{"id":54656,"date":"2019-12-07T21:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-12-07T15:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?p=54656"},"modified":"2020-02-27T11:42:22","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T06:12:22","slug":"9-pm-current-affairs-brief-december-7th-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-december-7th-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 December 7th, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1595354\">Ministry of\nTribal affairs to Announce Achievements of \u2018Prime Minister Van Dhan Yojana\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Ministry of Tribal affairs will announce the 100 days achievements\nof \u2018Prime Minister Van Dhan Yojana\u2019. The Ministry will also launch the\ninternational fashion designer Ms. Ritu Beri as Chief Design Consultant for\nTRIFED to promote tribal arts &amp; culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPrime Minister Van Dhan Yojana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana\n(PMVDY) is a Market Linked Tribal Entrepreneurship Development Program. It was\nlaunched in 2018. It is a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Aim: <\/strong>It aims to help tribals in\n optimum utilization of natural resources and provide sustainable Minor\n Forest Produce (MFP)-based livelihood. It seeks to help increase tribal\n income through value addition of MFP centric products<\/li><li><strong>Implementation of the Scheme:<\/strong><ul><li>The scheme is implemented through Ministry of Tribal Affairs\n as Nodal Department at the Central Level. TRIFED acts as the Nodal Agency\n at the National Level.<\/li><li>Under the scheme, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras are set up. These\n centres cater to 10 Self Help Groups of and each group consist thirty\n tribal gathers. They are trained and provided with working capital to add\n value to the products, which they collect from the jungle. The first Van\n Dhan Vikas Kendra was set up in Chhattisgarh.<\/li><li>These SHGs can then market their products within and outside\n the States through retail network. Training and technical support is\n provided by TRIFED.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Minor Forest Produce:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers\n (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 defines minor forest produce as\n all non-timber forest produce of plant origin.<\/li><li>These include bamboo, brushwood, stumps, canes, cocoon, honey,\n waxes, Lac, tendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, etc.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development\nFederation of India (TRIFED)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was established in 1987. It functions under the\n administrative control of Ministry of Tribal affairs.<\/li><li>The basic objective of the TRIFED is to provide good price to\n the products made or collected from the forest by the tribal people<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1595058\"><strong>Fit India Plogging Run<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced Ripu Daman Bevli\nas Plogging Ambassador of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nFit India Plogging Run:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Fit India Plogging Run is a\npart of the Fit India Movement. It was launched on October 2, 2019. Plog Run is\na unique way of picking up garbage while jogging.<\/li><li>Fit India Plogging Run combines\nthe Fit India Movement and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nFit India Movement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is a nation-wide campaign which\naims to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and sports in their\neveryday live. It is implemented by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.<\/li><li>It was launched by the Prime\nMinister on the occasion of National Sports day in 2019. National Sports Day is\ncelebrated on 29th August every year to mark the birth anniversary of legendary\nhockey player Major Dhyan Chand.<\/li><li>A 28 member committee head by\nUnion Sports Minister and comprising of government officials, members of Indian\nOlympic Association (IOA), national sports federations, private bodies and\nfitness promoters advises the government on the Fit India Movement.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Swachh Bharat Mission:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is a nationwide cleanliness campaign initiated by Govt. of\n India on 2<sup>nd<\/sup> October 2014.<\/li><li><strong>Aim:<\/strong> It sought to achieve a Clean\n India by 2019, as a tribute to the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma\n Gandhi.<\/li><li><strong>Objectives:<\/strong><ul><li>Eliminate open defecation<\/li><li>Conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets,<\/li><li>Eradication of manual scavenging,<\/li><li>100% collection and scientific processing\/disposal\n reuse\/recycle of Municipal Solid Waste,<\/li><li>To bring about a behavioural change in people regarding\n healthy sanitation practices,<\/li><li>Generate awareness among the citizens about sanitation and its\n linkages with public health.