{"id":54343,"date":"2020-01-11T21:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-01-11T15:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?p=54343"},"modified":"2020-02-26T16:49:45","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T11:19:45","slug":"auto-draft-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/auto-draft-14\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 January 11th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/fact-check-a-giant-fish-is-declared-extinct-how-do-scientists-conclude-that-6210520\/\">A\nGiant fish is declared extinct \u2014 how do scientists conclude that?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Chinese researchers, based on the Red List criteria of the\nInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have concluded that\nChinese Paddlefish is extinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Chinese paddlefish, also known\nas the Chinese swordfish lived in Yangtze River in China. It dated back from\n200 million years.<\/li><li>The researchers estimate that\nit became functionally extinct by 1993, and extinct sometime between 2005 and 2010.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Categories\nof Extinction by IUCN:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Extinct in the wild:<\/strong> a species survives\nonly in a captive environment <\/li><li><strong>Locally extinct<\/strong>: species has ceased to\nexist in a particular area but may exist in other areas. <\/li><li><strong>Functionally extinct<\/strong>: the species\ncontinues to exist but it has too few members to enable to reproduce\nmeaningfully enough to ensure survival. <\/li><li><strong>Globally extinct<\/strong>: a species has no\nsurviving member anywhere.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsonair.com\/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=377543\">Home Minister\nAmit Shah dedicates National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to nation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News<\/strong>: Union Minister for Home Affairs inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime\nCoordination Centre (I4C) and also dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting\nPortal to the Nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Indian\nCyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was approved in 2018 to\ncombat cybercrime in India in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. <\/li><li>It functions under the Ministry\nof Home Affairs. It is located in New Delhi<\/li><li>It has seven components like\nthe National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit, National Cybercrime Reporting\nPortal and National Cybercrime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem etc.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National\nCyber Crime Reporting Portal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is a citizen-centric\ninitiative that will enable citizens to report cybercrimes online through the\nportal. <\/li><li>All the cybercrime related\ncomplaints will be accessed by the concerned law enforcement agencies in the\nStates and Union Territories for taking action as per law.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Cyber Swachhta Kendra<\/strong> (Botnet Cleaning\nand Malware Analysis Centre): It provides for the detection of malicious\nprograms and free tools to remove such programs.<\/li><li><strong>Cyber Surakshit Bharat Yojana<\/strong>: It was\nlaunched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in association\nwith National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and private players. It includes\nawareness programs on cyber security; workshops on best practices and\nenablement of the officials with cyber security health tool kits.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsonair.com\/News?title=Nari-Shakti-Puraskar-2019-to-be-conferred-on-March-8&amp;id=377284\">Nari\nShakti Puraskar 2019 to be conferred on March 8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Nari Shakti Puraskar will be conferred on the 8th of March on the\noccasion of International Women\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNari Shakti Puraskar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is conferred on eminent\nwomen and institutions rendering distinguished service to the cause of women.<\/li><li>The award was instituted by Ministry\nof Women &amp; Child Development in 1999. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>International\nWomen\u2019s Day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>During International Women\u2019s\nYear 1975, United Nations designated 8<sup>th<\/sup> March to be celebrated as International\nWomen\u2019s Day (IWD) every year. <\/li><li><strong>2020 Theme<\/strong>: #IWD2020 #EachforEqual.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Women\nand Sustainable Development Goals<\/strong>: SDG 5: Achieve\ngender equality and empower all women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>UN\nEntity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is the United Nations entity\ndedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.<\/li><li>It was established in July 2010\nand is headquartered in New York, USA<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/climate-news-aggregator-launches-dashboard-to-track-progress-of-air-pollution-management-plan-6210750\/\">Climate\nnews aggregator launches dashboard to track progress of air pollution\nmanagement plan<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Climate and energy news aggregator, http:\/\/www.carboncopy.info, has\nlaunched a dashboard \u2014 ncap.carboncopy.info \u2014 to track the progress of National\nClean Air Programme (NCAP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>National Clean Air Programme\n(NCAP) was launched in 2019 by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate\nChange (MoEFCC). It is a five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year.