{"id":54362,"date":"2020-01-14T21:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T15:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?p=54362"},"modified":"2020-02-26T16:56:57","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T11:26:57","slug":"9-pm-current-affairs-brief-january-14th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-january-14th-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 January 14th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/maharashtra-gujarat-lag-behind-in-compensation-for-sewer-deaths\/article30559790.ece\">Maharashtra,\nGujarat lag behind in compensation for sewer deaths<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> According to data from the National Commission for Safai\nKaramcharis (NCSK), of the 926 sewer deaths, families of 172 victims are yet to\nreceive compensation. Gujarat and Maharashtra lag behind the most in\ncompensation for sewer deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Manual\nscavenging<\/strong>: It is the practice of manually\ncleaning, carrying, disposing of, or handling human excreta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Indian Government efforts to end Manual\nScavenging:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their\n Rehabilitation Act 2013<\/strong><ul><li>It seeks to eliminate insanitary latrines and prohibit\n employment as manual scavengers. It also prohibits hazardous manual\n cleaning of sewer and septic tanks.<\/li><li>It made the states responsible for identifying and\n rehabilitating manual scavengers by providing them training, giving\n assistance, loans and even houses.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers\n (SRMS)<\/strong> <ul><li>It aims to rehabilitate manual scavengers and their dependents\n in alternative occupations, in a time bound manner. <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Swachh Bharat Abhiyan<\/strong>: It has\n fourfold aim:<ul><li>To eliminate open defecation<\/li><li>To eradicate manual scavenging<\/li><li>To bring in modern and scientific municipal solid waste\n management<\/li><li>Behavioural change regarding healthy sanitation practices <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National\nCommission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It acts as a Non-Statutory body\nof the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment whose tenure is extended from\ntime to time through Government Resolutions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Functions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Recommend government regarding\nspecific programmes for welfare of Safai Karamcharis<\/li><li>Monitor the implementation of Prohibition\nof Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/lifestyle\/health\/govt-publishes-policy-for-treatment-of-rare-diseases-6215224\/\"><strong>Govt\npublishes policy for treatment of rare diseases<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare published a national\npolicy for treatment of rare diseases, listing 450 diseases as rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rare\nDisease:<\/strong> It is a health condition of low prevalence\nthat affects a small number of people compared with other prevalent diseases in\nthe general population. Example: Haemophilia, Thalassemia, Sickle cell anaemia,\nauto-immune diseases etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National\nPolicy for Treatment of Rare Diseases<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Three\nCategories of Rare Diseases:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>diseases requiring one-time\ncurative treatment, <\/li><li>diseases which need long-term\ntreatment but the cost is low, and <\/li><li>diseases that require life-long\ntreatment and the cost is high<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key measures\nsuggested<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Arriving at a definition of\nrare diseases suited to India<\/li><li>Creating a patient registry for\nrare diseases housed in ICMR<\/li><li>Strengthen laboratory networks\nfor diagnosis of rare diseases<\/li><li>Centre to provide assistance of\nRs 15 lakh to patients suffering from rare diseases that require one-time\ncurative treatment under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi scheme<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rashtriya\nArogya Nidhi scheme:<\/strong> It provides financial\nassistance to patients, living below poverty line and who are suffering from\nmajor life threatening diseases, to receive medical treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/transgender-persons-act-comes-into-effect\/article30545336.ece\">Transgender\nPersons Act comes into effect<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment notified Transgender\nPersons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Transgender\nPersons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Aim<\/strong>: Social, economic and educational empowerment of transgender\npersons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Definition\nof Transgender<\/strong>: Those whose gender does not match\nthe gender assigned to that person at birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\nProvisions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Right to