PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS-7 AUGUST 2017

Topic: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Two new contraceptives launched by Health Ministry to aid family planning

In a bid to keep a check on the increasing population in the country, The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched two new contraceptives- MPA and Chhaya.

Key facts:

§  The two new contraceptives, an injectable contraceptive MPA under the ‘Antara’ programme and a contraceptive pill, ‘Chhaya’, in the public health system will expand the basket of contraceptive choices to meet the emerging needs of couples.

§  The contraceptives are being launched under the government’s Mission Parivar Vikas, a central family planning initiative.

§  The contraceptives are safe and highly effective, the ‘Antara’ injectable being effective for three months and the ‘Chayya’ pill for one week, and will help meet the changing needs of couples and help women plan and space their pregnancies.

About Mission Parivar Vikas:

The main objective of the Mission Parivar Vikas family planning initiative is to bring down the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1, which is when the population starts stabilizing, by the year 2025.

§  The mission is being implemented in 146 high focus districts that house 44% of the country’s population, with the highest total fertility rates of 3 and more in the country. The high focus districts are in the seven states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Assam.

§  The key strategic focus of this initiative will be on improving access to contraceptivesthrough delivering assured services, dovetailing with new promotional schemes, ensuring commodity security, building capacity (service providers), creating an enabling environment along with close monitoring and implementation.

Sources: pib.

Paper 2:

Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.

Up to 18,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar violence last week: International Organisation for Migration

As per data released recently by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 18,000 Rohingya Muslims are estimated to have crossed into Bangladesh in the last week seeking to escape the worst violence in Myanmar’s northwest in at least five years.

§  The IOM said it was difficult to estimate the number of people stranded in the no man’s land at the border between the neighbours, but added there were “hundreds and hundreds” of people stuck there.

Background:

A series of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in the north of Myanmar’s Rakhine state recently and ensuing clashes triggered the exodus, while the government evacuated thousands of Rakhine Buddhists. The United Nations, while condemning the attacks, pressured Myanmar to protect civilian lives without discrimination and appealed to Bangladesh to let those fleeing the military counteroffensive through.

Who are rohingyas?

The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and regarded as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots there that go back centuries.

All you need to know about the International Organization for Migration:

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.

§  With 166 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

§  IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

IOM works in the four broad areas of migration management:

§  Migration and development.

§  Facilitating migration.

§  Regulating migration.

§  Forced migration.

Sources: the hindu.

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Paper 3:

Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.

Task Force on Employment and Exports and its Terms of Reference

In a bid to provide a “major” thrust to job creation by enhancing India’s exports, the NITI Aayog has set up a task force to be headed by its Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar. The task force, which includes government and private sector representatives, will submit its report by November.

The steps outlined by the taskforce to address this challenge of creating well-paid, formal sector jobs, include:

§  Proposing a comprehensive plan of action to generate employment and alleviate under-employment in both goods and services sectors and low wages by boosting India’s exports in key labour-intensive industries

§  Recommending sector-specific policy interventions in key employment sectors

§  Recommending measures to enhance trade in services with high employment potential

§  Identifying key macroeconomic factors constraining exports and suggesting methods to address these constraints

§  Assessing the effectiveness of existing schemes to promote exports

§  Addressing issues related to logistics, export credits and trade facilitation

§  Suggesting ways to enhance the availability of data on trade such that it is reliable, globally comparable and timely, particularly with respect to trade in services.

Background:

Incidentally, the “Three Years Action Agenda” unveiled by the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently had also stressed on creation of well-paid jobs by exploiting the potential in exports. The action agenda had also laid emphasis on creation of well-paid jobs by expanding the formal sector.

Way ahead:

While the Indian workforce has high aspirations, a majority of the workers are still employed in low-productivity, low-wage jobs in small, micro and own-account enterprises. An urgent and sustained expansion of the organized sector is essential to address India’s unemployment and under-employment issue. An important strategy is also to enable a shift towards more labour-intensive goods and services that are destined for exports. Given the importance of exports in generating jobs, India needs to create an environment in which globally competitive exporters can emerge and flourish.

Sources: the hindu.

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Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

UJALA scheme launched in Melaka, Malaysia

India’s zero-subsidy UJALA programme has paved the way for a brighter future and has now travelled to Malaysia. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) Scheme in the State of Melaka, Malaysia. The scheme has seen successful implementation in the UK.

§  With a fairly large switch to LED bulbs, Melaka will also be able to reduce carbon emissions by around 19,000 tonnes per year.

Key facts:

§  Under the scheme, each household in Melaka will get 10 high quality 9-watt LED bulbs at a cost of only RM 10 (10 Malaysian Ringgit), which is a special price and is almost half of what in being offered in the market.

§  The EESL plans to distribute about 1 million 9W LED bulbs, replacing 18W CFLs in Melaka.

§  The initiative will have the logistical assistance and facilitation support from Green Growth Asia, a non-profit organisation in Malaysia.

§  The price of each bulb will be way lesser than global average price of LED bulbs, which still swings between 3-5 USD.

About UJALA scheme:

The main objective of the scheme is to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment which reduce electricity bills and help preserve environment.

The scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power. The scheme will not only help reduce consumers their electricity bills but also contribute to the energy security of India.

Sources: pib.

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Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Trai recommends delicensing of some spectrum for M2M services

In order to facilitate the smooth roll-out of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications utilising licence exempt airwaves, sectoral regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has recommended delicensing of a chunk of spectrum in a few bands.

Important recommendations made:

Allocation of spectrum: Spectrum allocation should be technology and service neutral and no separate spectrum band should be allocated exclusively for M2M services. However, in order to facilitate the smooth roll-out of M2M services utilising licence exempt spectrum, 1 MHz of spectrum at 868 MHz (867-868) and a chunk of 6 MHz of spectrum at 915-935 MHz is recommended to be delicensed. Delicensng the V-band (57-64 GHz) on various occasions may be done on priority.

Composition of M2M apex body: Regulatory authorities whose sector would get impacted by M2M communications like Trai, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, National Highways Authority of India, Inland Waterways Authority of India, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission etc and Ministry of Law and Justice should be members in M2M apex body formed by Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Registration: M2M service providers should register with DoT and all access service providers and unified licence holders using licenced spectrum shall be allowed to provide M2M services. All unified licence virtual network operators shall be accordingly be allowed to provide M2M connectivity and DoT may amend the licence condition for the same.

What is M2M?

M2M is the basis for automated information exchange between machines and can impact various industry verticals like smart city, smart grid, smart water, smart transportation, smart health etc. The government has also recognized the potential of M2M and emphasized the same in National Telecom Policy 2012.

Sources: the hindu.