{"id":54698,"date":"2019-12-25T21:00:44","date_gmt":"2019-12-25T15:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?p=54698"},"modified":"2020-02-27T12:21:46","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T06:51:46","slug":"9-pm-current-affairs-brief-december-25th-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-december-25th-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 December 25th, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ddnews.gov.in\/national\/good-governance-index-launched\"><strong>Good Governance\nIndex launched<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Minister of State for Public Grievances and Pensions has launched Good\nGovernance Index on the occasion of Good Governance Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nGood Governance Index:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Good Governance Index is a\nuniform tool to assess the status of governance and impact of various\ninterventions taken up by State governments and Union Territories.<\/li><li>The index was launched by the\nDepartment of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and the Centre for\nGood Governance.<\/li><li>The States are assessed on\nperformance in 10 sectors namely (1)agriculture and allied sectors (2)commerce\nand industries (3)human resource development (4)public health (5)public\ninfrastructure and utilities (6)economic governance (7)social welfare and\ndevelopment, (8)judicial and public security (9)environment and\n(10)citizen-centric governance.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the index:<\/strong>The index has divided States\nand UTs into three groups namely Big States, North-East and Hill States and\nUnion Territories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Big\nStates:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Tamil Nadu has topped the Good\nGovernance Index among the Big states,<\/li><li>It was followed by Maharashtra,\nKarnataka, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>North\nEast and Hill States:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Himachal Pradesh was ranked first\nfollowed by Uttarakhand, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim. <\/li><li>The worst performers in this group\nare Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh coming\nlast.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Union\nTerritories:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Puducherry is the best governed\nUnion Territory followed by Chandigarh and Delhi. Lakshadweep is the worst\nperforming UT.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/newsonair.com\/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=376597\"><strong>NITI Aayog to\nlaunch 2nd edition of SDG India Index<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>NITI Aayog will launch the second edition of the Sustainable\nDevelopment Goals(SDG) India Index and Dashboard on 30th December,2019 in New\nDelhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSDG India Index:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>SDG India Index and Dashboard has\nbeen developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics\n&amp; Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth Institute and the\nUnited Nations.<\/li><li>The aim of the index is to instil\ncompetition among States to improve their performance across social indices as\nthe States\u2019 progress will determine India\u2019s progress towards achieving the set\ngoals by 2030. <\/li><li>The index documents the progress\nmade by India\u2019s States and Union Territories towards implementing the 2030 SDG\ntargets.<\/li><li>Besides indicating where the\nStates and UTs currently are on SDG implementation, the Index and Dashboard\nalso charts distance to be travelled to reach SDG targets.<\/li><li>The first edition of the index was\nlaunched in December 2018.It was the first tool developed by any large country\nto monitor progress towards achieving SDGs at sub-national level.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSDG India Index 2019:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The SDG India Index and Dashboard\n2019 covers 16 out of 17 SDGs and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17.This\nmarks an improvement over 2018 Index, which covered only 13 goals. <\/li><li>On the basis of progress made, the\nIndex will rank all States and UTs on 100 indicators drawn from MoSPI\u2019s\nNational Indicator Framework, comprising of 306 indicators.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNational Indicator Framework:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In 2016, the Ministry of\nStatistics &amp; Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has developed a National\nIndicator Framework(NIF).<\/li><li>The framework is a consolidated\nlist of possible national indicators.It consists of 306 statistical indicators\nto serve as a backbone for monitoring of SDGs.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSustainable Development Goals(SDGs):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Sustainable Development\nGoals(SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable\nDevelopment in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.<\/li><li>The objective was to produce a set\nof universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political and economic\nchallenges facing the world.<\/li><li>The SDGs are a bold commitment to\nfinish what the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) started and tackle some of\nthe more pressing challenges.<\/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=\"580\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture1-34.png?resize=750%2C580&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54716\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/news\/india\/indian-armed-forces-set-to-get-their-first-chief-of-defence-staff-11577212541867.html\"><strong>Indian Armed\nForces set to get their first chief of defence staff<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the creation of Chief\nof Defence Staff (CDS) post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Background:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The proposal for a Chief of\nDefence Staff(CDS) has been there for two decades.