Self-Identification<\/strong>: Person would have the right to choose to be identified as a man,\nwoman or transgender, irrespective of sex reassignment surgery and hormonal\ntherapy. <\/li><li><strong>Acquiring Certificate:<\/strong> transgender\npersons need to go through a district magistrate and district screening\ncommittee to get certified as a transpersons<\/li><li><strong>Prohibition of Discrimination<\/strong>: No discrimination\nagainst transgender persons in accessing education, employment and healthcare<\/li><li><strong>National Council for Transgender persons (NCT):<\/strong> It would advise the central government on related policies and\nlegislation and also act as a centre for grievance redressal<\/li><li><strong>Responsibilities of Government<\/strong>:<\/li><li>Provide health facilities to\ntransgender persons including separate HIV surveillance centres<\/li><li>Provide, through an insurance\nscheme, medical expenses for sex reassignment surgery, hormonal therapy, laser\ntherapy or any such health related expenses<\/li><li>Take steps for rescue and\nrehabilitation, vocational training and self-employment<\/li><li>Create transgender sensitive\nschemes, and promote their inclusion in cultural activities<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>NALSA Judgement, 2014:<\/strong> The Supreme Court in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of\nIndia &amp; Ors. upheld that transgenders should be treated as a third gender\nfor the purpose of safeguarding their fundamental rights.<\/li><li><strong>Section 377 Judgement, 2018<\/strong>: SC in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India case decriminalised\nhomosexuality by partially striking down the certain provisions of Section 377\nof the Indian Penal Code (IPC).<\/li><li><strong>Marriage between Man and\nTrans woman<\/strong>: In April 2019, Madras High Court\nupheld that the marriage solemnised between a man and a trans woman was valid\nunder the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and ordered its registration. This is first\ntime in India where marriage between man and Trans woman has been legally\nrecognised.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/science\/story\/isro-communication-satellite-gsat-30-to-launch-on-january-17-1636457-2020-01-13\"><strong>Isro&#8217;s\ncommunication satellite GSAT-30 to launch on Jan 17 from French territory\nAriane<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News<\/strong>: ISRO will launch GSAT-30 onboard Ariane-5\nlaunch vehicle (VA 251) from French Guiana on January 17<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About GSAT-30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It has designed and manufactured by the Indian Space Research\nOrganisation<\/li><li>It is an operational communication satellite for DTH, television uplink\nand VSAT services.<\/li><li>It will replace the INSAT-4A satellite currently used by cable operators\nto broadcast their channel overseas.<\/li><li>GSAT-30 has a mission life of 15 years<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Applications:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>High-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services to\nthe mainland and India&#8217;s islands.<\/li><li>Extended coverage in the C-band, which helps television broadcasters beam\ntheir programs across India, Gulf countries, number of Asian countries and\nAustralia <\/li><li>Has one Ku-band beacon downlink signal for ground tracking purposes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Communication Satellites of India: <\/strong>GSAT series, INSAT series, EDUSAT,\nHAMSAT, KALPANA-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/private-property-is-a-human-right-says-sc\/article30551819.ece\">Private\nproperty is a human right: Supreme Court<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> In Vidaya Devi vs. The State of Himachal Pradesh case, the Supreme\nCourt has held that in a welfare state, right to property is a human right<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Highlights\nof SC Judgement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The state cannot trespass into\nthe private property of a citizen and then claim ownership of the land in the\nname of \u2018adverse possession\u2019<\/li><li>Grabbing private land and then\nclaiming it as its own makes the state an encroacher.<\/li><li>State cannot dispossess a\ncitizen of his property except in accordance with the procedure established by\nlaw.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Article 19(1) (f) guaranteed to every citizen the right to\n acquire, hold and dispose of property.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Article 31 guaranteed every&nbsp;person, both citizens and\n non-citizens, the right against deprivation of his\/her property. It\n provided that no person shall be deprived of his property except by\n authority of the law.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Article 31 empowered the State to acquire or requisite the\n property of a person for public purpose and after providing adequate\n compensation.<\/li><li>The Constitution (forty fourth amendment) Act, 1978 abolished\n the right to property as a fundamental right.&nbsp;<ul><li>It repealed article 19(1) (f) and article 31.