PERIYAR IAS CURRENT AFFAIRS - 4- DECEMBER-2017
Topic: Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Green habitat
Context: The Kerala government is
considering promoting a ‘green habitat’ concept giving thrust to eco-friendly
and reusable building materials, natural water storage and solid waste
management. The objective of the concept is to introduce maximum
eco-friendly and reusable materials in the construction.
Features of the Green Habitat
concept:
§ The buildings, under the
concept, are planned to be designed in such a way that natural sunlight and
wind would be used to maximum and the usage of electricity reduces to the
minimum.
§ A rainwater harvesting or
natural water storage system would be a sure feature of such ‘green’ buildings,
where even kitchen and drainage water would be recycled and reused for other
household purposes.
Significance of this concept:
Not only the danger posed by
unscientific construction practices, but also the scarcity of conventional
building materials is a reason to draw up an alternative green habitat concept.
Way ahead:
Laws and legislation alone are
not enough to implement the green habitat concept. A thorough grassroot level
campaign is inevitable to create awareness about this among public and
inculcate a green culture among them.
Sources: ET.
GS Paper 2:
Topic: 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.
International Day of Persons
with Disabilities
Context: International day of
persons with disabilities was observed on December 3 to promote the rights and
welfare of disabled individuals around the globe.
2017 Theme: “Transformation towards
sustainable and resilient society for all”.
Background:
The annual observance of the
International Day of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed by the United
Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3 in 1992. It aims to promote the rights
and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and
development, and to increase awareness of on the situation of persons with
disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
Facts about disability:
§ At least 10% of the world’s
population, or 650 million people, live with a disability.
§ 20% of the world’s poor are
disabled.
§ The percentage of children with
disabilities not attending school is extremely variable and is between 65 – 85%
in some African countries.
§ Mortality for children with
disabilities may be as high as 80% in countries where under-five mortality as a
whole has decreased to below 20%.
§ In many low-income and middle
-income countries, only 5-15% of disabled people who require assistive devices
and technology have access to them.
Various efforts in this regard:
Building on many decades of
UN’s work in the field of disability, the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities, adopted in 2006, has further advanced the rights and
well-being of persons with disabilities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development and other international development frameworks,
such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Charter on
Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, the New Urban
Agenda, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.
People with disabilities are
arguably the largest ‘invisible minority’ on the planet. WHO figures say that
15.3% of the world’s population lives with some kind of disability. But India’s
2011 census says that only 2.21% of the population have disabilities.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: India and its neighbourhood- relations.
Pact on Rohingya
Context: Bangladesh and Myanmar
recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement to begin the repatriation of more
than 6,20,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh in the past few
months. Further, a joint working group including officials from Bangladesh,
Myanmar and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) will be set
up in three weeks, and Myanmar would begin to repatriate the refugees within
two months, by January 23, 2018.
What had led to the exodus?
Since August, when the Myanmar
military began a crackdown on Rohingya villages in Rakhine after a series of
terror strikes on army camps, the numbers that have escaped burning homes and
alleged atrocities by the authorities, have risen rapidly, with most seeking
shelter across the border in Kutupalong camp of Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazaar. The
UN has condemned the violence as a case of “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide”,
putting pressure on Myanmar’s leadership to end it.
How did China help?
Talks between Bangladesh and
Myanmar appear to have been guided not by international agencies, but by China.
China had announced that it favoured a “three-step” solution, comprising a
ceasefire in Rakhine, a bilateral repatriation deal for the Rohingya to Myanmar
and long-term solutions including the economic development of the Rohingya
areas.
Why is China interested?
Beijing has deep interests in
Rakhine, especially in the Kyaukpyu Port, with oil and energy pipelines to
Yunnan province forming part of a $10 billion economic zone in its Belt and
Road Initiative.
While on the one hand, China
has protected the Myanmar regime from international sanctions at the UN thus
far, it has tied itself to the success or failure of the repatriation
agreement, on which the fate of the Rohingya now rest.