<\/li><li>It was recommended by the\nK.Subrahmanyam committee appointed after the Kargil conflict of 1999 to\nrecommend higher military reforms.<\/li><li>However,it did not move forward\ndespite authorities recommending the need for creating a post for a single\ncommand centre in matters of warfare and nuclear weaponry.<\/li><li>Further,the Naresh Chandra\ncommittee in 2012 had also recommended the appointment of a Permanent Chairman\nof Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) as a midway to allay apprehensions over the\nCDS.<\/li><li>The CDS was also one of the 99\nrecommendations made by the Lt General D.B. Shekatkar (retd) Committee which\nsubmitted its report in December 2016 which had 34 recommendations pertaining\nto the tri-services.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nChief of Defence staff:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)\nwill be the highest-ranked officer of India\u2019s armed forces.It will be the\nfour-star army officer. <\/li><li>CDS will provide his\nrecommendations to the central government about all three armies \u2013 Air Force,\nArmy, and Navy. <\/li><li>It will also serve as the unified\nmilitary advisor to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense. <\/li><li>It will also head the Department\nof Military Affairs (DMA), to be created in the Ministry of Defence, and\nfunction as its Secretary.<\/li><li>It will also be a member of the\nDefence Acquisition Council chaired by the Defence Minister.<\/li><li>The CDS will also advise on nuclear\nmatters in the situation of war. However,tenure of Chief of Defence Staff has\nnot yet declared.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Significance\nof Chief of Defence Staff(CDS):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>CDS will synergise long term\nplanning, procurement, training and logistics of the three Services, and ensure\nbetter coordination between them.<\/li><li>It is expected to save money by\navoiding duplication between the Services, at a time of shrinking capital\nexpenditure within the defence budget.<\/li><li>It will also help India in Defense\ndiplomacy as CDS will act as the single-point advisor to the Government of\nIndia.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.newsonair.com\/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=376639\"><strong>Rohtang tunnel\nin Himachal Pradesh named as Atal tunnel<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The Union Cabinet has decided to name the Rohtang Tunnel under Rohtang\nPass after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nAtal Tunnel:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Atal tunnel is an\n8.8-kilometre-long under Rohtang Pass.It will become the world\u2019s longest\nhighway tunnel above 10,000 feet.<\/li><li>The tunnel is present on the Pir\nPanjal Range of Himalayas.The tunnel project is being carried out by the Border\nRoads Organisation(BRO).<\/li><li>The tunnel will provide\nall-weather connectivity to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh\nwhich otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six\nmonths during winters.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nRohtang Pass:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Rohtang Pass (elevation 3,978 m)\nis located in the state of Himachal Pradesh.<\/li><li>It is present on the Pir Panjal\nRange of Himalayas.It connects the Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti Valleys\nof Himachal Pradesh.<\/li><li>The Ravi river rises west of the\nRohtang pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh.<\/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=\"692\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture2-21.png?resize=750%2C692&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54717\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/news\/india\/cabinet-approves-organisational-restructuring-of-indian-railways-11577187510295.html\"><strong>Govt approves\nrestructuring of Railway Board, unification of services<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Union Cabinet has approved the restructuring of the Railway Board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nRailway Board:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Railway Board is the apex body\nof the Indian Railways which reports to the Parliament via the ministry of\nrailways.At present,the railway board includes eight members.<\/li><li>The Cabinet has now restructured\nthe board.It will now consist of four members and chairperson.<\/li><li>The chairperson will act as Chief\nExecutive Officer(CEO) along with four members responsible for Infrastructure,\nOperations &amp; Business Development, Rolling Stock and Finance respectively.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Merger\nof Services:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Union Cabinet has also\napproved the merger of the different cadres into a central service called the\nIndian Railway Management Service (IRMS).<\/li><li>The modalities and unification of\nthe services will be worked out by the Ministry of Railways in consultation\nwith the Department of Personnel and Training.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Significance\nof this move:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>These reforms are aimed at ending\ndepartmentalisation of the mammoth organization that employees nearly 1.3\nmillion people, second only to the strength of the Armed Forces.<\/li><li>The Unification of services is\naimed at ending departmentalism, promote smooth working of Railways, expedite\ndecision making, create a coherent vision for organisation and promote rational\ndecision making.<\/li><li>Further,the unification of\nservices had earlier been mooted by various committees for reforming Railways\nincluding &#8211; the Prakash Tandon Committee (1994), Rakesh Mohan Committee (2001),\nSam Pitroda Committee (2012) and Bibek Debroy Committee (2015).