IASbhai DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB: 21st NOVEMBER
#GoBlue campaign
HEADLINES:
Blue blaze
WHY IN NEWS?
Parliament House lit up in blue on Wednesday as part of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:UN resolutions
ISSUE :
For PRELIMS you have to understand these UN resolutions are very important , make a table of resolution number vs commitment.
For MAINS the impact of child rights convention globally and nationally are important.
ISSUE:
Parliament House lit up in blue on Wednesday as part of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. - UNICEF would be running a global #GoBlue campaign to draw public attention towards child rights.
- The globe is celebrating 30th anniversary of child right convention.
IASbhai Windup:
Read everything about UN CHILD RIGHTS CONVENTION :
https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-version
SOURCES: THE HINDU
Industrial Relations Code Bill
HEADLINES:
Nod for Industrial Relations Code Bill
WHY IN NEWS?
Aim to simplify 3 laws covering trade unions, industrial employment and disputes.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2:3:Bills:Employment
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS bills theme idea and regulations which are surrounded by facts become important
For MAINS let the bill get drafted completely.
ISSUE:
- FIXED TERM EMPLOYMENT:as opposed to contract that prevails widely today, has been given permission.
- WORKING CONDITIONS:fixed term workers would continue to be employed seasonally, for example in the textile sector where more workers are employed to fulfil big orders, they would be “treated at par with regular workers” when it comes to providing benefits.
- TRIBUNAL:setting up a two-member tribunal for industrial disputes, instead of one, which would allow for some “important cases” to be “adjudicated jointly and the rest by a single member resulting in speedier disposal of cases.”
- The Bill would also give flexibility for exit provisions, related to retrenchment.
- New toll model :The government has approved amendments proposed by the National Highways Authority of India to the Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) model of public funded National Highway projects already operational.
- Around 75 operational NH projects have been identified for potential monetisation using the TOT Model, and bundled into 10 separate bids, says a statement.
- The corpus thus generated will be used for developing, operating and managing new highways.
IASbhai Windup:
The bill is yet in drafting stage and needs to be matured with deliberate discussions and required framework.
SOURCES: THE HINDU
Scrap updated NRC
HEADLINES:
Scrap updated NRC, Assam govt. urges Centre
WHY IN NEWS?
Monitored by SC, it was published on August 31
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2:Citizenship
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS citizenship chapter of Laxmikant becomes so important.
For MAINS the go through this article !
ISSUE:
- The final NRC, monitored by the Supreme Court, was published on August 31. More than 19 lakh of the 3.29 crore applicants were left out of the register that took five years to compile and cost the exchequer ₹1,220 crore.
- The NRC in Assam was a culmination of the Assam Accord signed in 1985 after a six-year agitation, spearheaded by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) for detection, disenfranchisement and deportation of foreigners.
- The Citizenship Amendment Bill that seeks to grant citizenship to undocumented non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan is likely to be taken up in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
- Common cut-off date A senior government official said that before the NRC exercise is conducted, the government will have to decide a common cut-off date.
- Under Article 6 of the Constitution, the cut-off date for migration to India from Pakistan is July 19, 1948 whereas in Assam, that borders Bangladesh, it is March 24, 1971.
IASbhai Windup:
‘It will be catastrophic’ According to human rights activist Harsh Mander, the NRC exercise, if conducted across the country, would be catastrophic for the social fabric and future of India as a secular, democratic republic.
SOURCES: THE HINDU
(MOD 4) naval guns
HEADLINES:
U.S. ready to sell naval guns for $1 bn
WHY IN NEWS?
Trump administration notifies Congress about its plan to sell the weapon
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Defence procurements
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS you have to understand and make a note of the specifications of MOD 4 naval guns.
For MAINS this transaction can be just used as an example of IND-US Relations in answers.
ISSUE:
The U.S. decided to sell its latest version (Mod 4) of its naval guns to India.
What is MOD 4 ?
- Guns used against warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment, in a move that would enhance the lethal capabilities of the Navy.