<\/li><li><strong>Aim:<\/strong> prevention, control and abatement\nof air pollution in India. <\/li><li><strong>Target:<\/strong> 20%\u201330% reduction of PM2.5a and\nPM10 concentration by 2024, taking 2017 as the base year for the comparison of\nconcentration.<\/li><li><strong>Coverage:<\/strong> 122 non-attainment cities\nidentified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their\nambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The NCAP requires cities to\ncome up with city-specific plans for increasing the number of monitoring\nstations, providing technology support, conducting source apportionment\nstudies, and strengthening enforcement.<\/li><li>The cities are required to\nimplement specific measures in a time-bound manner. Example: ensuring roads are\npothole-free to improve traffic flow and thereby reduce dust (within 60 days).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Non-attainment\ncities<\/strong> are those which have been consistently\nshowing poorer air quality than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards\n(NAAQS). Example: Delhi, Varanasi, Bhopal etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NAAQS:\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>These are the standards for\nambient air quality set by CPCB. Ambient air quality refers to the condition or\nquality of outdoor air.<\/li><li>12 Pollutants covered under\nNAAQS are: Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, PM10, PM2.5, Ozone, Lead, Carbon\nmonoxide, Ammonia, Benzene, Benzo (a) Pyrene (BaP) &#8211; particulate phase only, Arsenic,\nand Nickel.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Air\nQuality Index (AQI): <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The AQI classifies air quality\nof a day considering criteria pollutants through colour codes and air quality\ndescriptor. Further, it also links air quality with likely human health\nimpacts. <\/li><li>The index measures eight major\npollutants, namely, particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide,\nsulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia and lead.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/newsonair.nic.in\/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=377525\">Union Power\nMinister releases State Energy Efficiency Index 2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Ministry of Power released State Energy Efficiency Index 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nState Energy Efficiency Index<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It tracks the progress of\nEnergy Efficiency (EE) initiatives in 36 states and union territories based on\n97 significant indicators. It was first released in 2018.<\/li><li>It is developed by Bureau of\nEnergy Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an Energy Efficient\nEconomy (AEEE).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Objectives:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Help drive energy efficiency\npolicies and program implementation at the state and local level.<\/li><li>Track progress in managing the\nstates\u2019 and India\u2019s energy footprint.<\/li><li>Institutionalise data capture\nand monitoring of energy efficiency activities by states<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Recommendation\nput forward for States in the State Energy Efficiency Index 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Proactive role by states in\npolicy formulation and implementation<\/li><li>Strengthen the mechanism for\ndata capture, management and public availability of data<\/li><li>Enhance the credibility of\nEnergy Efficiency(EE) schemes<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additional Information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Initiatives to Promote Energy\nConservation and Energy Efficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Standards and Labelling: <\/strong>The BEE initiated the Standards and Labelling programme for\nequipment and appliances in 2006. It provides consumer knowledge about the\nenergy efficiency of appliances through a star rating.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Energy Conservation Building\nCodes (ECBC): <\/strong>It was launched by the Ministry of\nPower in 2007.It sets minimum energy standards for new commercial\nbuildings.<\/li><li><strong>National Mission for\nEnhanced Energy Efficiency<\/strong> (NMEEE): It is one of\nthe eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It\naims to strengthen the market for energy efficiency by creating a conducive\nregulatory and policy regime.<\/li><li><strong>Perform Achieve and Trade\nScheme (PAT)<\/strong>:&nbsp; The scheme provides the option\nto trade any additional certified energy savings with other designated\nconsumers to comply with the Specific Energy Consumption reduction targets.<\/li><li><strong>Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY):<\/strong> It is a PPP program comprising of BEE, Distribution Companies\n(DISCOMs) and private investors. It seeks to accelerate market transformation\nin energy-efficient lighting.&nbsp;<\/li><li><strong>Unnat Jyoti by Affordable\nLEDs for All (UJALA) scheme<\/strong>: It seeks to promote\nefficient lighting and enhance awareness on using efficient equipment.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bureau\nof Energy Efficiency (BEE)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The BEE is a statutory body\nunder the Ministry of Power. It was set up under the provisions of Energy\nConservation Act, 2001.<\/li><li>Its mission is to assist in\ndeveloping policies with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of\nthe Indian Economy.