{"id":54474,"date":"2020-02-05T21:00:55","date_gmt":"2020-02-05T15:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?p=54474"},"modified":"2020-02-27T12:30:46","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T07:00:46","slug":"9-pm-current-affairs-brief-february-5th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-february-5th-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 February 5th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-what-is-the-locust-attack-threatening-crops-in-several-countries-6249076\/\">Explained:\nWhat is the locust attack destroying crops in several countries?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Pakistan and Somalia\nhave declared locust emergencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nLocust<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Locusts are a group of\nshort-horned grasshoppers. They multiply in numbers as they migrate long distances\nin destructive swarms.<\/li><li>Four species of locusts are\nfound in India: Desert locust, Migratory locust, and Bombay Locust and Tree\nlocust.<\/li><li>Desert locust is regarded as\nthe most destructive pest in India<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Locust\nHotspots<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Food and Agriculture\nOrganisation (FAO) has currently identified three hotspots of threatening\nlocust activity: Horn of Africa, the Red Sea area, and southwest Asia.<\/li><li>The Horn of Africa has been\ncalled the worst-affected area<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Control\nmeasures taken by India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Locust\nControl and Research scheme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&nbsp;It is implemented through the Locust Warning\nOrganisation (LWO) which was established in 1939.<\/li><li>LWO was amalgamated in 1946\nwith the Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) of the\nMinistry of Agriculture.<\/li><li><strong>Objective<\/strong>: protection of standing crops\nand other green vegetation from Desert locust <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/bhutan-ends-free-entry-for-indian-tourists\/article30737792.ece\">Sustainable\nDevelopment Fee (SDF)<\/a> (POINTLY)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Bhutan will impose Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) on tourists from\nIndia, the Maldives and Bangladesh, beginning July 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A daily \u20b91,200 ($17) fee&nbsp;will\nbe imposed<\/li><li>It is meant to help the\ngovernment deal with increasing numbers in tourist traffic<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/budget-2020-nirmala-sitharaman-anti-dumping-duty-on-purified-terephthalic-6251132\/\">Purified\nTerephthalic Acid (PTA)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Finance Minister, in her budget speech has said that the government\nwas abolishing an anti-dumping duty that was levied on imports of Purified\nTerephthalic Acid (PTA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPurified Terephthalic Acid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It&nbsp;is a chemical used to\nmake various products, including polyester fabrics.&nbsp;<\/li><li>It makes up for around 70-80%\nof a polyester product like polyester staple fibre and spun yarn<\/li><li>The anti-dumping duty on PTA\nwas imposed after two domestic manufacturers, approached the Directorate\nGeneral of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in 2013.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Anti-Dumping\nDuty:<\/strong> It is a protectionist tariff that a domestic\ngovernment imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair\nmarket value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Directorate\nGeneral of Trade Remedies:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was established in 2018 and\nfunctions under the Ministry of commerce and industry. <\/li><li>It subsumed the Directorate\nGeneral of Anti-dumping and Allied duties, Directorate General of Safeguards\nand some functions of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Functions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Administer all trade remedial\nmeasures including anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguard measure.<\/li><li>Provide trade defence support\nto domestic industry and to exporters in trade remedy investigations instituted\nby other countries.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/centre-to-bar-domestic-ro-systems-in-places-where-tap-water-meets-bis-norms\/article30728356.ece\">Centre\nto bar domestic RO systems in places where tap water meets BIS norms<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News<\/strong>: Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change has published a\ndraft notification that prohibits users from installing membrane-based water\npurification, mainly reverse osmosis, systems in their homes if the water meets\nthe Bureau of Indian Standards\u2019 drinking water norms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Membrane-based\nwater purification<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is a process that removes\nunwanted constituents from water using a membrane. Different techniques\ninclude:<\/li><li>Membrane Filtration \u2013\nMicrofiltration and Ultrafiltration<\/li><li>Reverse Osmosis \u2013 Nanofiltration\/Membrane Softening<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reverse<\/strong> Osmosis: It occurs when water moves through a semi-permeable\nmembrane in the direction opposite to that for natural osmosis. This happens\nwhen the water is pushed under greater pressure than the osmotic pressure<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Osmosis:<\/strong> It is a phenomenon where water\/ solvent flows from a dilute (less\nconcentrated) solution through a semi permeable membrane to a higher\nconcentrated solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bureau\nof Indian Standards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is the national Standards\nBody of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food\n&amp; Public Distribution. <\/li><li>It was established in 1986 and\nis headquartered in New Delhi.