Way ahead:
According to the deal, Myanmar
has committed not to delay sending those repatriated back to their original
homes, but this task will be made more difficult by the fact that that many of
the Rohingya villages have been burnt down. Also of concern is the stipulation
that those who will be accepted by Myanmar must show their Myanmar-issued
identity cards, not just their Bangladesh-issued refugee cards. Finally,
international human rights agencies have warned that refugees cannot be forced
to return while threat of violence against them persists, even as they process
the trauma borne of the atrocities they fled from.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora,
their structure, mandate.
International Maritime Council
Context: India has been re-elected
to the Council of the International Maritime Organization [IMO] under Category “B” at the recently held 30th
session of the Assembly of the IMO in London. With re-election in IMO, India
will continue to engage with the international maritime community to further
her maritime interests and promote the welfare of her citizens.
Background:
India has been one of the
earliest members of the IMO, having ratified its Convention and joined it as a
member-state in the year 1959. India has had the privilege of being elected to
and serving the Council of the IMO, ever since it started functioning, and till
date, except for two years for the period 1983-1984.
About IMO:
The International Maritime
Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for
the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by
ships.
§ It has 171 Member States and
three Associate Members.
§ The IMO’s primary purpose is to
develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its
remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical
co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.
§ IMO is governed by an assembly
of members and is financially administered by a council of members elected from
the assembly.
§ The IMO’s structure comprises
the Assembly, the Council, the Maritime Safety Committee, the Marine
Environment Protection Committee, the Legal Committee, the Technical
Cooperation Committee, and the secretariat, headed by a Secretary-General.
IMO council:
The IMO Council acts as the
IMO’s Governing Body. It has a crucial role to play in deciding various matters
in relation to the global shipping industry, including its work programme
strategy and budget.
§ Members of the Council consist
of 40 member states, elected by its Assembly including 10 members in category A
with the largest interest in providing international shipping services; 10
members in category B with the largest interest in international seaborne trade
and 20 members in category C with special interests in maritime transport or
navigation.
§ India has been one of the
earliest members of the IMO, having ratified its Convention and joined it as a
member-state in the year 1959.
Sources: pib.
GS Paper 3:
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics,
nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property
rights.
‘Petro’ cryptocurrency
Context: Venezuelan has launched
its own cryptocurrency, called the “Petro,” which will be backed by the
country’s vast natural resource reserves. The country has also approved the
creation of a BlockchainBase observatory to oversee the development and rollout
of the new cryptocurrency.
Background:
OPEC member Venezuela boasts
the largest proven reserves of crude oil in the world, but has struggled
against the plunge in oil prices which began in 2014.
Purpose of Petro:
The purpose of Petro will be to
advance the country’s monetary sovereignty, to carry out financial transactions
and to defeat the financial blockade against the country.
Value of Petro:
The value of the new
cryptocurrency will be pegged to the country’s vast reserves of oil and gas as
well as its mineral wealth, including gold.
Way ahead:
With the new cryptocurrency,
Venezuela hopes it can overcome the economic blockade which the U.S. has put on
the country. The blockade has caused the country’s national currency, the
Bolivar, to lose around 57% of its value in the last four weeks.
While it’s great to see yet
another country deciding to set up a national cryptocurrency, Venezuela will
likely garner some friction from the U.S. over the move. The Trump
administration has already been railing against Venezuela and its socialist
leadership in-between tirades against Iran and North Korea.
What you need to know about the
cryptocurrencies?
Founded as a peer-to-peer
electronic payment system, cryptocurrencies enable transfer of money between
parties, without going through a banking system. These digital payment systems
are based on cryptographic proof of the chain of transactions, deriving their
name, Cryptocurrency. These employ cryptographic algorithms and functions to
ensure anonymity (privacy) of the users (who are identified by an alphanumeric
public key), security of the transactions and integrity of the payment systems.
“Decentralised Digital Currency” or “Virtual Currency” is also interchangeably
used for a cryptocurrency.
How are they used?
Cryptocurrency is fundamentally
a decentralised digital currency transferred directly between peers and the
transactions are confirmed in a public ledger, accessible to all the users. The
process of maintaining this ledger and validating the transactions, better
known as mining, is carried out in a decentralised manner. The underlying
principle of the authenticity of the present to historical transactions is
cryptographic proof, instead of trust; different from how it happens in the
case of traditional banking systems.
