PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS 30-OCTOBER-2017
GS3 Topic: Indian Economy
India emerging as a leader among milk producing nations
Context:
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said India is
emerging as a leader among milk producing nations at Pashu Arogya Mela in
Semwapur, Motihari. India produces 163.7 million tonne milk in 2016-17 worth
over Rs.4 lakh crore. There are 19 crore cattle in the country, which
amounts to 14% of the total cattle population of the world.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission:
§ Rashtriya Gokul Mission, 2014 is a focussed project under National
Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development.
§ It’s objective is to conserve and propagate indigenous breeds in
an organized and scientific manner.
Progress update:
§ 1250 MAITRI centres are being set up to facilitate artificial
insemination for cattle on the doorstep.
§ One Gokul Gram (Integrated Indigenous Cattle Centres) will
have 500 animals with high genetic quality, out of which 300 will be
reproductive animals. The Gokul Grams will rear Lal Sindhi, Sahiwal and Gir
breeds along with Bachaur.
Indigenous animals:
Indigenous animals are more suitable for the country particularly
suitable for climate and environment of their reproductive areas. They are
endowed with qualities of heat tolerance, resistance to diseases and the
ability to thrive under extreme climatic stress and less than optimal
nutrition.
Conclusion:
Dairy farming has been a traditional source of livelihood and it
has a deep connection with the agricultural economy. It is essential to
increase productivity of Indigenous breeds in the country through commercial
farm management and balanced nutrition.
Source: pib
GS3 Topic: Indian Economy
India and US Hold 11th Trade Policy Forum
Meeting in Washington D.C
Context:
The Minister for Commerce and Industry noted that the Trade Policy
Forum serves as a robust platform that contributes towards promoting bilateral
trade and investment between India and the US. During the meeting, discussions
were held on issues related to bilateral trade, areas of mutual cooperation,
market access in agriculture, non-agricultural goods and services and
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
Issues Discussed:
US concerns:
§ Market access issues ground handling operations, import
regulations relating to poultry, export of pork to India.
§ Price controls on medical devices
India concerns:
§ Easing of procedure for export of Indian mangoes and pomegranates
and market access for table grapes from India.
§ Problems faced by Indian services companies in obtaining H-1B and
L-1 visas. It requested the US to ease the movement of skilled professionals as
Indian IT companies contribute significantly to the American economy.
§ Issue of mismatch between U.S. visa and U.S. social security
regimes, wherein Indian professionals making social security contributions do
not receive their due benefits upon their return to India
Greater opportunities for US exports to India:
§ Draft Pharmaceutical Policy addresses many of the US concerns and
sought comments from industry stakeholders on the draft policy.
§ National IPR Policy 2016, lays down the roadmap for future
development in the field of IPRs, and is a major step towards strengthening the
IPR ecosystem in India, including improvements in procedures, timelines and
resolution of disputes.
§ India desires to address the concerns of providing affordable healthcare
to its citizens and balancing it with the need to introduce high end
technology. American manufacturers of medical devices are encouraged to
establish manufacturing facilities in India.
Current Scenario:
§ Trade between the two counties increased to USD 64.51 billion in
2016-17, from USD 62.11 billion in the previous fiscal. However, foreign direct
investment from the US into India dipped to USD 2.37 billion in 2016-17 from
USD 4.19 billion in 2015-16.
§ India has already started to import crude oil and new Liquefied
Natural Gas exports are expected to commence early next year
§ Indian aviation companies such as Spicejet and Jet Airways have
placed orders for over 300 aircrafts valued at several billions of dollars.
Source: pib
GS3 Topic: Security Agencies
Army finalises plan to modernise weapons
The army is set to launch a fresh hunt for 7 lakh assault rifles,
44000 light machine guns (LMGs) and 44600 carbines to replace its ageing and
obsolete weapons.
Reason:
§ fault lines found in the entire range of small arms except the
AK-47
§ Our casualties in counter-terror operations can be reduced by half
if soldiers are provided better assault rifles
Reason for delay:
§ Army’s failure to finalise the specifications
§ single-vendor situation
Significance:
Modernisation of the Army must be in tune with the evolving
security threat facing the country. All its “deficiencies” will be addressed to
strengthen its combat capability.
Some terminologies:
RFI (request for information) is a process whose purpose is to
collect information about capabilities of various vendors.
A lightweight rifle developed from the sub-machine gun, which may
be set to fire automatically or semi-automatically.
A light machine gun (LMG) is a machine gun designed to be employed
by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support
weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.
A carbine is a long arm firearm but with a shorter barrel than a
rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full-length rifles,
shooting the same ammunition, while others fire lower-powered ammunition,
including types designed for pistols.
Source: the hindu
GS2 Topic: Indian Judiciary
Set up centres under all High Courts for vulnerable victims: SC
Context:
The Supreme Court while lauding the Delhi High Court for setting
up vulnerable witnesses deposition complexes has asked other High Courts in the
Country to follow suit in consonance with guidelines postulated in Sakshi v.
Union of India and Ors.This case pertained to the rape of a deaf, dumb and
mentally challenged minor girl.