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/health\/one-in-10-indians-will-develop-cancer-during-their-lifetime-who-report\/article30734480.ece\">One\nin 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime: WHO report<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> WHO and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have\nreleased two reports to mark World Cancer Day (4 February): \u201cReport on Cancer:\nSetting priorities, investing wisely and providing care for all\u201d and \u201cWorld\nCancer Report: Cancer research for cancer prevention\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways: World Cancer Report: Cancer research for cancer prevention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Global:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 2018, the WHO registered\n18.1 million new cancer cases worldwide. The figure might reach between 29 and\n37 million cases by 2040.<\/li><li>Cancer cases will increase by\n81% by 2040 in low- and middle-income countries due to insufficient resources\nfor prevention<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 2018, there are about 1.16\nmillion new cancer cases, 784,800 cancer deaths, and 2.26 million 5-year\nprevalent cases<\/li><li>In India, the six most common cancer\ntypes were breast cancer, oral cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, stomach\ncancer and colorectal cancer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\nRecommendations from \u201cReport on Cancer: Setting priorities, investing wisely\nand providing care for all\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>controlling tobacco use\n(responsible for 25% of cancer deaths), <\/li><li>vaccinating against hepatitis B\nto prevent liver cancer, <\/li><li>eliminating cervical cancer by\nvaccinating against HPV, <\/li><li>screening and treatment, <\/li><li>implementing high-impact cancer\nmanagement interventions that bring value for money <\/li><li>Ensuring access to palliative\ncare including pain relief.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/news\/environment\/cse-leads-from-global-south-among-world-s-top-environment-think-tanks-69135\"><strong>Global Go\nTo Think Tank Index<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nGlobal Go To Think Tank Index Report(GGTTI) has been released by the Think Tanks\nand Civil Societies Program(TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania,US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nindex:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The index evaluates public-policy\nresearch analysis and engagement organisations that generate policy-oriented\nresearch, analysis, and advice on domestic and international issues.<\/li><li>It claims to enable policy makers\nand the public to make informed decisions on public policy.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the index:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The index was topped by Carnegie\nEndowment for International Peace of US followed by Belgium Bruegel and French\nInstitute of International Relations(IFRI).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Index on\nIndia:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Centre for Science and\nEnvironment(CSE) was placed at 16th position among 176 Global Think Tanks.<\/li><li>The Observer Research\nFoundation(ORF) was ranked 27th in 2019.It was previously ranked 118th position\nin 2018.<\/li><li>Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research\nFoundation was the highest-ranked Indian think tank with a political party\naffiliation getting a rank of 31st, among 38 such institutions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Think-Tank:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A think tank is an organization\nthat gathers a group of interdisciplinary scholars to perform research around\nparticular policies, issues or ideas.<\/li><li>They play a significant role as\nthey a)fill the gap between academia and policy making b)Influence Policy\nformulations in the country c) provide a neutral venue for dialogues on\ndifferent issues among others.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/selection-for-isros-young-scientist-programme-2020-for-school-children-is-now-open\/article30725486.ece\"><strong>ISRO\u2019s\nYoung Scientist Programme 2020<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Indian\nSpace Research Organization(ISRO) has opened the registrations for the ISRO\nYoung Scientist Programme or Yuva Vaigyanik Karyakram (YUVIKA) 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nYUVIKA Programme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Aim:<\/strong>To impart\nbasic knowledge on Space Technology,Space Science and Space Applications to the\nyounger ones with the intent of arousing their interest in the emerging areas\nof Space activities.