Daily Current Affairs : 30-Jan-2020
Major Topics Covered :
OPERATION VANILLA- DISASTER RELIEF AT MADAGASCAR
ANTI-SUPERSTITION LAW- KARNATAKA
NCRB- SEARCH OF MISSING PERSONS
INDIA’S- NO-FLY LIST
MIDDLE EAST PLAN
IAHE
DATA ON POLICE ORGANIZATIONS
BHAKTA RAMADASU
PLR
OPERATION VANILLA- DISASTER RELIEF AT MADAGASCAR
Part of GS- 2 IR
Why in news?
Indian Navy has launched operation Vanilla to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief at Madagascar.
Highlights:
The Operation Vanilla has been launched to provide assistance to the affected population of Madagascar post devastation caused by Cyclone Diane.
The Indian Navy Ship is geared to set up medical camp and provide food, water and other necessary relief material.
The Ministry said, the situation is being monitored and the Indian Navy is prepared to render all necessary assistance to the local population in Madagascar.
Source: PIB
ANTI-SUPERSTITION LAW- KARNATAKA
Part of GS- 1 Social Issue
Why in news?
A controversial anti-superstition law in Karnataka, which was passed during the tenure of a Congress government in a diluted form as the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017.
It received the assent of the Governor on December 6, 2017, was formally notified by the current BJP government on January 4, 2020, said a senior official of the state Social Welfare Department.
Highlights:
A Bill with sizable consensus across the political spectrum finally evolved in 2017.
The practice of Vaastu, astrology, pradakshina or circumabulation of holy places, yatras, parikramas performed at religious places were kept out of the purview of the law.
Made Snana was banned under the law with respect to having Dalits roll over leftover food.
The practice has now been modified to be voluntary and not involving leftover food.
Practices such as barring menstruating women from entering houses of worship and their homes, coercing people to take part in fire-walks, and beating up people by declaring them evil, are among the irrational practices that have been banned under the 2017 law.
A total of 16 practices have been banned under the law.
The penalties:
The law stipulates “imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to seven years and with fine which shall not be less than five thousand rupees but which may extend to fifty thousand rupees”, as punishment for violations.
Source: Indian Express
NCRB- SEARCH OF MISSING PERSONS
Part of GS- 3 Defence and Security
Why in news?
NCRB Launches two online national level services related to Search of Missing Persons and to Generate Vehicle NOC; start CCTNS Hackathon & Cyber Challenge. National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) launched Police related Citizen centric services on CCTNS platform here today.
Highlights:
These online services will help Citizens in Searching their Missing Persons and Generating Vehicle NOC.
The services can be accessed through ‘digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in’ portal or through a link in the existing ‘Digital Police Portal’.
So far such services are being provided through the state citizen portals and it is the first time that these are being launched centrally.
The Citizens can search for their missing kins against the national database of recovered unidentified found person/unidentified dead bodies from their homes.
This will hugely benefit relatives of missing persons and save them from running around pillar to post, as all such details including photos are available in Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System and will now be accessible to citizens through this portal at their convenience.
Source: PIB
INDIA’S- NO-FLY LIST
Part of GS- 3 Economy
Why in news?
Four airlines in India — IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India and GoAir — have banned stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra from taking their flights after he allegedly heckled television news anchor Arnab Goswami on an IndiGo flight.
Highlights:
The government had in 2017 issued rules for preventing disruptive behaviour by air travellers and laid down the guidelines for a no-fly list.
As per the rules, a complaint of unruly behaviour needs to be filed by the pilot-in-command, and this is to be probed by an internal committee to be set up by the airline.
During the period of pendency of the inquiry, the rules empower the concerned airline to impose a ban on the passenger.
The committee is to decide the matter within 30 days, and also specify the ban duration.
The rules define three categories of unruly behaviour:
Level 1 refers to behaviour that is verbally unruly, and calls for debarment up to three months;
Level 2 indicates physical unruliness and can lead to the passenger being debarred from flying for up to six months;
Level 3 indicates life-threatening behaviour for which the debarment would be for a minimum of two years.
The Civil Aviation Requirements issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) note that unruly behaviour on board aircraft has been declared an offence and is a punishable act.
A no-fly list essentially begins with a passenger causing verbal, physical or life-threatening unruliness. The DGCA has given an indicative list of actions that may be construed as unruly.
Source: Indian Express
MIDDLE EAST PLAN
Part of GS- 2 IR
Why in news?
President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan, Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People, has been praised by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “realistic path to a durable peace”, but rejected by President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority as a “conspiracy deal” to which “we say a thousand times over: no, no, no”.
Highlights:
Observers have said that the deal, which was drawn up without any meaningful Palestinian participation, is loaded in Israel’s favour.