&nbsp;<\/li><li>It inserted a new article 300A in part XII with the label\n \u2018Right to property\u2019. Now article 300A provides that no person shall be\n deprived of his property except by authority of the law<\/li><li>Right to property is only a legal and constitutional right and\n not a fundamental right<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Though the fundamental right to property under part III has\n been abolished, part III still contains provisions which guarantees the\n right to compensation when the State acquires private property<ul><li>Article 30: when the State acquires the property of a minority\n educational institution<\/li><li>Article 31A: It provides that the State should pay adequate\n compensation at market value when the State acquires any land held by a\n person while the land held by the person is used for personal cultivation\n and the size of the land is within statutory ceiling limit<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/news\/india\/statue-of-unity-finds-place-in-8-wonders-of-sco-11578940098238.html\"><strong>Statue of\nUnity finds place in &#8216;8 Wonders of SCO&#8217;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nStatue of Unity has been included in the 8 wonders of Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About 8\nWonders of SCO:<\/strong>The Eight Wonders of the Shanghai Cooperation\nOrganization(SCO) project embraces eight unique archeological and historical\nmonuments of the SCO member states.These eight sites are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Statue of Unity in India&nbsp;<\/li><li>Daming Palace in China&nbsp;<\/li><li>Navruz Palace in Tajikistan&nbsp;<\/li><li>Mughals Heritage in Pakistan<\/li><li>Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan<\/li><li>Po-i-Kalan complex in Uzbekistan<\/li><li>Tamgaly Gorge in Kazakhstan<\/li><li>Golden Ring of Russia.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nStatue of Unity:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Statue of Unity is a memorial\nto Sardar Vallabhai Patel.It was inaugurated on 31st October 2018 in\ncommemoration to Sardar Patel on his 143rd birth anniversary.<\/li><li>It is situated in the Kevadia\ntown,Narmada district Gujarat. It has been built on the Sadhu Bet Island, on\nthe Narmada River.<\/li><li>It is the tallest statue in the\nworld with a height of 182 mts.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nShanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Shanghai Cooperation\nOrganisation(SCO) also known as the Shanghai Pact is a Eurasian political, economic,\nand military organisation.<\/li><li>It was was founded in 2001 in\nShanghai.The Secretariat of SCO is based in Beijing,China.<\/li><li>The members of the SCO are China,\nIndia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/govt-launches-road-accident-database\/article30559706.ece\"><strong>Govt.\nlaunches road accident database<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Central\nGovernment has launched a central accident database called Integrated Road\nAccident Database(IRAD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nIRAD:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Integrated Road Accident\nDatabase(IRAD) has been developed by the Indian Institute of\nTechnology-Madras(IIT-M) and will be implemented by the National Informatics\nCentre(NIC).<\/li><li>The database will help in analysing\ncauses of road crashes and in devising safety interventions to reduce such\naccidents in the country.<\/li><li>The system will be first piloted in\nthe six States with highest fatalities from road crashes namely Karnataka,\nMadhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.<\/li><li>The IRAD will then be improved on\nthe basis of the learning from the trial following which it will be rolled out\nacross the country.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Working of\nIRAD:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The IRAD mobile application will\nenable police personnel to enter details about a road accident, along with\nphotos and videos, following which a unique ID will be created for the\nincident.<\/li><li>Subsequently, an engineer from the\nPublic Works Department or the local body will receive an alert on his mobile\ndevice. He or she will then visit the accident site, examine it, and feed the\nrequired details, such as the road design.<\/li><li>Data thus collected will be\nanalysed by a team at IIT-M, which will then suggest if corrective measures in\nroad design need to be taken.<\/li><li>Road users will also be able to\nupload data on road accidents on a separate mobile application, which is\nexpected to go live from 1st April 2020.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Road\naccidents in India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>According to the Ministry of Road\nTransport &amp; Highways data,road accidents in India has killed around 1.5 lakh\npeople every year between 2015 and 2017.<\/li><li>This works out to a daily average\nof 400 or more deaths in each of the three years.<\/li><li>Among states,Uttar Pradesh has the\nhighest number of deaths in road accidents in each of the three years followed\nby Tamil Nadu.