{"id":54605,"date":"2020-02-15T21:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T15:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?p=54605"},"modified":"2020-02-27T09:42:03","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T04:12:03","slug":"9-pm-current-affairs-brief-february-15th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-february-15th-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 February 15th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/newsite\/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199308\"><strong>Finance\nCommission constitutes Group on Defence and Internal Security<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> The Fifteenth Finance Commission has\nconstituted a Group on Defence and Internal Security<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Composition: <\/strong>representatives of the ministries\nof Defence, Home Affairs and Finance, chaired by N.K. Singh, Chairman,\nFifteenth finance Commission<\/li><li><strong>Mandate: <\/strong>examine if India needs a separate\nmechanism to fund defence and internal security.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Finance Commission is a constitutional\nbody constituted by the President under Article 280 of the India Constitution.\nThe Commission is appointed every five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/politics-and-nation\/bottled-drinking-water-in-kerala-to-cost-rs-13-a-litre\/articleshow\/74114284.cms\">Bottled\ndrinking water in Kerala to cost Rs 13 a litre<br>\n<\/a><strong>News:<\/strong> Kerala government has\nbrought packaged drinking water under the ambit of Essential Commodities Act\nwith a view to regulate its price. The price has been capped at Rs.13\/litre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Essential\nCommodities Act, 1955<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is used by the Government to\nregulate the production, supply and distribution of certain commodities it\ndeclares \u2018essential\u2019 in order to make them available to consumers at fair\nprices.<\/li><li>The list of items under the Act\ninclude drugs, fertilisers, pulses and edible oils, and petroleum and petroleum\nproducts. <\/li><li>The Centre can include new\ncommodities as and when the need arises<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/where-nasa-could-go-next-venus-moons-of-jupiter-neptune-6268776\/\"><strong>Where\nNASA could go next \u2014 Venus, moons of Jupiter, Neptune<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News: <\/strong>NASA announced it has selected four Discovery\nProgram investigations to develop concept studies for possible new missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere\nVenus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging Plus): <\/strong>It will analyse Venus\u2019s atmosphere\nto understand how it was formed and evolved, and if it ever had an ocean. This\nwill advance understanding of the formation of terrestrial planets.<\/li><li><strong>IVO (<\/strong>Io <strong>Volcano Observer):<\/strong> It\nwill explore Jupiter\u2019s moon Io, which is extremely volcanically active. This\nwill try to find out how tidal forces shape planetary bodies.<\/li><li><strong>TRIDENT:<\/strong>&nbsp;It aims to explore Neptune\u2019s icy moon, Triton. This will help understand\nthe development of habitable worlds in the Solar System.<\/li><li><strong>VERITAS (<\/strong><strong>Venus Emissivity, Radio\nScience, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy)<\/strong>: It\naims to map Venus\u2019s surface to find out why Venus developed so differently from\nEarth.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/indian-scientists-antarctic-trip-climate-monsoon-6268763\/\"><strong>Why\nthis study by Indian scientists in Antarctic matters<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News: <\/strong>South African oceanographic research vessel\nSA Agulhas set off from Port Louise in Mauritius, on a two-month Indian\nScientific Expedition to the Southern Ocean 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Indian\nScientific Expedition to the Southern Ocean 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It has been launched by the\nNational Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR) in Goa, which works under\nthe Ministry of Earth Sciences.<\/li><li><strong>It has six core projects:<\/strong><\/li><li>Study hydrodynamics and\nbiogeochemistry of the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean (Antarctic\nOcean) to understand the formation of Antarctic bottom water.<\/li><li>Observations of trace gases in\nthe atmosphere, such as halogens and dimethyl sulphur from the ocean to the\natmosphere to help improve parameterisations that are used in global models.<\/li><li>Study of organisms called\ncoccolithophores that have existed in the oceans for several million years;\ntheir concentrations in sediments to create a picture of past climate.<\/li><li>Investigate atmospheric\naerosols and their optical and radiative properties to quantify impact on\nEarth\u2019s climate<\/li><li>Study the Southern Ocean\u2019s impact\non Indian monsoons.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Dynamics of the food web in the\nSouthern Ocean; important for safeguarding catch and planning sustainable\nfishing.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>India\u2019s Research Stations at Antarctica:\n<\/strong>Bharti (active),\nMaitri (active), Dakshin Gangotri (used as a supply base)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"598\" height=\"448\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture1-17.png?resize=598%2C448&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"File:India in Antartica.