<\/li><li>Strengthening of urban local bodies to design, execute and\n operate systems,<\/li><li>To create enabling environment for private sector\n participation in Capital Expenditure and Operation &amp; Maintenance\n (O&amp;M) costs.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Components:<\/strong><ul><li>Construction of Household Toilets,<\/li><li>Community and Public Toilets<\/li><li>Solid Waste Management<\/li><li>Information, Education &amp; Communication (IEC) and Public\n Awareness,<\/li><li>Capacity Building and Administrative &amp; Office Expenses\n (A&amp;OE).<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Sub-Missions:<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin):<\/strong> It aims\nto improve the levels of cleanliness in rural areas through Solid and Liquid\nWaste Management activities and making villages Open Defecation Free (ODF) and\nclean. It is implemented by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Jal\nShakti Ministry<\/li><li><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban):<\/strong> It aims\nat elimination of open defecation, conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour\nflush toilets, eradication of manual scavenging, municipal solid waste\nmanagement and bringing about a behavioural change in people regarding healthy\nsanitation practices. It is implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban\nAffairs.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-why-planet-orbiting-white-dwarf-star-is-a-breakthrough-discovery-6154614\/\"><strong>Planet\norbiting white dwarf star is a breakthrough discovery<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> Astronomers from the University of Warwick&#8217;s Department of Physics\nand the Millennium Nucleus for Planet Formation (NPF) at the University of\nValparaiso have found the first ever evidence of a planet orbiting a dead white\ndwarf star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The star, WDJ0914+1914, was\nidentified in a survey of 10,000 white dwarfs observed by the Sloan Digital Sky\nSurvey. <\/li><li>The star is round 2000 light\nyears away from Earth. <\/li><li>The planet orbits the white\ndwarf every ten days, and cannot be seen directly. The evidence is in the form\nof a disc of gas (hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur) formed from its evaporating\natmosphere.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>White\nDwarf Stars:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Stars like the Sun fuse\nhydrogen in their cores into helium. White dwarfs are stars that have burned up\nall of the hydrogen they once used as nuclear fuel.<\/li><li>Fusion in a star&#8217;s core produces\nheat and outward pressure. This pressure is kept in balance by the inward push\nof gravity generated by a star&#8217;s mass. When the hydrogen used as fuel vanishes,\nand fusion slows, gravity causes the star to collapse in on itself, thus\nforming a white dwarf star.<\/li><li>White dwarfs typically have a\nradius just .01 times that of the Sun in our Solar System, but their mass is\nabout the same as the Sun.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/news\/economy\/india-has-one-of-the-highest-unemployment-rates-in-women-68292\">India\nhas one of the highest unemployment rates in women<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong> According to the OECD Economic Survey of India report, India is one\nof the worst countries for working women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>According to the report, India has\nthe largest difference between employment rates of women and men among OECD\nnations at 52%. India is followed by Turkey.<\/li><li>The employment gap between\nwomen and men is highest 15 to 29 years bracket<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Steps taken by Indian Government to\nencourage women participation in workforce:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Constitutional Provision: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Article 16: <\/em><\/strong>Equality\nof opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or\nappointment to any office under the State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP): <\/strong>The scheme aims to provide skills that give employability to\n women and to provide competencies and skill that enable women to become\n self-employed\/entrepreneurs.<\/li><li><strong>Scheme for Working Women Hostel<\/strong>:\n The scheme aims to promote availability of safe and conveniently located\n accommodation for working women, with day acre facility for children, at\n places where employment opportunities for women exist<\/li><li><strong>Mahila E-Haat:<\/strong> It is a direct\n online marketing platform leveraging technology for supporting women\n entrepreneurs\/SHGs\/ NGOs for showcasing their products \/ services.<\/li><li><strong>Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for Children of Working\n Mothers<\/strong>: It seeks to provide day care\n facilities for children (0-6 years) of working mothers.<\/li><li><strong>Equal Remuneration Act, 1973<\/strong>:\n provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for\n the same work of similar nature without any discrimination.<\/li><li><strong>Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) Scheme<\/strong>: It provides cash incentives to pregnant and nursing mothers\n to partly compensate wage loss both prior to and after delivery.