Comprehensive Current affairs 28 August 2020

La Niña may develop between Sept and Nov; likely to hamper post-monsoon season in India.

➡There is a 60% chance of a weak La Niña event between September and November, according to the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) update, and could result in lesser rainfall in the post-monsoon season in India.

➡El Niño and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a periodic fluctuation in sea surface temperature and the air pressure of the overlying atmosphere across the equatorial Pacific Ocean, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

➡ENSO has a major influence on weather and climate patterns such as heavy rains, floods and drought. El Niño has a warming influence on global temperatures, while La Niña has the opposite impact. In India, for example, El Nino is associated with drought or weak monsoon. La Nina is associated with strong monsoon and above-average rains. Last year was a weak El Nino year and June had recorded extremely arid conditions in different parts of the country and the month ended with a 33% rain deficiency.

➡WMO said below-average sea surface temperatures forecasted in the eastern tropical Pacific are leading to La Niña conditions. Global models and expert opinion indicate a 60% chance of La

Niña development during September-November. The probability of ENSO-neutral conditions is 40% and El Niño near 0%.

➡The last La Niña event was in 2017-18. It was short-lived; a weak-to-moderate event that started developing in November 2017 and decayed in April 2018, according to WMO. Tropical Pacific has been in ENSO neutral condition since July and since May sea surface temperatures in the region have been slightly below average, it added.

➡But WMO underlined the warming influence of climate change will not be negated by La Nina. “Even if a La Niña event does develop, its cooling signal will not be enough to counterbalance the impact of human-induced climate change,” said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas.

➡“2020 remains on track to be one of the warmest years on record, with much extreme weather ranging from scorching temperatures and wildfires to devastating floods and marine heatwaves which is largely the result of greenhouse gases rather than naturally occurring climate drivers,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

➡WMO’s Global Seasonal Climate Update indicates that sea surface temperatures for September to November overall are expected to be above average for much of the globe and this will also influence land surface temperatures.

DOPPW integrates e-pension payment order with digilocker

The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, DoPPW has decided to integrate the electronic Pension Payment Order, e-PPO generated through PFMS application of Controller General of Accounts, with Digi Locker, to enhance Ease of Living of Central Government Civil Pensioners.

•This system will enable any Pensioner to obtain an instant print-out of the latest copy of their PPO, from their Digi Locker account.

•This initiative will create a permanent record of their PPO in their Digi Locker and at the same time eliminate delays in reaching the PPO to new Pensioners, as well as the necessity of handing over a physical copy.

•This was a target set to be accomplished for Civil Ministries by 2021-22, which the Department completed ahead of time in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

•Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions said, it has come to the notice of the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare that several Pensioners, over a period of time, misplace the original copies of their PPO which is a very important original document.

•In the absence of their PPO, these pensioners have to face innumerable hardship at various stages of their retired life.For newly retiring officials, in view of the widespread Covid-19 pandemic, it was a dilemma to physically receive hard copies of the PPO.

Directions to Include Disabled Persons Under NFSA 2013.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution under Ministry of Consumer Affairs,Food & Public Distribution has sent letters to States Governments/UTs to include all eligible disabled persons under the National Food Security Act 2013.

• Section 38 of the NFSA Act, 2013 mandates that the Central Government may from time to time give directions to the State Governments for effective implementation if the provisions of the Act.

• The Department advised all States/UTs to ensure that all disabled persons, who are eligible as per identification criteria of beneficiaries under NFSA, are covered under the National Food Security Act 2013.

National Food Security Act 2013:

• The National Food Security Act, 2013 aimed to provide for food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices.

• The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of food grains per person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/Coarse Grains.

Salient Features of NFSA:

1. Coverage and entitlement under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS):

✓ Up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population covered under TPDS, with uniform entitlement of 5 kg per person per month.

✓ The existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of food grains per household per month.

2. State-wise coverage:

✓ State-wise coverage will be determined by the Central Government.

✓ Planning Commission has determined the State-wise coverage by using the NSS Household Consumption Survey data for 2011-12 and also provided the State-wise Inclusion Ratios.