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-what-is-the-commissionerate-system-recently-implemented-in-lucknow-noida-6214871\/\"><strong>Explained:\nWhat is the commissionerate system<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Recently,the\nUttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the commissionerate system of policing for\nstate capital Lucknow, and Noida.<\/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>Under the 7th Schedule of the\nConstitution,\u2018Police\u2019 is under the State list, meaning individual states\ntypically legislate and exercise control over this subject.&nbsp;<\/li><li>In the arrangement in force at the\ndistrict level,a \u2018dual system\u2019 of control exists in which the Superintendent of\nPolice(SP) has to work with the District Magistrate(DM) for supervising police\nadministration.<\/li><li>However,at the metropolitan level,\nmany states have replaced the dual system with the commissionerate system as it\nis supposed to allow for faster decision-making to solve complex urban-centric\nissues.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\ncommissionerate system:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In the commissionerate system,the\nCommissioner of Police(CP) is the head of a unified police command structure\nand is responsible for the force in the city, and is accountable to the state\ngovernment.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The office also has magisterial\npowers including those related to regulation, control and licensing.<\/li><li>The CP is usually drawn from the\nDeputy Inspector General rank or above, and is assisted by\nSpecial\/Joint\/Additional\/Deputy Commissioners.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where is\nthe system in force?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 1983,the sixth National Police\nCommission report recommended the introduction of a police commissionerate\nsystem in cities with a population of 5 lakh and above as well as in places\nhaving special conditions.<\/li><li>Initially,only four cities had the\nsystem namely Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.But by 2016,53 cities had\nimplemented this system.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/amit-shah-chairs-sixth-meeting-of-island-development-agency\/articleshow\/73234359.cms\"><strong>Home\nminister chairs sixth meeting of Island Development Agency&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Union\nhome minister has chaired the sixth meeting of the Island Development\nAgency(IDA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the meeting:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The meeting reviewed the work\nprogress of the programme \u201cHolistic Development of Islands\u201d.<\/li><li>Government has identified 16\nislands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and 10 in Lakshadweep for holistic\ndevelopment of Islands.<\/li><li>The development plan focuses on the\ncreation of jobs for the islanders through tourism promotion as well as export\nof seafood and coconut-based products made in the Islands.<\/li><li>Further,this is the first time under\nthe guidance of IDA,an initiative of sustainable development in the identified\nIslands within scientifically assessed carrying capacity has been taken-up.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About IDA:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Island Development Agency(IDA)\nwas constituted in 2017 under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs to look\ninto the holistic development of islands.<\/li><li>Home Minister of India is its\nchairman and CEO of NITI Aayog acts as its convener.<\/li><li>The other members of IDA include\nSecretary- Tourism, Tribal affairs, the Home Secretary, Secretary Ministry of\nEnvironment and Cabinet secretary.<\/li><li>NITI Aayog has been mandated with\nthe task to steer the holistic development of the islands in sustainable\nmanner.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/pm-modi-renames-kolkata-port-trust-after-shyama-prasad-mukherjee-1636156-2020-01-12\"><strong>Prime\nMinister names Kolkata Port Trust&nbsp; after Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Prime\nminister has renamed the Kolkata Port Trust after Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on\nthe port trust 150th anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nKolkata Port Trust:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Kolkata Port Trust is an autonomous\nbody under the ministry of shipping, Government of India administered through\nMajor Port Trusts Act, 1963.<\/li><li>The trust manages two separate dock\nagglomerations &#8211; the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nKolkata Port:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Kolkata port is the only\nriverine port in the country situated 203 km from the sea.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The river Hooghly on which it is\nlocated has many sharp bends and is considered a difficult navigational\nchannel.<\/li><li>The Port was first used in the\nearly 16th century by the Portuguese to anchor their ships since they found the\nupper reaches of the Hooghly river beyond Kolkata unsafe for navigation.<\/li><li>It was also used after the\nabolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833 to ship lakhs of Indians as\n\u2018indentured labourers\u2019 to far-flung territories throughout the Empire.