<\/li><li><strong>Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017<\/strong>: It provides for enhancement in paid maternity leave from 12\n weeks to 26 weeks and provisions for mandatory cr\u00e8che facility in the\n establishments having 50 or more employees. However, the provisions have\n largely been responsible for low hiring women in formal sectors especially\n in start-ups and SMEs<\/li><li><strong>The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention,\n Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013:<\/strong> It seeks\n to protect women against sexual harassment at all workplaces both in\n public and private sector, whether organised or unorganised<\/li><li><strong>Skills for Employability<\/strong>: The\n Government has been providing training to women through a network of Women\n Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes\n and Regional Vocational Training Institutes.<\/li><li>The government has also prioritized\n women in many schemes such as MUDRA scheme, STAND UP India, etc to\n boost women employment.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nOECD:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Organisation for Economic\nCo-operation and Development(OECD) is an intergovernmental economic\norganisation with 36 member countries<\/li><li>It was founded in 1961 to\nstimulate economic progress and world trade. It is headquartered in Paris,\nFrance.<\/li><li>It works to build better\npolicies for better lives. Its goal is also to shape policies that foster\nprosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all.<\/li><li>India is not a member of OECD\nbut has been a key economic partner.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/news\/climate-change\/climate-emergency-cop-25-the-adaptation-fund-is-perfectly-fit-to-serve-the-paris-agreement-68318\"><strong>Kyoto protocol\u2019s Adaptation Fund:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nAdaptation Fund<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The\n Adaptation Fund was set up in 2001 under the Kyoto Protocol. <\/li><li>It seeks\n to finance projects and programmes in developing countries to adapt to the\n harmful effects of climate change.<\/li><li>The\n Adaptation Fund is financed by a 2% levy on certified emission reduction\n (CERs) issued by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Types\nof Climate Funds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Global\nEnvironment Facility (GEF)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was established in 1992\nduring the Rio Earth Summit. It is headquartered in Washington DC, USA.<\/li><li>GEF funds are available to\ndeveloping countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the\nobjectives of the international environmental conventions and agreements.<\/li><li>The World Bank serves as the\nGEF Trustee, administering the GEF Trust Fund (contributions by donors)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Green\nClimate Fund:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was set up by the parties to\nthe United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010, as\npart of the UNFCC\u2019s financial mechanism.<\/li><li>GCF helps developing countries\nlimit or reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate\nchange.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Special\nClimate Change Fund (SCCF):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was established under the UNFCC\nin 2001. The Global Environment Facility operates the SCCF.<\/li><li>It finances projects relating\nto: adaptation; technology transfer and capacity building; energy, transport,\nindustry, agriculture, forestry and waste management; and economic\ndiversification.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Least\nDeveloped Countries Fund (LDCF):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was established under the\nUNFCC in 2001. It is administered by the Global Environment Facility.<\/li><li>The LDCF aims to address the\nneeds of the 48 LDCs which are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts\nof climate change.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nKyoto Protocol:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Kyoto Protocol is an\ninternational agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on\nClimate Change. It aimed to achieve a legally binding emissions reduction by\nindustrialised countries.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The Kyoto Protocol was adopted\nin Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 and entered into force in 2005. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key elements of Kyoto Protocol:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.\nTarget-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Reduction of collective Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5.2%\n from the 1990 level by 2012. This is known as the \u201cfirst commitment\n period\u201d<\/li><li>Second commitment period (2013-2020) to reduce emissions by 18%\n was adopted by the Doha Amendment (2012)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.