Current Affairs 17 October 2020 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 17 October 2020 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. Electoral Bonds Scheme
2. Nitrous Oxide Emission and Impact
3. Bodoland Movement
4. Global Hunger Index 2020
5. Prelims Facts 17 October 2020
   • World Food Day
   • Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app

Electoral Bonds Scheme

Why in News ?

Sale of Electoral Bonds at Authorised Branches of State Bank of India (SBI) under Electoral Bonds Scheme. The State Bank of India (SBI), in the XIV Phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorized Branches.

What is Electoral Bonds Scheme?

• The Government of India has notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 vide Gazette Notification No. 20 dated January 02, 2018.
• As per provisions of the Scheme, Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person (as defined in item No. 2 (d) of Gazette Notification), who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India.
• A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
• Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds.
• The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
  • Issued in multiple values of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore.
  • Monies received from electoral bonds will be deposited in a bank account verified by the Election Commission.
  • All the transactions for electoral bonds can be done only through that account.
• It is like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India.
  • The citizen can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice.
• The sale of the first batch of electoral bonds took place from March 1-10, 2018.

Controversy Regarding Electoral Bond

• Since the identity of the donor of electoral bonds has been kept anonymous, it could lead to an influx of black money.
• The scheme was designed to help big corporate houses donate money without their identity being revealed.
• This affect the transparency and accountability. 

About the News

• Ahead of the Bihar election, the government approved the 14th tranche of electoral bonds which will be open for sale between Oct. 19 to Oct. 28.
• An electoral bond will be valid for 15 days from the date of issue.
  • No payment would be made to any payee political party if the bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period.
  • SBI is the only authorised bank to issue such bonds.

Source : PIB

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

Nitrous Oxide Emission and Impact

Why in News? 

Human emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) — increased by 30 per cent between 1980 and 2016 based on a study.

About the Study

• Its global concentration levels increased from 270 parts per billion (ppb) in 1750 to 331 ppb in 2018 — a jump of 20 per cent.
• The growth has been the quickest in the past five decades because of human emissions.
• The research was conducted through an international collaboration between the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) and the Global Carbon Project of Future Earth, a partner of the World Climate Research Programme.
  • It involved 57 scientists from 48 institutions in 14 countries.
• The study, which analysed 21 natural and human sources of N2O, found that 43 per cent of the total emissions came from human sources.
• Reason Behind the Increased Emission
  • It found that a major proportion of the N2O emissions in the last four decades came from the agricultural sector, mainly because of the use nitrogen-based fertilisers.
    • The growing demand for food and feed for animals will further increase global nitrous oxide emissions.
  • Most N2O emissions have come from emerging countries like India, China and Brazil.

What is Nitrous Oxide ?

• Nitrous oxide is a dangerous gas for the sustainable existence of humans on Earth.
• It has the third-highest concentration after CO2 and methane in our atmosphere among greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
• N2O can live in the atmosphere for up to 125 years.

How nitrogen based fertiliser trigger increase emission of Nitrous Oxide ?

• Nitrous oxide emission from agricultural soil is due to the natural biochemical process in the nitrogen cycle.
• Application of nitrogen-based fertilisers stimulates microbes in the soil to convert nitrogen to nitrous oxide at a faster rate than normal.

Impact of increased emission of Nitrous Oxide

• N2O is also the only remaining threat to the ozone layer, for it accumulates in the atmosphere over a long period of time, just like CO2.
• The increase in its emissions means that the climatic burden on the atmosphere is increasing from non-carbon sources as well while the major focus of global climate change negotiations is currently centred on carbon its emissions and mitigation.

Efforts By India to Tackle Nitrous Oxide Emission

• India had led the first-ever nitrogen resolution adopted in the fourth UN Environment Assembly with the help of INI.
• India adopted the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture as one of the eight missions listed under National Action Plan on Climate Change.
  • One of the objectives of the mission is to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emission.

Way Forward

Based on the study reducing emission og Nitrous Oxide is a must to reduce the GHG emission. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions also has the co-benefits of reduced air and water pollution. It is possible to slow down N2O emissions if countries implement the 2019 United Nations resolution on sustainable nitrogen management.

Source : Down To Earth

GS III : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Bodoland Movement

Why In News ?

A new organisation has announced the revival of the Bodoland movement ahead of the elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)

• The region is an autonomous region in lower Assam in Northeast India.
• It made up of four districts on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river : Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, and Udalguri.

History and Claim

• Region was inhabited by the Boros or Bodos and Mechs.
  • The proment tribe region named in the historical period are Kachari Duar and Mech Duar. 
• Bodo people in the Brahmaputra Valley have survived in the midst of Khilji, Mughal, Aryan and Shan invaders and settlers.
• Present regions of bodoland were ruled by Kamta or Kamatapur Kings.
• Later after the treaty of yandabo after the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826 British annexed some of the region. 
• After independence the region started to protest for claimed as a sovereign state under National Democratic Front of Bodoland, (NDFB) the All Bodo Students’ Union and United Bodo People’s Organisation.
• Following an agreement in 1993, Bodoland became an autonomous administrative unit constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India administered by the Bodoland Autonomous Council.
  • The BTC has 46 members (30 seats reserved for scheduled Tribes, 5 seats for non-scheduled tribes and 5 open seats) and 6 seats of which are nominated by Governor of Assam from unrepresented communities.
• Following a further peace agreement, the Bodoland Territorial Council was formed in 2003.