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/Economy\/india-in-midst-of-significant-economic-slowdown-says-imf\/article30385942.ece\"><strong>India in the\nmidst of significant slowdown:IMF<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its consultations<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>report on India.<\/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 report has said that India\u2019s\nrapid economic expansion in recent years has lifted millions of people out of\npoverty. <\/li><li>However in 2019, a combination of\nfactors led to subdued economic growth in India.<\/li><li>India is now in the midst of a\nsignificant economic slowdown.Hence,the report has urged the government to take\nurgent policy actions to address the current prolonged downturn.<\/li><li>The slowdown is mostly cyclical\nand not structural.However,still concerns remain as because of the financial\nsector issues,the recovery will be not as quick as it is in case of cyclical\nslowdowns.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reasons\nfor growth slowdown:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The current economic slowdown is\nattributed to abrupt reduction in non-banking financial companies\u2019 credit\nexpansion and weak income growth especially in rural areas which has been\naffecting private consumption.<\/li><li>Private investment has also been\nhindered by financial sector difficulties (including in public sector banks)\nand insufficient business confidence. <\/li><li>Further,the implementation issues\nwith important structural reforms such as the nation-wide Goods and Services\nTax may also have played a role.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Positives\nfrom the report:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India is still doing well in terms\nof other economic parameters such as Foreign exchange Reserves which have risen\nto a record level.<\/li><li>The current account deficit has\nalso narrowed down.<\/li><li>Inflation although witnessing a\ntemporary hike because of vegetable prices has been under control for the last\nfew years.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>International\nMonetary Fund<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The International Monetary Fund\n(IMF) is an organization of 189 countries. It was established in 1945.<\/li><li>The main goal of IMF is to ensure\nthe stability of the international monetary system. <\/li><li>It also seeks to facilitate\ninternational trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth,\nand reduce poverty around the world.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/Economy\/economic-revival-key-to-banks-health\/article30391145.ece\"><strong>Economic\nrevival key to banks\u2019 health<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The Reserve Bank of India has released a report titled Trend and\nProgress of Banking in India 2018-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\nHighlights from the report:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\nare the positives in the Banking sector?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Indian banking sector\u2019s\nfinancial parameters such as bad loans and capital adequacy have shown an\nimprovement in recent times.<\/li><li>In 2018-19, the asset quality of\nscheduled commercial banks turned around after a gap of seven years with the\noverhang of stressed assets declining and fresh slippages arrested.<\/li><li>Besides,recapitalization had also\nhelped public sector banks in shoring up their capital ratios.<\/li><li>Hence,as a result of declining\nprovisioning requirement,the banking sector returned to profitability in the\nfirst half of 2019-20. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\nare the concerns according to the report?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The overall health of the banking\nsector will depend on revival in economic growth.However,the GDP growth for the\nsecond quarter of the current financial year has dipped to a six-year low of\n4.5%.<\/li><li>Despite the improvement in some of\nthe important parameters, the risk-averse nature among lenders was worrisome.<\/li><li>Further,the waning of confidence\namong the borrowers is leading to credit slowdown and is affecting the overall\neconomic activity. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Recommendations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The capital infusion by the\ngovernment in public sector banks is just not enough to meet the regulatory\nminimum.Hence,the banks might require more recapitalization.<\/li><li>The financial health of PSBs\nshould also be assessed by their ability to access capital markets rather than\nlooking to the government as a recapitalizer of the first and last resort.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/news\/india\/rbi-launches-prepaid-payment-instrument-for-your-daily-digital-payments-11577217526279.html\"><strong>RBI launches\nPrepaid Payment Instrument for your daily digital payments<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The Reserve Bank has introduced a new type of prepaid payment\ninstrument (PPI) for daily digital payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Features\nof PPI introduced by RBI:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The prepaid payment\ninstrument(PPI) could be used only for purchase of goods and services up to a\nlimit of \u20b910,000 per month.<\/li><li>PPIs shall be issued by bank and\nnon-bank PPI issuers after obtaining minimum details of the holder.<\/li><li>The amount loaded in such PPIs\nduring any month shall not exceed \u20b910,000 and the total amount loaded during\nthe financial year shall not exceed \u20b91,20,000.<\/li><li>The PPI issuers shall provide an\noption to close the instrument at any time and also allow to transfer the funds\n&#8216;back to source&#8217; at the time of closure.