\nApproach<\/strong>:&nbsp;Equity and Common but differentiated\nresponsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR) &#8211; Legally binding targets\nfor 39 developed countries. No legally binding targets for developing\ncountries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3.\nMechanisms:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><em>Clean Development\nMechanism:<\/em><\/strong><em><\/em><\/li><li>CDM allows emission-reduction\nprojects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER)\ncredits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. <\/li><li>These CERs can be traded and\nsold, and used by industrialized countries to a meet a part of their emission\nreduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.<\/li><li><strong><em>Joint implementation<\/em><\/strong>: It enables developed countries to carry out emission reduction or\nremoval enhancement projects in other developed countries.<\/li><li><strong><em>Emission trading:<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;It allows countries that have emission units (carbon dioxide)\nto spare (emissions permitted to them but not \u201cused\u201d) to sell this excess\ncapacity to countries that are over their targets.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/why-carbon-market-is-debated-climate-change-meeting-madrid-paris-agreement-6154571\/\">Carbon\nMarkets<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Carbon\nMarket:<\/strong> It is a term used for a trading system\nthrough which countries may buy or sell units of CO2 emissions in an effort to\nmeet their national limits on emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Carbon\nmarkets under Kyoto Protocol:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the Kyoto Protocol, three carbon\nmarkets were established. The aim was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions\ncost-effectively by setting limits on emissions and enabling the trading of\nemission units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Clean Development Mechanism<em>:<\/em><\/strong><em><\/em><\/li><li>CDM allows emission-reduction\nprojects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER)\ncredits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. <\/li><li>These CERs can be traded and\nsold, and used by industrialized countries to a meet a part of their emission\nreduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Joint implementation<\/strong>: It enables developed countries to carry out emission\n reduction or removal enhancement projects in other developed countries.\n This allows developed countries to earn emission reduction units (ERUs) each\n equivalent to one tonne of CO2.<\/li><li><strong>Emission trading<em>:<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;It allows countries that have emission units (carbon\n dioxide) to spare (emissions permitted to them but not \u201cused\u201d) to sell\n this excess capacity to countries that are over their targets.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Carbon\nMarket under Paris Agreement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Article 6 of the Paris\nAgreement established the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) as a new\ncarbon market instrument for the period after 2020. <\/li><li>It aims to deliver an overall\nmitigation in global emissions. It seeks to achieve twin objectives of limiting\nglobal warming to 1.5 degrees, and the Sustainable Development Goals laid out\nin the UN 2030 Agenda.<\/li><li>The Article 6 puts forward two\ndifferent approaches for carbon trading:<ul><li>Article 6.2 enables bilateral\narrangements for transfer of emissions reductions, while ensuring that they do\nnot double-count the reductions. <\/li><\/ul><ul><li>Article 6.4 talks about a wider\ncarbon market in which reductions can be bought and sold by anyone<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Market\nbased Initiatives in India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Perform\nAchieve and Trade (PAT) initiative: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It is a flagship programme of\nBureau of Energy Efficiency under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy\nEfficiency (NMEEE). It was launched in 2012 by the Ministry of Power.<\/li><li>The scheme provides the option\nto trade any additional certified energy savings with other designated\nconsumers to comply with the Specific&nbsp;Energy Consumption reduction\ntargets.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Renewable\nEnergy Certificate (REC) trading system<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was launched in 2010. Its primary\npurpose is to promote renewable energy. The Ministry of Power regulates the REC\nmechanism. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) is the federal\nauthority which administers the REC scheme.<\/li><li>Under Energy Act-2003, the\ncountry\u2019s State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) set targets for\npower companies to purchase a certain percentage of their total power from\nrenewable sources. These targets are called Renewable Purchase Obligations\n(RPOs).<\/li><li>To comply with their RPOs or\nprofit from a surplus of RECs, covered entities may trade RECs either within or\nacross states.