Latest BTR Agreement 2020

• A new peace agreement was signed on 27 January 2020 between the Government of India and the Government of Assam on one side and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, (NDFB) the All Bodo Students’ Union and United Bodo People’s Organisation on the other.
• BTR agreement says villages adjoining the BTR, where the tribal population is more than 50%, will be included in the BTR.
• Bodoland Territorial Region was formed with enhanced executive and legislative powers.
• The agreement makes the Bodo language with Devnagri script an associate official language of Assam.
• New districts will be created and the boundary of the region will be adjusted to include Bodo inhabited areas from neighbouring districts and exclude non-Bodo inhabited villages currently under the jurisdiction of the BTC.

About the News

• Bodo leaders fear that the BTR pact, which the Centre had signed with the ABSU and some now-disbanded insurgent groups, would finish off the aborigine Bodos.
• They are concern particularly by the proposed exclusion of over 1,000 villages from the BTR.
• Also concern over the government’s move to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities such as Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai-Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran, and Tea Tribes.
  • Bodos would fight to resist the government’s move to grant ST status to the six communities.
• A section of them is still waging the armed struggle.

Source : Indian Express

GS III : Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

Global Hunger Index 2020

Why in News?

Global Hunger Index 2020 Released. The latest GHI projections show that 37 countries will fail to achieve even low hunger by 2030.

Global Hunger Index 2020

• According to 2020 GHI scores, 3 countries have alarming levels of hunger – Chad, Timor-Leste, and Madagascar.
• Hunger is also considered to be alarming in 8 countries – Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – based on provisional categorizations.
• Undernourishment
  • Nearly 690 million people are undernourished
  • 144 million children suffer from stunting, a sign of chronic under nutrition
  • 47 million children suffer from wasting, a sign of acute under nutrition
  • In 2018, 5.3 million children died before their fifth birthdays, in many cases as a result of under nutrition.
• Worldwide hunger is at a moderate level, according to the 2020 Global Hunger Index.
• The world is not on track to achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal – known as Zero Hunger for short – by 2030.
  • At the current pace, approximately 37 countries will fail even to reach low hunger, as defined by the GHI Severity Scale, by 2030.
• For 14 countries in those categories, GHI scores show that hunger and undernutrition have worsened.

India in the report

• India ranks 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2020.
• With a score of 27.2 India has a level of hunger that is serious.
• India’s rank was 102 out of 117 countries last year.
• India features behind Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70) among others.
• Out of the total 107 countries, only 13 countries fare worse than India including countries like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107) among others.
• Data from 1991 through 2014 for Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan showed that stunting is concentrated among children from households facing multiple forms of deprivation, including poor dietary diversity, low levels of maternal education, and household poverty
• Issues Mentioned
  • 14 per cent of India’s population is undernourished.
  • The country recorded a child stunting rate of 37.4 per cent.
  • Stunted children are those who have a low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.

Global Hunger Index

• Annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.
• GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger.
• It is calculated on the basis of four indicators
  • Undernourishment
  • Cchild wasting (share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition),
  • Child stunting (share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition)
  • Child mortality
• Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.

Source : Indian Express

GS II : Issues relating to poverty and hunger

Prelims Facts 17 October 2020

World Food Day

Why in News?

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare today presided over an event to celebrate ‘World Food Day’. The event was organized by FSSAI.

About the Day

• This year’s theme is Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.
• A key focus this year is elimination of Trans Fats from the food supply chain.
• A food toxin present in Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (PHVOs) (e.g. vanaspati, shortening, margarine, etc.), baked and fried foods, Trans Fat is a major contributor to the rise in non-communicable diseases in India.
• Reiterating the game changing potential of ‘Eat Right India’ and ‘Fit India Movement during the event.
• Launched the Eat Right Creativity Challenge for schools which is a poster and photography competition and aims to promote healthy dietary habits.
• Also launched the ‘Eat Smart City’ (challenge) by FSSAI in partnership with Smart City Mission and The Food Foundation,UK which will create an environment of right food practices and habits in India’s smart cities and can set an example for other cities to follow.

Source : PIB

Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app

Why in News ?

To provide a single platform to integrate quality assurance across all its services, the Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC) today announced the launch of Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app.

Key Facts

• Operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE), LSSC is committed to strengthen its digital capabilities on quality assurance across training delivery, monitoring, assessments, verification and linkages to ASEEM portal.
• The platform caters to the need of all the stakeholders of the skilling and employment ecosystem namely – candidate/trainee, employer, employee, assessor and trainer – all at one place.
• The services are accessible through the web and android application that virtually works on any smart handheld device, desktop/laptop, smartphones, tablets or phablets.
• Apart from providing end to end quality assurance across training, assessment, and certification services, the app will also help employers engage with other stakeholders seamlessly and provide a marketplace for human capital for the leather industry.
• SCALE will help candidates in the skilling ecosystem to get assessed and certified on their knowledge, skills and behaviour on a specific qualification pack.
• It also enables access to micro-learning modules for bridging the skill gaps that are identified and can be re-assessed and certified at the end of the learning on the specific qualification pack.
• It further assists the candidate to become a productive resource who is readily employable in the industry.
• The candidates can search for employment opportunities and connect with employers post completion of their certification.
• The assessments are currently available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali, with plans to add more regional languages in a phased manner.

Source : PIB

Current Affairs 17 October 2020 : Our major Sources for the Current Affairs are The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, Down To Earth etc. For more queries and mentor-ship please contact us.