3. Subsidised Prices under TPDS and their Revision:

✓ Food grains made available at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains for a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act

(2013).

✓ Thereafter prices will be suitably linked to Minimum Support Price (MSP).

✓ Existing prices for APL households i.e. Rs. 6.10 per kg for wheat and Rs 8.30 per kg for rice has been determined.

4. Identification of Households:

✓ For coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTs.

5. Nutritional Support to Women and Children:

✓ Pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in age group of 6 months to 14 years will be entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) schemes.

✓ Higher nutritional norms have been prescribed for malnourished children up to 6 years of Age.

6. Maternity Benefit:

✓ Pregnant women and lactating mothers will also be entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.

7. Women Empowerment:

✓ The eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above to be the head of the Household for the Purpose of Issuing of ration cards.

8. Grievance Redressal Mechanism:

✓ Grievance redressal mechanism at the District and State levels.

✓ States will have the flexibility to use the existing machinery or set up separate mechanism.

9. Cost of intra-State transportation & handling of food grains and FPS Dealers’ Margin:

✓ Central Govt will provide assistance to States in meeting the expenditure incurred by them on transportation of food grains within the State, its handling and FPS dealers’ margin as per norms to be devised for this purpose.

10. Transparency and Accountability:

✓ Provisions made for disclosure of records relating to PDS, social audits and setting up of Vigilance Committees to ensure Transparency and Accountability.

11. Food Security Allowance:

✓ Provision for food security allowance to entitled beneficiaries in case of non-supply of Entitled Food Grains or Meals.

12. Penalty:

✓ Provision for penalty on public servant or authority, to be imposed by the State Food Commission, in case of failure to comply with the relief recommended by the District Grievance Redressal Officer.

U.S blacklists Chinese firms related to construction in South China sea.

The United States on Wednesday blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted a number of individuals it said were part of construction and military actions related to disputed islands in the South China Sea.

The U.S. Commerce Department said the two dozen companies played a “role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarise the internationally condemned artificial islands in the South China Sea.”

The United States accuses China of militarising the South China Sea and trying to intimidate Asian neighbours who might want to exploit its extensive oil and gas reserves.

The U.S. has conducted multiple freedom of navigation operations by sending its warships through the area to assert the freedom of access to international waterways.

SC seeks clarification from centre on interest waiver during moratorium

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took note of the Centre's alleged inaction and asked it to clarify its stand within a week on the waiver of interest on interest for deferred payments of instalments for loans during the moratorium period announced due to the coronavirus lockdown.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said the Centre had not made its stand clear on the issue despite the fact that ample powers were available with it under the Disaster Management Act and was "hiding behind the RBI".

The top court had earlier said there was "no merit in charging interest on interest" for deferred loan payment installments during the moratorium period announced in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 4, the top court had sought the Finance Ministry's reply on the waiver of interest on loans during the moratorium period after the RBI said it would not be prudent to go for a forced waiver of interest risking financial viability of the banks.

The top court had said there were two aspects under consideration in this matter - no interest payment on loans during the moratorium period and no interest to be charged on interest.

RBI projects reduced growth rate for 2020-21.

The Reserve Bank has projected India's growth rate at (-) 4.5 percent for 2020-21. In its annual report released today, RBI projected global growth rate between (-) 6.0 per cent and (-) 7.6 per cent. The report says that expected headline inflation will remain elevated in the current quarter, but likely to ease in the second half of the fiscal.

Stating that it is difficult to accurately assess the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic as the dynamics are still evolving, RBI said it looks like the decline in economic activity reaches its trough in April-June quarter of 2020-21 and recovers thereafter, albeit at a gradual pace. It adds that the growth is likely to turn positive from January-March quarter 2020-21.

In its report, RBI has asked for wide-ranging reforms to regain losses due to COVID-19 crisis adding that it will take quite some time to mend and regain the pre-COVID-19 momentum. Noting that meeting the fiscal targets budgeted in 2020-21 has become even more challenging due to COVID-19, RBI has said that the government must have a clear exit strategy with credible consolidation milestones and timelines in reworking the path towards fiscal rectitude in the coming years.