It gets unified Jerusalem as its capital and it does not have to dismantle any of its illegal settlements in the West Bank.
To the Palestinians, the deal offers the possibility of a US-recognised quasi sovereign state that will not, however, have a standing army; they will also have to give up violent resistance to Israel, and ensure the disbandment of Hamas, which governs Gaza.
Both Israel and the Palestinians make non-negotiable claims over Jerusalem. The plan says Jerusalem will not be divided, and it will remain “the sovereign capital of the State of Israel”.
The capital of Palestine can occupy far-flung eastern neighbourhoods lying beyond “the existing security barrier”, which can be renamed Al Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem.
Source: Indian Express
IAHE
Part of GS- 3 Economy
Why in news?
The report of the YS Malik Committee, constituted to give recommendations to transform the Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE) into a world class premier institute on highway sector was submitted to the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways.
Highlights:
About IAHE:
It was created by Ministry for Road Transport & Highways in 1983.
It is located in NOIDA (Uttar Pradesh).
IAHE is the premier institute for pooling of experience and sharing of knowledge on entire range of subjects involving management of highways.
The recent report says, there is need to improve existing training infrastructure, content and training methodology, establish linkages with world-renowned international institutes and carry out applied research & related works.
Source : Business Standard
DATA ON POLICE ORGANIZATIONS
Part of GS- 3 Defence and Security
Why in news?
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah today released the “Data on Police Organizations as on 1.1.2019” in India, in the presence of Shri V S K Kaumudi, DG, BPR&D, and other senior officers of the BPR&D.
Highlights:
The BPR&D has been publishing the “Data on Police Organizations” annually since 1986.
“Data on Police Organizations as on 01/01/2018” was released by Shri G. Kishan Reddy, MoS (Home) on the 24th of October, 2018. Simultaneously, the process for obtaining the data and preparation of “DoPO as on 01.01.2019” started and was completed by December, 2019.
Total Sanctioned Police Force (Civil + DAR+ Spl. Armed): 25,95,435
Total Actual Police Force (Civil + DAR+ Spl. Armed): 20,67,270
Vacancy: 5,28,165
Strength of Women Police Force (Civil + DAR+Spl. Armed)/ Percentage: 1,85,696/8.98%
Percentage increase of Women Police over previous year: 9.52%
Strength of Women Police in CAPFs/ Percentage: 29,532/ 2.95%
Population Per Police person (PPP) - Sanctioned: 503.40
Population Per Police person (PPP) - Actual: 632.02
Police Population Ratio (Per Lakh) (PPR) - Sanctioned: 198.65
Police Population Ratio (Per Lakh) (PPR) - Actual: 158.22
Number of Police Districts: 777
Number of Police Commissionerates: 63
Source : PIB
BHAKTA RAMADASU
Part of GS- 1 A&C
Why in news?
An 11-foot imposing bronze statue of Bhakta Ramadasu, the renowned saint composer of the 17th century, is all set to be unveiled at his birthplace, Nelakondapalli, about 20 km from here, on the occasion of his 387th birth anniversary on January 29.
Highlights:
The impressive statue in a standing position was made by a Hyderabad-based master artisan at an estimated cost of Rs. 6 lakh with funds sanctioned by the State government, sources said.
It will be inaugurated on the premises of the Bhakta Ramadasu Dhyana Mandiram as a mark of respect to the iconic composer, famous for his soul-stirring devotional lyrics on Lord Rama and constructing Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam in the 17th century.
He was belongs to the Carnatic music family.
He is a famous Vaggeyakara from the Telugu classical era.
His contemporaries include the stalwarts of Telugu literature such as Tallapaka Annamayya, Tyagaraja, Kshetrayya, and Shyama Sastri.
Source: The Hindu
PLR
Part of GS- 3 Economy
Why in news?
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to extend the existing Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme beyond 2017-18 until any change/amendment is made in the Scheme.
Highlights:
The Scheme will annually benefit to 28,821 Major Port Trusts and Dock employees/workers and the yearly estimated outgo will be Rs.46 crore.
Productivity Linked Reward will be calculated on the existing wage ceiling for calculation of Bonus at Rs. 7000/- per month.
This Scheme is fostering better industrial relationship and congenial work atmosphere in the Port Sector, apart from stimulating better productivity.
About PRODUCTIVITY LINKED REWARD (PLR):
There is an existing scheme of Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) for the employees/workers of Major Port Trusts and Dock Labour Board.
Wherein Productivity Linked Reward is granted on the basis of the composite Ports Performance Index (50% weightage to All India Performance and 50% weightage to individual port performance) on yearly basis based on the settlement arrived at between Management and the Labour Federations of the Major Port Trusts.
Source: PIB