Read from our blog

National News

1. Govt to create 1-lakh-tonne onion buffer stock in 2020

To avoid a repeat of this year’s onion crisis, the Centre has decided to create a buffer stock of 1 lakh tonnes of the key kitchen staple in 2020. The government had created a buffer stock of 56,000 tonnes for the current year but it was not sufficient to contain the prices which are still ruling above ₹100 a kg in most cities. As a result, the government has been compelled to import via State-run MMTC.

The issue was discussed at the recent meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Home Minister Amit Shah. It was decided that a higher buffer stock of about 1 lakh tonne will be created for the coming year. Cooperative Nafed, which had maintained the buffer stock of onion on behalf of the government, will continue to do so next year. It will source the rabi (winter) onion crop — which has a longer shelf-life — between March and July directly from farmers.

2. MOSPI constitutes Standing Committee on Economic Statistics headed by Pronab Sen

 The statistics ministry has constituted a 28 member Standing Committee on Statistics (SCES) chaired by former Chief Statistician Pronab Sen to improve quality of data amid criticism of the government over political interference.

Earlier in November this year, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) had decided not to release the Consumer Expenditure Survey results of 2017-18 citing data quality issues. The MOSPI had also mentioned that an expert panel has recommended that 2017-18 would not be an appropriate fiscal to be used as a base year for new GDP series.

3. 3 years on, a mere 30% of Poshan Abhiyaan funds used

According to the data shared in Parliament, State governments/UTs have utilised a mere 30% of the funds released under the Poshan Abhiyaan or the National Nutrition Mission since it was launched in 2017.

The five best performers in terms of fund utilisation were Mizoram , Lakshadweep, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

The worst five performers were Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Jharkhand and Assam.

The programme was conceptualised to be implemented in phases so the utilisation will increase over the years.

However,few services have shown a slow start and are now picking up like the Integrated Child Development Services-Common Application Software(ICDS-CAS).

About Poshan Abhiyan:

The Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition or POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission is Government of India’s flagship programme.

It is aimed at improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers and children by reducing the level of stunting, underweight, anaemia and low birth weight by 2022.

The mission is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The mission targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively.

Although the target to reduce Stunting is at least 2% p.a.,it strives to achieve a reduction in Stunting from 38.4% (NFHS-4) to 25% by 2022.

The 50% of the funding is through budgetary support.It is further divided into 60:40 between the Centre and the States, 90:10 for north-eastern region and the Himalayan States and 100% for the Union Territories without legislature.

The remaining 50% is from the World Bank or other multilateral development banks.

4. Madhya Pradesh gets its first elephant colony

Recently, Madhya Pradesh has got its first elephant colony in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

Bandhavgarh National Park is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.It was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993.

The park resides on the extreme north eastern border of Madhya Pradesh and the northern edges of the Satpura mountain ranges.

The park derives its name from the most prominent hillock of the area, which was said to be given by Hindu Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep a watch on Lanka.

The park is also mentioned in the ancient books of the ‘Narad Pancharatra’ and the ‘Shiv Purana’ that this place is being associated with Ramayana.

There are a large number of tigers in the core zone of the Park.There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds.

According to the 2017 Elephant Census, India is home to 50% of the Asian Elephant population.

The Asian Elephant has been given the highest level of protection in India by its inclusion in Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

They are also included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. According to the All India Tiger Estimation Report– 2018, Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers (526) followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).

5. Centre extends AFSPA in Nagaland for 6 month

The Central government extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland for six more months. The government cited "disturbed and dangerous conditions" in Nagaland as the reasons behind the extension of AFSPA in Nagaland.

6. In maiden cabinet decision, Hemant Soren govt withdraws Pathalgadi sedition cases

Hours after taking oath as the Jharkhand chief minister, Hemant Soren announced his decision to withdraw all sedition cases registered during the Pathalgadi movement and protests against the amendments to Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT Act) and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act (SPT Act).

The Pathalgadi movement began in 2017 when stone plaques and signboards were placed in over 200 villages of Jharkhand. The stone orders dismissed the authority of the Central or the state governments in their villages.

The stone plaques, also contain "orders" prohibiting outsiders from entering the villages, proclaim allegiance to the Constitution but reject any authority except their gram sabhas (village assemblies). The plaques also had inscriptions from the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled areas) Act or PESA which the villagers used to claim their independence from the state and the Central governments.

The Pathalgadis accused the Raghubar Das government of snatching away the rights of the tribal people after some amendments were made to the CNT and SPT laws. Many had also claimed they were subjected to police brutality. It was then a total of 19 cases of sedition were registered against over 150 people.

7. Buses to have divyang-friendly features from March

Buses will have facilities for differently abled passengers or passengers with reduced mobility from March onwards. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to this effect. The amendments provide for priority seats, signs, securing of crutches/canes/walkers, handrail/stanchions, controls at priority seats, among others for differently abled people. Such facilities will be checked and ensured at the time of fitness inspection for buses. The amendments shall come into force from March 1, 2020.

8. India's Second Spaceport To Be In Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi: ISRO Chief

India's second spaceport for launching small satellites would be located in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Sivan told.

The Tamil Nadu government has begun acquiring about 2,300 acres of land in Thoothukudi district for our second satellite launch port, ideally located for launching small satellites in the earth's lower orbit. Thoothukudi is about 600 km southeast of Chennai. The country's first spaceport is at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km northeast of Chennai. The new location is ideal for launching small satellites of less than 500 kg in the sun-synchronous orbit.

9. AP: Sand delivery at doorstep from Jan 2

The Andhra Pradesh Government is planning to introduce door delivery of sand in the New Year and as a pilot project it will first be taken up in Krishna district and then extended to other districts. The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy. It may be noted that sand scarcity hit the construction sector badly during the past few months.

10. EC launches online registration tracking system for political parties

The Election Commission has launched a new online tracking system for political parties, which will allow them to track their registration applications submitted to the poll panel on a real-time basis. The new system, Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System (PPRTMS), will apply for parties registering from January 1, 2020. The online system will enable those applying for the party registration from January 1 to track the progress of their application using the system. The users will get status updates through SMS and e-mail.

The Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System will enable tracking of the status of the application by applicants. The applicant has to provide a relevant contact number and email address in the application to track its progress. The status update will be sent via text message and email. The status of the application can also be tracked through the Election Commission’s portal - https://pprtms.eci.gov.in

Political Party Registration

The registration of political parties is governed under the provisions of section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Those seeking registration of a political party have to submit an application to the Commission within 30 days from the date of its formation

The application has to be filed in the prescribed format with the basic details about the party including name, address, membership details of various units and the names of the office-bearers.

All particulars regarding the filing of the party registration application have been specified under sub-section (4) and sub-section (6) of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Background

The Election Commission had reviewed the process of registration of political parties in December 2019 and amended certain guidelines. The new guidelines came into effect from January 1, 2020 and can be viewed on the Commission’s main website- eci.gov.in.

11. 2019 concludes a ‘deadly decade’ for children in conflict, with more than 170,000 grave violations verified since 2010

Children continue to pay a deadly price as conflicts rage around the world, UNICEF said today. Since the start of the decade, the United Nations has verified more than 170,000 grave violations against children in conflict – the equivalent of more than 45 violations every day for the last 10 years.

The number of countries experiencing conflict is the highest it has been since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, with dozens of violent armed conflicts killing and maiming children and forcing them from their homes.

“Conflicts around the world are lasting longer, causing more bloodshed and claiming more young lives,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “Attacks on children continue unabated as warring parties flout one of the most basic rules of war: the protection of children. For every act of violence against children that creates headlines and cries of outrage, there are many more that go unreported.”

In 2018, the UN verified more than 24,000 grave violations against children, including killing, maiming, sexual violence, abductions, denial of humanitarian access, child recruitment and attacks on schools and hospitals. While monitoring and reporting efforts have been strengthened, this number is more than two-and-a-half times higher than that recorded in 2010.

More than 12,000 children were killed or maimed in 2018. Continued, widespread use of airstrikes and explosive weapons such as landmines, mortars, improvised explosive devices, rocket attacks, cluster munitions and artillery shelling cause the vast majority of child casualties in armed conflict.