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-54615\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2020\/02\/expect-munich-security-conference-200213113518809.html\">Munich\nSecurity Conference<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> &nbsp;External Affairs Minister\nJaishankar represented India at the Munich Security Conference being held in\nMunich, Germany, from 14<sup>th<\/sup> to 16<sup>th<\/sup> February 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Munich\nSecurity Conference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is an annual conference on\ninternational security policy being held since 1963<\/li><li>Objective: To address the\ntopical main security issues and to debate and analyse the main security\nchallenges<\/li><li>The conference is organized\nprivately and therefore not an official government event<\/li><li><strong>2020 Theme<\/strong>: &#8216;Westlessness&#8217;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/scientists-radio-tag-indian-pangolin\/article30823693.ece\">Scientists\nradio-tag Indian pangolin<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> For the first time, the Madhya Pradesh Forest department in\ncollaboration with NGO Wildlife Conservation Trust, has radio-tagged Indian\nPangolin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Pangolins or scaly anteaters\nare mammals of the order Pholidota. Only mammal with scales. <\/li><li><strong>Asian species<\/strong>: Sunda Pangolin,\nPhilippine Pangolin, Chinese Pangolin and \u2018Indian Pangolin\u2019. <\/li><li><strong>African species<\/strong>: Long-tailed Pangolin,\nTree Pangolin, Giant Pangolin and the Ground Pangolin.<\/li><li><strong>Conservation Status:<\/strong><\/li><li>Chinese pangolin \u2013 Critically\nEndangered, Schedule I Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972<\/li><li>Sunda pangolin \u2013 Critically\nEndangered <\/li><li>Indian pangolin \u2013 Endangered, Schedule\nI Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972<\/li><li>Philippine pangolin \u2013\nEndangered<\/li><li><strong>World Pangolin Day<\/strong>: &nbsp;Celebrated annually\non the third Saturday in February. The ninth World Pangolin Day is being\ncelebrated on February 15, 2020.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/m.economictimes.com\/news\/economy\/policy\/niti-readies-social-protection-framework\/articleshow\/74126846.cms\"><strong>NITI\nreadies social protection framework&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Government\nhas formed a technical committee headed by NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar\nto prepare policy prescriptions for an integrated social protection framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSocial Protection:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Social protection is defined as the\nset of policies and programmes designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by\npromoting efficient labour markets and enhancing their capacity to protect\nthemselves against hazards and interruption or loss of income.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\ncommittee:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The committee&nbsp; will include\nsenior officials of nodal central ministries delivering social benefits.<\/li><li>It will also identify top five\npriority areas for the government, which could range from employment and\nold-age security to health, agriculture and introduction of specific\ninterventions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/other-states\/ministry-of-earth-sciences-may-go-in-for-decadal-forecast-system\/article30795350.ece\"><strong>Ministry\nof Earth Sciences may go in for decadal forecast system<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>During\nthe 6th International Conference on Climate Services,the Ministry of Earth\nSciences(MoES) has announced that India is planning a \u2018decadal forecast\u2019 system\nalong the lines of the United Kingdom\u2019s Met Office to ensure better\npredictability in the climate time scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nDecadal forecasts system:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Decadal forecasts system is the\nClimate forecasts that extend existing seasonal forecasts to the multi-year and\ndecadal timescales.<\/li><li>The World Meteorological\nOrganization has set up global producing centres coordinated by the U.K. Met\nOffice for annual to decadal projections that are already providing\nglobal-scale information.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Decadal\nforecasts system in India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The system would be explored as a\nresearch programme by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM),Pune along\nwith the India Meteorological Department(IMD) and other entities.<\/li><li>The programme will be using a\ncoupled climate model by utilising signals emanating from deep oceans to\npredict decadal climate changes<\/li><li>Once the system is established,it\nwould initially function for long-range forecasting at the national level and\nthe model would later be applied to the state or even district-level.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nInternational Conference on Climate Services(ICCS):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>ICCS is the world\u2019s premiere\nclimate services event organized jointly by the Global Framework for Climate\nServices,an international effort coordinated by the World Meteorological\nOrganization and the Climate Services Partnership.<\/li><li>The 6th ICCS conference was held at\nthe Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM),Pune.