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gujarat\u2019s\nEmissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for trading in Particulate Matter (PM)\nemissions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It was launched in 2019. The\nprogramme aims to reduce particulate air pollution and facilitate robust\neconomic growth. It is the first in the world to regulate particulate air\npollution.<\/li><li>Under the programme, the\ngovernment sets a cap on emissions and allow industries to buy and sell permits\nto stay below the cap.<\/li><li>The Gujarat state pollution\ncontrol board (GPCB) will define the total mass of pollution that can be\nreleased into the air over a certain fixed period by all industrial units\ntogether. This will be equivalent to the cap.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/after-mallya-nirav-modi-who-is-a-fugitive-economic-offender-6152543\/\"><strong>After\nMallya, Nirav Modi: Who is a \u2018fugitive economic offender\u2019?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Recently,thespecial Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court has declared Nirav\nModi as a fugitive economic offender (FEO) under Fugitive Economic Offenders\nAct,2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nFugitive Economic Offenders Act,2018:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Indian Parliament had passed the\nFugitive Economic Offenders Act in 2018.<\/li><li>The act seeks to confiscate\nproperties and assets of economic offenders that evade prosecution by remaining\noutside the jurisdiction of Indian courts.<\/li><li>The act defines FEO as an\nindividual (a)who has committed offences involving an amount of 100 crore\nrupees or more and (b)has run away from India to avoid criminal prosecution.<\/li><li>A special court has been\nestablished under the Prevention of Money laundering Act,2002 to declare a\nperson as a Fugitive Economic Offender.<\/li><li>The Special courts can direct the\nCentral government to seize assets of fugitive economic offender including\nthose that are proceeds of the crime.<\/li><li>Further,the appeals against the\norders of the special court will lie before the High Court.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Money\nlaundering:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Money laundering is the process by\nwhich large amounts of illegally received money is given the appearance of\nhaving originated from a legitimate source.<\/li><li>In India,the money laundering is\nregulated by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002(PMLA) which came into\nforce in 2005.<\/li><li>The act defines money laundering\noffence and provides for the freezing, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds\nof crime.<\/li><li>The provisions of this act are\napplicable to all financial institutions like banks, mutual funds, insurance\ncompanies, and their financial intermediaries.<\/li><li>The act was amended thrice, first\nin 2005, then in 2009 and 2012. PMLA(Amendment) Act, 2012 has enlarged the\ndefinition of money laundering by including activities such as concealment,\nacquisition, possession and use of proceeds of crime as criminal activities.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1595235\"><strong>Draft\nNational Logistic Policy<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Minister\nof Commerce and Industry has informed Lok Sabha about the Draft National\nLogistics policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Draft\nNational Logistics policy:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Draft National Logistics policy\nhas been prepared by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in consultation with\nthe Ministries of Railways, Road Transport and Highways,Shipping and Civil\nAviation.<\/li><li>The aim of the policy is to reduce\nthe logistics cost from the present 14% of GDP to less than 10% by 2022.<\/li><li>The policy also aims at promoting\nseamless movement of goods across the country and reducing high transaction\ncost of traders.<\/li><li>It also focuses on increasing the\nwarehousing capacity and identify gaps that could be bridged to bring down the\ncost of logistics for traders.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The policy also envisages setting\nup of a central portal which will provide end-to-end logistics solutions to\ncompanies.The portal will be a single window marketplace to link all\nstakeholders.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The policy is also aimed at\nsimplification of documentation for exports\/ imports and drive transparency\nthrough digitisation of processes involving customs, in regulatory,\ncertification and compliance services.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nIndia\u2019s logistics sector:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Indian logistics sector\nprovides livelihood to more than 22 million people and improving the sector\nwill facilitate 10 % decrease in indirect logistics cost leading to the growth\nof 5-8% in exports.<\/li><li>The worth of Indian logistics\nmarket would be around USD 215 billion in the next two years compared to about\nUSD 160 billion currently.<\/li><li>However,India\u2019s logistics sector is\nhighly defragmented and complex with involvement of more than 20 government\nagencies,37 export promotion councils, 200 shipping agencies and 36 logistic\nservices.