Current Affairs 9 September 2020 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 9 September 2020 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. National Bamboo Mission and Clusters
2. Household Social Consumption Report
3. Infrastructure Investment Trust by SEBI
4. First World Solar Technology Summit
5. Health in India report
6. Illegal Software Real Mango

National Bamboo Mission and Clusters

Why in News?

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati inaugurated by virtual mode 22 bamboo clusters in 9 States (Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka). National Bamboo Mission and Clusters are aims at sustainable agriculture practice for farmers. 

About National Bamboo Mission

• National Bamboo Mission (NBM) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
• The Mission will ensure development of the bamboo sector by addressing complete value chain and establishing effective linkage of producers [farmers] with industry.
• Increase the area under bamboo plantation in non forest Government and private.
• Support in improved post-harvest management through establishment of innovative primary processing units near the source of production.
• Reducing the dependency on import of bamboo and bamboo products by improved domestic productivity and suitability of domestic raw material for industry.
• Establishment of innovative preservation technologies with R&D. 
• Besides the mission helps  to upgrade skills of traditional bamboo craftsmen as per requirement of contemporary markets.
• Promotion of Environment Friendly product that helps to contribute towards resilience to climate change.
• It is proposed to bring about one lakh hectares under plantation, about one lakh farmers will directly benefit in terms of plantation under Bamboo Mission extended.
• Bamboo Mission extended has a total cost of Rs. 1,290 crore, the Centre’s share would be Rs. 950 crore.

Bamboo Clusters and Cultivation

• Bamboo ecosystem has been energised with 23 States, including all the 8 States of North East.
• Import policy has been modified to ensure progress of the bamboo industry in the country.
• Indian Forest Act 1927 was amended in the year 2017 to remove bamboo for the category of trees, as a result now anyone can undertake cultivation and business in bamboo and its products.

Cultivation of Bamboo

• Usually bamboo planting is done in the rainy season.
• The gestation period in bamboo planting is 5 years and inter cropping is possible. 
• Most bamboo species are native to warm and moist tropical and to warm temperate climates.
• It is the fastest growing canopy, releasing 35 per cent more oxygen than trees.
• World model
  • Headquarters of International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) is located in China.
  • multilateral development organisation which promotes environmentally sustainable development using bamboo and rattan.

Source : PIB Topic  Prelims : About Bamboo Mission, GS III : Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

Household Social Consumption Report

Why in News ?

Household Social Consumption Report: Education in India as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey – from July 2017 to June 2018’ provides for state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.

Details of Household Social Consumption Report

• With 96.2 per cent literacy, Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country.
• Andhra Pradesh at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 per cent.
• Delhi has the best literacy rate at 88.7 per cent among the Union Territory.
• The last four states are Rajasthan is the second worst performer with literacy rate at 69.7 per cent, followed by Bihar at 70.9 per cent, Telangana at 72.8 per cent, Uttar Pradesh at 73 per cent and Madhya Pradesh at 73.7 per cent.
• Overall literacy rate in the country at about 77.7 per cent
  • Rural areas, the literacy rate is 73.5 per cent
  • 87.7 per cent in urban areas of the country.
  • A huge difference of 14 per cent
• Male female difference
  • Male literacy rate is higher at 84.7.
  • Women at 70.3 percent.
  • A difference of 14 percent
  • Male literacy rate is higher than female literacy rate among all states.
  • There was a considerable gap in male and female literacy rate even in worst performing state.
  • In Kerala, the male literacy rate is 97.4 per cent compared to 95.2 per cent among females.
• Computer in a households 
  • 4 percent of rural households
  • 23 per cent of urban household
  • Himachal Pradesh and Kerala are the only other States where more than half of all households have Internet.
  • Ten other States with less than 20% Internet penetration, including States Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
  • 15% of rural households have access to internet services. For urban households, the proportion is 42%.
• The survey conducted in 64,519 rural households from 8,097 villages and 49,238 urban households from 6,188.

What are the concerns ?

There are some major challenges in the survey through lights

1. Rural Urban divide in the country
   • Urban places are far better equipped with educational facilities.
   • Lack of adequate number of schools in rural areas.
   • Over dependency in Agriculture.
   • Primitive method of teaching in rural areas. 
   • Lack of well trained teacher and infrastructure backwardness.
2. Male-Female difference
   • Social discrimination
   • Financial burden over the family
   • Occupation of Women in the domestic task
   • Women also have highest drop out rate
3. Computer and Internet in a households.
   • This severely impact the dream of digital economy.
   • Access to electricity is crucial for digital education.
   • Gender divide in internet usage is also an issue. 
   • for digital e-learning was reduced to Rs 469 crore from Rs 604 crore in 2019-’20.

Source : The Hindu Topic  Prelims : About Survey, NSO GS II : Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Infrastructure Investment Trust by SEBI

Why in News ?

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved monetisation of assets of POWERGRID, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under Ministry of Power, through Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) model.

About the News

• This is the first time any PSU in Power Sector will undertake asset recycling by monetising its assets through the InvIT model and using the proceeds to fund the new and under-construction capital projects.
• Approval would help POWERGRID to monetise in the first lot, assets with gross block value of more than 7000 crore.
• Asset recycling is a key strategy of the Government of India to release the capital invested in operational assets. 

