Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill
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24th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020
Plastic Parks
HEADLINES:
To consolidate and synergize the plastic processing industry Government is setting up Plastic Parks with state-of-the-art infrastructure: Gowda
WHY IN NEWS:
Hot from PIB !
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Scheme
ISSUE:
PLASTIC PARKS
Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has approved setting up of 10 Plastic Parks in the country.
AIM
OUTLAY
- Central Government provides grant funding up to 50% of the project cost.
- This is subjected to a ceiling of Rs. 40 crore per project.
- Beneficiary industries can also avail loan from financial institutions.
LOCATION
- These 6 Plastic Parks are under various stages of implementation.
DETAILS OF THE 6 PLASTIC PARKS
1. MADHYA PRADESH : Plastic Park at Tamot has completed physical infrastructure and purchase of equipment for common facility centers (CFC) is in progress.
2. MADHYA PRADESH : Plastic Park at Bilaua is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is in progress.
3. ODISHA : Plastic Park at Paradeep is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is almost completed.
4. JHARKHAND : Plastic Park at Deoghar is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is in progress.
5. TAMIL NADU : The work at Plastic Park at Thiruvallur has started recently and land filling on the site is in progress.
6. ASSAM : Plastic Park at Tinsukia is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is in progress.
TRAINING
- The Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET) has established a Centre for Skilling and Technical Support (CSTS) at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
- The centre also has skill development training programmes in the field of Plastics Engineering & Technology.
- The Centre is also providing technical/consultancy services to the plastic industries in the field of plastics processing, testing,composites and mould manufacturing, design etc.
IASbhai WINDUP:
For the setting up of remaining 4 Plastic Parks, the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for setting up of Plastic Parks in the States of Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh are under evaluation.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 24th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis
CAG on Toilets in School
HEADLINES:
40% of toilets surveyed by CAG in government schools non-existent, unused
WHY IN NEWS:
Over 1.4 lakh toilets were built by 53 CPSEs, with key support coming from power, coal and oil firms
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : CAG
ISSUE:
CAG AUDIT ANALYSIS
- Public sector units claimed to have constructed 1.4 lakh toilets in government schools as part of a Right to Education project, but almost
- The CAG said over 70% did not have running water facilities in the toilets, while 75% were not being maintained hygienically.
- It was to meet the Right to Education Act’s mandate that all schools must have separate toilets for boys and girls.
- Lack of dedicated funds, poor maintenance and poor water availability in toilets were identified as major challenges.
- Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) were roped in to bridge the gap over a one year period.
PHYSICAL SURVEY
- There are 10.8 lakh government schools in the country.
- The CAG audit conducted a physical survey of a sample of 2,695 toilets built by these companies in 15 States.
- Out of that sample, CPSEs identified but did not construct 83.
- Another 200 toilets were reported to be constructed, but were non-existent, while 86 toilets were only partially constructed.
- Another 691 toilets were found not in use.
- Thus, almost 40% of toilets were non-existent, partially completed or unused.
NO FUNCTIONAL TOILETS
- While 436 had only one functional toilet, meaning that the objective of providing separate toilets for boys and girls was not fulfilled in 27% of the schools.
- 72% of constructed toilets had no running water facilities inside, while 55% had no hand washing facilities at all.
IASbhai WINDUP:
The audit also noticed “cases of defective construction of toilets, non-provision of foundation/ramp/staircase and damaged/overflowed leach pit, which led to ineffective use of toilets,”.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 24th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis
G4 Meeting
HEADLINES:
G4 seeks concrete, text-based, time bound reform of UN Security Council
WHY IN NEWS:
The Ministers reaffirmed their common resolve to “finally take decisive steps towards the early and comprehensive reform of the Security Council that was envisaged by Heads of State and Government in the 2005 World Summit,” as per a joint press statement released by MEA.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3 : Summit
ISSUE:
G4 NATIONS
- The G4 nations comprising Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan .
AIM
The four countries which support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.
WORKING
- Unlike the G7, where the common denominator is the economy and long-term political motives, the G4’s primary aim is the permanent member seats on the Security Council.
- Their economic and political influence has grown significantly in the last decades, reaching a scope comparable to the permanent members (P5).
- The G4’s bids are often opposed by the Uniting for Consensus movement, and particularly their economic competitors or political rivals.
G4 MEETING
- The Ministers reaffirmed their common resolve to “finally take decisive steps towards the early and comprehensive reform of the Security Council .
IASbhai WINDUP:
- India is a proponent of text-based negotiations at the UN.
- Those more normally resistant to UNSC reform — including China – are hesitant to have TBN for inter-governmental negotiations on the grounds that the matter is too sensitive for text.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 24th Sep Current Affairs News Analysis
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