<\/li><li>Under the programme,three students\nwill be selected to participate every year from each state and union territory\ncovering CBSE, ICSE and state syllabus.<\/li><li><strong>Eligibility:<\/strong>Those\nwho have finished 8th standard and currently studying in 9th standard are\neligible for the programme.<\/li><li><strong>Selection:<\/strong>It\nis based on the 8th Standard academic performance and extracurricular\nactivities.Students belonging to the rural area have been given special\nweightage in the selection criteria.<\/li><li>The programme has a duration of\nabout 2 weeks which includes a) invited talks, b) experience sharing by the\neminent scientists, c) facility and lab visits, d) exclusive sessions for\ndiscussions with experts, e) practical and feedback sessions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outlookindia.com\/newsscroll\/india-to-host-eas-conference-in-chennai\/1726136\"><strong>East Asia\nSummit(EAS) Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nfourth East Asia Summit(EAS) Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation will\nbe held in Chennai,Tamil Nadu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nEAS conference on Maritime Security:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The EAS Maritime Security Conference\nhas been organized by the Government of India since 2015.<\/li><li>The fourth conference is being\norganized by the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) in partnership with the\nGovernments of Australia and Indonesia.<\/li><li>The National Maritime Foundation\n(NMF) and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)\nare the knowledge partners of the Conference.<\/li><li>The conference will deliberate upon\nmaritime security cooperation under five thematic sessions namely a) Holistic\nMaritime Security b) Maritime Safety c) Transition to a Regional Blue Economy\nd) India&#8217;s Indo-Pacific Oceans&#8217; Initiative and e) Way Forward.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About East\nAsia Summit:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The East Asia Summit(EAS) was\nestablished in 2005.It is a forum of 18 countries.<\/li><li>The concept of an East Asia\nGrouping was first promoted in 1991 by then Malaysian Prime Minister,Mahathir\nbin Mohamad.<\/li><li>It comprises the ten member states\nof the ASEAN countries along with 8 members Australia, China, Japan, India, New\nZealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.<\/li><li>The first summit was held in Kuala\nLumpur,Malaysia in 2005.India is a founding member of the East Asia Summit.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture1-10.png?resize=720%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54490\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/2020-will-be-an-important-year-for-indo-us-relations-american-official\/article30579088.ece\"><strong>Blue Dot\nNetwork<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>India\nmay join the US-led Blue Dot Network(BDN) during the US President\u2019s visit to\nIndia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Blue\nDot Network:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Blue Dot Network initiative was\nannounced at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Bangkok,Thailand in 2019.<\/li><li>It is a US led initiative jointly\nlaunched by the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Australia\u2019s Department\nof Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Japan Bank for International\nCooperation(JBIC).&nbsp;<\/li><li>The aim of this initiative is to\nbring governments, private sectors and civil societies for promoting\nhigh-quality global infrastructure development in an open and inclusive\nframework.<\/li><li>The network will serve as a\nglobally recognised evaluation and certification system for roads, ports and\nbridges with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/other-states\/maharashtra-tops-list-of-states-hit-by-global-medical-data-leak\/article30737743.ece\"><strong>Medical\nData Leaks<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>According\nto a Global Report on Medical Data peak,medical details of over 120 million\nIndian patients have been leaked and made freely available on the Internet.<\/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 published by\nGreenbone Sustainable Resilience,a German cybersecurity firm.<\/li><li>The first report was published in\n2019 which revealed a data leak of a massive number of records including images\nof CT scans, X-rays, MRIs and even pictures of the patients.<\/li><li>The report classifies countries in\nthe good, bad and ugly categories based on the action taken by the governments\nafter the first report was made public.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the report:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India ranks second in the ugly\ncategory after the United States of America(USA).<\/li><li>Among States,Maharashtra reported\nthe maximum medical data leaks followed by Karnataka and West Bengal.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Implications\nof Medical Data Leak:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The knowledge about certain ailments\nfaced by people from various fields could deal a huge blow to their\nimage.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The fake identities could also be\ncreated using the details which can be misused in any possible number of ways.