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1599007\"><strong>Purvodaya:Accelerated\ndevelopment of Eastern India through an Integrated Steel Hub<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Ministry\nof steel in partnership with CII and JPC is organising the launch of\nPurvodaya-Accelerated Development of Eastern Region through an Integrated Steel\nhub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Background:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Eastern region of India though\nextremely rich in resources lags behind other states in terms of development.<\/li><li>Hence,the Integrated Steel Hub was\nlaunched in Eastern states of India as it collectively hold ~80% of the\ncountry\u2019s iron ore, ~100% of coking coal and significant portion of chromite,\nbauxite and dolomite reserves.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nIntegrated Steel Hub:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The initiative aims at developing\nthe eastern states through an integrated steel hub.<\/li><li>The proposed Integrated Steel Hub\nwould encompass the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and\nNorthern Andhra Pradesh.<\/li><li>The hub would enable swift capacity\naddition and improve overall competitiveness of steel producers both in terms\nof cost and quality.&nbsp;<\/li><li>In addition to increased steel\ncapacity, this hub would also help enhance best-in-class value addition\ncapabilities.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Components:<\/strong>The\nIntegrated Steel Hub would focus on 3 key elements namely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Capacity addition through easing\nthe setup of greenfield steel plants<\/li><li>Development of steel clusters near\nintegrated steel plants as well as demand centres<\/li><li>Transformation of logistics and\nutilities infrastructure which would change the socio-economic landscape in the\nEast.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These elements would be supported\nthrough additional enablers such as ensuring the availability of raw materials,\npresence of supporting industries such as capital goods and well-established\navenues for skill development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Benefits of\nthe Hub:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It would lead to socio-economic\ndevelopment in the Eastern region.<\/li><li>It helps in significant employment\nopportunities across the entire value chain creating over 2.5 Million jobs in\nthe region.<\/li><li>It would also spur development in\nother manufacturing industries across sectors.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/rbi-chalks-out-financial-inclusion-strategy-for-2024\/article30537029.ece\"><strong>RBI\nchalks out financial inclusion strategy for 2024<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>TheReserve Bank of India has released the national strategy for financial\ninclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nstrategy:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The national strategy for financial\ninclusion sets forth the vision and key objectives of financial inclusion\npolicies in India.<\/li><li>It also aims to provide access to\nformal and affordable financial services; broaden and deepen financial\ninclusion and promote financial literacy and consumer protection.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\nfeatures of the strategy:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The strategy has said that wider\nacceptance and the adoption of digital payments will play a key role towards\nfinancial inclusion.<\/li><li>The strategy aims to see that every\nadult had access to a financial service provider through a mobile device by\nMarch 2024.<\/li><li>It has called for increasing\noutreach of banking outlets of scheduled commercial banks among others to\nprovide banking access to every village within a 5 km radius of 500 households\nin hilly areas by March 2020.<\/li><li>It has also set a target that every\nwilling and eligible adult who has been enrolled under the Prime Minister Jan\nDhan Yojana should be enrolled under an insurance scheme and a pension scheme\nby March 2020.<\/li><li>A strong regulatory and legal\nframework is also needed for protecting the interests of the customers,\npromoting fair practices and curbing market manipulations.<\/li><li>It has also suggested in making the\npublic credit registry fully operational by March 2022 so that authorised\nfinancial entities can leverage on the same for assessing credit proposals from\nall citizens.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPublic Credit registry:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Public Credit Registry (PCR) has\nbeen set up by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI).<\/li><li>It refers to an extensive database\nof credit information of borrowers that is accessible to all lending and credit\ndecision-making institutions.<\/li><li>It will be a single point of\nmandatory reporting for all information about each loan notwithstanding any\nthreshold in the loan amount or type of borrower.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana\n(PMJDY) was launched in 2014 with an aim to provide universal access to banking\nfacilities to all households.<\/li><li>The objective of PMJDY is to ensure\naccess to various financial services like (a)availability of basic savings bank\naccount (b)access to need based credit (c)remittances facility (d)insurance and\n(e)pension to weaker sections and low income groups.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/right-to-access-to-internet-a-fundamental-right-sc-on-jk-restrictions-6209407\/\"><strong>Right to\naccess the internet a fundamental right, can\u2019t be curbed arbitrarily: SC on\nJ&amp;K restrictions<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nSupreme Court has ruled that the right to access the internet is a fundamental\nright under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>This ruling came on a petition on\nInternet blockade in Jammu and Kashmir due to revoking of Article 370.<\/li><li>The cases were also related to the\nimpact of the prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 of the Code of\nCriminal Procedure (CrPC) on press freedom.