Sources: the hindu.
Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics,
nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property
rights.
Clinical trials
Context: With a huge talent pool
and growing demand for innovation in drugs and medical devices to address the
rising disease burden, the demand for the creation of a favorable environment
for clinical trials in the country has once again come to the fore.
Need for local clinical trials:
Epidemiological transition, in
recent decades, compounded with the burgeoning population as well as widespread
malnutrition and poverty, have resulted in the steep rise in both communicable
and non-communicable diseases in the country, across all age groups. To counter
this rising burden of disease, there is a compelling need for local clinical
trials.
After a peak in 2009-2010, the
clinical research sector in India is continually contracting. India represents
17.5% of the world’s population but conducts only 1.4% of global clinical
research. This is unfortunate, considering we have all the requisite factors,
such as English-speaking health-care professionals, a large number of experts,
steady economic growth, access to world-class technologies, strong IT- and
data-management infrastructure, access to ethnically diverse patient
populations and competitive operational costs. All these factors present clear
advantages for clinical research.
Roadblocks:
§ India has been lagging in this
area primarily because the regulatory system in India for clinical research has
become increasingly a deterrent for biopharmaceutical- and device-companies
which sponsor clinical trials. The existing legal framework lacks credibility,
in terms of predictability and transparency, in the criteria and protocols
governing clinical research.
§ Clinical trials also seem to be
misunderstood in the media and have sometimes been portrayed as experimental
procedures, where new products are being unsafely tested on people.
§ There have also been instances
of lapses in confidentiality or non-adherence to protocols or shortcomings in
getting informed consent from participants and these are to be totally
condemned. Because of this they have received wide support.
Recent push by the government:
§ Recognising the importance of
local clinical trials in developing better and safer drugs, the Government of
India is now working on new policies that could ensure swift approvals to begin
clinical trials without making compromises on patient safety.
§ The Government has taken steps
such as recognising ethics committees, centralising a system whereby adverse
side-effects can be appropriately investigated by the Drugs Controller General
of India and formally recognising centres which are capable of conducting
clinical trials in accord with regulations.
§ To further speed up the
availability of new and effective drugs, the Government has proposed waiving
off clinical trials for those drugs that have already proved their efficacy in
developed markets.
Way ahead:
Health research is not only
crucial to the development of new diagnostic tools and treatments, it goes on
to guiding the planning of health-care services in the appropriate direction,
facilitating continuous evaluation and improvement of medical care, and
allowing a thorough investigation of risk factors and disease associations.
Therefore, Improvements in the overall policy environment can have a
significant impact on attracting and securing greater investment and the
associated economic gains.
To reap the benefits of
clinical trials, our objective should be to bring about more clinical research
in the country while maintaining high standards to ensure patient safety and
accuracy of data.
Sources: the hindu.
Facts for Prelims:
§ World’s first IT campus for
differently-abled in Hyderabad:
On the eve of World Disability
Day, the Telangana State government has entered into an agreement with Vindhya
E-Infomedia Private Limited to set up the IT campus which will focus on
creating employment exclusively for PWDs. With this Hyderabad is all set to be
a home for world’s first Information Technology campus for persons with
disabilities (PWDs).
The proposed campus spread over
10 acres, will come up in the IT Park developed by the State government near
Hyderabad International Airport and will have all amenities like training,
residential facility and delivery centers. The campus which will cater to
various clients both domestic and international, is aimed to provide training
and employment for 2,000 people in the next five years.
§ Kapu reservation bill:
The Andhra Pradesh assembly has
unanimously passed the Kapu reservation bill which will provide the community
with a 5% quota in education and employment in the state.
The state government will now
send this bill to the centre. As 5% of reservation to Kapus makes total
reservation exceed 50%, central govt nod is compulsory. Kapus are primarily an
agrarian community, forming a heterogeneous peasant caste.
§ Vigilant Ace:
What is it? It is the annual
U.S.-South Korean aerial drill. It is their largest ever joint exercise. It is
designed to enhance their readiness and operational capability and to ensure
peace and security on
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