The report also notes that government consumption spending has provided a measure of relief, with the central government's revenue expenditure, having risen by 33.7 per cent in the first quarter.

NBFC-MFIs

• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has recently introduced Partial Credit Guarantee Programme for Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) - Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs). It aims to ensure unhindered flow of credit in rural areas hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Highlights:

• NABARD will provide partial guarantee on pooled loans extended to small and mid-sized MFIs.

• It has come in the backdrop of most MFIs being excluded from the moratorium benefits from banks, creating a dip in collections, resulting in widening asset-liability mismatch, credit downgrades and spike in cost of fresh funding.

• It will facilitate Rs. 2,500 crore funding in the initial phase and will further increase the funding. It is expected to cover over 1 million households across 28 states and 650 districts.

• It has signed agreements with Vivriti Capital and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank to roll out the initiative. Vivriti Capital is a non-banking financial corporation.

• The partially guaranteed loan facility will catalyse much-needed financing to millions of households, agricultural and business markets to sustain in the post Covid-19 environment.

• MFIs operate in rural hinterlands and serve farmers, traders, rural businesses and households.

About Pooled Loan Issuance (PLI):

• Under a PLI structure, a bank or an NBFC (Principal Lender), provides loans to identified Microfinance Institutions/other NBFCs/corporates (Borrowers).

• Its structure provides the lending bank adequate comfort through the guarantor's partial credit protection, it also reduces cost of capital as the rating of the loans get increased and helps lenders meet priority sector goals.

• Each of these loans is made as per terms agreed upon between the Principal Lender and the Borrowers in keeping with the Principal Lenders underwriting and credit evaluation practices.

• The loans offered are pooled together and credit enhanced by way of a common partial guarantee offered by identified guarantors to the structure.

Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institution:

• It is a non-deposit taking financial company.

• The conditions to qualify as NBFC-MFI are

✓ Minimum Net Owned Funds (NOF) of Rs. 5 crore.

✓ At least 85% of its Net Assets in the nature of Qualifying Assets.

• The Qualifying Assets are those assets which have a substantial period of time to be ready for its intended use or sale.

• The difference between an NBFC-MFI and other NBFC is that while other NBFCs can operate at a very high level but MFIs cater to only the smaller level of social strata, with need of smaller amounts as loans.

NASA confirms on dent in Earth’s magnetic field.

The NASA Scientists have discovered a small but an evolving dent in the earth’s magnetic field. The dent has been found over South America and South Atlantic Ocean. It is an unusually weak spot and is called South Atlantic Anomaly.

•The South Atlantic Anomaly allows the charged particles to dip closer to the earth’s surface than normal. This knocks out onboard computers and is capable of interfering with data collection from satellites. Thus, it is important to learn about the magnetic dent and find solutions.

•The South Atlantic Anomaly arises due to two features of the Earth’s core. They are tilt of magnetic axis and the flow of molten metals within the outer core.

•The Sun expels constant particles known as solar wind. When this solar material is streamed across space and strikes the Earth’s magnetosphere, the space occupied by the magnetic field of the earth can become trapped. This is held in two donut shaped belts around the planet called Van Allen Belts.

Special focus on mains.

Polity and Governance and Geography.

Rotation of Panchayat Seats Between Men and Women.

The Haryana government is planning to bring a Bill to provide 50:50 reservations in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for men and women candidates, and rotate the seats between male and Female Representatives after Each Term.

About:

• Men and women will be able to contest panchayat polls under the odd-even formula. This will be implemented for sarpanches and members of village wards, block samitis and zilla parishads.

• Benefit: This will ensure equal opportunities for men and women, and women from all constituencies will have fair share in terms of reservation.

• Limitations: Policy of reservation for only one term and rotation of reserved seats and posts of chairperson can hinder the consolidation of leadership qualities among women representatives as it takes time for them to learn the skills of handling and negotiating various conflicting interests within the panchayat.

• To deal with this issue, some states like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka have made provisions for two term reservation of seats at PRIs.

• Haryana previously enacted Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2015 laying down eligibility criteria to be able to contest Panchayat elections in the state.

