Comprehensive Current affairs 21 August 2020

Government's Decision to set up NRA.

Indian Cabinet on Wednesday approved the creation of a National Recruitment Agency (NRA) for conducting a Common Eligibility Test (CET) for various government jobs.

This is said to be a historic decision and will benefit crores of young people who applied for jobs every year. About 2.5 crore to 3 crore candidates applied for the 1.25 lakh Group B and C jobs advertised by three agencies every year, with separate schedules and fees.

“A common eligibility test would enable these candidates to appear once and apply to any or all of these recruitment agencies for the higher level of examination.

The exam would be held online in 12 languages to begin with, and centres would be set up in every district to increase access, it stated.

“The CET score of the candidate shall be valid for a period of three years from the date of declaration of the result. The best of the valid scores shall be deemed to be the current score of the candidate,” it said.

Candidates from the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes would be given a relaxation in the age limit as per the government’s policy, it noted.

Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements-2020.

Recently Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA)-2020 was announced.

➡The rankings have been evaluated based on seven parameters. It includes budget and funding support, infrastructure and facilities, awareness, promotions, and support for idea generation and innovation.
➡Its announcement included classification of the institutes into two broad categories and six sub categories.
➡ The IIT Madras bagged the top position under the category of Institutes of National Importance, Central Universities, and Centrally Funded Technical Institutes.

➡Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai got the top position under Government and Government Aided Universities.

➡ College of Engineering, Pune got the top position under Government and Government Aided Colleges.
➡Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar got the top position under Private or Self-Financed Universities.

➡ S R Engineering College, Warangal got the top position under Private or Self-Financed Colleges. A special category for higher educational institutions for women has been
introduced to bring gender parity in the areas of innovation and  entrepreneurship.

➡Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women secured top place under this category

FSSAI organises online orientation workshop as part of Eat Right Challenge.

Health Minister of India presided over an online orientation workshop organised by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as part of its Eat Right Challenge.

He also launched FSSAI’s ‘Eat Right India’ Handbook and the website to help various stakeholders scale up ‘Eat Right India’ initiatives across the country.

The ‘Eat Right India’ movement initiated by FSSAI has been creating awareness among the people about safe, healthy and sustainable dietary habits.To achieve this and to convert the programme  into people’s movement, FSSAI recently announced the Eat Right Challenge.

It is an annual competition for 197 Districts and Cities to strengthen the food safety and regulatory environment, build awareness among the consumers and urge them to make better food choices.

India is said to assist Bangladesh in fight against COVID.

Foreign Secretary Harsh VardhanShringla wrapped up his two day visit to Bangladesh on Wednesday after holding a meeting with his Bangaldeshi counterpart Masud Bin Momen in Dhaka.
Talking to the media after holding discussion with his Bangladeshi counterpart Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary Shringla said that he had come to Bangladesh as Prime Minister NarendraModi felt that the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries must move forward.
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Shringla had called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appreciated Prime Minister Modi’s gesture of conveying the message and desire to take the relationship forward.

During the meeting, various aspects of the bilateral relationship were discussed including development partnership, enhancing connectivity, revival of economy post Covid and cooperation on COVID assistance.

The foreign secretary also discussed therapeutics and vaccine in fight against corona, and joint commemoration of the birth centenary year of Bangbandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman.

Pakistan denies possible claims of diplomatic ties with Israel.

.PM Khan has categorically rejected any possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, according to a media report.

“Our policy on Israel is clear: The Quaid-i-Azam (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) had said that Pakistan can never accept state of Israel until the people of Palestine get rights and an independent state.
Pakistan and Israel do not have diplomatic relations and their aircraft are not allowed to use each other’s airspace.

“If we recognise Israel and ignore tyranny faced by the Palestinians, we will have to give up Kashmir as well, and this we cannot do, he said.

His remarks came in the backdrop of recent peace overtures between the UAE and Israel, with the former becoming only the third Arab nation to enter into a peace deal with the Jewish state

Report finds increase in India’s cancer burden.

Cancer cases in the country are likely to increase to 15.6 lakhs by 2025 — a 12% increase from current estimated cases — based on current trends, according to the National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020. The figures were released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Informatics & Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, here on Tuesday.
The report also found that in 2020, tobacco-related cancers are estimated to contribute to 27.1% of the total cancer burden, and highest in the northeastern region of the country. Cancers of the lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus were the most common cancers among men. Cancers of the breast and cervix uteri were the most common cancers among women, the report said.
According to a release issued by the ICMR, the report estimates that in 2020, cancer cases in the

country will be at 13.9 lakhs. “These estimates are based on information related to cancer collected from 28 Population Based Cancer Registries [PBCRs],” it added.

Bhadbhut Project in Gujrat.

The Gujarat government has recently awarded the contract for the Bhadbhut project in Bharuch.
Highlights:
• The Inland Waterway Authority of India has given clearance for this project. It has faced  protests from local fishermen because it is likely to impact fishing patterns, mainly those of
hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha).

• It is located across the river Narmada, 5 km from Bhadbhut village and 25 km from the mouth of the river, where it flows into the Gulf of Khambhat.

• It is part of the larger Kalpasar Project, which entails the construction of a 30-km dam
across the Gulf of Khambhat between Bharuch and Bhavnagar districts. Kalpasar Project
aims to store Gujarat’s 25% average annual surface water resources..

• The reservoir will store about 8,000 million cubic metres (MCM) of surface water and will
be one of the world’s largest freshwater reservoirs in the sea.

