9 PM Current Affairs Brief – January 17, 2018

Online degree in non-tech courses  Context The Centre would soon finalise regulations enabling universities with high National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) scores to offer degree, certificate and diploma courses for non-technical subjects in online mode Eligibility criteria Only institutions with a NAAC grade of A plus and A plus plus – meaning, a NAAC… Continue reading Online degree in non-tech courses 

Water scarcity may hit thermal power  Context New report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) Findings of the report Risk of outages to Thermal power plants: India’s thermal power plants, about 90% of which rely on fresh water for cooling, risk facing serious outages because of shortage of water Shutdowns: Between 2013 and 2016, 14… Continue reading Water scarcity may hit thermal power 

Govt holds firm on disability pensions  Context The Defence Ministry has no proposal to withdraw pending appeals against disability pensions and benefits. This was conveyed by Defence Minister NirmalaSitharaman in a letter to RajyaSabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar Background Former Defence Minister ManoharParrikar had attempted to reduce litigations against veterans and serving personnel and had appointed… Continue reading Govt holds firm on disability pensions 

1.2 lakh fewer deaths in under-5 category in 2016  Context Figures from the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) Findings Sharpest decline in U5 mortality rate: India has posted its sharpest, year-on-year decline in the under-5 infant mortality rate (u5) since 2010. The u5, at 39 deaths per 1,000 live births, recorded a 5-point decline from the… Continue reading 1.2 lakh fewer deaths in under-5 category in 2016 

36% rural youth cant name India’s capital, finds survey  Context 2017 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Focus of the survey The survey looks ‘Beyond Basics’, exploring a wider set of domains beyond foundational reading and arithmetic in an attempt to throw light on the status and abilities of youth in this age group.” What… Continue reading 36% rural youth cant name India’s capital, finds survey 

Megalithic-era sarcophagus unearthed in Kerala  Context A rare sarcophagus (stone coffin), said to be 2,000-year old from the Iron Age–Megalithic era, was discovered from a rock-cut cave at Viyur village of Kollam, near Koyilandy, in Kozhikode district on Monday Man or woman The bone fragments could be of either a man or a woman Carbon… Continue reading Megalithic-era sarcophagus unearthed in Kerala 

Goa plea against Mahadayi dams misleading: Karnataka Context Terming the Goa submission challenging Karnataka’s trans-basin diversion of Mahadayi waters into the Malaprabha reservoir as “misleading and contradictory”, State Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil said water has been shared with Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra from the Krishna basin by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) in… Continue reading Goa plea against Mahadayi dams misleading: Karnataka

Haj subsidies to be phased out: Naqvi  Context Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday announced the Centre would phase out subsidies for the annual Haj pilgrimage, two months after his Ministry had taken the decision. Dignity without appeasement It is part of the Modi government’s efforts to empower minorities with dignity… Continue reading Haj subsidies to be phased out: Naqvi 

Colour-coded passports draw flak in Kerala  Context The Central government’s decision to issue orange colour passports to persons requiring emigration check has evoked an angry reaction from leaders and organisations cutting across political lines in Kerala. Says Central govt decision is discriminatory and violative of human rights In a Facebook post, the Chief Minister said… Continue reading Colour-coded passports draw flak in Kerala 

Govt to revisit Malimath report  Context A 2003 report of a Committee on reforms in the criminal justice system that recommended admissibility of confessions made before a police officer as evidence in a court of law is being revisited by the Centre, a senior government official said. The Malimath panel had made 158 recommendations but these… Continue reading Govt to revisit Malimath report 

Rohingya refugees to return in 2 years  Context Bangladesh and Myanmar  have agreed to repatriate 650,000 Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar’s crisis-hit Rakhine province, in two years, according to an agreement signed between the two countries. Bangladesh, Myanmar sign deal The countries held the first meeting of a joint working group on the issue in… Continue reading Rohingya refugees to return in 2 years 

US deported 460 Indians in 2017  Context Tougher implementation of immigration laws in the U.S in the first year of Donald Trump presidency has resulted in 30 percent increase in arrests, compared to the previous year, but deportations have come down. While the overall number of undocumented people deported from the U.S in 2017 decreased… Continue reading US deported 460 Indians in 2017 

No rohingya entry since 2014  Context Minister of State for Home KirenRijiju said on Tuesday that no Rohingya entered India since 2014 after the BharatiyaJanata Party government came to power. Sharp decline in insurgency-related incidents in Northeast, says Rijiju Mr.Rijiju also said that insurgency-related incidents in the Northeast had come down to 308 in 2017,… Continue reading No rohingya entry since 2014 

Open trafficking  Context Employment opportunities should be created in Nepal to prevent cross-border trafficking between Nepal and India What Following the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that human trafficking from Nepal to India witnessed “a three-fold jump” The SashastraSeemaBal (SSB) reported that most of the victims were minors, with girls and… Continue reading Open trafficking 

The people connection  Context Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accompanied on his visit to India by a large delegation drawn from the defence, cyber, and agricultural sectors; he intends to boost trade, investment, and tourism between the two nations. Young Israelis visit India in huge numbers each year, forging a stronger acquaintance This year,… Continue reading The people connection 

Australia seeks rescue ideas for reef  Context Australia is calling on the world’s top scientific minds to help save the Great Barrier Reef, offering hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund research into protecting the world’s largest living structure. Factors damaging Coral Reef Coral bleaching Farming runoff Development Predatory crown-of-thorns starfish Fund announced Australian government… Continue reading Australia seeks rescue ideas for reef 

Centre to seek comments on farm export policy draft  Context The Commerce Ministry will soon put out a draft Agricultural Export Policy for comments from the public, according to a senior official. Policy aims to boost produce shipments, value addition’ The proposed policy, which aims to boost shipments of farm items by identifying niche products… Continue reading Centre to seek comments on farm export policy draft 

Following the grain trail Context Many States have initiated ‘reforms’ of the public distribution system that are hurting millions of people India’s public distribution system (PDS) is in danger of being derailed in several States across the country. Biometric mix-ups: Jharkhand Jharkhand is a prime example of this problem Specific Reforms were undertaken By mid-2016,… Continue reading Following the grain trail