Reason:
Victims often end up being ill-treated by the very system they had
approached in the hope of justice. Delay and intimidating questions during
trial in a hostile environment lead to fewer convictions.
Guidelines:
§ A screen or some arrangement by which the victim does not see the
body or face of the accused.
§ Reducing cross-examination questions to writing and handing them
over to the judge to be put to the victim in a language that is clear and not
embarrassing.
§ Sufficient breaks for victims of child abuse or rape while
testifying.
Significance:
§ Encourages a vulnerable victim to make a statement.
§ Upholds the right of vulnerable witnesses to be protected while
testifying in court.
§ Order is in consonance with international norms in these matters.
Source: the hindu
GS2 Topic: International Relations
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni visit to India
Background:
The period from 2012 to 2016 marked a difficult bilateral phase as
the marines issue- fatal shootings of two Indian fishermen in 2012 by Italian
marines became a national debate in Italy.
The case is now with the International Court of Justice is
expected to be completed by 2018.
Issues to be discussed:
§ India’s global push for the Nuclear Suppliers Group membership and
bilateral trade are likely to be on the agenda
§ Italy’s support for India’s candidature at the Missile Technology
Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016
§ Italian support at the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) meeting
that begins on Monday in Buenos Aires, where India has been pushing for
stringent measures against Pakistan on terror funding issues.
Significance:
Italian supportive role in the EU and NSG will help our cause with
the EU-India FTA (Free Trade Agreement) and our bid for NSG membership
Source: the hindu
GS2 Topic: International Relations
India ships wheat to Afghanistan via Chabahar
The Iranian port of Chabahar processed a maiden shipment of wheat
from India’s western seaport of Kandla to Afghanistan on Sunday. Chabahar
port lies outside the Persian Gulf on the Gulf of Oman and can be easily
accessed from India’s western coast.
Context:
The shipment is a part of commitment made by India to supply 1.1
million tons of wheat for free to the people of Afghanistan and is the first
shipment to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port since the Trilateral
Agreement on Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor was
signed during a visit to Iran by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May
2016.
Significance:
§ The use of Chabahar port is seen as a major boost to India’s
efforts to connect with Central Asia and Russia, and it could facilitate Indian
imports of iron ore, sugar and rice as well as crude oil from Iran.
§ India’s development of Chabahar port has been seen as a move to
counter China’s presence in the Arabian Sea. China is working with Pakistan to
develop Gwadar port which is less than 100 nautical miles from Chabahar by
road.
§ India to play a larger role in stabilizing war-torn Afghanistan
INSTC:
International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the
Chabahar-Zahedan-Zaranj corridor would connect South Asia on one hand and
Europe on the other, Modi had said. INSTC is an ambitious multimodal transport
system established in 2000 by Iran, Russia and India to promote transportation
cooperation. It is planned to connect the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the
Caspian Sea through Iran and then onwards to St. Petersburg and northern Europe
through Russia.
Source: the hindu
GS3 Topic: Science and Technology
Faster, cheaper urinary tract infection(UTI) test
UTI second most common infectious disease that affects millions of
people globally each year.
These resistant bacteria not only cause long lasting infection but
also reduce effectiveness of the available antibiotics.
Problems with present testing method:
§ Has 48-hour wait for urine test report
§ It delays treatment
§ Leads to inappropriate use of antibiotics
§ Gives rise to multidrug-resistant pathogens
The new test strip contains 15 common antibiotics and helps in
identifying the antibiotic sensitivity of the bacteria and deciding the most
appropriate medicine to be used for the patient.
Advantages:
§ The test does not require any other specialised equipment,
dedicated space/lab or trained personnel.
§ As the strip already has the panel of antibiotics, it is easier,
faster and cheaper.
§ Minimises the irrational use of antibiotics.
Source: the hindu
Fact for Prelims:
§ Valve annuloplasty is a new heart implant that is expandable and
stretches out as the child grows.This will stop children requiring more
surgeries to repair or replace heart valves as they grow up.
§ Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P, assumes charge as the Vice Chief
of Naval Staff (VCNS)
§ New Railway Line between Bidar – Kalaburagi in Karnataka opened.
§ Javed Akhtar Receives Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award on 80th birthday
of veteran music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
§ Scientists have developed a novel vaccine candidate that may
prevent HIV infection by stimulating an immune response against sugars that form
a protective shield around the virus.The protein fragment of the vaccine
candidate comes from gp120, a protein that covers HIV like a protective
envelope. A sugar shield covers the gp120 envelope, bolstering HIV’s defences.
The rare HIV-infected individuals who can keep the virus at bay without
medication typically have antibodies that attack gp120.
§ Scientists have developed a novel smartphone-based portable
ultrasound machine that can help detect cancer easily at home. The machine
called Butterfly IQ is a pocket-sized ultrasound device, which is the size and
shape of an electric razor. works by shooting sound waves into the body and
capturing the echoes.
§ The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced that
India will host next Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of
Wild Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Conference of Parties 13 (CMS COP13) in year
2020. CMS COP is also known as a Global Wildlife Conference. The announcement
was made during 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties 12 (COP12) to CMS
held in Manila, Philippines in October 2017
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