Attacks and violence against children have not let up throughout 2019. During the first half of the year, the UN has verified over 10,000 such violations against children – although actual numbers are likely to be much higher. 

12. Kerala becomes first state to pass anti-CAA resolution

Kerala has become the first state in India to pass a resolution demanding rollback of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The Kerala assembly passed a resolution against the CAA on December 31, 2019.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had moved the anti-CAA resolution in the special one-day session, stating that the CAA act contradicts the basic values and principles of the Constitution.

The special assembly session was convened to ratify the extension of SC/ ST reservation in the Assembly and the Parliament for another decade, the anti-CAA resolution was also taken up because of the widespread protests regarding the law. Kerala has already put on hold all the activities in connection with the National Population Register (NPR) considering the anxiety among people that it relates to the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

13. Gujarat: 10,000 cameras to be used for 2020 lion census

The Gujarat forest department conducts lion census every five years in Asiatic Lion Landscape, which includes Gir National Park and Sanctuary.

Asiatic Lion is listed as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List. It is listed in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The only surviving free-ranging population of the Asiatic lion exists in the Gir forest, Gujarat. According to the 2015 Lion Census, there are 523 Asiatic Lions.

The African Lion is listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List.

‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, it aims to protect and conserve the Asiatic Lion. It is a 3 year-long conservation project.

14. 353rd birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh being celebrated

The birth anniversary of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh ji is being celebrated today. Born in 1666, Guru Gobind Singh is considered to be one of the most celebrated of all Sikh gurus.

President Ramnath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu have greeted fellow countrymen on the occasion. In a tweet, the President said, Guru Gobind Singh ji devoted his life to serving the people and upholding the values of truth, justice and compassion. His life and teachings continue to inspire us.

The Vice President said, throughout his life, Guruji stood up against injustice. His teachings transcend time and will remain relevant for all times.

In a tweet he said, may Guruji's teachings inspire us to be better human beings and guide humanity to serve the needy, poor and downtrodden.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his greetings today on the occasion of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Prakash Parv. In a tweet, he said, we bow to the venerable Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on his Prakash Parv.

In Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh the Prakash PARV of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji is being celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm. The devotees in large numbers have reached Gurdwaras to pay obeisance.  In Gurdwaras, Nagar kirtans are going on and langars of tea and food are running continuously.

In Bihar, the 353rd birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh is being celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety. The main function is organised at Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara, Patna Sahib, the birth place of Guru Gobind Singh, where thousands of pilgrims across the globe are offering prayers. Special langars are also being organised.

The whole atmosphere at Takhat Sri Harimandir Sahib ji is reverberating with shabad Kirtan.Akhand Path is being undertaken here. Special Kirtan  has also been organised. Devotees of the globe including London, Australia and Canada are offering special prayers at Harimandir Sahib. Pilgrims across the country are participating in the birth anniversary of Guru Sahab.Governor Phagu Chouhan and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar participated in prayers On this auspicious day, the Sikh community remembers Guru Gobind Singh's contribution by offering prayers.

Born at Patna Sahib in 1666, Guru Govind Singh was the 10th Sikh guru. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur ji as leader of Sikhs at the age of just nine. On this auspicious day, the Sikh community remembers Guru Gobind Singh's contribution by offering prayers.

The 10th Sikh Guru was a spiritual leader, philosopher, poet and master warrior. He is considered as the eternal guru by his followers because of his contribution to Sikhism. All Gurudwaras of the state are illuminated. Devotees visited Gurudwaras from early morning to offer prayers. On the eve of Gurupurab Religious processions were also organised at many places.

15. India, Pakistan exchange lists of civilian prisoners, fishermen in captivity

India and Pakistan on Monday exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their respective custody, according to the provisions of an agreement signed in 2008.

The lists of prisoners were exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

"India handed over lists of 256 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 99 fishermen in India's custody to Pakistan. Pakistan has shared lists of 52 prisoners and 209 fishermen," the Indian foreign ministry statement said.

Under the terms of the 2008 agreement, India and Pakistan exchange lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their respective custody on 1 January and 1 July every year. According to the Indian statement, India has called for an early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen along with their boats. "In this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 10 Indian civil prisoners and 124 Indian fishermen whose nationality has been confirmed to India," it said.

India has also asked Pakistan to speed up the process of granting visas to members of a medical team due to visit Pakistan to assess the mental condition of those people believed to be Indians and of unsound minds lodged in different Pakistani prisons. New Delhi has also asked Islamabad to arrange for an early visit of the joint judicial committee to Pakistan and organise an early visit of a 4-member team to Karachi in connection with the release and repatriation of 22 Indian fishing boats. "Immediate consular access has also been sought for the remaining prisoners and fishermen with the request to facilitate their earliest release and repatriation," the Indian statement said.

The statement said that India was committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's country. "In this context, India has also asked Pakistan to expedite its response in the case of 88 Pakistan prisoners, including fishermen, who have completed their sentence and await repatriation for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan," the statement added.

16. 28 Aadhaar Seva Kendras opened as part of plan to launch enrollment centres

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has opened 28 Aadhaar Seva Kendras (ASK) as part of its plan to start 114 standalone enrolments and update centres across the country.

These are in addition to about 38,000 Aadhaar enrolment centres run by banks, post offices and state governments, UIDAI said in a statement on Wednesday.

These ASKs which are open on all days of the week, have so far catered to over 3 lakh residents of which a sizable number are Divyang persons, it said.

These centres have a capacity to handle up to 1,000 enrolments and update requests per day and are operational from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and are closed only on public holidays, it said.

UIDAI plans to set up 114 Aadhaar Seva Kendras in 53 cities across the country, it added.

While Aadhaar enrolment is free, it said, a nominal charge of Rs 50 is payable for updating details like adding mobile number to Aadhaar, updating address, etc.

The Aadhaar Seva Kendra has an efficient token management system which guides residents to relevant stages of the enrolment/update process in a hassle-free manner, it said.

17. Supreme Court : No Automatic Conviction for Abetment of Suicide, Read Judgment

A person accused of dowry harassment cann't be automatically convicted for abetment of suicide, the Top Court has held in a judgment.

A Bench of Justices Navin Sinha & B.R. Gavai held that “even if it is established that the woman concerned had committed suicide within a period of 7 years from the date of marriage & that her husband has subjected her to cruelty, the court isn't bound to presume that suicide has been abetted by her husband.”

The court is required to take into consideration all other circumstances of the case.

“We are of the view that merely because an accused is found guilty of an offence punishable under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) & the death has occurred within a period of 7 years of the marriage, the accused cann't be automatically held guilty for the offence punishable under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by employing the presumption under Section 113A of the Evidence Act. Unless the prosecution establishes that some act or illegal omission by the accused has driven the deceased to commit the suicide, the conviction under Section 306 wouldn't be tenable,” Justice Gavai said in the recent judgment.

In the present case, the Supreme court set aside the conviction of the husband for abetment of suicide of his wife but upheld the case of dowry harassment against him.

18. At 67,385, India sets record for highest number of babies born on New Year's day

India recorded the highest number of babies born globally on New Year's day, according to data released by the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) on Wednesday.

As per UNICEF, out of the estimated 392,078 babies born around the world, 67,385 were born in India on January 1.

India was followed by China (46,299), Nigeria (26,039), Pakistan (16,787), Indonesia (13,020) and the United States of America (10,452) among others.

Indian babies accounted for 17 per cent of the estimated 3,92,078 babies that were born globally on New Year's Day.

A report by UNICEF had earlier said that Fiji in the Pacific will most likely deliver 2020's first baby, and the US, its last.

Each January, UNICEF celebrates babies born on New Year's Day, an auspicious day for child birth around the world. Babies born today share their birthday with global icons like, famous physicist Satyendra Nath Bose born on 1st January 1894, or well-known Bollywood actor, Vidya Balan born on 1st January 1979.

However, for millions of newborns around the world, the day of their birth is far less auspicious.

In 2018, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life; about a third of them on the first day of life. Among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis. In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year.

Over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half. But there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in the first month accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five in 2018, up from 40 per cent in 1990.

"The beginning of a new year and a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on our hopes and aspirations not only for our future, but the future of those who will come after us," said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.