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPrepaid Payment instrument(PPI): <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Prepaid Payment instrument(PPI)\nare financial instruments that facilitate the purchase of goods and services\nagainst the value stored on such instruments.<\/li><li>These are generally issued in the\nform of smart cards,mobile wallets, paper vouchers,internet accounts\/wallets.<\/li><li>These payment instruments are\nlicensed and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Types\nof PPIs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Closed\nsystem PPI:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Closed system PPI can be used only\nat specific locations, and cannot be used to transfer funds from one account to\nanother.<\/li><li>The most common example of a\nclosed system PPI is a brand-specific gift card. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Semi-closed\nPPI:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Semi closed PPIs are not\nrestricted to a single entity.Instead,these can be used for purchase of any\nkind of goods and services from a merchant, as well as to transfer money to\nsomeone.<\/li><li>The examples of semi-closed PPI\nare e-wallets like Oxigen and Mobikwik.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Open\nsystem PPI:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The open system PPIs can be issued\nonly by banks and can be used at any merchant outlet for any purchase or cash\nwithdrawal.<\/li><li>A travel card is a type of open\nsystem PPI.It can be used for all types of spending and for cash withdrawal from\nATMs.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>26th December <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/other-states\/massive-locust-invasion-threatens-gujarat-farmers\/article30397949.ece\"><strong>Massive locust\ninvasion threatens Gujarat farmers<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The migratory insect locust has spread to the Northern parts of\nGujarat, causing significant damage to agriculture.<\/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 certain species of\nshort-horned grasshoppers that have a swarming phase.They belong to the family\nAcrididae.<\/li><li>Swarming refers to a collective\nbehaviour in which locusts aggregate together just like flocks of birds.<\/li><li>Locusts differ from grasshoppers\nin that they have the ability to change their behaviour and habits and can\nmigrate over large distances.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Distribution:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The invasion area of desert locust\ncovers about 30 million sq km which includes whole or parts of nearly 64\ncountries. <\/li><li>This includes countries like North\nWest and East African countries, Arabian Peninsula, the Southern Republic of\nUSSR, Iran, Afghanistan, and the Indian subcontinent.<\/li><li>In India,four species of locust\nnamely Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), Migratory locust (Locusta\nmigratoria), Bombay Locust ( Nomadacris succincta) and Tree locust (Anacridium\nsp.) are found.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Threat:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Locust swarms devastate crops and\ncause major agricultural damage and attendant human misery.<\/li><li>If infestations are not detected\nand controlled, devastating plagues can develop that often take several years\nto bring under control with severe consequences on food security and\nlivelihoods.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Control\nmeasures taken by India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India has a Locust Control and\nResearch scheme that is being implemented through the Locust Warning\nOrganisation(LWO) which was established in 1939.<\/li><li>It was amalgamated in 1946 with\nthe Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) of the\nMinistry of Agriculture.<\/li><li>The main objective of Locust\nWarning Organisation(LWO) is protection of standing crops and other green\nvegetation from the ravages of Desert locust which is one of the most dangerous\npests occurring in desert areas throughout the world.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/who-was-pandit-madan-mohan-malaviya-freedom-fighter-and-educationist-6184723\/\"><strong>Who was Pandit\nMadan Mohan Malaviya, freedom fighter and educationist<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Indian Prime minister has said that India will always be grateful to\nPandit Madan Mohan Malaviya for his numerous contributions during India\u2019s\nindependence movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPandit Madan Mohan Malaviya:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya(1861 \u2013\n1946) was an Indian educationist and a Freedom Fighter.He was also addressed as\nMahamana.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Role in\nIndian Freedom movement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>As a member of the Imperial\nLegislative Council, he participated in the important debates most notable\nbeing the prohibition of recruitment of Indian indentured labour to the British\ncolonies.<\/li><li>He was a moderate leader and\nopposed the separate electorates for Muslims under the Lucknow Pact of 1916.<\/li><li>He had also attended the Second\nRound Table Conference in the year 1931.<\/li><li>He popularized the term \u2018Satyamev\nJayate\u2019.However,the phrase originally belongs to the Mundaka Upanishad.The term\nnow is the national motto of India.<\/li><li>In protest against the Communal\nAward which sought to provide separate electorates for minorities, Malaviya\nalong with Madhav Shrihari Aney left the Congress and started the Congress\nNationalist Party.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contributions\nand Organizations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He started composing poetry at the\nage of fifteen with the pen name &#8216;Makarand&#8217;.<\/li><li>He founded &#8220;Prayaga Hindu\nSamaj&#8221;, and wrote several articles on the Contemporary issues and problems\nof the country.