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the judgement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Court on\nSuspension of Internet services:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Supreme Court has directed the\nJammu and Kashmir authorities to review all orders imposing curbs in the Union\nTerritory of Jammu and Kashmir.<\/li><li>The court observed that suspending\nInternet services indefinitely is impermissible under the Temporary Suspension\nof Telecom Services [Public Emergency or Public Service] Rules,2017.<\/li><li>The suspension could be done for\ntemporary duration only and the same is subject to judicial review.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Court on\nFreedom of Speech and expression:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The apex court observed that the\nFreedom of speech and expression includes right to internet within Article 19\nof the Constitution.<\/li><li>Hence,the restrictions on\nfundamental rights cannot be done by an arbitrary exercise of powers.It should\nfollow the principles of the doctrine of proportionality under Article 19(2).<\/li><li>The doctrine of Proportionality\npostulates that the nature and extent of the State\u2019s interference with the\nexercise of a right must be proportionate to the goal it seeks to achieve.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Court on\nSection 144:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The court said that Section 144\ncannot be used to suppress the legitimate expression of opinion or grievance or\nthe exercise of democratic rights<\/li><li>The imposition of Section 144 must\nstrike a balance between the rights of the individual and the concerns of the\nstate.<\/li><li>Further,the powers under Section\n144 should be exercised in a reasonable and bona fide manner and the order must\nstate material facts in order to enable judicial review.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nArticle 19:<\/strong>Article 19 of the Constitution lists the\nfollowing as fundamental rights under the Protection of certain rights.It says\nall citizens shall have the right:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>to freedom of speech and\nexpression;<\/li><li>to assemble peaceably and without\narms;<\/li><li>to form associations or unions;<\/li><li>to move freely throughout the\nterritory of India;<\/li><li>to reside and settle in any part of\nthe territory of India; and<\/li><li>to practise any profession or to\ncarry on any occupation, trade or business.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Restrictions\nunder Article 19:<\/strong>The only restrictions which may be\nimposed are those mentioned in clause (2) of Article 19.These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>the interests of the sovereignty\nand integrity of India,<\/li><li>the security of the State,<\/li><li>friendly relations with foreign\nStates,<\/li><li>public order, decency or morality<\/li><li>in relation to contempt of court,\ndefamation or<\/li><li>incitement to an offence.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSection 144:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Section 144 of the Criminal\nProcedure Code(CrPC) of 1973 authorizes the Executive Magistrate of any state\nor territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people\nin an area.<\/li><li>It is imposed in urgent cases of\nnuisance or apprehended danger of some event that has the potential to cause\ntrouble or damage to human life or property.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/3-indian-cities-named-world-s-fastest-growing-cities-list-economist-survey\/story-PMBjsTajhGgXc5J85CThjM.html\"><strong>3 Indian\ncities under world\u2019s 10 fastest growing cities:\u2009Economist Intelligence Unit<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nEconomist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released a survey on the world&#8217;s\nfastest-growing urban areas in the World.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nsurvey:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The survey was based on the United Nations(UN)\nPopulations data.<\/li><li>The survey has defined urban area\nas (a)All places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board among\nothers (b) Areas with a minimum population of 5,000 (c) Areas where at least\n75% male working population are engaged in non-agriculture work and (d) Areas\nwith a population density of 400 persons\/sq.km.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the survey:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The three cities namely Malappuram,\nKozhikode and Kollam from Kerala were the only places from India to feature in\nthe top 10.<\/li><li>Malappuram occupied the top spot in\nthe world rankings.Further, Kozhikode occupied the fourth spot and Kollam was\nat tenth spot.<\/li><li>The top 10 list also figures cities\nfrom outside India including three cities from China, one each from Nigeria,\nOman, UAE and Vietnam.<\/li><li>Other Indian cities that made the\nlist were Thrissur in Kerala at 13th position, Gujarat&#8217;s Surat at 26 and Tamil\nNadu&#8217;s Tiruppur is at 30.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nEconomist Intelligence Unit(EIU):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Economist Intelligence Unit\n(EIU) was created in 1946.It is the research and analysis division of The\nEconomist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/sbi-announces-residential-builder-finance-with-buyer-guarantee-scheme\/articleshow\/73162156.cms\"><strong>SBI\nannounces &#8216;residential builder finance with buyer guarantee&#8217; scheme<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>State\nBank of India (SBI) has announced a &#8216;residential builder finance with buyer\nguarantee&#8217; (RBBG) scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the scheme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The scheme aims to give a push to\nresidential sales and improve home buyers confidence.