UPSC Current Affairs – February 5, 2020

Here is the February 05, 2020 IASPOINT Essential Daily Current Affairs News Digest for Civil Services Aspirants as well as competitors in various examinations, ensuring you stay informed and exam-ready.

Government clarifies details about National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC)

The government provided clarifications in Parliament regarding the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC). The NPR is a list of usual residents in India prepared under the Citizenship Act 1955. It was first prepared in 2010 and updated in 2015. The government has decided to update the NPR from April-September 2020 across India, except Assam. They clarified that during NPR update, demographic details will be collected but no documents are required to be submitted and Aadhaar is voluntary. There will be no verification of individuals with doubtful citizenship. The government also informed that so far, no decision has been taken to prepare the National Register of Indian Citizens.

Task force appointed to review minimum legal age of marriage for women

In the Budget Speech, the Finance Minister proposed appointing a task force to review the minimum age of marriage for women and study its implications. The current legal age is 21 for men and 18 for women under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. The rationale is that as opportunities for education and careers open up for women, raising the legal age could lead to better health and nutrition outcomes. Bringing parity between the marriage age of men and women is also being seen as a measure towards the proposed population control law.

Progress made under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) crop insurance scheme

The government provided details on progress under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana crop insurance scheme. Coverage has increased from 23% in 2015-16 to 30% of gross cropped area currently. Participation of non-loanee farmers has also gone up significantly. Steps like mandatory Aadhaar seeding have been taken to avoid duplication. Key features include capping premiums paid by farmers, increasing risk coverage, use of technology for quick loss assessment.

Poor coverage of Anganwadi services in urban areas compared to rural

An RTI revealed that for every 100 anganwadi beneficiaries in India, only 22 are in urban areas highlighting poor coverage in cities. The Anganwadi Services Scheme under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) provides supplementary nutrition, pre-school education etc. to children under 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The urban-rural disparity in anganwadi services has led NITI Aayog to prepare a draft plan to revamp the ICDS scheme in urban areas.

Proposal to revamp Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme in cities

Due to the urban-rural disparity in beneficiaries under the Integrated Child Development Services, NITI Aayog has prepared a draft working paper to revamp the ICDS scheme in urban areas. The Anganwadi Services Scheme under ICDS provides services like supplementary nutrition and health & education facilities to children under 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers. But RTI data shows only 22% of ICDS beneficiaries are in urban areas currently.

Launch of ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ system under Integrated Management of Public Distribution System

The government has launched the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ system under the Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS). It aims to introduce nationwide portability of ration cards under the National Food Security Act 2013, through use of Aadhaar. This will enable migratory beneficiaries to avail their foodgrain entitlements from any Fair Price Shop in the country after biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale devices. This provides freedom to beneficiaries to access PDS benefits from any location if they migrate for work.

Adolescence Education Programme for empowering young people

The Adolescence Education Programme by the Ministry of HRD aims to empower adolescents with accurate information and skills to respond to real-life situations. Interventions include integrating life skills and adolescent health concerns in the curriculum of NIOS, Navodaya Vidyalayas etc. It is coordinated by NCERT with MHRD and UNFPA. The focus is on enabling young people to make informed choices in areas like relationships, reproductive health, drugs etc. Communication skills, decision making, critical thinking are some life skills imparted for better citizenship.

Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana

The Amrabad Tiger Reserve is one of the largest tiger reserves in Telangana, earlier part of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Reserve. The rich biodiversity makes it an important habitat for the Chenchu tribe. In 2017, the endangered Mouse Deer was reintroduced here showing the commitment to wildlife conservation. As per the latest census, there are over 25 Bengal tigers in the reserve. The forest department is taking various steps like camera traps, tracking to monitor and conserve the tiger population here.

Removal of anti-dumping duty on Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) imports

The Finance Minister abolished anti-dumping duty levied on imports of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) which is an important raw material for polyester fibres and PET bottles. PTA usage is increasing across textiles, food & beverages and other industries. Removal of the anti-dumping duty is expected to make PTA cheaper by $30 per 1000 kg enabling domestic manufacturers to source cost-efficient raw material from international markets. However, imports of Mono Ethylene Glycol, another polyester raw material, continues to attract anti-dumping duties.

WHO reports and statistics on cancer incidence in India

The WHO and its agency IARC released reports on World Cancer Day highlighting India’s cancer burden. Key findings show 1.16 million new cases in 2018 with the most common cancers being breast, oral, cervical and lung cancer. The high incidence of tobacco-related cancers in men and cervical cancer in women is associated with lower socioeconomic status. The reports call for action across prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and palliation to deal with the rising cancer cases.

Sustainable Development Fee imposed on Indian tourists visiting Bhutan

The Bhutan government has passed legislation imposing a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of Rs.1,200 per day on tourists from India, Bangladesh and Maldives. The SDF aims to raise funds to assist the government in sustaining infrastructure and services affected by rising tourism. Bhutan attracts Indian travelers due to its natural beauty, cultural heritage and visa-free entry. But surging visitors has led to pressure on its ecology. The SDF can help ensure tourism expands responsibly.

Defence Expo 2020 being organised in India

DefExpo 2020 is a flagship event of the Ministry of Defence focusing on the defense manufacturing ecosystem. It brings together private/public defense companies and aims to promote India as an emerging hub for defense manufacturing. It is expected to see participation from over 160 Indian and foreign firms. The theme is ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’ highlighting integration of new technologies like AI, big data, robotics. The Expo will also showcase land, air and naval systems developed by DRDO & production houses like HAL, BEL.

Draft notification on banning Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifiers

The Environment Ministry has issued a draft notification to prohibit use of reverse osmosis (RO) water purifiers where Total Dissolved Solids in water are below 500 mg per litre. RO leads to wastage of water during purification. The move aims to regulate the usage of RO systems based on water quality so that only contaminated water gets purified. BIS and CPCB will develop standards for RO devices ensuring optimal water recovery and consumption norms. This follows NGT direction to regulate ROs as drinking water supply meets potable standards in many areas.

Declaration of public health emergency due to coronavirus outbreak

The World Health Organisation has declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. This signals a situation that is serious, sudden and requires immediate global action as it poses health risks beyond China where the virus originated. Under International Health Regulations, countries have a legal duty to respond and notify WHO of any outbreak domestically or internationally. WHO recommends actions to prevent/reduce spread like surveillance, tracing contacts, sharing virus data. This is the 6th PHEIC since 2009.

Launch of Terminator Tape by Tethers Unlimited to tackle problem of space debris

Start-up Tethers Unlimited has developed ‘Terminator Tape’ to de-orbit defunct satellites and address space debris, which poses dangers for operational missions. It is a small module that deploys a long electrically conductive tape to create drag and quickly pull down satellites post-mission. The tape interacts with ions in space plasma increasing friction. The company will test performance though DRAGRACER experiment satellite comparing deorbit with/without tape. This lightweight, low-cost solution can aid satellite operators in responsible post-mission disposal.