<\/li><li>Currently,the port is considered as\nthe guiding factor to trade and commerce of vast hinterland comprising the\nentire Eastern India and the two land-locked Himalayan Kingdoms of Nepal and\nBhutan.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Major\nPorts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India has 13 major sea ports and\nabout 200 non-major sea ports and intermediate ports.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"907\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture5.png?resize=750%2C907&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54374\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/news\/pollution\/huge-increase-in-open-loop-scrubber-usage-in-ships-report-68733\"><strong>Huge\nincrease in open-loop scrubber usage in ships: Report<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>According\nto GlobalData,there has been a huge increase in the use of open-loop scrubbers\nin ships in just last one year even as a debate about their viability in\nmitigating sulphur emissions from ships has also escalated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nScrubbers in Ships:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Scrubbers are used to remove\nparticulate matter and harmful components such as sulphur oxides (SOx) and\nnitrogen oxides (NOx) from the exhaust gasses generated as a result of\ncombustion processes in marine engines, to implement pollution control.<\/li><li>The two types of scrubbers namely\nClosed-loop scrubbers which retains the sulfur emissions for safer disposal at\nthe port.<\/li><li>On the other hand,Open-loop\nscrubbers release pollutants back into the sea after turning the sulfur dioxide\ninto sulphuric acid.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MARPOL:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The International Maritime\nOrganisation(IMO) adopted the International Convention for the Prevention of\nPollution from Ships (MARPOL).<\/li><li>The MARPOL Convention was adopted\nby the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) on 2nd&nbsp; November 1973.<\/li><li>It is the main international\nconvention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships\nfrom operational or accidental causes.<\/li><li>It regulates the prevention of air\npollution from ships and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone-depleting\nsubstances such as sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides.<\/li><li>Further,all ships flagged under\ncountries that are signatories to MARPOL are subject to its requirements\nregardless of where they sail and member nations are responsible for vessels\nregistered on their national ship registry.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>International\nMaritime Organization:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The International Maritime\nOrganization is a specialized agency of the United Nations.It currently has 174\nMember States.<\/li><li>IMO is responsible for measures to\nimprove the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent\npollution from ships.<\/li><li>It is also involved in legal\nmatters, including liability and compensation issues and the facilitation of\ninternational maritime traffic.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/other-states\/rajasthan-to-get-first-biotech-park-soon\/article30546602.ece\"><strong>Rajasthan\nto get first biotech park soon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Rajasthan\nwill soon get its first biotechnology park and incubation centre as memorandum\nof understanding will be signed with the Centre\u2019s Department of Biotechnology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nBiotech Park in Rajasthan:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Biotech park and incubation\ncentre is expected to enable the State government to take up research in the\nfield of biotechnology and provide employment to the youths.<\/li><li>It would help to promote\ninterdisciplinary fields such as bioinformatics, biomedical engineering and\nnanomedicine<\/li><li>Further,it also has the\nsignificance of science-based manufacturing in industrialisation.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nBiotech Park:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Department of Biotechnology has\nestablished Biotechnology Parks\/Incubators across the country to translate\nresearch into products and services by providing the necessary infrastructure\nsupport.&nbsp;<\/li><li>These Parks offer facilities to\nScientists and Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) for technology\nincubation, technology demonstration and pilot plant studies for accelerated\ncommercial development of Biotechnology.<\/li><li>It also assists new enterprises to\nforge appropriate linkages with other stakeholders of biotechnology sector\nincluding academia and Government.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National\nBiotechnology Parks Scheme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Department of Biotechnology has\nalso launched the \u2018National Biotechnology Parks Scheme\u2019.<\/li><li>The scheme aims to create an\necosystem to absorb the start-ups which have graduated from incubators and give\nthem a platform for further scaling up their R&amp;D activities in\ncollaboration with the state government and industry.