"As the calendar flips each January, we are reminded of all the possibilities and potential of each child embarking on her or his life's journey -- if they are just given that chance."

19. IAF chief formally inducts Dornier aircraft into No. 41 Squadron

Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria has formally inducted the light utility aircraft Dornier into the No. 41 'Otters' Squadron, a statement issued by the central government said on Tuesday

The aircraft was inducted on Monday during a ceremony at the Palam Air Force Station.

The IAF in 2015 had signed a contract to purchase 14 Dornier aircraft, which are flight inspection system planes, for Rs 1,090 crore from state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

"While the first aircraft was delivered on November 19, the second is expected to be delivered in early 2020," the statement said.

The Dornier-228 aircraft is a multi-purpose, fuel-efficient, rugged, lightweight twin-turboprop aircraft with a retractable tricycle landing gear.

"The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria formally inducted the Flight Inspection System (FIS) Dornier aircraft into No 41 Squadron, the Otters', at a ceremony at Air Force Station Palam today," the statement said.

The Dornier-228 aircraft's cockpit is designed to accommodate two crew members and is fitted with duplicate controls. The cabin can accommodate 19 passengers in the commuter configuration.

This aircraft has been exported to Seychelles and Mauritius.

20. Incidents Of Poaching In India: 95 Tiger Deaths In 2019

For the first time in the past three years, the number of tiger deaths in a year in India has been less than 100.

According to data from the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change (MoEFCC), there were 84 cases of tiger deaths in the country and 11 cases of seizures (in which a tiger is presumed dead on the basis of body parts seized by authorities).

Both put together, the number of tiger deaths is 95 in 2019.

Data on tiger population:

The 2019 tiger census report placed the number of tigers in India at 2,967.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers in the country (526, as per the last census).

Data on tiger mortality:

In 2018, the number of tiger deaths recorded was 100 (93 mortalities and seven seizures).

In 2017, -115 tiger deaths (98 mortalities and 17 seizures).

 In 2016, - 122 tiger deaths (101 mortalities and 21 seizures).

Madhya Pradesh has recorded the most number of cases of tiger deaths (31) in 2019.

Maharashtra reported 18 deaths.

Karnataka – 12 tiger deaths.

Uttarakhand- 10 tiger deaths.

Tamil Nadu- 7 tiger deaths.

The data on tiger mortality also confirms 22 cases of poaching in the country and one case of tiger poisoning in 2019.

Over 70% of cases of poaching have been reported outside Tiger Reserves.

Improvements in Tiger conservation:

The reduced numbers of tiger mortalities are because of surveillance, good management of Tiger Reserves and a lot of awareness and education programs on tiger conservation.

Technology used: M-STRIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection & Ecological Status) patrolling app is deployed and used in every Tiger Reserve.

M-STRIPES:

Monitoring System for Tigers Intensive Protection and Ecological Status.

Launched by National Tiger Conservation Authority in 2010.

Its objective is to strengthen patrolling and surveillance of the Endangered Bengal tiger.

Way Forward:

Increase the number of tiger reserves: At least three new Tiger Reserves should be added in 2020. With the increase in tiger numbers, more areas in the country need to be declared Tiger Reserves.

Translocation protocol:  Although the first inter-State translocation of tigers to the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha was not a success, it can be seen as a learning experience. Inter-state translocation of tigers should be taken up on the basis of a well-planned translocation protocol.

Increase overall surveillance: 57 of the 95 deaths occurred inside Tiger Reserves, while 38 cases of tiger deaths were recorded outside Tiger Reserves. Therefore, increased surveillance can effectively counter-poaching incidents.

Additional Information

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body of the Ministry, with an overarching supervisory / coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Project Tiger is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India which was launched on the 1st of April, 1973 for in-situ conservation of wild tigers in designated tiger reserves.

Wild tigers are found in 18 of our States, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The challenges include protection against poaching, fragmentation of habitat, securing inviolate space for the tiger to facilitate its social dynamics, addressing tiger-human interface, restoration of corridors and eliciting public support of local people by providing ecologically sustainable options.

21. Maharashtra Govt. launches Cyber Safe Women initiative

Maharashtra Government launched a Cyber Safe Women initiative under which awareness camps across all the districts of the state regarding cyber safety. The action will help in educating women about how the web is used by anti-social elements and child predators to commit various types of crimes. The rising instances of cyber-crime need to be curbed and the government is looking to take all measures to ensure that women and children do not fall prey to these criminal activities.

Cyber Safe Women

Cyber safe women campaign will be launched in every district of Maharashtra. The state government will also organize lectures on cybercrime information. The campaign cover cybercrime crimes such as cyberbullying, internet phishing, fraud identity on marriage site, bank fraud, photo shuffling, child pornography, online gaming, false information sites. The police representatives, district ministers, government officials, school and college students, NGOs, Anganwadi and members of the Women's Vigilance Committee.

22. In 2019, 95 tiger deaths in India, 22 incidents of poaching, says MoEFCC

For the first time in the past three years, the number of tiger deaths in a year in the country has been less than 100. According to data from the Ministry of Forest Environment and Climate Change (MoEFCC), there were 84 cases of tiger deaths in the country and 11 cases of seizures (in which a tiger is presumed dead on the basis of body parts seized by authorities).

23. India to resolve all boundary issues, including Kalapani, with Nepal through dialogue: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday reiterated the Indian government's commitment to resolving the Kalapani issue with Nepal while responding to a question on boundary issues between the two neighbouring countries.

"I can only reiterate that our map accurately depicts the sovereign territory of India. The new map in no manner has revised our boundary with Nepal. The boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is ongoing under the existing mechanism," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told reporters in a weekly briefing.

"We reiterate our commitment to resolve standing boundary issues through dialogue in the spirit of our close and friendly bilateral relations between the two countries," he added.

Last year, Nepal had raised objections after the Home Ministry had released a political map of India which showed the Kalapani territory within Indian borders.

The territory is a disputed area between India and Nepal, and it is under Indian administration as part of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand. The valley of Kalapani, with the Lipulekh Pass at the top, forms the Indian route to Kailash Mansarovar, an ancient pilgrimage site.

The territory is also the traditional trading route to Tibet for the Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand.

After India closed the Lipulekh Pass in the aftermath of the 1962 Sino-Indian War, much of the Bhotiya trade used to pass through the Tinkar Pass. The Nepalese protests regarding the Kalapani territory started in 1997, after India and China agreed to reopen the Lipulekh Pass.

In November last year, the MEA had said that the new political map released after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir accurately depicts its sovereign territory and did not revise its boundary with Nepal in any manner.

24. It’s official: Not enough MPs are adopting model village scheme

In his first Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) as part of nation-building, urging Lok Sabha MPs to “make one village of his or her constituency a Model Village by 2016… after 2016, select two more villages… and after 2019… at least five model villages”. He also asked Rajya Sabha MPs to “adopt one of the villages”, saying “if we provide one model village in each district of India, then the surrounding villages shall be automatically inspired to follow that model”.

Five years down the line, official data shows that the progress of SAGY has been sluggish — about two-thirds of Lok Sabha MPs are yet to select gram panchayats under Phase-4 of the scheme. The total strength of both Houses is about 790 which include elected as well as nominated members.

In Phase-1 of SAGY, 703 MPs had adopted gram panchayats but that number went down to 497 in Phase-2 and 301 in Phase-3, showing a gradual decline in subsequent phases. Since the launch of the scheme on October 11, 2014, less than two months after the Prime Minister’s announcement, only 1,753 gram panchayats have been selected across four phases, way below the expected figure.

According to data available till the end of December 2019 on the website of the Ministry of Rural Development, only 252 MPs have adopted gram panchayats under Phase-4 of SAGY — 208 members of Lok Sabha and 44 members of Rajya Sabha.

The Lok Sabha has a total strength of 545 members which includes 543 elected members and two nominated members. Similarly, Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members which includes 12 nominated members. As on January 1, 2020, the total number of sitting members of Rajya Sabha is 240 while five seats are vacant.

Under the SAGY, each MP was required to identify one gram panchayat of his or her choice for developing it as an Adarsh Gram (Model Village) every year. But the latest data shows that more than six months after the formation of the 17th Lok Sabha, about two-thirds of the members of the Lower House are yet to select a gram panchayat under Phase-4.