<\/li><li>Under this scheme,the SBI will\nissue a guarantee for completion of select residential projects to customers\nwho have availed home loans from it.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The scheme will focus on affordable\nhousing projects priced up to 2.50 crore rupees in 10 cities initially.<\/li><li>The guarantee would be given by the\nbank till the project gets the occupation certificate(OC).<\/li><li>However, the guarantee will be\navailable only for RERA registered projects and a project will be considered\nstuck after it crosses the RERA deadline.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Real\nEstate (Regulation and Development) Act(RERA),2016:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Real Estate (Regulation and\nDevelopment) Act(RERA),2016 seeks to regulate the real estate sector.It seeks\nto empower and protect property consumers and make transactions fair and\ntransparent.<\/li><li>The act establishes Real Estate\nRegulatory Authority(RERA) in each state for regulation of the real estate\nsector and also acts as an adjudicating body for speedy dispute resolution.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/01\/10\/indias-oil-demand-growth-set-to-overtake-china-by-mid-2020s-iea-says.html\"><strong>India\u2019s\noil demand growth is set to overtake China by mid-2020s: IEA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nInternational Energy Agency(IEA) has released the India\u2019s Energy Policy Report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nreport:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The report has been prepared by the\nInternational Energy Agency(IEA) in collaboration with NITI Aayog.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The report aims to assist the\ngovernment in meeting its energy policy objectives by setting out a range of\nrecommendations in each area with a focus on energy system transformation,\nenergy security and energy affordability.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the report:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Global Oil\nConsumption:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India ranks third in terms of global\noil consumption after China and the United States.It ships over 80% of its oil\nneeds of which 65% is from West Asia through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/li><li>The oil demand of India will\novertake China by mid-2020.The Oil demand will reach 6 million barrels per day\nby 2024.It was 4.4 million barrels per day in 2017.<\/li><li>Hence,it will make India more\nvulnerable to supply disruption in the middle east.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Refinery\ninvestments:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India is the fourth largest oil\nrefiner in the world.The products mainly include diesel and gasoline.<\/li><li>The report said that India\u2019s plan\nof increasing its refining capacity to 8 million barrels per day by 2025 will\nmake India an attractive market for investment in the refinery sector.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Strategic\nreserves:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The IEA also coordinates release of\nstrategic petroleum reserves(SPR) among developed countries in times of\nemergency.<\/li><li>The report has insisted that India\nshould expand its strategic oil reserves.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nStrategic Oil reserves:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Strategic oil reserves are\nstockpiles of crude oil maintained by countries or private industries.They are\nmeant to tackle emergency situations to counter short-term supply disruptions.<\/li><li>Under Phase I,India has built\nStrategic oil reserves at Mangalore (Karnataka), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)\nand Padur (Karnataka).<\/li><li>These reserves can store 5.33\nMT(million tonnes) of emergency storage to meet India\u2019s oil needs for 9.5 days.<\/li><li>In Phase-II,India plans to build an\nadditional 6.5 million tonne facilities at Chandikhol(Odisha) and\nPadur(Karnataka) which is expected to add the emergency cover against any oil\nsupply disruption by another 11.5 days.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/news\/politics\/andhra-pradesh-cm-jagan-mohan-reddy-launches-amma-vodi-scheme-all-you-need-to-know-2452389.html\"><strong>Andhra\nPradesh CM Launches Amma Vodi Scheme<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Andhra\nPradesh Chief Minister has launched the flagship \u2018Amma Vodi\u2019 scheme\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About \u2018Amma\nVodi\u2019 scheme\u2019:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The scheme aims to provide direct\nfinancial assistance annually to poor and financially weak mothers or guardians\nto support them in educating their children.<\/li><li>Under the scheme,the students\nbelonging to Below Poverty Line and students studying in classes I to XII will\nget Rs 15,000 per annum.<\/li><li>However,the guardian or mother of\nthe child should ensure 75% attendance of the child.<\/li><li>The scheme will be applicable for\nall the government, private aided, private unaided schools\/junior colleges.It\nwill also include residential schools and colleges in the state.<\/li><li>But the scheme is not applicable to\ndropouts from school or colleges. Government employees and income taxpayers are\nalso not eligible for the scheme.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Significance\nof the scheme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Amma Vodi scheme is the\nfirst-of-its-kind scheme in the country, which is aimed at bringing significant\nchanges in the education system of Andhra Pradesh.