Current Affairs 31 August 2020 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 31 August 2020 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. Telugu Language Day
2. Faceless E-Assessment Scheme
3. Poshan Maah for Nutrition awareness
4. Jal Jeevan Mission : Measurement and monitoring of water supply

Telugu Language Day

Why in News?

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people on Telugu Language Day. Every year on August 29, Telugu Language Day is marked in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

About Telugu Language

• Telugu originated from the Proto-Dravidian language and becomes the first major South Indian language to split from Proto-Dravidian.
• The Telugu language has an Indo-Aryan vocabulary to a large extent and has influence of Sanskrit.
• It is known to have originated from the Proto-Dravidian language.
• Kakatiya, Musunuri, Reddy, and Vijayanagara eras were the “Golden-Age” periods of the Telugu language.
• Telugu is spoken by over 45 million in Andhra Pradesh and fourth most spoken language in India. 
• Members of the Ashtadiggajas, which consisted of 8 Telugu Poets in Krishnadevaraya’s court and  instrumental in making Telugu literature very prominent during the Vijayanagara Empire.
• Many similarities exist between Kannada and Telugu. 
• Telugu language is the influence of European languages, specifically English. During the colonial period like any other Indian regional language. 
• Also spread to the other parts of the globe includes Burma, Indo-China, South-Africa, Sri lanka and the U.S.A.
• The language is also called ‘Italian of the East’ by some of its admirers because of its nature. 
• Many Arabic and Persian words became part of the Telugu language with the influence of Mughals in the regions. 
• Telugu Mentioning
  • One of the language present in Indian Currency out of 17
  • Language included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• Telugu Language Day
  • Falls on August 29 because on this day in 1863 prominent Telugu writer Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy was born. 
  • He always advocated the use of language and stood firmly against the use of scholar language.

Source : PIB

Topic

Prelims : About Telugu

GS I : Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times

Faceless E-Assessment Scheme

Why in News?

Faceless E-Assessment Scheme will bring about various benefits for taxpayers one of which is Ease of Doing Business.

About Faceless –E-Assessment Scheme

• Aimed at moving to faceless scrutiny and elimination of human interface.
• Faceless e-Assessment process by the Central Board of Direct Tax (CBDT) for income tax returns a step towards achieving the objective of to create a taxpayer-friendly ecosystem by introducing greater transparency, simplification, and ease of meeting tax compliance. 
• Under the new system, taxpayers won’t have to visit territorial jurisdiction tax officers or the income tax department on receiving income tax scrutiny or assessment notices.
• National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) is the main gateway for communication between the taxpayers and the tax authorities.
• Besides Regional e-Assessment Centers across 20 cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, under the faceless assessment scheme.

Benefits of the Scheme

• Significant reduction in the delay in tax assessments and audits.
• Reduce huge unnecessary harassment of taxpayers.
• Encourage voluntary tax compliance.
• Greater transparency, ease of managing tax issues and creating an overall taxpayer-friendly ecosystem.
• Also cost of filing will dramatically come down.

Source : PIB

Topic 

GS II : Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. 

Poshan Maah for Nutrition awareness

What is the News?

Through Mann ki Baat Prime Minister noted that the month of September will be observed as Poshan Maah – Nutrition month.

What is Nutrition and its need?

Nutrients provide nourishment. Proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water are all nutrients. If people do not have the right balance of nutrients in their diet, their risk of developing certain health conditions increases.

It is important to promote healthy nutrition in all age groups to tackle the risk of health conditions. Both over and under nutrition is harmful to health.

Some of the risky diseases related to Nutrition Malnutrition

• Obesity : caused by excess energy intake,
• Anemia : caused by insufficient intake of iron,
• Thyroid : deficiency disorders due to deficiency in iodine intake
• Impaired vision : inadequate intake of vitamin A

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world.

21 per cent of women and 19 per cent of men in India are now overweight or obese. While India is home to the largest number of stunted 46.6 million and wasted 25.5 million children in the world.

Major factors leads to Nutrition deficiency

• Lack of adequate information on nutritional needs, has been identified as a major factor for the prevailing nutritional situation in the country.
• Another reason is poor economic conditions.
• Religion, beliefs, food preferences, gender discrimination, womens’ employment some other factors.

Nutrition Issues in India

• Almost half of children under age five years (48 percent) are chronically malnourished.
• One out of every five children in India under age five years is wasted.
• Forty-three percent of children under age five years are underweight for their age.
• More than half (54 percent) of all deaths before age five years in India are related to malnutrition.
• 22% children are born with low birth weight due to inadequate nutritional intake by mother.

Various Efforts by the Government 

Agricultural Fund of India : complete information about the crops that are grown in each district and their related nutritional value.

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) : Pre and post delivery care through awareness for nutrition and Breast feeding awareness.

Integrated Child Development Scheme ICDS : Supplementary nutrition, growth monitoring, counselling health education of mothers on child care, promotion of infant and young child feeding, home based counselling for early childhood stimulation, referral and follow up of undernourished and sick children.

Mid Day Meal : Hot cooked meal to children attending school.

MNREGS : Employment Guarantee for 100 days per financial year for adult member of rural household thereby supporting the family economically

Matritva Sahyog Yojana : A conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for the first live birth. 

National Food Security Mission : To ensure food and nutritional security at affordable price.

National Nutrition Mission/POSHAN Abhiyaan : To reduce stunting, under-nutrition, and anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls and reducing low birth weight. NITI Aayog has played a critical role in shaping the POSHAN Abhiyaan. 

About Poshan Maah

• Aims to converting nutrition awareness into a mass movement.
• During this month activities related to nutrition awareness will be carried out by all the states/UTs up to the grass root level.
• To give momentum to POSHAN Abhiyan

Source : PIB

Topic 

Prelims : Poshan Maah, Schemes

GS II : Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Jal Jeevan Mission : Measurement and monitoring of water supply

Why in News ?

Measurement and monitoring of water supply to be done under Jal Jeevan Mission.

About Jal Jeevan Mission

• To provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
• Besides sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting.
• Other Major Objectives are :
  • To prioritize provision of Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) in qualityaffected areas, villages in drought prone and desert areas, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages, etc.
  • To provide functional tap connection to Schools, Anganwadi centres, GP buildings, Health centres, wellness centres and community buildings.
  • Ensuring sustainability of water supply system.
  • Bring awareness on various aspects and significance of safe drinking water and conservation. 

National Jal Jeevan Mission Technical Expert Committee  Measurement and monitoring of water supply

• • Technical Expert Committee : to prepare a road map for measurement and monitoring of water service delivery system in rural areas.
  • The committee has eminent members from academia, administration, technology and specialists from water supply sector.

As per the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution, providing drinking water to all rural households is included in the 11th Schedule, and the Gram Panchayat can play a very crucial role. 

Source : PIB

Topic 

GS III : Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc

Current Affairs 31 August 2020 : Our major Sources for the Current Affairs are The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB. For more queries and mentor-ship please contact us.