The website gives no reason for the slow start of Phase-4 and Ministry officials did not respond to phone calls for comment.

Last month, a standing committee of Parliament raised red flags. “The vision behind the evolution of SAGY villages was to create model villages by ensuring convergence and dovetailing of schemes and its proper implementation on priority basis. However, the seriousness required to achieve the motto is lacking as faced by the Members of Parliament. The Committee, therefore, recommends DoRD (Department of Rural Development) to ensure that the SAGY villages are dealt with the vision envisaged under the scheme and are not left behind,” the Standing Committee on Rural Development stated in its report presented to Parliament on December 5, 2019.

25. India commences world’s largest ever vaccination programme to control FMD & Brucellosis in 2019; Aims to provide unique Pashu Aadhar to 535 million animals

National Animal Disease Control Programme for FMD and Brucellosis

The Government has launched a new scheme National Animal Disease Control Programme for FMD and Brucellosiswith a financial outlay of Rs. 13,343.00 crore for five years (2019-20 to 2023-24) by vaccinating 100% cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pig population for FMD and 100% bovine female calves of 4-8 months of age for brucellosis to prevent loss of Rs. 50,000 crore to the Government exchequer and also to increase the economic output of farmers. The mission mode approach for eradication of these diseases is the biggest step any country of the world has ever taken either for human or animal vaccination programmes to control any disease. This programme combined with providing unique PashuAadhar to 535 million animals (Cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, and pig).

NATIONWIDE ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION PROGRAMME (NAIP)

Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme for 20,000 bovine per district for 600 districts in the country was recently launched by the Government in September, 2019 which is one of the largest such programmes with 100% central assistance for undertaking breed improvement. In future, this will be expanded across all the breedable bovine population of 600 districts so that India achieves 70% AI coverage.Under NAIP, more than 11 lakhs AI has been done as on 31.12.2019.

QUALITY MILK PROGRAMME

DAHD launched the Quality Milk Programme on 24.07.2019 with the objectives to achieve Global(Codex)standards for domestic consumption of milk and ensuring traceability & increasing share of milk and milk products in world exports.

In the first phase of the programme during 2019-20, approval has been granted for strengthening of 231 dairy plants under “National Programme for Dairy Development” scheme to equip them to detect adulterants in milk (Urea, maltodextrin, ammonium sulphate, detergent, sugar, neutralisers etc.). FTIR technology based Milk Analyser (for accurate detection and estimation of milk composition and adulterants) to 139 dairy plants of 30,000 litre capacities and above and 92 Dairy Plants below 30,000 litres capacity with Electronic Milk Analyser with adulteration testing equipment. In addition, one each State Central laboratory for 18 States has been approved. The total cost of the project was Rs.271.64 crore. Out of this, an amount of Rs.128.56 crore has been released to States as the first instalment during 2019-20. Once implemented in June 2020, all the cooperative dairy plants of the country will be able to supply Quality Milk tested on all microbiological, chemical and physical parameters to their consumers.

26. PM releases 3rd installment of Rs 2000 to 6 crore beneficiaries under PM KISAN

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi distributed Agriculture Minister’s Krishi Karman Awards for Progressive Farmers and Commendation Awards to the states at a public meeting in Tumkur, Karnataka today. He also released the 3rd installment of PM Kisan (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) of Rs 2000 for the period December 2019 - March 2020. This will benefit approximately 6 crore beneficiaries and distribute Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to select farmers of Karnataka.  The Prime Minister will also hand over Certificates to beneficiaries under PM Kisan from 8 States / UTs. Prime Minister also handed over the keys of Deep Sea fishing Vessels and Fishing Vessel Transponders to select farmers of Tamil Nadu.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that it is a great privilege for him to see Annadata - our peasant brothers and sisters, in the new year, the beginning of a new decade. On behalf of 130 crore countrymen, the Prime Minister thanked their country’s farmers for their toil.

The Prime Minister said that the land of Karnataka also witnessed a historic moment when money under the PM-Kisan scheme has been distributed directly into the personal accounts of nearly 6 Crore Farmers in the country. The Prime Minister said a total of Rs 12 Thousand Crores has been deposited under the 3rd tranche of the scheme.

He hoped that the States that haven't implemented the 'PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana', will do it and political parties will rise over politics to help the farmers in their States.

PM recalled that there was also a period in the country, when one rupee was sent for the poor in the country and only 15 paise out of it reached the beneficiaries. And now he said that the money is reaching the poor directly without the intervention of the middlemen.

The Prime Minister said that the irrigation projects that have been stalled for several decades are now being implemented. He also said that the centre has always given priority to the interests of our farmers with the schemes like crop insurance, soil health cards and 100% neem coated urea.

The Prime Minister said that due to the efforts of the government, both the production and export of spices from India has increased considerably. “Spice production in India has increased by more than 2.5 million tons, so the export has also increased from about Rs 15 thousand crore to about Rs 19 thousand crore.”

He said that apart from horticulture, South India also has a large share in the production of pulses, oil and coarse grains.

The Prime Minister said, “Seed hubs have been built to promote pulses production in India, of which more than 30 centers are located in Karnataka, Andhra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana itself.”

Referring to the Government’s efforts on the Fisheries sector, the Prime Minister said the government is working at three levels to strengthen the sector.

First - Encouraging fisheries in villages through financial assistance to fishermen.

Second- Modernizing the fishing boats under the Blue Revolution Scheme.

And third - Constructing modern infrastructure related to fish trade and business.

The Prime Minister said, “fishermen have been linked to the Kisan Credit Card facility. New fishing harbors are being built in large rivers and in the sea for the convenience of fish farmers. A special fund of Rs 7.50 thousand crore has also been created for modern infrastructure. Fishermen's boats are being modernized for deep sea fishing and navigation devices are being installed in boats for the protection of fishermen with the help of ISRO.”

Keeping in view the nutritional security of the country, the PM requested to create a new category in the Krishi Karman Award, for Nutri Cereals, Horticulture and Organic Agriculture. This will give impetus to people and states doing better work in these areas, he added.

On the occasion, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar informed that a toll-free number for the beneficiaries of PM-Kisan Yojana, 155261 has been started at which the farmers will be able to know their payment status. He added that it shows the Government’s commitment to social security for small and marginal farmers, that two important welfare schemes – PM-Kisan which provides income support and PM- Kisan Maandhan-Yojana (PM-KMY) for pension assistance are being implemented. The Minister added that a mobile application is also being developed for ease of access of PM Kisan Portal facilities for farmers.

27. Assam state zoo first to breed endangered Hargila

The Assam State Zoo and wildlife NGO Aaranyak has jointly bred a pair of Greater Adjutant (Hargila) chicks in an artificial platform within the zoo enclosure.

Facts:

About Greater Adjutant Stork (Hargila):

It is found in a few isolated pockets in Assam and Bihar in India and PrekToal in Cambodia.

 IUCN status: Endangered

 It is listed under schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The last tiger census report, released in July 2019, had placed the number of tigers in India at 2,967, up by a third when compared with the numbers reported in 2014.

‘Encouraging’

“This is encouraging to us. The reduced numbers of tiger mortalities are because of surveillance, good management of Tiger Reserves and a lot of awareness and education programmes on tiger conservation,” Mr. Nayak said. The Member Secretary added that using technology to maintain surveillance on tigers has also come as an added advantage.“We have ensured that the M-STriPES (Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection & Ecological Status) patrolling app is deployed and used in every Tiger Reserve,” he said.

An analysis of the tiger mortality figures shows that 57 of the 95 deaths occurred inside Tiger Reserves, while 38 cases of tiger deaths were recorded outside Tiger Reserves.

Madhya Pradesh, which has the highest number of tigers in the country (526, as per the last census), has recorded the most number of cases of tiger deaths, with 31 tiger deaths reported from the central Indian State in 2019. This was followed by Maharashtra, which reported 18 deaths. Karnataka, another State with high tiger population, recorded 12 deaths, and Uttarakhand recorded ten deaths. Tamil Nadu recorded seven cases of tiger deaths.

Deaths were also recorded from non-tiger bearing States like Gujarat, where a tiger had strayed into the State and died.

