailash Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Malala Yousafzai for their contribution towards child education, in 2014.

 

Manodarpan initiative launched by the Indian HRD Minister.

 It is an initiative launched by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

• The objective of the initiative is to provide psychosocial support to students for their mental health and well-being.

• The portal will include student counselling, tips, podcasts, etc. aimed at reducing stress levels and anxiety.

Background:

• The outbreak of the global pandemic COVID-19 presents a challenging time for everyone around the world.

• Not only is this pandemic a serious medical concern, but it also brings mixed emotions and psycho-social stressors for all.

• There are emerging mental health concerns with a specific focus on children, adolescents and youth especially children with disabilities.

• Children and adolescents may be more vulnerable and may experience a heightened level of stress, anxiety and fearfulness, along with a range of other emotional and behavioural issues.

• Such unanticipated and sudden changes will be required to be addressed from all educational platforms.

• Teachers as well as families with an empathetic and patient approach can go a long way in mitigating such needs of children and adolescents.

• This time can also be challenging for teachers and parents.

• The Manodarpan initiative has been launched with a view to provide support to students, families and teachers all over the country and ensure their well-being.

 

Joint collaboration for the development of ultra rapid test kit for COVID-19.

India and Israel have jointly developed an ultra rapid testing kit for COVID-19. The testing kit which has proven its efficacy in lab results will now be subjected to broader trials.

Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India, Professor K VijayRaghavan informed that Indian DRDO scientists along with Defence Research Wing of Israel have been conjointly working on the COVID testing kit.

Speaking exclusively to AIR News, Professor VijayRaghavan said the rapid testing kit can generate preliminary COVID results within 30 seconds.

He said, the kit has been developed by integration of many novel technologies which includes artificial intelligence based online voice test, breathalyser test, isothermal testing and testing using polyamino acids.

India and Israel are also the members of the world consortium of scientists working on COVID Vaccine.

Since the outbreak of Covid19, Prime Minister NarendraModi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu have had three telephonic conversations, in which they discussed mutual cooperation in dealing with the Pandemic.

Discussion on rescheduling of bilateral debt repayment issue.

India and Sri Lanka are continuing to hold technical discussion on rescheduling of bilateral debt repayment by Sri Lanka.

The Indian delegation comprising of senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance and  EXIM Bank interacted with representatives from government of Sri Lanka through a video conference this week.

The High Commission of India in Colombo said it will continue to work towards coordinating and facilitating such engagement as a part of India’s overall commitment to work with Sri Lanka to counter and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It may be recalled that both sides had discussed the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its likely health and economic impacts during Prime Minister NarendraModi’s telephone conversations with Sri Lankan President GotabayaRajapaksa on 23 May and Prime Minister MahindaRajapaksa on 27 May 2020.

Dibru-Saikowa National Park.

National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Oil India Limited (OIL) and two concerned state entities to explain how environmental clearances for the seven proposed drilling sites in the Dibru- Saikhowa National Park were given.

Highlights:

The OIL has clarified that its exploratory drilling project is “under” and not “in” the 765 sq

km Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.

➡ This argument is based on Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) enabled drilling of wells up to a

depth of approximately 4 km from an existing well plinth without entering the protected area.

➡It had obtained permission for the seven wells in 2016 on the basis of the ERD technology.

➡ The ERD is drilling a well horizontally to at least twice its vertical depth. It is extensively used to intersect hydrocarbon targets far from the surface or areas of the reservoir that

otherwise were difficult to access. 

➡ The notice has been issued following a gas leak that occurred at OIL’s baghjan oil field,located near the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.

➡The disaster at Baghjan has impacted the surrounding ecological life and displaced close to 11,000 people from their homes.

➡ The NGT had also ordered the formation of a committee to probe allegations of large-scale illegal coal mining by North Eastern Coalfields inside Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve in Assam’s Tinsukia district.

About Dibru-Saikhowa National Park:

➡ It is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in Assam.

➡Its forest type comprises of semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests and patches of wet evergreen forests.

➡ It is the largest swamp forest in north-eastern India.

➡ It is an identified Important Bird Area (IBA), notified by the Birdlife International. It is most famous for the rare white-winged wood ducks as well as Feral Horses.

The Mammals found includes Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Bears, Small Indian Civet, Squirrels, Gangetic Dolphin, Hoolock Gibbon, etc.

➡The Maguri Motapung wetland is a part of the Reserve.

Indian Bullfrog.

 

➡ It's scientific name is Hoplobatrachus tigerinus.

➡ Its common names are Bullfrog, Golden Frog, Green Frog, Tiger Frog etc.

➡ It is protected under IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, Indian Wildlife Act 1972:

Schedule IV and Schedule IV along with Schedule III provide protection with lesser penalties.

➡ It is native to the Indian subcontinent and is the largest frog in India. These are prolific breeders (producing many offspring), have short breeding seasons, and each egg clutch

can contain up to 5,750 eggs.

➡ Its tadpoles are carnivorous and eat other tadpoles (including their own species). They grow to be the largest (around 20 millimetres) and also grow the fastest. 

➡The adult bullfrogs pose a threat to small endemic vertebrates because they can eat everything which fits into their mouths like centipedes, leeches, native frogs, lizards, small snakes and even chicks and ducklings.