• It included disqualification in case of non-completion of minimum educational criteria (like class X pass for general category and Class 8th for SC), non -payment of arrears and debts to co-operative banks or electricity bills, and not having functional toilets at home.

• The Supreme Court upheld this decision arguing that prescription of an educational qualification is not irrelevant for better administration. Also, the criteria of insolvency and toilets will encourage good practices among legislators.

Constitutional Provisions for Women Representation in PRIs:

• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 mandates 33.3% reservation for women in PRIs across the country.

• The 73rd Amendment envisages the Gram Sabha as the foundation of the Panchayat Raj System to perform functions and powers entrusted to it by the State Legislatures.

• This has been increased to 50% reservation in several states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar etc.

• Out of the 30.41 lakh elected representatives of PRIs, 13.74 lakh (45.2%) are women.

• Article 15 (3) to the Constitution of India empowers the State to make special provisions for women.

• Article 243D provides that one-third of the total number of seats and offices of the Chairpersons in PRIs at each level shall be reserved for women to be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat.

• Such reservations of seats and offices of the chairpersons for women are also within the reservations for SCs and STs in all three tiers of PRIs.

• In order to bring about 50% reservation for women in Panchayats in all States, the 110th Constitution Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2009, but it was not passed despite being tabled several times.

What are the Challenges before Women in PRIs?

• Patriarchy: Many women are not allowed to contest elections and many continue to work as proxies for their male family members. Their male co-workers show insensitivity and may refuse to cooperate. Burden of household responsibilities, purdah (veil) system and domestic violence negatively affect their functioning.

• Inadequate Capacities: Majority of women representatives enter into public life for the first time and do not have enough knowledge and skills to handle affairs of panchayats.

Training programmes conducted by government training agencies are unable to cover all elected representatives in time.

• Violent Opposition: Women often face more resistance from the community if they want to take bold steps. They are also subjected to violence from powerful elements of the society.

• Two Child Norm: A few States like Odisha and Rajasthan have the two child norm for contesting panchayat elections. In rural areas women hardly have any say in the number of children in the family and such laws restrict their entry into panchayats.

• Caste System: Hierarchical caste system in rural India makes it difficult for women from SC and ST communities to work independently and effectively.

• Lack of Women at Other Levels: Lack of women co-workers and at higher administrative level also hinders the free functioning of women representatives.

• Efforts by Government to Promote Women in PRIs: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has been making continuous efforts by launching and implementing various schemes for capacity building of women representatives in PRIs, like

✓ Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA):

1. RGSA was launched in 2018 for developing and strengthening the capacities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for rural local governance to become more responsive towards local development needs, preparing the participatory plans that leverage technology, efficient and optimum utilization of available resources for realizing sustainable solutions to local problems linked to Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs).

2. It included rewards for ensuring women participation in PRIs

✓ Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP):

1. Some of the key aspects of GPDP guidelines that are relevant to Women Empowerment include proactive participation of women in budgeting, planning, implementation and monitoring of GPDP and convening Mahila Sabhas prior to the general Gram Sabhas and their inclusion in Gram Sabhas and GPDP.

✓ Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan (PMEYSA):

1. It was implemented from the year 2007-08 till 2012-13 with the broad objective of empowerment of Elected Women & Youth Representatives of Panchayats.

✓ Recently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has directed all the States and Union Territories to organise Special Gram Sabhas and Mahila Sabhas (Women’s Assemblies) in all Gram Panchayats.

Way Forward:

• The current proposal is a welcome step. However, the government must bear in mind that equality in representation is not enough to ensure socio-political equity among genders, as the relatively Disadvantaged position of women must be taken into Account.

• Increasing women in PRIs will increase the probability of their better representation in parliament, which as of now is only 14%. To further promote women participation in PRIs, emphasis must be made for gender sensitization of male elected representatives and functionaries of PRIs.

• In capacity building of women representatives, governments must also invite and involve civil society organizations, women’s groups,academic institutions, corporate social responsibility foundations and also international organizations like UNWomen. A multi-stakeholder, collaborative, multi-pronged, systematic effort to enhance the capacities of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) is required.

Q. Why Kerala is prone to floods? What mitigation strategies Kerala need to be opted and know about various reports on the Kerala’s ecosystem conservation like Gadgil report?