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/Economy\/retail-inflation-jumps-to-735-in-december-crosses-rbis-comfort-level\/article30558427.ece\"><strong>Retail\ninflation at 5-year high of 7.3% in December<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nretail inflation based on Consumer Price Index(CPI) has reached a five and a\nhalf year high of 7.35% in December 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reasons for\nrise in retail inflation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The rise in retail inflation is\nprimarily due to increase in Consumer food price inflation to 14.12% in\nDecember 2019.This is the highest since 17.89% in November 2013.<\/li><li>This rise in food inflation has\nbeen viewed as transitory driven largely by the damage to the kharif crop from\nprolonged unseasonal rains during September to early November,2019.<\/li><li>However,the simultaneous hardening\nof international prices poses a challenge to the government and the Reserve Bank\nof India in containing domestic food inflation at a time when the economy is\nalready going through a deep slowdown.<\/li><li>Further,the latest overall retail\ninflation at 7.35% is also above the Reserve Bank of India\u2019s upper band target\nof 6%.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nConsumer Price Index(CPI):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Consumer price index(CPI) is a\nstatistic used to measure the average price of a basket of commonly used goods\nand services in a period relative to some base period.<\/li><li>It measures change in the price\nlevel of a market basket of consumer goods and services purchased by\nhouseholds.<\/li><li>It is widely used by countries as a\nmacroeconomic indicator of inflation and deflation and as a tool by governments\nand central banks for inflation targeting and for monitoring price stability.<\/li><li>The CPI data is released monthly by\nthe Central Statistics Office(CSO) which functions under the Ministry of\nStatistics and Programme Implementation.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/cities\/Madurai\/bull-tamers-gear-up-for-jallikattu-madurai\/article30536674.ece\"><strong>Bull\ntamers gear up for jallikattu<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Jallikattu,\na popular bull taming sport held during Pongal is all set to take place in\nMadurai district of Tamil Nadu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nJallikattu:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Jallikattu is called as Eru\nthazuval or embracing the bull.The festival is a Tamil custom celebrated on the\nday of Mattu Pongal,the day after Pongal (harvest festival).<\/li><li>The term \u2018jallikattu,&#8217; comes from\nTamil terms \u2018salli kaasu&#8217; which means coins and kattu which means package tied\nto the horns of bulls as prize money.<\/li><li>An ancient reference to Jallikattu\nis found in a seal discovered at Mohenjodaro which is dated between 2,500 BC\nand 1,800 BC.The festival also finds a mention in the Sangam literature.<\/li><li>During the festival,Bulls of\nindigenous breeds mostly Kangeyam are specially prepared for the event by\nproviding them with sumptuous food and care.<\/li><li>On the day of the festival,the\nbulls are let loose from an enclosure(vaadi vaasal) and participants attempt to\nsubdue them.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other Bull\ntaming sports:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Hori\nHabba:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Hori Habba\u2019 is a popular\nbull-catching event in Karnataka.It is held during the harvest season.&nbsp;<\/li><li>It is an ancient folk game native\nto Haveri district, and played on the lines of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and\nKambala in Dakshina Kannada district.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nKambala:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Kambala is traditional slush track\nbuffalo race that is held annually in coastal districts of Karnataka.<\/li><li>During the festival,buffalo pairs\nare made to race one after another in paddy fields as a thanksgiving to the\nGods for protecting the animals from diseases.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maharashtra, Gujarat lag behind in compensation for sewer deaths News: According to data from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), of the 926 sewer deaths, families of 172 victims are yet to receive compensation. Gujarat and Maharashtra lag behind the most in compensation for sewer deaths. Facts: Manual scavenging: It is the practice of&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-january-14th-2020\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 January 14th, 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-54362","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":1700799448,"cached_date":1704941095},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54362","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=54362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54362\/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=54362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}