• It is to prevent salinity ingress. It refers to the process of saltwater invading areas which previously contained only freshwater.

• Due to the reduced flow of freshwater, saline seawater gushes into the Narmada estuary during high tide, thus increasing salinity along the banks.

• It will stop most of the excess water flowing out of the Sardar Sarovar Dam from reaching
the sea and will create a sweet water lake of 600 MCM on the river, solving the freshwater problems in Bharuch.

• It will tap the excess waters of the Narmada, Mahisagar and Sabarmati rivers in the reservoir.

Death Valley recorded 54°C.

Death Valley in USA has recently registered a temperature of 54.4°C which, once verified, could be the highest temperature in more than a century.

Highlights:
• The Death Valley in southeastern California is the lowest point in the North American continent, and is a National Park. It is also the hottest and driest part of the continent.

• The temperature has been termed as preliminary and not final as it awaits verification.

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Death Valley’s all-time record high is 56.7°C taken on 10th July 1913 at Greenland Ranch.

•It still stands as the hottest ever recorded on the planet’s surface.

• The high temperature is a result of a ‘heat dome’ that is smothering the west coast of the USA.Heat Domes is defined as High-pressure circulation traps hot ocean air like a lid or a cap trapping heat at the surface and favouring the formation of a heat wave.

• Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becoming increasingly frequent globally due to climate change.

• The extreme heat can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory diseases, heart conditions and kidney disorders.

• It causes heat cramps, dehydration and even potentially fatal heat strokes in human body.
• It can also have a severe impact on agriculture and forests. It either causes vegetables to wilt and die or encourage the spread of plant diseases.

•It causes wildfires which lead to forest cover reduction and death of fauna.

• It affects infrastructure too by straining power grids and causing blackouts. It can ground planes, melt roads and cause the inside of vehicles to overheat to dangerous levels.

No need to Audit PM CARES: SC

India Supreme Court recently endorsed the PM CARES Fund as a “public charitable trust” to which donors contribute Voluntarily.

Highlights:
• NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, had
argued that the PM-CARES Fund

✓ Was not subject to CAG audit.

✓ It was not under “public scrutiny”.

✓ Contributions to it were “100% tax-free”.

✓ It is alleged that PM CARES was constituted to “circumvent” the National Disaster
Response Fund (NDRF).

• NDRF is a statutory fund already in existence under the Disaster Management Act of 2005
to receive contributions to finance the fight against a calamity.

• The need for a fresh national disaster management plan to take on the COVID-19 challenge was also presented.

Observations Made by SC:

• No need for CAG audit:

✓ There is “no occasion” for the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to audit a public charitable trust independent of Budgetary support or Government Money.

• The Need of hour:

✓ The SC said that it is “not open” for a PIL petitioner to question the “wisdom” that created the fund in an hour of need.

Therefore, no exception can be taken to the constitution of a public charitable trust, namely, PM CARES Fund.

• The SC dismissed the idea that the PM CARES was constituted to “circumvent” the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

• It reasoned that the outbreak of COVID-19 in India, as well as worldwide, required immediate enhancement in the infrastructure of medical health and the creation of a fund
to contain COVID-19.

• The SC Bench refused to direct the transfer of funds from the PM CARES Fund to the
NDRF.
✓ Any contribution of any individual or institution is not prohibited to be credited into the NDRF.
• No need for a Fresh Plan:

• The SC rejected the need for a fresh national disaster management plan to take on the COVID-19 challenges.

• The national plan and guidelines are by its very nature prior to the occurrence of any disaster. It is a measure of preparedness.

• Therefore, it is not conceivable that a national plan would be framed after the disaster has occurred. The SC bench also found no reason to interfere with the “minimum standards of relief” the government should provide in relief camps during the pandemic.

• The Disaster Management Act lists these “minimum requirements” under Section 12 as shelter, food, drinking water, medical cover, and sanitation, among other things.

• These guidelines for minimum standards are in place even before COVID-19, the said guidelines for minimum standards hold good even for those who are affected by COVID-19.

RBI releases framework for retail payment entity.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday released a framework for setting up of a pan-India umbrella entity for retail payments systems.

➡This entity, to be incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, would need to focus on retail payments systems, the RBI said.

➡The umbrella entity will set up, manage and operate new payments systems in the retail space comprising ATMs, white label PoS, Aadhaar-based payments and remittance services.

➡The entity will operate clearing and settlement systems for participating banks and non-banks, identify and manage relevant risks, monitor retail payments system developments and related issues in the country and internationally.

➡The RBI said it will be the responsibility of the entity to frame necessary rules and the related processes to ensure that the system is safe and sound, and that payments are exchanged efficiently. 

➡The entity will be permitted to participate in Reserve Bank’s payment and settlement systems, including having a current account with Reserve Bank, if required. The formation of the umbrella entity has been authorised under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

India tops in number of organic farmers.

India ranks first in the number of organic farmers and ninth in terms of area under organic farming. Sikkim became the first state to become fully organic and other states including Tripura and Uttarakhand have set similar targets.

North East India has been traditionally following organic farming and the usage of chemicals in the region is reported to be far less than the rest of the country. The tribal and island territories are also being nurtured to continue their organic cultivation.

The Government initiated Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD) and ParamparagatKrishiVikasYojana (PKVY) in 2015 to encourage chemical free farming.
It also aims at assisting farmers to adopt organic farming and improve remunerations due to premium prices. Agri-export Policy 2018, has also given a major thrust in the field of Organic farming in the country. The major organic exports from India have been flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice and pulses.