Cases of poaching

The data on tiger mortality also confirms 22 cases of poaching in the country and one case of tiger poisoning in 2019. An analysis shows that in 16 out of 22 poaching incidents, which is almost over 70% of cases of poaching, have been reported outside Tiger Reserves.

Eight cases of poaching have been reported from Madhya Pradesh, six from Maharashtra, and two each from Assam and Karnataka. Mr. Nayak said that the NTCA is counting deaths due to electrocution among the incidents of poaching. According to experts, tigers are most vulnerable when they are outside Reserves as they are not under surveillance. In all, 17 cases of natural deaths of tigers have been recorded, while the reason for 56 other deaths could not be ascertained.

New Tiger Reserves

Mr. Nayak said that with the increase in tiger numbers, more areas in the country need to be declared Tiger Reserves. “We have 50 Tiger Reserves with an area of about 73,000 sq. km. With tigers coming out of Reserves and covering long distances, we need more Tiger Reserves,” he said. According to the NTCA Member Secretary, at least three new Tiger Reserves will be added in 2020. He said that the areas under consideration are in both south Indian and central Indian landscapes.

Touching on the issue of the first interState translocation of tigers to the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha, which did not go as planned, Mr. Nayak said that the effort was not a failure but a “learning experience”.

A pair of tigers were brought to the Satkosia Tiger Reserve from Madhya Pradesh in 2018. While the male tiger was killed, the female tiger had to be shifted to an enclosure following the death of two persons. At present, the Odisha government is in the process of shifting the female tigress back to Madhya Pradesh.

Translocation protocol

“The inter-State translocation was taken up on the basis of a well-planned protocol. If we don’t follow [the protocol], the results will not be as expected,” Mr. Nayak said. The NTCA Member Secretary said that inter-State translocation of tigers has not been stalled. He said that there are plans to translocate tigers to the western part of Rajaji National Park and also to the Buxa Tiger Reserve from similar tiger landscapes in Assam.

 

Economy, Business and Defence News

1. Maximum age limit for Chief of Defence Staff put at 65, Government amends rules

The defence ministry has amended rules to allow the Chief of Defence Staff to serve up to a maximum age limit of 65 years.

The changes have been made in the services rules of the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force for extension of retirement age of the Chief of Defence Staff to a maximum of 65 years if a service chief is appointed to the post. However, the tenure of the CDS is yet to be announced.

2. Indian Navy bans use of smartphones, social media at naval bases, warships

The Indian Navy has banned navy personnel from using social media and smartphones at naval bases, dockyards and onboard warships.  The development comes after the Indian Navy cracked a racket where seven of its personnel were found leaking sensitive information through social media including Facebook on December 20.

All the seven sailors involved in the racket were arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police department with the help of central intelligence inputs. It may be noted that all the accused sailors including a hawala operator were sending sensitive details related to naval vessels and submarines to Pakistan.

3. Sitharaman launches common e-auction platform for assets attached by banks

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday launched eBkray, an online platform to increase the transparency in auctioning of assets attached by banks.

The platform is equipped with property search features and navigational links to all PSB e-auction sites, provides single-window access to information on properties up for e-auction as well as facility for comparison of similar properties, and also contains photographs and videos of uploaded properties.

As on 27 December, a total of 35,000 properties were uploaded on the platform by Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Finance Ministry said in a statement. PSBs have attached assets worth over ₹2.3 lakh crore in the last three fiscal years.

"There has been information asymmetry when bank attached assets are auctioned which will come to an end with the launch eBkray," Sitharaman said while launching the platform.

Toxic assets in the banking sector have been at the epicentre of the stress in the economy.

Extensive reforms carried out by the government have helped banks reduce bad loans. The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of PSBs have declined from ₹8.96 lakh crore in March 2018 to Rs. 7.27 lakh crore in September 2019, with their provision coverage ratio rising to their highest level in seven years.

In a statement, the Finance Ministry said that extensive reforms carried out by the government have restored banks to health, with the gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of state-run lenders declining from ₹8.96 lakh crore in March 2018 to ₹7.27 lakh crore in September 2019, provision coverage ratio rising to their highest level in seven years, and banks returning to profitability, with as many as 13 banks reporting profits in the first six months of the current financial year.

4. IRCTC to launch Tejas train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai on January 17

The second privately operated IRCTC's premium Tejas train, which will ply between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, will be launched on January 17, sources said on Saturday.

Like in the first Tejas, which runs on the Delhi-Lucknow route, the railways will compensate passengers if the new train gets delayed.

First commercial run of the Tejas train will be on January 19. It will ply on Ahmedabad - Mumbai- Ahmedabad route for six days a week with Thursday as an off-day for maintenance, the sources said.

The train will be equipped with all modern onboard facilities for ensuring high-level comfort to passengers.

The IRCTC, the catering and tourism arm of Indian Railways, is planning to imbibe regional delicacies from the local and ethnic cuisines to suit the taste buds of passengers, they said.

Aiming to bring services in railways on par with airlines, the sources said service in the train will be done through trolleys similar to airlines.

It is another step by the Ministry of Railways in its endeavour to improve the overall travelling experience of rail passengers by providing state-of-the-art amenities to them on trains, they said.

According to the sources, the IRCTC will compensate each passenger with Rs 100 in case the train is delayed by more than one hour and Rs 250 in case of delay of more than two hours.

Besides this, all passengers travelling on the train will be provided with Rail Travel Insurance of up to Rs 25 Lakhs, free of cost by the IRCTC.

This complimentary travel insurance will also include exclusive coverage of Rs 1 lakh against robbery during the travel period of passengers.

The train fare will be dynamic and based on the prevailing fare of the Shatabdi on the same route. During the lean period, the fare will be the same as of the Shatabdi, 20 percent more during peak period and 30 per cent during the festive season, the sources said.

In case of cancellation of the train, an automatic full refund on confirmed and waitlisted e-tickets will be made. There will be no need of cancelling the ticket or filing TDR in such case, the sources claimed.

High-quality food and beverages will be provided to the passengers on board and the prices for that will be included in the ticket fare.

Each coach will be provided with an RO water filter in addition to the packaged drinking water bottle for each passenger.

The sources said there will be no concessional tickets on the train but children below five years of age need no ticket.

Similarly, there will be no tatkal quota or premium tatkal quota in the train, they said, adding that there will be only General Quota and Foreign Tourist Quota. Foreign Tourist Quota of six seats in Executive Class and 12 in Chair Car will be available for Foreign Tourists.

Both the Tejas trains are a test case to evaluate the handling of the trains by non-railway private entities.

5. No extra charge on digital payments via UPI, RuPay from January 1, 2020

The central government has decided to remove the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) to promote digital payments. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said that all digital transactions using RuPay or UPI will not face additional charges from January 1, 2020.

Earlier, the central government amended two acts, Payments and Settlement Systems Act and the Income Tax Act. Now, the Department of Revenue (DoR) will notify UPI and RuPay as the approved mode of payment for digital transactions without any Merchant Discount Rate (MDR).

What is MDR?

•     When a person swaps his card at a shop, the fee that the shopkeeper has to pay to his service provider is called MDR Charge. The MDR charges can range from 0% to 2% of the transaction amount.
•     MDR charge also has to be paid for online transactions based on QR Code.
•     The amount paid by the shopkeeper on every transaction is divided into three parts – Bank, Point of Sale (PoS) and the third part goes to VISA or MasterCard companies.
•     The MDR charge on credit cards can be up to 2% of the transaction amount even after the announcement by the Finance Minister.

Also Read | Aditya L1: Know Everything about ISRO’s First Solar Mission

Benefits

This step will promote home-grown digital payment gateways, RuPay and UPI. Other foreign payment gateway companies are VISA and MasterCard. It will also reduce the transaction cost of digital payments as well as it will enhance the use of digital payment in India. This recent move by the Finance Minister can play a major role to boost the digital economy of India.

E-Auction Platform

The Finance Minister also launched the common e-auction platform. The government will put information about the property of defaulters on this platform. The government has already uploaded information of about 35,000 properties on this platform. The total value of these assets is around 2.3 lakh crores.

6. IRCTC to launch Tejas train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai on January 17

The second privately operated IRCTC's premium Tejas train, which will ply between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, will be launched on January 17, sources said on Saturday.

