9 PM Current Affairs Brief – January 29, 2019

Obesity, Under-Nutrition, climate change are interrelated pandemics: Lancet Report News According to the Global Syndemic of Obesity, undernutrition, and Climate Change: The Lancet Commission Report, the pandemics of obesity, undernutrition and climate change are interrelated. Important facts The report terms the interplay of obesity, undernutrition and climate change The Global Syndemic stating that this is the greatest… Continue reading Obesity, Under-Nutrition, climate change are interrelated pandemics: Lancet Report

Leprosy on rise, Bihar may see all-time high of 50,000 new cases this year News Initial reports of a survey conducted under Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC) of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) suggests nearly 50,000 new leprosy cases among SC communities in Bihar. Important facts Leprosy cases in Bihar had a prevalence rate… Continue reading Leprosy on rise, Bihar may see all-time high of 50,000 new cases this year

Non-communicable diseases top killers in South-East Asia: WHO News According to World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continue to be one of major reasons for death worldwide. Important facts Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, are collectively responsible for over 70% of all deaths worldwide. 15 million people die prematurely, aged… Continue reading Non-communicable diseases top killers in South-East Asia: WHO

US Taliban Peace Agreement negotiation Issue: Currently US and Taliban are engaged in Doha rounds of talk for negotiation of peace agreement Broad Contours of Framework for peace agreement between US and Taliban: Afghanistan should not be used as ground for terrorist attack on US and its allies Direct talk between Afghan Government and Taliban… Continue reading US Taliban Peace Agreement negotiation

A quiet but decisive shift in India’s foreign policy News: The article discusses the change Indian foreign policy has experienced from non-alignment to issue based alignment. Facts: Implying a significant shift in foreign policy, foreign secretary during the 2019 Raisina Dialogue remarked that “India has moved on from its non-aligned past and today is an… Continue reading A quiet but decisive shift in Indian foreign policy

India must build the capacity to make its G20 presidency in the future a success News: India will be the host to G20 in 2022 and needs to prepare for the event. Facts: The G20 leaders-level dialogue came into being during the western financial crisis of 2008. In 2022, India will be host to the… Continue reading India must build the capacity to make its G20 presidency in the future a success

Why internet addiction is worse than drugs Issue: Internet Addiction cases on rise and becoming public health concern About Internet Addiction: Characterized by a loss of control over internet use and disregard for the consequences of it Affects up to 8% of Americans and is becoming more common around the world Becoming public health concern… Continue reading Why internet addiction is worse than drugs

Investment over subsidies News: The article analyses agrarian crisis and the proposed solution of universal basic income (UBI). Facts: A removal of all agricultural subsidies, ranging from fertilizer to those on interest, water and power, and distributing the savings among most of the rural population through UBI is being proposed as a solution to rural… Continue reading Investment over subsidies

E-commerce games Issue: India decided to stay out of the WTO e-commerce negotiations announced by about 75 members at the World Economic Forum in Davos  Negotiation agendas: Free flow of data located on computer servers without data localization requirements Permanent moratorium on customs duties Non-disclosure of source code Prohibition of forced technology transfer Reasons for… Continue reading E-commerce games

Income transfer can ease farm distress Issue: For more than 15 years the farmers have been struggling to get adequate income mainly due to increased cost of cultivation and un-remunerative prices in the market Problems with Loan Waiver (LW) Scheme: Loan Waiver Scheme cover less than one-third of total farmers which could be inferred from… Continue reading Income transfer can ease farm distress