9 PM Current Affairs Brief – 20th November, 2017

New J&K surrender policy to target local militants Context The Army and the J&K Police, in a joint appeal asked all local militants to give up arms and assured them “full cooperation” to join the mainstream under the fresh surrender policy framed by the government as over 130 local militants are still active in the… Continue reading New J&K surrender policy to target local militants

Making caste slur on SC/ST over phone an offence, says SC Context The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that using casteist remarks over phone in a public place against the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe category will amounts to criminal offence, warranting a jail of a maximum five years. What was the case? The SC… Continue reading Making caste slur on SC/ST over phone an offence, says SC

SC lets kin join terminally-ill Ukrainian prisoner Context: The Supreme Court allowed a prayer by a terminally-ill Ukranian prisoner in Chennai that his fundamental right to life includes the right to die with dignity in the company of family members. Introduction: A Bench led by Chief Justice of India  Dipak Misra has allowed the wife… Continue reading SC lets kin join terminally-ill Ukrainian prisoner

Pacific oceans’ 11 Context The US abandoned the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) following the Paris accord and Iran nuclear deal have raised suspicions about American commitment to well-negotiated treaties What led to the formation of the CPTPP? The United States solely contributed 60% of the combined Gross Domestic Product of the 12 members of the… Continue reading Pacific oceans’ 11

Next Door Nepal: Whose dam is it, anyway? Context: The Nepal government recently decided to annul the 1200-MW Budhi Gandaki Hydro project contract awarded to the Chinese firm Gejuwa, citing lack of transparency. Introduction: The annulment of the contract three weeks prior to the formation of the new government, expectedly, has triggered a debate. In… Continue reading Next Door Nepal: Whose dam is it, anyway?

How succulents survive without water decoded Context: According to scientists, drought- resistant plants such as cacti and succulents make use of an enhanced form of photosynthesis to minimize water loss. Introduction: The research, published in journal “the Plant Cell”, could be used to help produce new crops that can thrive in previously inhospitable, hot and… Continue reading How succulents survive without water decoded

Before 2020 Friction over finances forced the Bonn conference to stretch more than half-a-day beyond its scheduled closing date. The CoP 23 declaration did finally mention financial and technology transfers. But that is, at best, a procedural victory for the developing countries. Context: The 23rd Conference of Parties (CoP) of the United Nations Framework Convention… Continue reading Before 2020

BS-VI emission norms for vehicles: So near and yet so far, here is why Context: Recently, the Union Petroleum Ministry decided to advance the introduction of BS-IV grade petrol and diesel in Delhi by two years to April 2018 in order to fight against air pollution. Introduction: The attempt was to leapfrog one stage-BS-V- altogether,… Continue reading BS-VI emission norms for vehicles: So near and yet so far, here is why

‘Wilful defaulters must not buy IBC assets’ Context To ensure the success of the bankruptcy process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the Finance Ministry has asked banks to be vigilant to ensure that wilful defaulters are prevented from buying stressed assets What is the present scenario? As many as 12 accounts, each having… Continue reading ‘Wilful defaulters must not buy IBC assets’

RBI to launch multimedia campaign Context The Reserve Bank is planning to launch a full-fledged multimedia and multilingual campaign to create general awareness among citizens of its regulations and initiatives. What is the campaign about? The campaign will be in 14 languages such as Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil,… Continue reading RBI to launch multimedia campaign

Over 200 govt. websites made Aadhaar details public: UIDAI Context More than 200 Central and State government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries The Aadhaar-issuing body had however taken note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites What happened? It was found that approximately… Continue reading Over 200 govt. websites made Aadhaar details public: UIDAI

In Fact: Ratings upgrade lifts mood, but key economic tasks remain(Indian Express) Context: Historically Global credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s has not been soft on India, but recently India’s credit rating has been upgraded. What are the ratings based on? The ratings are based on: economic growth and prospects; the ability to… Continue reading In Fact: Ratings upgrade lifts mood, but key economic tasks remain