Like in the first Tejas, which runs on the Delhi-Lucknow route, the railways will compensate passengers if the new train gets delayed.

First commercial run of the Tejas train will be on January 19. It will ply on Ahmedabad - Mumbai- Ahmedabad route for six days a week with Thursday as an off-day for maintenance, the sources said.

The train will be equipped with all modern onboard facilities for ensuring high-level comfort to passengers.

The IRCTC, the catering and tourism arm of Indian Railways, is planning to imbibe regional delicacies from the local and ethnic cuisines to suit the taste buds of passengers, they said.

Aiming to bring services in railways on par with airlines, the sources said service in the train will be done through trolleys similar to airlines.

It is another step by the Ministry of Railways in its endeavour to improve the overall travelling experience of rail passengers by providing state-of-the-art amenities to them on trains, they said.

According to the sources, the IRCTC will compensate each passenger with Rs 100 in case the train is delayed by more than one hour and Rs 250 in case of delay of more than two hours.

Besides this, all passengers travelling on the train will be provided with Rail Travel Insurance of up to Rs 25 Lakhs, free of cost by the IRCTC.

This complimentary travel insurance will also include exclusive coverage of Rs 1 lakh against robbery during the travel period of passengers.

7. GoM constituted to oversee implementation of ₹69,000 cr revival plan of BSNL, MTNL: Report

A seven-member Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted to fast-track and oversee the implementation of the ₹69,000 crore revival plan for state-owned telecom corporations BSNL and MTNL, sources said.

The high-level group will expedite smooth implementation of recent decisions taken on revival of BSNL and MTNL that includes crucial elements like allocation of 4G spectrum and asset monetisation, official sources told PTI.

The GoM includes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, IT and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, they added.

"There are crucial elements like business viability, workforce, issue of bonds, monetisation and 4G spectrum allotment in the revival package. The GoM will expedite and oversee the plans," the sources said.

In October this year, the government had approved a ₹69,000 crore revival package for BSNL and MTNL that includes merging the two loss-making firms, monetising their assets and giving VRS to employees so that the combined entity turns profitable in two years.In October this year, the government had approved a ₹69,000 crore revival package for BSNL and MTNL that includes merging of the two loss-making firms

The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the plan to combine Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) -- which provides services in Mumbai and New Delhi -- with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) that services the rest of the nation.

Over the last few weeks both the companies launched their Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) plans. Nearly 92,700 employees of BSNL and MTNL have opted for voluntary retirement, which is expected to save about ₹8,800 crore annually in salary bills for the debt-laden telecom companies.

The two firms will also monetise assets worth ₹37,500 crore in the next three years.

MTNL has reported losses in nine of the past 10 years and BSNL too has been ringing in losses since 2010.

8. Web portal launched for Delhi-NCR residents to track or block their lost/stolen phones

Phones users in Delhi-NCR who lose their handsets will now have some respite, with the government launching a portal that will enable blocking and tracing of stolen or lost mobile phones.

The initiative was launched in Mumbai in September this year, and has been rolled out for Delhi-NCR now. It will be extended to other parts of the country in 2020.

The launch of the portal, www.ceir.gov.in, for Delhi-NCR subscribers will facilitate requests for blocking of stolen or lost mobile phones by customers, blocking of such mobile phones across various mobile networks, allowing services to other existing customers having mobile phones with the same International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, sharing of traceability data with police authorities, as well as unblocking of recovered phones.

The project is backed by the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system, which was undertaken by the telecom department for addressing security, theft and other concerns including reprogramming of mobile handsets.

Launching the initiative, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said safety and security of phones are crucial given the country's technological strides and digital prowess.

"While we make optimum use of technology for development, there are equally smart criminals who abuse technology for their own ends," Prasad said.

The latest initiative is expected to benefit 5 crore mobile subscribers in Delhi and adjoining areas.

"Delhi telecom subscribers whose phones get stolen or those who lose their phones can log into the web portal from today... they can go to the portal and register their complaint, along with which they will also have to upload the police complaint and their own ID proof. Based on this, the lost mobile will be blocked. Also if someone uses it, the same can be traced based on the tower signals so the police can also recover the device," Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash told reporters.

Explaining this further, Prakash said the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is the unique identity of mobile phone devices. IMEI number is programmable and miscreants and criminals reprogramme the 15-digit unique number, which results in cloning of IMEI. The result is multiple phone devices, at times even hundreds of numbers, with the same IMEI number.

If such IMEI is blocked, a large number of mobile phones stand the risk of being blocked (as they are handsets with the same IMEI number) causing inconvenience to genuine customers. The software that has been developed now allows an individual phone to be blocked even if it is on a cloned IMEI number.

Moreover, because of the centralised nature of the register or database, all the operators can block the particular stolen or lost device across the country even though the phone is being serviced by one particular operator.

"This will also reduce the market for stolen phones," Prakash added.

Asked about the progress of the initiative in Mumbai, where it had been announced a few months back, Prakash said as many as 500-600 complaints were logged in Mumbai. "In 50 per cent of the cases in Mumbai, traceability information has been handed over to the police. Also remember, much depends on whether the phone is being used after it has been stolen... If someone does not use it, it cannot be traced, but it can certainly be blocked. They won't be able to sell it," he said.

9. PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline extended till March 2020: CBDT

The last date for the mandatory linking of the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar has been extended till March next year, the CBDT said on Monday.

The earlier deadline was Tuesday, December 31.

"The due date for linking of PAN with Aadhaar as specified under sub-section 2 of section 139AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 has been extended from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020," the department said on its official Twitter handle.

This is the eighth time that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the deadline for individuals to link their PAN with Aadhaar.

The Supreme Court, in September last year, had declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid and held that the biometric ID would remain mandatory for the filing of I-T returns and allotment of the PAN.

Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act says that every person having PAN as on July 1, 2017, and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to tax authorities.

Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to a resident of India and PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the I-T department to a person, firm or entity.

The CBDT, that frames policy for the tax department, said a notification numbered 107 has been issued in this context.

10. Huawei Gets Government's Approval to Participate in 5G Trials

The government has permitted Huawei to take part in the 5G trials in India, sources said. People in the know further said that the trials are likely to start next month. The approval is a major relief for Huawei as there have been speculation over whether the company would be allowed in the 5G trials given it is facing scrutiny globally.

Commenting on the development Jay Chen, CEO, Huawei India said: "We thank the Indian government for their continued faith in Huawei. We firmly believe that only technology innovations and high quality networks will be the key to rejuvenating the Indian telecom industry.

"We have our full confidence in the Modi Government to drive 5G in India. We have our full confidence in Indian Government and industry to partner with the best technology for India's own long term benefit and also for cross industry development. Huawei is always committed to India."

Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said that the government will give 5G spectrum to all market players.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will provide trial spectrum to all telecom service providers. These operators can choose their partner vendors.

The in-principle nod for the trial run, however, does not assure an approval for commercial roll-out.

On Tuesday, the DoT will hold a meeting regarding the trials.

Earlier in the month, the DoT approved prices for the next spectrum auction which will put on offer around 6050 MHz of air waves specifically for 5G.

The Digital Communication Commission (DCC), the highest policy making body of the Telecom Ministry, on December 20 approved the spectrum auctions to be held in March-April while making no change in the reserve pricing of the radiowaves decided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The auction will see 5G spectrum sale for the first time.

11. Government rolls out ₹102-lakh crore blueprint for infrastructure development

National Infrastructure Pipeline to give top priority to energy, roads, urban development and railways in 5 years

The Centre on Tuesday unveiled the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) with projects worth ₹102-lakh crore. It aims to ensure timely implementation of these projects — spread across 18 States and Union Territories — over the next five years.

The government expects that with more and more States/UTs submitting their proposals, another ₹3-lakh crore will be added to the total expenditure in the next few days. Of the capex to be undertaken for the infra sector, the Centre (39 per cent) and States (39 per cent) are to have an equal share, with the private sector chipping the rest (22 per cent). The Centre expects the private sector’s share to go up to 30 per cent by 2025.