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-what-is-blue-water-force-6153312\/\"><strong>Explained:\nWhat is Blue Water Force?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Recently,Indian\nDefence minister has said that the Indian Navy is the Formidable Blue Water\nForce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Classification\nof Navy:<\/strong>The Navies are classified in terms of the following colours:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A navy whose operations are\nrestricted close to the shore where the water is muddy, is called a Brown Water\nForce.&nbsp;<\/li><li>A navy that can go farther out is\ncalled a Green Water Force and then Blue Water Force&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Blue\nwater force:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A Blue Water force is one that has\nthe capacity to project itself over a much bigger maritime area than its\nmaritime borders.It means that the navy can go into the vast, deep oceans of\nthe world.&nbsp;<\/li><li>However,while most navies have the\ncapacity to send ships into the deep oceans,a Blue Water Force is able to carry\nout operations far from its borders without being required to return to its\nhome port to refuel or re-stock.<\/li><li>Since,the Indian Navy has the\ncapacity to carry distant operations at or from the sea up to considerable\ndistance from national shore bases,it qualifies as a Blue Water Force.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/palestine-india-techno-park-birzeit-university-express-explained-6154264\/\"><strong>Explained:What\nPalestine-India techno park says of relationship between the two countries<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Recently,India\nhas released the third tranche of funding worth $3 million for the construction\nof a Palestine-India Techno Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPalestine-India Techno Park:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Palestine-India Techno Parkwas\nestablishedto create a business environment that will enable\nknowledge-based and creative enterprises as well as technology clusters to\nsuccessfully operate locally, regionally and globally.<\/li><li>The park will be located next to\nthe Birzeit University Academic Campus, Palestine.<\/li><li>The objectives of the park include\n(a)establishing an environment that is accessible to industry (b)supporting the\nprocess of commercialisation and industrialisation (c)supporting\nentrepreneurship and (d)bridging the knowledge gap between the private sector\nand academia.<\/li><li>Once completed,the Technopark will\nserve as an IT hub in Palestine with complete IT facilities offering a one-stop\nsolution to all IT-related service requirements, providing state-of-the-art\ntechnology.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>India and\nPalestine Relations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 1974,India became the first\nnon-Arab state to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation(PLO) as the\nsole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.<\/li><li>In 1988, India was one of the first\ncountries to recognise the state of Palestine after the Palestinian National\nCongress declared independence.&nbsp;<\/li><li>At that time,India maintained its\nsupport for the two-state solution and championed a sovereign, independent,\nunited Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem.<\/li><li>In 1996,India opened its\nRepresentative Office to the State of Palestine in Gaza which was shifted to\nRamallah in 2003.&nbsp;<\/li><li>In July 2017, Indian Prime Minister\nNarendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine.<\/li><li>The trade between India and\nPalestine stands at roughly US $40 million and spans automotive spare parts,\nmedical tourism, agro-products, textiles, agro-chemicals and pharmaceuticals\namong others.<\/li><li>Hence,India\u2019s ties with Israel and\nPalestine have been more or less balanced.India fully established diplomatic\nrelations with Israel in 1992. Defence and agriculture have formed the main\npillars of India-Israel relationship.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aninews.in\/news\/national\/general-news\/isro-sets-up-space-technology-cells-at-iits20191205235303\/\"><strong>ISRO Sets\nUp Space Technology Cells In IITs, IISc And Other Colleges<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nIndian Space Research Organization has decided to set up five Space Technology\nCells at the premier institutes in order to carry out research activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Space\nTechnology Cells:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Space Technology cells are\nbeing established under the RESPOND Programme.The Technology cells will consist\nof professors and scholars associated with the institute.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Under the programme,the experts\nwill conduct space technology research and applications.<\/li><li>Currently,the ISRO has already set\nup Space Technology Cells(STC) at premier institutions like IIT Bombay, Kanpur,\nKharagpur and Madras, IISc ,Bengaluru and Joint Research Programme with\nSavitribai Phule Pune University(SPPU).