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/economy\/foreign-trade\/india-portugal-ink-seven-pacts-after-modi-sousa-talks\/articleshow\/74134109.cms\"><strong>India,\nPortugal ink seven pacts&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Indian\nand Portugal Prime Ministers have signed seven agreements to boost cooperation\nin a range of areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nagreements:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The pacts provide for cooperation\nin areas of investment, transport, ports, culture and industrial and\nintellectual property rights.&nbsp;<\/li><li>They have also signed cooperation\nto promote Maritime Transport between the two countries for better operation of\ntheir merchant fleets.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>India-Portugal\nRelations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The relations between India and\nPortugal began in 1947 after India\u2019s independence and diplomatic relations were\nestablished in 1949.<\/li><li>In 1974,India and Portugal signed a\ntreaty recognising sovereignty of India over Goa, Daman &amp; Diu and Dadra\n&amp; Nagar Haveli.With this, the diplomatic relations were again\nre-established.<\/li><li>The India-Portugal Joint Commission\non Economic Matters was instituted in 1977 and has met four times so far.<\/li><li>In 2017-18, bilateral trade reached\na total value of USD 937 million. Indian exports stood at USD 747 million and\nPortuguese exports at USD 190 million.The trade balance has consistently been\nin India\u2019s favour.<\/li><li>Further,Portugal has a large Indian\norigin diaspora with the community in Portugal estimated at around 70,000\nindividuals.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.uniindia.com\/five-member-nation-of-bimstec-joins-field-exercise-on-disaster-management-on-flood\/east\/news\/1885892.html\"><strong>International\nSearch and Rescue Advisory Group(INSARAG)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nNational Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has organized the second BIMSTEC\nDisaster Management Exercise as per the International Search &amp; Rescue\nAdvisory Group(INSARAG) guidelines for familiarization &amp; exercise purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nINSARAG:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The International Search and Rescue\nAdvisory Group(INSARAG) was established in 1991.<\/li><li>It is a network of disaster-prone\nand disaster-responding countries and organizations dedicated to urban search\nand rescue(USAR) and operational field coordination.<\/li><li>It aims to establish standards and\nclassification for international USAR teams as well as methodology for\ninternational response coordination in the aftermath of earthquakes and\ncollapsed structure disasters.<\/li><li>The Secretariat is located in the\nUnited Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nICCROM:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The International Centre for the\nStudy of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property(ICCROM) is an\nintergovernmental organization formed at the UNESCO General Conference in New\nDelhi in 1956.<\/li><li>It aims to promote the conservation\nof all forms of cultural heritage in every region of the world.<\/li><li>It is headquartered in\nRome,Italy.Currently,it consists of 136 member states.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/defence\/amit-shah-chairs-high-level-meet-to-review-status-of-bharat-ke-veer\/articleshow\/74135171.cms\"><strong>Union\nHome minister chairs high-level meet to review status of &#8216;Bharat Ke Veer&#8217;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Union\nHome minister has chaired a high-level meeting to review the status of &#8216;Bharat\nKe Veer\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nBharat ke Veer:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Launched by the Union Home Ministry\nin 2017.<\/li><li>It is an IT based platform to\nenable willing donors to contribute towards the family of a braveheart who\nsacrificed his\/her life in line of duty.<\/li><li>It is managed by a committee\nconsisting of Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces(CAPFs) under\naegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs.<\/li><li>To ensure maximum coverage, a cap\nof 15 lakh rupees is imposed so that donors can choose to divert part of the\ndonation.<\/li><li>It has also been granted the status\nof a registered trust to \u2018Bharat ke Veer\u2019 by making it exempt from income tax\nunder form 80(g).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindubusinessline.com\/companies\/mca-rolls-out-web-form-spice-for-incorporation-of-companies\/article30783936.ece\"><strong>MCA rolls\nout web form SPICe+ for incorporation of companies<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nMinistry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) has launched a new web form called SPICe+\nfor incorporation of companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSPICe+:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>SPICe+ (Simplified Proforma for\nIncorporating a Company Electronically plus) is an integrated web form offering\nmultiple services related to Company incorporation such as mandatory issue of\nPAN, Opening of Bank Account, allotment of GSTIN among others.<\/li><li>It would offer services for 3\nCentral Govt Ministries &amp; Departments. (Ministry of Corporate Affairs,\nMinistry of Labour &amp; Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance) and\nOne State Govt.(Maharashtra).<\/li><li>It was launched as a Part of Ease\nof Doing Business(EODB) initiative.