- The proposed foreign military sale of up to 13 MK-45 5inch/62 caliber (MOD 4) naval guns and related equipment is at an estimated cost of $1.0210 billion.
- “The MK-45 Gun System will provide the capability to conduct anti-surface warfare and anti-air defence missions while enhancing interoperability with U.S. and other allied forces.
Who Manufactures?
- To be manufactured byBAE Systems Land and Armaments(USA), the weapons will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems.
Who else has it already ?
- The other countries to have been sold with MOD 4 naval guns so far are Australia, Japan and South Korea.
- The one given to Thailand is an upgraded MOD 4 version.
- The U.S. has also determined to sell these to a few other allies and friends including Britain and Canada.
IASbhai Windup:
India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence, it said. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
SOURCES: THE HINDU
Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0
HEADLINES:
Dr Harsh Vardhan reviews State preparedness of Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 before its roll out on 2nd Dec, 2019.
WHY IN NEWS?
PIB update !
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2:Schemes and Policies
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS keep an eye on features of IMI 2.0
For MAINS the points are important while presenting any answer related to food security ,malnutrition etc.
SCHEME:
IMI:
IMI was built on MI, using additional strategies to reach populations at high risk, by involving sectors other than health. It was an effort to shift routine immunization into a Jan Andolan, or a “peoples’ movement”.
AIM:
The aim is to achieve the goal of attaining a 90% national immunization coverage across India. The program will be delivered in 272 districts of 27 states and 652 blocks of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among hard-to-reach and tribal populations.
Who is implementing ?
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Immunization activity will be in four rounds over 7 working days excluding the RI days, Sundays and holidays.
- Enhanced immunization session with flexible timing, mobile session and mobilization by other departments.
- Enhanced focus on left outs, dropouts, and resistant families and hard to reach areas.
- Focus on urban, underserved population and tribal areas.
- Inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination.
- Enhance political, administrative and financial commitment, through advocacy.
- Intensified Mission Indradhanush immunization drive, consisting of 4 rounds of immunization will be conducted in the selected districts and urban cities between Dec 2019 – March 2020.
IASbhai Windup:
“With the launch of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0, India has the opportunity to achieve further reductions in deaths among children under five years of age, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending preventable child deaths by 2030”
SOURCES: PIB
Disinvestment
HEADLINES:
Govt to sell BPCL in mega push for privatization Govt to sell BPCL in mega privatization pushShipping Corp. and Concor among companies in which the government will offload its stake
WHY IN NEWS?
The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday cleared one of the government’s largest asset-sale exercises involving five companies, including the privatization of Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) and Shipping Corp. of India (SCI).
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Disinvestment
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS understand what is disinvestment and why it is good/bad.
For MAINS this policy shift can be highlighted in major issues.
ISSUE:
What is Disinvestment?
Disinvestment is the action of an organization or government selling or liquidating an asset or subsidiary. Absent the sale of an asset, disinvestment also refers to capital expenditure reductions, which can facilitate the re-allocation of resources to more productive areas within an organization or government-funded project. Disinvestment can be carried out for a variety of reasons, some of which are outlined below. Whether a disinvestment action results in divestiture or the reduction of funding, the primary objective is to maximize the return on investment (ROI) on expenditures related to capital goods, labor and infrastructure.
Sources:INVESTOPEDIA
IASbhai Windup:
In recent times, the Indian energy space has been witnessing growing interest from investors. While Adani Gas Ltd and Total SA plan to build a gas fuel retail network of 1,500 outlets along highways, the world’s largest oil producer, Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco), is also considering entering the fuel retailing market in India. That apart, global energy majors, such as Rosneft, Kuwait Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Shell and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. are planning to acquire the government’s stake in BPCL. State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC), which accounts for 73% of India’s oil and gas output, acquired the government’s stake in HPCL for ₹36,915 crore last year. The government has already decided to privatize national carrier Air India and shut down state-owned trading companies in a signal that it will exit companies in non-strategic sectors.
SOURCES: THE LIVEMINT