➡ It eats the native frogs as well and their diets overlap, indicating a possibility of competition. It is one of the invasive species on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

 

Indian Agri ministry to share tax payer’s details with IT department for PM-KISAN scheme.

The ministry of agriculture will have to share information of taxpayers with income tax department for identifying the eligible beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN scheme, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has notified.

The PM-KISAN scheme provides Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments as income support to all landholding farmers' families for meeting agriculture and domestic needs related expenses.

Affluent farmers have been excluded from the scheme such as income tax payers in the last assessment year, professionals like doctors, engineers, lawyers, chartered accountants etc and pensioners drawing at least Rs 10,000 per month.

The Centre has released more than Rs 50,850 crores as of February 2020, benefitting 8.46 crores farmer families. The scheme covers a total of 14 crore beneficiaries as per estimates of the Agriculture Census 2015-16.

FOCUS ON MAINS

Topic : GS 3 Food Security.

 

Holes in the Safety Net.

Context:

In the early days of India’s lockdown, stories of food insecurity were rampant.

As “Unlock 2.0” progresses, many analysts hope that labour markets will provide the much needed economic resources to the vulnerable.

But amidst a range of localised lockdown measures, immediate economic distress continues to persist.

The Centre and state governments need to expand the ambit of food transfer programmes and bolsterpolicies that target people most at risk of malnutrition.

Persistence of food insecurity:

There is sound policy that can be built on.

The Central government has extended the provision of extra rations of five kg of wheat/rice and one kg of pulses through November, making good use of its abundant grain stocks.

Many state governments have stepped in to fill gaps — Bihar’s recent expansion of rations and transfers to school children is one such example.

And, a good monsoon points to the potential for bumper crops.

Yet, our analysis of data from several surveys and previous research suggests the persistence of food insecurity, especially among economically and socially disadvantaged groups.

Caloric needs:

First, even with smooth access to rations, those out of work and with little or no savings will find it hard to cover their households’ full caloric needs.

Our research team recently evaluated how Chhattisgarh’s public distribution system functioned through the lockdown and how rural households were faring in the state.

Ration shops functioned well: Out of over 4,000 PDS shops we surveyed, 99% were open through the lockdown and stock-outs were extremely rare.

Of the over 3,900 households we surveyed in rural Raipur, 95 per cent reported receiving rations.

But 20 per cent of the surveyed households worried they would run low or out of food in the coming weeks.

Interviews with anganwadi workers revealed that households were eating fewer fruits and vegetables, and more rice and dal than before the lockdown.

This is consistent with the NSS data that suggest free rations in Chhattisgarh helped households cover 15 to 33 per cent of their monthly food expenditure, depending on the ration card holder.

Inequalities:

Second, distribution of food within households could be worsening both during the lockdowns and under increased economic hardship.

With anganwadis shut in many states, daily hot meals for young children have been replaced by irregular distributed take-home dry rations.

This change is likely to hit girls hard — substantial inequalities in food consumption within the same household are well-documented.

Too frequently, girls and women still eat last at home.

Research shows how failing to meet nutritional needs among mothers, potential mothers and young children has long-lasting repercussions on women’s health, morbidity and mortality and the human capital that constitutes the next generation.

This type of food insecurity is often invisible, yet can lead to glaring health, cognitive, educational, and wealth deficits in the years to come.

Migrant workers:

Third, significant gaps in the food security safety net remain for returning migrants.

While the prime minister extended two months of rations for eight crore migrant workers in May and June, irrespective of their ration card status, there is no sign that the programme will be continued. Official data suggest that it remains difficult to get rations to migrants. In April, we began phone surveys of migrants, who were formerly working in urban areas across India.

Half of the respondents reported recent food insecurity (eating less than normal). In more recent rounds of surveys in June and July, this share increased to two-thirds.

Implementation bottlenecks within the delivery system are further restricting access to food and cash transfers in many areas.

So, how can the Centre and state governments address these concerns?

Providing food to all:

Like many others, we favour providing food to all who arrive at ration shops seeking it, regardless of identification.

Waiting for all systems to be fully operational and online for the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme could cause fatal delays.

This is especially critical to ensuring that returning migrant workers without ration cards can access food transfers.

In the short-run, it will also ease implementation bottlenecks.

For young children, adolescent girls, and pregnant and lactating women, a period of malnutrition can have lifelong adverse consequences.

Identifying ways of maintaining social distancing while reopening anganwadis for essential services (such as vaccinations and hot meals) should be a priority to ensure these individuals, and not just their households, receive food.

Diversifying and expanding products:

Finally, the central and state governments should consider diversifying and expanding products available at fair price shops to help households meet nutritional needs while stabilising local food prices.

The short-term introduction of free lentils via the PDS system is welcome.

Governments could expand this list to include other essentials such as oil, sugar and locally procured items (such as vegetables and milk).

Research has shown that access to rations via PDS helps insulatepoor households from food price spikes.

Our survey of fair price shops in Chhattisgarh also produced similar results.

Prices for chana in private shops in panchayats where PDS shops also stock chana are 10% lower than in panchayats where PDS shops do not stock chana.

Conclusion:

India should not allow one emergency — the pandemic — to turn into another.

Food security problems are not abatingand there are clear steps that should be taken before it is too late.