From FY20 to FY25, sectors such as energy (24 per cent), roads (19 per cent), urban development (16 per cent) and railways (13 per cent) will take up around 70 per cent of the projected capex. Out of the total expected capex of ₹102-lakh crore, projects worth ₹42.7-lakh crore (42 per cent) are under implementation, while those worth ₹32.7-lakh crore (32 per cent) are in the conceptualisation stage, and the rest are under development. States that are yet to communicate their respective pipeline plans are expected to do so in due course.

Flexibility is key

A key feature of this pipeline is flexibility. This means ‘laggard’ projects will be dropped from the pipeline. “As we go along, considering the prospects and challenges of each project, there will be the flexibility of dropping a project and picking up a new one so that there are no laggards,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while unveiling the plan here on Tuesday.

The list of projects is part of a report prepared by a task force under the chairmanship of the Economic Affairs Secretary.

To achieve a $5-trillion economy by FY25, India needs to spend about $1.4 trillion (₹100-lakh crore) till then on infrastructure. The endeavour of the NIP is to make this happen in an efficient manner, Sitharaman said, adding that it will give a boost to infrastructure projects besides creating jobs, improving ease of living, and providing equitable access to infrastructure for all, thereby making growth more inclusive.

From FY08 to FY17, India invested about $1.1 trillion in infrastructure. The challenge is to step up the annual investment in the sector so that lack of infrastructure does not impede the growth of the economy, said Sitharaman. She indicated that the Centre will examine the recommendations of the task force and take early action.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech this year, highlighted that ₹100-lakh crore would be invested in infrastructure over the next five years, including in social and economic infrastructure projects. To achieve this objective, a task force was constituted to draw up the pipeline for each of the years from FY20 to FY25 with the approval of the Finance Minister.

This exercise, the first of its kind, is expected to be followed up by a periodical review process.

The task force, in its detailed report, gave recommendations on changes required to several key sectoral policies. It also highlighted other reform initiatives to be taken up by the Central and State governments. A monitoring mechanism has also been suggested to ensure timely implementation.

12. RBI launches ‘MANI’ app to help visually challenged to identify denomination of notes

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das here on Wednesday launched a mobile application called ‘Mobile Aided Note Identifier’ (MANI) to aid visually challenged persons in identifying the denomination of currency notes.

The application is free and can be downloaded from the Android Play Store and iOS App Store without any charges or payment. This mobile application does not authenticate a note as being either genuine or counterfeit.

“Indian banknotes contain several features, which enable the visually impaired (colour blind, partially sighted and blind people) to identify them, viz., intaglio printing and tactile mark, variable banknote size, large numerals, variable colour, monochromatic hues and patterns,” said an official statement released on Wednesday.

The app is capable of identifying the denominations of Mahatma Gandhi Series and Mahatma Gandhi (New) series banknote by checking front or reverse side or part of the note including half folded notes at various holding angles and a broad range of light conditions (normal light/daylight/low light, etc.).

It also has the ability to identify the denomination through an audio notification in Hindi and English and non-sonic mode such as vibration (suitable for those with vision and hearing impairment).

“After installation, the mobile application does not require internet and works in offline mode. It has the ability to navigate the mobile application via voice controls for accessing the application features wherever the underlying device and operating system combination supports voice-enabled controls,” added the release.

13. CDS seeks plan on new air defence command to boost security in skies

India’s chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat, in his first official directive after taking over as CDS, has asked top officials of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) to prepare a proposal to create an Air Defence command to enhance military synergy and optimally utilise the resources of the armed forces.

A defence ministry spokesperson said on Thursday that Rawat has set a June 30 deadline for the proposal to be submitted.

Air defence refers to protecting military assets from an aerial threat by the enemy. An Air Defence command will include air defence resources of all the three services.

As India’s first CDS, Rawat is the permanent chairman of the chief of staff committee, heads the newly formed department of military affairs, and is the single-point military adviser to the defence minister.

The department of military affairs is expected to form a six-member panel to suggest measures to speed up jointmanship among the three services, a senior official familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named.

The committee will have senior officers from different verticals of IDS, including operations, planning, training, and intelligence, the official added.

IDS was set up in 2001 as a single-point organisation for jointmanship, which integrates policy, doctrine, warfighting, and military purchases. It refers to a degree of coordination and integration in terms of strategy, capabilities and execution across the three services. IDS now comes under the CDS.

“He (Rawat) also set out priorities for execution of synergy by June 30; and December 31, 2020 [for different priorities]. Some of the areas identified for jointness and synergy include the creation of common logistics support pools in stations where two or more services have their presence,” the spokesperson said.

The government expects the CDS to bring about jointness among the three services within three years.

One of the key objectives behind jointmanship is the setting up of joint/theatre command for the best use of military resources to fight future battles. While the army and the navy have been open to the idea, the Indian Air Force has concerns about theaterisation.

The spokesperson said Rawat highlighted the need to consult the three services and the coast guard on matters related to jointmanship and obtain their views in a time-bound manner. He said Rawat made it clear that decisions would be taken to ensure the optimisation of resources, and steps will be initiated to do away with “infructuous ceremonial activities” that were manpower intensive.

14. Labour Ministry mulls ‘Santusht’ portal in Jan for speedy resolution of grievances

The Ministry of Labour has planned to launch a portal named ‘Santusht’.

Facts:

About the Santusht Portal:

The portal aims for speedy redressal of worker as well as employer grievances and ensuring effective implementation of labour laws at the grassroot level.

The portal would monitor all services provided by retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and health insurance and services provider Employees State Insurance Corporation(ESIC) to formal sector workers.

The portal would also help the labour ministry to assess the performance of officials, which would be given due weightage at the time of their appraisals, transfers and postings.

Hence,the portal is envisaged to ensure transparency, accountability and effective implementation of labour laws.

15. Indian Railways launches integrated helpline number 139 for passengers

The Indian Railways has integrated its helpline numbers into a single number -- 139 for quick grievance redressal and enquiries by passengers during their train journeys.

The new helpline number 139 will take over all the existing helpline numbers. It will be easy for passengers to remember this number and connect with Railways for all their needs during train travel.

The Helpline 139 will be available in twelve languages. It will be based on Interactive Voice Response System. A call can be made on this number from any mobile phone and not just smart phones, thus, providing easy access to all mobile users.

 

People in News

1. Christina Koch Sets Record for Longest Spaceflight by a Woman

NASA astronaut Christina Koch on Saturday set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, eclipsing the record of 288 days set by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2016-17. Koch still has six weeks to go before returning to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS), Space.com reported. When she arrives back on Earth in February 2020, the Expedition 61 Flight Engineer will have spent more than 300 days in space.

Koch had earlier made history in her stay aboard the orbital laboratory. In October, she was part of the first all-female spacewalk.

"Having the opportunity to be up here for so long is truly an honour," Koch was quoted as saying at press interviews on Thursday.

"Peggy is a heroine of mine and has also been kind enough to mentor me through the years, so it is a reminder to give back and to mentor when I get back," she added.

Koch, who arrived at the space station March 14, was expected to be on a typical six-month mission.

NASA extended her stay, partly in a bid to collect more data about the effects of long-duration spaceflight.

Koch's mission is planned to be just shy of the longest single spaceflight by a NASA astronaut - 340 days, set by former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly during his one-year mission in 2015-16.

2. General Manoj Mukund Naravane takes charge as Chief of Army Staff

General Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as the 28th Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday even as General Bipin Rawat retired after serving three years as the Army Chief.

After being appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, General Mukund Naravane said: "It is an honour to be given this responsibility."

When asked about challenges that may lay ahead of him in his new posting, General Mukund Naravane said that it was too early to say about it right now as to what would be the focus areas. "Will have to deliberate on it in times to come," General Mukund Naravane said.

"I express my gratitude to all soldiers who have stood steadfast under challenging circumstances, performing their duties, keeping the traditions of our armed forces. My special compliments to our soldiers on northern, western and eastern borders who are braving tough winter and icy winds, steadfastly in guarding our country," General Mukund Naravane told reporters.

Before taking over as Chief of Army Staff, General Mukund Naravane was appointed as Vice-Chief of Army Staff on September 1. Prior to this, he was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China.

In his 37 years of service, General Mukund Naravane has served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.

General Mukund Naravane has also commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and an infantry brigade on the eastern front.

Moreover, General Mukund Naravane was a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and had served as India's defence attache at the Indian Embassy in Myanmar for three years.