<\/li><li>In 1887,he established\n&#8220;Bharat Dharma Mahamandal&#8221; to propagate Sanatan Dharma and Hindu\nculture.<\/li><li>He also founded the Banaras Hindu\nUniversity(BHU) at Varanasi in 1916 which was created under the B.H.U. Act,\n1915.<\/li><li>He also founded the Hindu\nMahasabha in 1906 to oppose not the just claims of the Muslim community but the\n&#8220;divide and rule&#8221; policy of the British Government.<\/li><li>He also started the &#8216;Abhyudaya&#8217; as\na Hindi weekly in 1907 and made it a daily in 1915.He also started the\n&#8216;Maryada&#8217; a Hindi monthly in 1910 and &#8216;Leader&#8217; an English daily in 1909.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Awards:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Madan Mohan Malviya was\nposthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna, India&#8217;s highest civilian award in\n2014.<\/li><li>The train named Mahamana Express\nwas named after Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya in 2016.It runs between Delhi and\nVaranasi.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/politics\/policy\/gst-council-to-set-up-grievance-redressal-mechanism-for-taxpayers-11577275840743.html\"><strong>GST Council to\nset up grievance redressal mechanism for taxpayers<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The GST Council has decided to set up a grievance redressal mechanism\nfor taxpayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nGrievance Redressal Committee(GRC): <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Grievance Redressal\nCommittee(GRC) at zonal and state levels will be set up as a redressal\nmechanism for taxpayers.<\/li><li>It will consist of both central\ntax and state tax officers, representatives of trade and industry and other\ngoods and services tax(GST) stakeholders.<\/li><li>The committee will be constituted\nfor a period of 2 years and the term of each member will be likewise.<\/li><li>The functions of the committee\ninclude examining and resolving all the grievances and issues being faced by\nthe taxpayers, including procedural difficulties and IT-related issues\npertaining to GST, both specific and general nature.<\/li><li>The committee will meet once every\nquarter or more frequently as decided by the co-chairs.<\/li><li>If any member of the panel would\nbe absent for three consecutive meetings,the member will be replaced with a\nfresh nomination by the principal chief commissioner of State tax.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nGST Council:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Goods &amp; Services Tax(GST)\nCouncil is a constitutional body for making recommendations to the Union and\nState Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax.<\/li><li>As per Article 279A (1) of the\nconstitution, the GST Council was constituted by the President.<\/li><li>The council consists of the\nfollowing members: (a) The Union Finance Minister is the Chairperson (b) The\nUnion Minister of State in-charge of Revenue of finance and (c) The Minister\nIn-charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State\nGovernment.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/business\/govt-forms-expert-panel-for-time-bound-resolution-of-disputes-in-oil-gas-sector-6184974\/\"><strong>Govt forms\nexpert panel for time-bound resolution of disputes in oil &amp; gas sector<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Government has constituted a Committee of External Eminent\nPersons\/Experts for time-bound resolution of disputes in Oil and gas sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nthe committee:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The committee will consist of\nthree members.It will help the oil and gas sector get rid of disputes without\nhaving to resort to tardy judicial process.<\/li><li>The committee will have a tenure\nof three years and the resolution will be attempted to be arrived at within\nthree months.<\/li><li>The panel will arbitrate on a\ndispute between partners in a contract or with the government over commercial\nor production issues for oil and gas.<\/li><li>It shall exercise all powers and\ndischarge all the functions necessary for carrying out conciliation and\nmediation proceedings as per the provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation\nAct,1996.<\/li><li>Once a resolution has been\nreferred to the panel, the parties cannot resort to arbitration or court case\nto resolve it.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Significance\nof this committee:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The country\u2019s oil and gas sector\nhas been plagued by disputes from cost recovery to production targets and\ncompanies as well as the government have resorted to lengthy and costly\narbitration followed by judicial review, a process that takes years to resolve\ndifferences.<\/li><li>Hence,this decision may lift\noverall business sentiment, especially in the oil and gas sector which in\nreturn will help the sector get rid of disputes choking investment in it. <\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Good Governance Index launched News:Minister of State for Public Grievances and Pensions has launched Good Governance Index on the occasion of Good Governance Day. Facts: About Good Governance Index: The Good Governance Index is a uniform tool to assess the status of governance and impact of various interventions taken up by State governments and Union&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-december-25th-2019\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 December 25th, 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-54698","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":1704786308},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54698","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=54698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54698\/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=54698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}