Current Affairs 3 September 2020 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 3 September 2020 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. Changes in Qatar’s Labour Laws
2. 118 China Linked App Ban
3. Jammu and Kashmir official languages list
4. Entrepreneurs in Residence Programme
5. OBC SUB-Categorisation

Changes in Qatar’s Labour Laws

Why in News ?

Qatar has brought about a Changes in Qatar’s Labour Laws, the reforms, which were announced by the Emir of Qatar in October 2019, were signed into law on Sunday.

Background

Qatar is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup the country has faced flak for its labour laws. Also they are facing allegation as being exploitative of migrant labourers.

Changes in Qatar’s Labour Laws

Scrapping rules requiring migrant workers to take their employers’ permission before changing jobs and setting the monthly minimum wage at about $274, an increase of over 25 per cent.

• Abolished kafala system or requirement for a no objection certificate that migrant workers needed to get from their employers before changing jobs.
  • Qatar is the first country in the region to dismantle the “kafala” sponsorship system that is common in the Gulf region.
  • Workers will have to serve a one-month notice period if they have worked for less than two years.
  • Notice period of two months if they have worked longer.
• Increasing the minimum wage by 25 per cent to $274 or 1000 Qatari riyals
  • An additional 300 QAR for food and 500 QAR for accommodation in case not provided by the company.
• These reforms are now applicable to workers of all nationalities and in all sectors, including domestic workers who were previously excluded.

Impact over India

The Indian population in Qatar is nearly 691,000. The new law will increase remittances in the workers’ country of origin. As the new labour law abolished kafala system it will be helpful for migrant labour.

Qatar Region

Source : Indian Express

Topic

GS III : Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora

118 China Linked App Ban

Why in News ?

Continuing tensions with China, New Delhi on Wednesday banned 118 apps with Chinese links, citing concerns over threats to India’s safety and sovereignty.

About the News

• In June after a faceoff between Indian and Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh the government had banned 59 apps with China links, including TikTok..
• The apps banned include utility apps, popular business card scanning app CamCard, messaging apps like WeChat Work, search engine Baidu and games such as Game of Sultans and Rise of Kingdoms and PUBG.
• The biggest impact of this development will be on Tencent Holdings, which has a number of the banned apps in its portfolio.

Reason for Ban

• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources, including misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner, to servers which have locations outside India.
• Also the mining and profiling of the data was a threat to the country’s security and sovereignty.
• PUBG Mobile had earlier drawn criticism for being highly addictive.
• Gujarat State Education Minister requested the Centre to let the state impose a ban on online and mobile games like PUBG.

Acts Empowering Government

Ban has been enforced under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 : Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource. 

• Ground clearly mentioned as : Central Government or any of its officers specially authorised by it is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India.
• The notification is expected to be followed by instructions to Internet service providers to block these apps.

Source : Indian Express

Topic

GS III : Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security

Jammu and Kashmir official languages list

Why in News ?

The inclusion of Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi as Jammu and Kashmir official languages list has received strong criticism from several quarters, including members of minority communities, activists and political leaders.

Urdu and English was the official language of the state before the reorganisation of J&K on August 5, 2019.

Why included in the list ?

• This is in line with the long-pending demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Jammu and Kashmir Official Language Bill 2020 shall be introduced in the Parliament.
• Taking the total number of official languages to five, including the already existing English and Urdu.

Criticism against the bill ?

• Inclusion of More Language
  • Sikh community across J&K, which comprise 2.03% of the total population in the UT as per the 2011 Census have protested against the bill to demonstrate their resentment for not including Punjabi.
  • Besides Gujjar and Bakarwals reside in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of which 810,800 Gujjar and Bakarwals live in Jammu, making around 54% of the total tribal population.
  • Gujjar leaders have also strongly resented the move of Union Cabinet to neglect the Gojri language.
• The Jammu & Kashmir Re-Organisation Act empowers the J&K legislative assembly to decide on the adoption of official languages.
  • Section 47 (1 ) of the Re-Organisation Act : Legislative Assembly may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir or Hindi as the official language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Sixth schedule of the constitution of the erstwhile state of J&K : Kashmiri, Dogri, Balti (Pali), Dardi, Punjabi, Pahari, Ladakhi and Gojri were regional languages of the state.
• Inclusion of Hindi : People of Jammu and Kashmir are not majorly Hindi speaking people. Earlier it was not a part of J&K which is not even a locally spoken language. 

Source : The Hindu

Topic

Prelims

GS II : Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

Mass Spectrometer Coronavirus detection

Why in News ?

Using mass spectrometer researchers have been able to detect novel coronavirus with 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity with respect to RT-PCR.

Mass Spectrometer

• Detect novel coronavirus with 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity with respect to RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction).
• Detection of the virus takes less than three minutes; time from sample preparation to detection takes less than 30 minutes.
• Directly detect the virus without amplifying the RNA for detection as is the case with RT-PCR.
• The new method relies on detecting the presence of two peptides which are unique to SARS-CoV-2 virus and not seen in any other coronavirus or other viruses.
• Though seven peptides were found to be unique to SARS-CoV-2, only two peptides are used for quick virus detection.
• could detect the peptides of SARS-CoV-2 virus even in patients who have recovered from the symptoms and have tested negative for the virus by RT-PCR.
• So cheaper than RT-PCR. Many research labs have the mass spectrometer

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids that make up certain proteins needed by the skin. The amino acids in a peptide are connected to one another in a sequence by bonds called peptide bonds. Typically, peptides are distinguished from proteins by their shorter length, although the cut-off number of amino acids for defining a peptide and protein can be arbitrary.