Context:

Natural disasters have by now come to be accepted as a feature of the annual monsoon season in Kerala.

In the past two years there has been flooding on an unprecedentedscale along with landslides.

Last year, 59 people lost their lives in a landslide at Kavalappara in Malappuram district.

This year we have seen one at Pettimudi in Idukki district where a hill collapsed, submerging the houses of estate workers while they slept.

The estimated death toll had reached 65 some days ago, with persons still missing.

On top of the landslides, we have had to bear witness to a spectacular plane crash at Kozhikode airport, again accompanied with a loss of lives.

The crash serves as a reminder that further hardship awaits us if we do not jettison development model that has come to characterise the State.

It’s plunder everywhere:

The fact that Kerala has received wide acclaim for having achieved social indicators associated with high human development has meant that a crucial underlying dynamic has been ignored.

 

This dynamic is one of an unrelentingattack on the foundation of human survival, natural capital.

Everywhere in Kerala the earthhas been violated.

The rivers are polluted when they are not dry, the valleys are filled with garbage and the hills gougedout to accommodate residences and religious houses when they have not been dynamited for quarrying.

It is quite extraordinary that this has all taken place in a State that has been hailed by a section of the intelligentsia as representing the gold standard of development.

For anyone willing to read the signs, such a decimationof natural capital, with its attendant consequences of flooding and landslides, bodes ill for the future of a whole people.

The natural disasters recurring year after year and the recent plane crash both represent the outcome of the hubristhat we can consume as if the earth does not matter.

As natural capital, such as year-round water availability and the nutrient content of the soil, has diminished.

It has impacted sectors of the economy such as agriculture. We have also now seen that the way we treat the earth matters also for our very security.

At the core is politics:

Kerala’s future is inextricably linked to how it conserves its natural capital.

With consumption defined broadly to include land use, it is apparent that the conservation of the State’s natural resources is crucially dependent upon a restrainton consumption.

Politics is central to this issue, not in the sense of what political parties do in the normal course but whether citizens decide to alterthe course of development by their action.

This response cannot end with minimising one’s own consumption but must extend to calling out instances of the depletion of natural capital by vested interests.

Kerala’s vested interests are not only economic, which are visible, but also cultural, which are less so.

It is difficult to imagine that politics as usual, as defined by the two political fronts that have ruled Kerala for decades by now, will lead the State to a place where conservation of nature will guide our actions.

Actually, the state of natural capital in the State reflects an absence of governance.

Political parties everywhere are reluctant to dampenthe aspiration for greater consumption for fear that it affects their electoral prospects.

Though the plane crash at Kozhikode cannot so easily be construed as resulting in the destruction of natural capital, it can be seen as trying to extend the limits it imposes, with consequences for our security.

While tabletop runways are by no means peculiar to Kerala, airports on India’s southwest coast have to face the challenge of the monsoon which produces hazardous conditions for landing.

Also, Kozhikode sees much greater traffic than say Kathmandu or Shimla, thus increasing the possibility of a mishap.

Ever since the crash of a flight in Mangaluru, an airport with similar characteristics, in 2010, it has been apparent that flights to Kozhikode are vulnerable.

The answer would not have been to end flights but to avoid the height of the monsoon and to take wide-bodied aircraft off the menu.

Experts on air safety have spoken publicly of how they had raised concerns about Kozhikode soon after Mangaluru.

While this appears to have been over-ruled by a political process, we the people are no less culpable by nurturing consumption aspirations unmindful of the contours of the earth.

Past and Present:

It is useful to recall the belief that Kerala was named for its geography. For centuries, its people demonstrated a genius for conserving natural resources by restraining their consumption.

This was soon lost as its economy globalised and domestic consumption came to be fuelled by wealth generated offshore.

Building local infrastructure to support this consumption has become a threat to life.

Conclusion:

For the State to have a future, consumption has to be limited so that the State’s natural capital is not irretrievablylost.

In the 1990s, as mobile telephony was spreading, someone had triumphantly coined the slogan “Geography is history”.

We now see that at least some of our history will be shaped by geography.