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/economy\/indicators\/maharashtra-loses-top-slot-as-attractive-investment-destination-to-andhra-in-fy19-rbi-study\/articleshow\/74140342.cms\"><strong>Maharashtra\nloses top slot as attractive investment destination to Andhra in FY\u201919: RBI\nstudy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>\nReserve Bank of India has released the data on the top attractive investment\ndestination states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\nHighlights from the study:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 2018-19,Andhra Pradesh accounted\nfor the highest share in total cost of projects sanctioned by banks and financial\ninstitutions.<\/li><li>It was followed by Tamil Nadu,\nMaharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana , Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.<\/li><li>However,for the five year period\nbetween 2014-15 to 2018-19, Maharashtra has topped the list followed by\nGujarat.<\/li><li>The study noted that 56% of the\nprojects were taken up in six states- Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka,\nMaharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu indicating their locational advantages\nover other states.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Factors for\nattractive investment destination:<\/strong>The deciding factors for a\nproject getting sanctioned in a particular state are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>location of a project&nbsp;<\/li><li>accessibility of raw materials<\/li><li>availability of skilled labour<\/li><li>adequate infrastructure<\/li><li>market size and&nbsp;<\/li><li>growth prospects,<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/covid-2019-in-hubei-how-did-new-cases-multiply-from-one-day-to-next-6266993\/\"><strong>Explained:Hubei\nProvince<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Hubei\nprovince has been the epicentre of the outbreak of COVID-2019 (the disease\ncaused by the novel coronavirus).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Hubei\nProvince:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Hubei is a landlocked province in\nCentral China.<\/li><li>The name of the province means\nnorth of the lake referring to its position north of Dongting Lake.<\/li><li>The capital of the province is\nWuhan which serves as a major transportation hub in Central China.<\/li><li>The province is also known for the\nThree Gorges, a popular destination for Yangtze River cruises and home to the\nmassive Three Gorges Dam.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"599\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture2-15.png?resize=599%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54616\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.financialexpress.com\/lifestyle\/science\/indonesias-mount-merapi-volcano-spews-ash-lava\/1867122\/\"><strong>Indonesia\u2019s\nMount Merapi erupts&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Indonesia&#8217;s\nmost active volcano,Mount Merapi has erupted again sending ash and smoke more\nthan three miles into the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Mount\nMerapi:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Mount Merapi is an active\nstratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta\nprovinces,Indonesia.&nbsp;<\/li><li>It is the most active volcano in\nIndonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"230\" height=\"173\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture3-8.png?resize=230%2C173&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54617\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/defence\/biggest-jump-in-world-defence-spending-in-10-years-study\/articleshow\/74136989.cms\"><strong>Biggest\njump in world defence spending in 10 years:Study<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nInternational Institute of Strategic Studies(IISS) has released its report on\nDefence Spending titled \u201cMilitary Balance\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the report:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The global spending on defence has\nincreased by 4% in 2019.This is the largest growth in the last 10 years.<\/li><li>The United States, China, Saudi\nArabia, Russia and India retained their positions as the world\u2019s top five\ndefence spenders in 2019.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About IISS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>International Institute for\nStrategic Studies(IISS) is a British Research Institute that was established in\n1997.&nbsp;<\/li><li>It provides objective information\non military, geopolitical and geo-economic developments that could lead to\nconflict.<\/li><li>The IISS was ranked the 10th best\ninstitute in the Global Go To Think Tank Index.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finance Commission constitutes Group on Defence and Internal Security News: The Fifteenth Finance Commission has constituted a Group on Defence and Internal Security Facts: Composition: representatives of the ministries of Defence, Home Affairs and Finance, chaired by N.K. Singh, Chairman, Fifteenth finance Commission Mandate: examine if India needs a separate mechanism to fund defence and&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-february-15th-2020\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 February 15th, 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-54605","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":1704940944},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54605","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=54605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54605\/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=54605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}