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1601798\"><strong>Ujh\nMultipurpose Project<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Union\nMinister has chaired a meeting to fast-track the implementation of Ujh\nMultipurpose(National) Project,Jammu &amp; Kashmir.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Ujh\nMultipurpose(National) Project:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The project is planned to be\nconstructed in Kathua District of Jammu &amp; Kashmir on the River Ujh, a major\ntributary of the Ravi river.<\/li><li>The project will enhance the\nutilization of waters of Eastern Rivers allotted to India as per the Indus\nWater Treaty.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Indus\nWater Treaty:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Indus Waters Treaty,1960 is a\nwater-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan.<\/li><li>The Indus system comprises of the\nIndus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.The basin is mainly shared\nby India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan.<\/li><li>Under the Indus treaty, all the\nwaters of three eastern rivers namely Ravi,Sutlej and Beas were allocated to\nIndia for exclusive use.<\/li><li>On the other hand,the waters of\nWestern rivers namely Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab were allocated to Pakistan.But\nIndia can use the water in western rivers in non-consumptive needs. Here\nnon-consumptive means we can use it for irrigation, storage and even for\nelectricity production.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>India\u2019s\nProjects on Indus River:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India has constructed the Bhakra\nDam on Sutlej, Pong and Pandoh Dam on Beas and Thein (Ranjitsagar) on Ravi.<\/li><li>Further,India is constructing\nseveral other projects such as Shahpurkandi Project, Ujh multipurpose project\namong others.<\/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=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture2-9.png?resize=750%2C333&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54491\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1601839\"><strong>National\nPopulation Policy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Minister\nof State (Health and Family Welfare) has informed Rajya Sabha about the\nNational Population Policy,2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNational Population Policy,2000:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The policy reaffirms the Government\ncommitment towards voluntary and informed choice approach and achievement of\nreplacement level of fertility by simultaneously addressing the issues of\ncontraception, maternal health and child survival.<\/li><li>The medium-term objective of the\npolicy is to bring the Total fertility rate(TFR) to replacement levels by 2010\nthrough vigorous implementation of inter-sectoral operational strategies.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The long-term objective is to\nachieve a stable population by 2045 at a level consistent with the requirements\nof sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental\nprotection.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Success\nachieved so far:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Total Fertility Rate(TFR)<\/strong>:It\nis defined as the number of children born to a woman until the end of her\nchild-bearing age.It has declined from 2.9 in 2005 to 2.2 in 2017.<\/li><li><strong>States:<\/strong>25 out of\n37 States\/UTs have already achieved replacement level fertility of 2.1 or less.<\/li><li><strong>Decadal growth rate<\/strong>:It\ngives an overview of the percentage of total population growth in a particular\ndecade.It has declined from 21.54% in 1999-2000 to 17.64 % during 2001-11.<\/li><li><strong>Crude Birth Rate(CBR):<\/strong>It\nindicates the number of live births occurring during the year per 1,000\npopulation estimated at midyear.Ithas declined from 23.8 to 20.2 from\n2005 to 2017.<\/li><li><strong>Teenage birth rate:<\/strong>It\nis the births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19<strong>.<\/strong>It has halved from\n16%(NFHS III) to 8%(NFHS IV).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/article\/news-ani\/president-kovind-inaugurates-annual-udyanotsav-at-rashtrapati-bhavan-120020401888_1.html\"><strong>President\ninaugurates annual Udyanotsav at Rashtrapati Bhavan<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nPresident has inaugurated the Udyanotsav festival at Rashtrapati Bhavan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nUdyanotsav:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Udyanotsav is an annual gardening\nfestival of the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nRashtrapti Bhavan&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the\nofficial residence of the President of India located in New Delhi,India.<\/li><li>It was constructed by the two\narchitects namely Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nMughal Gardens:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Mughal gardens have been built by\nthe Mughals in the Persian style of architecture.&nbsp;<\/li><li>This style was heavily influenced\nby the Persian gardens particularly the Charbagh style.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nCharbagh Style:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Charbagh is a Persian Style Garden\nlayout in which the main building is put at the centre of a quadrilateral\nGarden divided by walkways or flowing water into four different directions.