Various Method for CORONA Detection

RT-PCR Tests :The majority of the tests being conducted in India and worldwide are RT-PCR, which requires nasal and throat swabs and are used to directly detect the presence of the virus rather than antibodies.

Rapid antibody tests : Antibody tests are fast, inexpensive, and can be used to gauge the extent of infection within a community. Unlike RT-PCR, antibody tests require a blood sample to determine whether the human body has antibodies for coronavirus.

TruNat tests : TrueNat machine is chip-based, small and portable, and mostly runs on batteries. It detects the virus in nasal or oral swabs. The machines are equipped to detect the RdRp enzyme found in the virus RNA.

Rapid Antigen detection tests : Tests also lookout for virus similar to that of RT-PCR tests. Each test kit has an inbuilt COVID antigen test device, viral extraction tube along with viral lysis buffer and a sterile swab for sample collection. Nasal swab is collected, which is then immersed and squeezed into the viral extraction buffer. 

Source : The Hindu

Topic

Prelims : About Mass Spectrometer

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

GS III : Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life

Entrepreneurs in Residence Programme

Why in News ?

A brochure featuring Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) programme under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) programme was launched by DST Secretary Professor Ashutosh Sharma at the National Get-Together of NIDHI-EIR Family.

What is Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) Programme ?

• Supports aspiring or budding entrepreneur of considerable potential for pursuing a promising technology business idea over a period up to 18 months with a subsistence grant up to Rs 30000 per month with a maximum cap for total support of Rs 3.6 lakh to each EIR over a maximum of 18 months.
• The programme aims to provide guidance to these aspiring entrepreneurs from experienced, innovative and highly successful entrepreneurs on the business concept strategy and insight into specific industries or markets,
• Inspire the best talents to be entrepreneurs, to minimise the risk involved in pursuing start-ups, and to partially set off their opportunity costs of high paying jobs.
• To expand their networks and get critical feedback on their ventures in order to promote their entrepreneurial career goals and aspirations.
• This program is important in that it creates a pipeline of startups with a focus on young budding entrepreneurs.
• How it helps Atmanirbhar Bharat ?
  • The goal of achieving Atmanirbharta starts with translation of knowledge, innovation, capacity building, workforce, Industries, and markets.
  • It is a whole chain starting from the knowledge and goes on to markets.
  • Inspire the S&T qualified youth in India to take up entrepreneurship as a viable career and help shape India’s future and the economy.

Need for the initiative

• The challenge that the young student innovators face is to raise the initial funding for his/her startup.
• NIDHI connects and strengthens all the links of the innovation chain from scouting to sustaining to securing to scaling to showcasing, because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
• The key stakeholders of NIDHI includes
  • Various departments and ministries of the central government, state governments,
  • Academic and R & D institutions, mentors
  • Financial institutions, angel investors, venture capitalists, industry champions and private sectors.

Source : PIB

Topic

Prelims : About the Scheme

GS II : Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

OBC SUB-Categorisation

Why in News ?

Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court reopened the legal debate on OBC sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for reservations, referring the issue to a larger Bench to decide.

About OBC SUB-Categorisation

• Creating categories within OBCs for reservation in jobs and education under the central government.
• The fact is that only a few affluent communities among the over 2,600 included in the Central List of OBCs have secured a major part of this 27% reservation.
• It would ensure “equitable distribution” of representation among all OBC communities.

Commission to Examine Sub-categorisation

• Commission took charge on October 11, 2017 for a tenure of one year Initially constituted with a tenure of 12 weeks later the tenure extended. 
• The commission is headed by retired Delhi High Court Chief Justice G Rohini, includes Centre for Policy Studies director Dr J K Bajaj as member, and has two other ex-officio members.
• Aim of the Commission :
  • Examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among OBCs with reference to such classes included in the Central List.
  • Mechanism, criteria, norms, possibility and parameters for sub-categorisation within such OBCs.
  • Take up identifying the respective castes or communities or sub-castes in the Central List of OBCs and classifying them into their respective sub-categories.
  • Recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription entries in the Central List of OBCs. 

Findings of the commission

Based on the 1.3 lakh jobs in the past 5 years and admission of OBC in various institutions, including universities for the past 3 years 

• A lion share of 97% of all OBC reservation jobs given to just 25% of all sub-castes classified as OBC.
• 24.95% of these jobs and seats have given to just 10 OBC communities.
• 994 OBC sub-castes have a total representation of only 2.68% in recruitment and admissions.
• 983 OBC communities 37% of the total have zero representation in jobs and educational institutions.

Various other reports and statistics

Department of Personnel and Training annual report

• 13.01% in group-A central government services
• 14.78% in group-B
• 22.65% in group-C (excluding safai karmacharis)
• 14.46% in group-C (safai karmacharis)

National Commission for Backward Classes

a number of posts reserved for OBCs were being filled by people of general category as OBC candidates were declared NFS (None Found Suitable).

Indian Express Findings

• Not a single professor and associate professor appointed under the OBC quota in central universities.
• The data showed
  • 95.2% of the professors, 92.9% of associate professors and 66.27% of assistant professors were from the general category (which may also include SCs, STs and OBCs who had not availed the quota).
  • At assistant professor level, representation of OBCs was just 14.38%.

Source : Indian Express

Topic

GS II : Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Current Affairs 3 September 2020 : Our major Sources for the Current Affairs are The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB. For more queries and mentor-ship please contact us.