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nRESPOND Programme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>ISRO had started the RESPOND (Sponsored\nResearch) programme in the 1970s.<\/li><li>The objective of&nbsp; the\nprogramme is to encourage academia to participate and contribute in various\nSpace related research activities.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Under the programme,projects are\ntaken up by Universities\/Academic Institutions in the areas of relevance to\nSpace Programme.<\/li><li>ISRO helps these institutions to\nestablish the necessary technical facilities and also provide fellowships to\nresearchers to work on cutting edge research topics.<\/li><li>The programme is mutually\nbeneficial to both ISRO and Academia wherein the rich talent of Academia\/\nfaculty is being harnessed to support the Nation\u2019s Space programme.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/audit-for-fdi-norms-must-for-e-com-firms\/article30220754.ece\"><strong>Audit for\nFDI norms must for e-com firms<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\ngovernment has issued new rules that makes it compulsory for e-commerce\ncompanies with foreign investments to submit an audit report every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nnew rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The rules will be applicable on\nE-commerce companies with foreign investments such as Amazon, Flipkart among\nothers.<\/li><li>These companies have to submit a\nreport prepared by statutory auditors, by September 30 every year.<\/li><li>They have to show that they have\nbeen in compliance with the foreign direct investment(FDI) rules for the\ne-commerce sector.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nFDI Rules for E-commerce companies:<\/strong>In\n2018,Government of India had announced the FDI rules for ecommerce companies\nwhich were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If an entity is owned by an\ne-commerce marketplace(ECM),it cannot sell its products on the platform run by\nthe same ECM&nbsp;<\/li><li>A single vendor can\u2019t account for\nmore than 25% of sales in an ECM or platform and&nbsp;<\/li><li>The rules puts curbs on exclusive\npartnerships with brands or providing favorable services to a few vendors.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Significance\nof these rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>These rules were directed at\nprotecting small vendors on e-commerce websites.<\/li><li>It seeks to ensure small players\nselling on the portals are not discriminated against in favour of vendors in\nwhich e-commerce companies have a stake.<\/li><li>It will also ensure a level playing\nfield for all vendors looking to sell on the e-commerce portals.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/international-business\/opec-countries-russia-to-cut-oil-output-pushing-up-prices\/articleshow\/72405519.cms\"><strong>OPEC\ncountries, Russia to cut oil output, pushing up prices<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The\nOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) and Russia has reached a\ndeal deepening their output cuts.This deal is aimed at reducing surplus oil and\nto bolster crude prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About OPEC:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Organization of the Petroleum\nExporting Countries(OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization.<\/li><li>It was created at the Baghdad\nConference in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.It has its\nheadquarters in Vienna, Austria.<\/li><li>OPEC aims to manage the supply of\noil in an effort to set the price of oil on the world market and to avoid\nfluctuations that might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing\ncountries.<\/li><li>According to its statutes,OPEC\nmembership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and\nwhich shares the ideals of the organization.<\/li><li>The current OPEC members are:\n(a)Algeria (b)Angola (c)Ecuador (d)Equatorial Guinea (e)Gabon (f)Iran (g)Iraq\n(h)Kuwait, (I)Libya (j)Nigeria (k)the Republic of the Congo (l)Saudi Arabia\n(j)United Arab Emirates and (k)Venezuela.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>India\u2019s\nDependence on Oil:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India is the world\u2019s third largest\noil importer.It imports over 80 percent of oil requirements.<\/li><li>Saudi Arabia has traditionally been\nIndia\u2019s top oil source but it was for the first time dethroned by Iraq in the\n2017-18 fiscal year.<\/li><li>With its high dependence on\nimports,India has remained vulnerable to volatility in the global crude oil\nmarket.<\/li><li>However,India has been reducing its\ndependence on the OPEC countries.It has diversified its sources by increasing\nits shipments from the US.<\/li><li>Further,the government is also\nfocusing on measures like increasing domestic production, promoting the use of\nbio fuel and energy conservation to reduce dependence on imported crude oil.