<\/li><li>This style is usually found in\ncountries throughout Western and South Asia, including Iran and India.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/only-7-in-100-anganwadi-beneficiaries-are-in-cities\/article30736445.ece\"><strong>Only 7 in\n100 anganwadi beneficiaries are in cities<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>According\nto Right to Information(RTI) query,for every 100 anganwadi beneficiaries in the\ncountry,only seven are in urban areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>There are a total of 7.95 crore\nbeneficiaries of the anganwadi scheme in the country as on September 30,2019.<\/li><li>However,only 55 lakh were\nregistered at urban anganwadis.This is because of an acute paucity of anganwadi\ncentres in urban areas.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nAnganwadis:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Anganwadi Centres are a type of\nchild and mother care centre in India. They were set up as a part of the\nIntegrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme.<\/li><li>They provide six types of services\nwhich include supplementary nutrition; pre-school non-formal education;\nimmunisation, nutrition and health education and referral services.<\/li><li>The beneficiaries under the Scheme\nare children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About ICDS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Integrated Child Development\nServices(ICDS) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 1975 by the Ministry\nof Women and Child Development.<\/li><li><strong>Aim:<\/strong>Holistic\ndevelopment of under-six children and providing nutritional and health support\nto pregnant and lactating mothers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/93000-hectares-affected-by-forest-fires-in-2019-govt-6249621\/\"><strong>93,000\nhectares affected by forest fires in 2019:Govt<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Minister\nof State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&amp;CC) has provided\ninformation about forest fires management and prevention in Rajya Sabha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The area covering 93,273 hectares\nhas been affected by forest fires in 2019.This also includes ground fires which\nmeans burning of ground vegetation.<\/li><li>According to the Forest Survey of\nIndia, about 21.40% of forest cover in India is prone to fires with forests in\nthe north-eastern region and central India being the most vulnerable.<\/li><li>Mizoram recorded the highest number\nof forest fire alerts between November 2018 and June 2019.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Initiatives\nfor prevention of Forest fires:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNational Action Plan on Forest Fires:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>National Action Plan on Forest\nFires (NAPFF) was launched in 2018 to minimise forest fires by informing,\nenabling and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivising them to\nwork with the State Forest Departments.<\/li><li>The plan also intends to\nsubstantially reduce the vulnerability of forests across diverse forest\necosystems in the country against fire hazards, enhance capabilities of forest\npersonnel and institutions in fighting fires and swift recovery subsequent to\nfire incidents.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nForest Fire Prevention and Management scheme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Forest Fire Prevention and\nManagement Scheme(FPM) is the centrally Sponsored scheme which replaced the\nIntensification of Forest Management Scheme(IFMS) in 2017.<\/li><li>The scheme aims to a) Minimise\nforest fire incidences and help in restoring productivity of forests in\naffected areas b) Encourage partnership with forest fringe communities for\nforest protection and c) Prepare fire danger rating system and devise forest\nfire forecasting system.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Draft\nNational Forest Policy,2018:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The policy aims at bringing a\nminimum of one-third of India\u2019s total geographical area under forest or tree\ncover.<\/li><li>It calls for safeguarding\necosystems from forest fires, mapping the vulnerable areas and developing and\nstrengthening early warning systems and methods to control fire based on remote\nsensing technology and community participation.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explained: What is the locust attack destroying crops in several countries? News: Pakistan and Somalia have declared locust emergencies. Facts: About Locust Locusts are a group of short-horned grasshoppers. They multiply in numbers as they migrate long distances in destructive swarms. Four species of locusts are found in India: Desert locust, Migratory locust, and Bombay&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-february-5th-2020\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 February 5th, 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-54474","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":1704941056},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54474","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=54474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54474\/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=54474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}