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1599039\"><strong>23rd\nNational Youth Festival<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Ministry\nof Youth Affairs and Sports and State Government of Uttar Pradesh are jointly\norganizing 23rd National Youth Festival (NYF) 2020 at Lucknow,UP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNational Youth Festival:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The National Youth Festival in\nIndia is an annual gathering of youth with various activities including\ncompetitive ones.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The festival is being conducted\nsince the year 1995.It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of\nSwami Vivekananda.<\/li><li>The objective of the festival is to\nprovide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to\nprovide them the opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.<\/li><li>It is organized by the Ministry of\nYouth Affairs and Sports, Government of India in collaboration with one of the\nState Governments.<\/li><li>The theme of the 23rd National\nYouth Festival 2020 is \u2018FIT YOUTH FIT INDIA\u2019.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/this-word-means-coronavirus-6210554\/\"><strong>This word\nmeans: Coronavirus<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Scientist\nhas said that the mysterious respiratory illness that has affected dozens of\npeople in a Chinese city may be caused by a new coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nCoronavirus:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A coronavirus is a common form of\nvirus that typically causes upper-respiratory tract illness.The infections can\nrange from common cold to others causing severe respiratory and intestinal\ndiseases.<\/li><li>Human coronaviruses(HCoV) were\nfirst identified in the 1960s in the noses of patients with the common cold.<\/li><li>There are six different kinds of\ncoronavirus which are known to infect humans.Four of these are common and most\npeople will experience at least one of them at some time in their life.<\/li><li>The two other types causes SARS and\nMiddle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) which are less common but far more\ndeadly.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Symptoms:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The common human coronaviruses\nusually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses like the\ncommon cold.<\/li><li>However,other human coronaviruses\nsuch as MERS and SARS have known to cause severe symptoms such as cough, fever,\nshortness of breath which often lead to pneumonia.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Transmission:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>These viruses can be spread from an\ninfected person to others through the air by coughing or sneezing, close\npersonal contact like shaking hands and touching an object or surface with the\nvirus on it.However,it rarely spread through faecal contamination.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Treatment:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>There are no specific treatments\nfor illnesses or diseases caused by coronaviruses which means there is no cure\nfor a coronavirus infection.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsonair.com\/News?title=Citizens-can-soon-file-grievances-on-CPGRAMS-portal-in-Indian-languages&amp;id=377545\"><strong>Citizens\ncan soon file grievances on CPGRAMS portal in Indian languages<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>During\nDARPG Hackathon,Minister of Personnel,Public Grievances and Pensions has said\nthat citizens can soon lodge their grievances on the CPGRAMS portal in Indian\nlanguages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About DARPG\nHackathon:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Department of Administrative\nReforms and Public Grievances under&nbsp; Ministry of Personnel, Public\nGrievances &amp; Pensions is conducting an Online Hackathon for inviting\ninnovative solutions for the Citizen Grievance Redressal Mechanism.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The basic objective of the\nhackathon is to provide technology driven solutions to improve the grievance\nredressal mechanism in the country.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nCPGRAMS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Centralized Public Grievance\nRedress And Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is an online web-enabled system.<\/li><li>The platform primarily aims to\nenable submission of grievances by the aggrieved citizens to Ministries or\ndepartments who scrutinize and take action for speedy and favorable redress of\nthese grievances.<\/li><li>The platform has been developed by\nthe National Informatics Centre in association with Directorate of Public\nGrievances(DPG) and Department of Administrative Reforms and Public\nGrievances(DARPG).<\/li><li>The procedure involves designating\na senior officer as the Director of Grievances\/Grievance officer in every\noffice to ensure that the system remains accessible and fixing the time limit\nfor disposal of work relating to public grievances and staff grievances.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Giant fish is declared extinct \u2014 how do scientists conclude that? News: Chinese researchers, based on the Red List criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), have concluded that Chinese Paddlefish is extinct. Facts: Chinese paddlefish, also known as the Chinese swordfish lived in Yangtze River in China. It dated back&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/auto-draft-14\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 January 11th, 2020<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":48116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-brief","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/9-PM-Brief.png?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704944894},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}