POWERGRID

• Public limited company under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Government of India. It is a Maharatna company, engaged in the business of power transmission.
• Major Objectives are
  • Undertake transmission of electric power through Inter-State Transmission System and all functions of planning and coordination relating to inter state transmission. 
  • Restoring power in quickest possible time in the event of any natural disasters like super-cyclone, flood etc.
  • Ensuring the smooth flow of transmission systems and providing consultations in national and international level.

How Infrastructure Investment Trust Model helpful ?

• POWERGRID meets its fund requirement for its Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) through its internal accruals and debt.
• For augmenting infrastructure investment budget 2019-20 emphasised investment led growth and indicated that new and innovative financial instruments including Infrastructure Investment Trusts (lnvITs).
• Sale of assets to InvITs is a way of accessing long term, relatively cheap finance required to fund infrastructure projects in Transmission Sector.
• The CAPEX plan of POWERGRID for next two years (2020-21 and 2021-22) is Rs. 20,500 cr.

Source : PIB Topic Prelims : PowerGrid, Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvITs) GS III : 1. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc           2. Investment Model

First World Solar Technology Summit

Read in-line with : PM Modi To Inaugurate First World Solar Technology Summit

Why in News ?

More than 26000 participants from 149 countries have registered to join the virtual Summit

About the summit

• • To bring the spotlight on accelerating affordable and sustainable clean green energy by showcasing and deliberating on innovative state of the art next generation technologies in solar power.
  • The first World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) is being organised by the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
  • Tripartite agreement between India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the World Bank and the International Solar Alliance is also set to be inked.
  • Partnership agreements on the implementation of 47 projects between ISA and NTPC.
  • Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), as the convenor of ISA Global Leadership Task Force on Innovation, is working with ISA in organizing the summit.

Source : PIB Topic Prelims : ISA and Agreement GS III :- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Health in India report

What is the News ?

Immunisation programme of 8 required vaccines is not completed based on the report published by NSO Health In India Report.

What the report says ?

• About the Report
  • The report is based on the 75th round of the National Sample Survey (July 2017-June 2018) on household social consumption related to health.
• Two out of five children do not complete their immunisation programme, according to the ‘Health in India’ report recently published by the National Statistical Organisation (NSO).
• Most of these children remain unprotected against measles, and partially protected against a range of other diseases.
• Mis-match in Fully immunisation
  • When a child get a mix of all 8 vaccine during the initial year after birth then it can said that full immunisation done.
  • Only 59.2% of children under five years are fully immunised.
  • Centre’s Health Management Information System portal data claimed that full immunisation coverage for 2017-18 stood at 86.7%.
• Only 67% of children are protected against measles. Only 58% got their polio booster dose, while 54% got their DPT booster dose.
• Where the states stand ?
  • National capital Delhi is less than half of all children have been given all eight required vaccines.
  • Manipur (75%), Andhra Pradesh (73.6%) and Mizoram (73.4%) recorded the highest rates of full immunisation.
  • Nagaland (12%) followed by Puducherry (34%) and Tripura (39.6%) received all vaccinations.

8 Vaccines for Full Immunisations

BCG, Polio Vaccines DPR/Penavalent are provided in the first year of birth. 

1. BCG vaccine injected in a single dose shortly after birth protects against a childhood attack of tuberculosis.
2. Measles vaccine.
3. Oral polio vaccine (OPV) whose first dose is given at birth, followed by two more doses at intervals of four weeks.
4. DPT/pentavalent vaccine, generally injected in three doses, which is meant to protect a child from diphtheria, pertussis or whooping cough, tetanus, Hepatitis B, and meningitis and pneumonia caused by hemophilus influenza type B.
   • Booster vaccine of both will be provided between 16 to 24 months.

Other report

A study by Child Rights and You finding that only half of Indian families with children under five years were able to access immunisation services during the lockdown.

Source : The Hindu

Topic

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

Illegal Software Real Mango

What is the News ?

In a nation wide investigation, RPF has disrupted the operation of illegal software Real Mango used for cornering confirmed Railway reservation.

What is Real Mango ?

• Operation of an illegal software called “Rare Mango” (later changed its name to “Real Mango”) was revealed on 09.08.2020.
• What is the issue ?
  • Real mango software bypasses V3 and V2 captcha.
  • It synchronises bank OTP with help of a mobile app and feeds it to the requisite form automatically.
  • The software logs in to the IRCTC website through multiple IRCTC Ids thus multiple tickets can be booked.
  • System admin is receiving payment in bitcoins.
• The information supplied by RPF helped Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)/IRCTC to strengthen security features in Passenger Reservation System (PRS) system

Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)

• Organisation under Ministry of Railways headquarter in New Delhi.
• CRIS is developing/maintaining softwares for the following key functional areas of the Indian Railways.
  • Ticketing & Passengers to Facilitate in fulfilling ticketing needs
  • Freight Services for Manage movement of freight 
  • Operation Train used for Traffic Control and operations.
  • Asset Management for Monitoring of Railways infrastructure consisting of Stations, Workshops, Sheds, Yards, etc.
  • HR And Coounting.
  • Procurement and automation that increases transparency.

Source : PIB

Topic

GS II : Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate

Current Affairs 9 September 2020 : Our major Sources for the Current Affairs are The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB. For more queries and mentor-ship please contact us.