<\/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=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture3-9.png?resize=750%2C436&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54665\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/newsite\/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195491\"><strong>India\u2019s\nfirst HAM project in sewerage sector<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>India&#8217;s\nfirst Hybrid annuity model(HAM) in sewerage sector,a Sewage Treatment Plant\n(STP) was inaugurated in Sarai,Haridwar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the\nSarai Sewage Plant Project:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Plant is based on advanced\naerobic biological process Sequential Batch Reactor(SBR) process.<\/li><li>The project has been built under\nthe Namami Gange project of National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG).<\/li><li>The project is capable of removing\nthe nutrients during treatment and is a 100% eco-friendly project.It will meet\nthe highest standards of output parameters.<\/li><li>The plant will be maintained and\noperated for a period of 15 years by the same developer for efficient\nperformance and for meeting output parameters.<\/li><li>It will bring substantial\nimprovement in the quality of water of the river Ganga in Uttarakhand.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSequential Batch Reactor(SBR):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sequencing batch reactors(SBR) or\nsequential batch reactors are a type of activated sludge process for the\ntreatment of wastewater.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The reactor treat wastewater such\nas sewage or output from anaerobic digesters or mechanical biological treatment\nfacilities in batches.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Oxygen is bubbled through the\nmixture of wastewater and activated sludge to reduce the organic matter\nmeasured as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen\ndemand(COD).&nbsp;<\/li><li>The treated effluent may be\nsuitable for discharge to surface waters or possibly for use on land.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNational Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It has been established as an\nAuthority under National Council for River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and\nManagement) Act, 2016.<\/li><li>It is the implementing agency of\nthe Namami Gange Programme at the national level.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNamami Gange programme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Namami Gange was launched in\n2015.It is an Integrated Conservation Mission which seeks effective abatement\nof pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of River Ganga.<\/li><li>The main pillars of Namami Gange\nProgramme are (a) Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure, (b) River-Surface\nCleaning, (c) Afforestation,&nbsp; (d) Industrial Effluent Monitoring, (e)\nRiver-Front Development, (f) Biodiversity, (g) Ganga Gram and (h) Public Awareness.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nHybrid Annuity model(HAM):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Hybrid annuity model is a\ncombination of Engineering, Procurement and Construction(EPC) and\nBuild,Operate,Transfer(BOT) models.<\/li><li>Under the EPC model,the government\npays private players to lay roads.The private player has no role in the road\u2019s\nownership,toll collection or maintenance.<\/li><li>Under the BOT model,private players\nhave an active role.They build, operate and maintain the road for a specified\nnumber of years, before transferring the asset back to the government.The toll\nrevenue collection arrangement is known as BOT-Annuity.<\/li><li>Under the Hybrid annuity model,the\ngovernment will provide 40% of the project cost to the developer to start work\nwhile the remaining 60% of the investment has to be made by the developer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advantages\nof Hybrid Annuity model:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Private player has to arrange for\nonly 60% of project cost.The exposure and risk reduces for the private player.<\/li><li>Government will also benefits as it\ngets an opportunity to flag off projects by investing a portion of the project\ncost.<\/li><li>All regulatory clearances risk,\ncompensation risk and traffic risk is borne by government.Hence,private player\nwill have minimal risk.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ministry of Tribal affairs to Announce Achievements of \u2018Prime Minister Van Dhan Yojana\u2019 News: Ministry of Tribal affairs will announce the 100 days achievements of \u2018Prime Minister Van Dhan Yojana\u2019. The Ministry will also launch the international fashion designer Ms. Ritu Beri as Chief Design Consultant for TRIFED to promote tribal arts &amp; culture. Facts:&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-december-7th-2019\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 December 7th, 2019<\/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-54656","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":1704710118},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54656","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=54656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54656\/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=54656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}