General Mukund Naravane was commissioned into the 7th battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980.

He is also a recipient of the 'Vishisht Seva Medal' for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and the 'Ati Vishisht Seva Medal' for commanding a prestigious strike corps.

The newly appointed Chief of Army Staff General Mukund Naravane will be leading the 1.3 million-strong force at a time India faces security challenges such as cross-border terrorism and an assertive Chinese military along the border.

With General Naravane taking charge, all the three service heads, including Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria, are now from the 56th course of the National Defence Academy.

3. Army chief General Bipin Rawat named India's first Chief of Defence Staff

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat has been named India's first Chief of Defence Staff. General Rawat was named the Chief of Defence Staff just a day before he was to retire from service after completing a full three-year term as the Chief of Army Staff.

General Rawat is the first officer to hold the post of the Chief of Defence Staff, which was set up just days ago. The CDS will function as a single-point advisor to the government on matters related to the military and will focus on better synergy between the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

General Bipin Rawat was the front-runner for the post. General Rawat will demit the office of the Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday. Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane, currently the Vice Chief of Army Staff, will take over as Army chief.

An alumnus of the St. Edward School, Shimla, the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, General Bipin Rawat is from the Gorkha regiment. According to his profile on the Indian Army's website, General Rawat has commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Sector, an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley and a corps in the Northeast.

General Rawat was appointed the Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016 and was to retire tomorrow. However, he will continue his service now as the Chief of Defence Staff.

The announcement of the name of India's Chief of Defence Staff was made months after PM Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, promised that his government would establish the top military post.

4. Maharashtra Cabinet expansion: Ajit Pawar as deputy CM

The first expansion of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet will take place today and all eyes are on who gets which portfolio. The cabinet expansion event is slated to begin at 1 pm at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai.

While the cabinet expansion has been getting delayed for several reasons, some elected leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and Congress will be sworn-in today.

There are high chances that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar will be sworn in as deputy chief minister.

Possible distribution

According to sources, the NCP will get 16 ministerial berths while Congress and Shiv Sena are going to get 15 (including CM) and 12 berths respectively.

Two leaders each from NCP and Congress have already taken oath while three from the Shiv Sena , including CM Uddhav Thackeray, have taken oath.

According to sources, Congress has been allotted 10 cabinet berths and two MoS berths, while the NCP has been allotted 12 cabinet berths, including one of deputy CM, and four MoS berths. The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, will be getting 11 Cabinet and three MoS berths.

Even as the first expansion of Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet is likely to take place today, meetings were going on until Sunday evening at various locations with party seniors finalising on who gets what.

On Sunday senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat was in Delhi to finalise the list, while a meeting took place at Sharad Pawar's residence, Silver Oak, in the evening for the same.

Ajit Pawar to be deputy CM?

There are strong speculations that Ajit Pawar will be sworn in as the deputy chief minister even though members of the three-party alliance have kept mum on such a development.

Pawar was the central figure of the high-voltage drama that broke out in Maharashtra after he suddenly joined hands with the BJP to briefly form the government. Pawar, however, returned to the NCP camp just days later, but his actions forced the BJP to surrender power.

Though he was criticised over his actions by Devendra Fadnavis, some said that Pawar played a key role in the government formation in Maharashtra. It would be interesting to see whether Pawar makes a dramatic return as the deputy chief minister or settles for another portfolio.

Who's likely to get what:

From the Congress, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan is likely to be sworn in. Ashok Chavan brings with him a lot of experience.

Second in the list of who's likely to be sworn-in today is Satish Patil. He has served as a minister in the previous government.

Yashomati Thakur, the only woman MLA from Vidarbha constituency and Vijay Wadettiwar, an influential Congress party leader are also on the list.

Vijay Wadettiwar was the leader of opposition and also served as a minister in the previous government.

Amit Deshmukh, son of late Vilasrao Deshmukh, is also likely to be sworn in. He represents the Latur constituency.

Varsha Gaikwad from Mumbai, a four-time MLA and daughter of senior Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad along with others such as Aslman Sheikh, Satish Patil, Sunil Kedar and KC Padavi are also likely to be sworn in.

NCP

From the NCP, Dilip Walse Patil, currently serving his seventh term as an MLA, is likely to be sworn in. He is a very trusted and experienced leader of the party. Walse has previously headed finance and planning and other important portfolios.

Other names in the list of to-be-sworn-in MLAs are: Jitendra Awhad, who has previously served as cabinet minister of medical education and horticulture in Maharashtra state cabinet; Dhananjay Munde, a very important leader and a close aide of Ajit Pawar; Nawab Malik, the spokesperson of NCP party; Hasan Mushreef, Babasaheb Patil, Rajendra Shingne and Anil Deshmukh.

Shiv Sena

From the Shiv Sena, Tanaji Sawant, a politician and businessman, who won with a record minimum margin in the recently concluded assembly elections is said to be on the list.

Other Shiv Sena leaders likely to be sworn-in today include Gulabrao Patil, Sanjay Rathod and Ravindra Waikar.

5. Former Guinea-Bissau PM wins presidential election

Former Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister and ex-army general Umaro Cissoko Embalo won Sunday’s presidential run-off with 54% of the vote, the electoral commission announced Wednesday. His rival, Domingos Simoes Pereira said he will contest the result with the Supreme Court.

Embalo, 47, a longtime opposition leader and reserve brigadier general, was declared the winner of Sunday’s run-off vote in the West African nation. His rival, Pereira, another former prime minister, took 46 percent of the vote, according to the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

But shortly after the announcement, Pereira told supporters he would contest the result with the country’s Supreme Court.

Guinea Bissau’s outgoing President Jose Mario Vaz failed to win a second term in office when he got just 12 percent of the vote in the November first-round amid widespread allegations of corruption and political infighting.

Embalo, who served as prime minister under Vaz from 2016-18, now faces the difficult task of overcoming a long-running political impasse and modernising the nation of 1.6 million people, which has suffered nine coups or attempted coups since independence from Portugal in 1974.

Vaz was the first democratically elected president to complete a full term without being deposed or assassinated since Guinea-Bissau became independent from Portugal in 1974. His tenure has been marred by political insecurity. While there has not been a coup in Guinea-Bissau since 2012, the country has had seven prime ministers appointed since August 2015.

Guinea-Bissau, a nation of around 1.5 million people, has long been beset by corruption and drug trafficking. In the 2000s, it became known as a transit point for cocaine between Latin America and Europe as traffickers profited from corruption and weak law enforcement.

There are signs, however, of increased government action against the drug trade. In September, the government seized more than 2 tons of cocaine in its largest seizure yet, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Ten people were arrested, including three Colombian nationals.

6. Hillary Clinton appointed chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast

Hillary Clinton is to be the new chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast (QUB).

The former US secretary of state is the university's 11th chancellor and first woman to take up the post.

In a statement, Mrs Clinton said it was a "great privilege" to become the chancellor of QUB.

She takes up her role immediately and will serve for a period of five years, succeeding Dr Tom Moran - who died last year.

While the role of chancellor is mainly a ceremonial one, securing Mrs Clinton will be seen as a coup for the Queen's.

The chancellor often presides at graduation ceremonies and is also an ambassador for the university abroad.

Mrs Clinton will also act as an advisor to the vice-chancellor Prof Ian Greer and senior management.

The former Democratic presidential nominee previously received an honorary degree from Queen's in 2018.

However, her connection to Northern Ireland stretches back over three decades.

She first visited Northern Ireland as First Lady in November 1995 with her husband, President Bill Clinton.

They spent a day meeting representatives from across the community and also switched on Belfast's Christmas lights.

7. Govt. appoints AIIMS' Prof Suresh Chandra Sharma as first chief of NMC

The chief of Delhi AIIMS' ENT head-neck surgery department, Professor Suresh Chandra Sharma, was on Thursday appointed the chairman of National Medical Commission, the new medical education regulator to replace scam-tainted Medical Council of India, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Sharma for a period of three years or till the age of 70 years, it said.

Rakesh Kumar Vats, the secretary general in the board of governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI), has been appointed as the secretary of the Commission for the similar term.

President Ram Nath Kovind had on August 8 given assent to the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019, which provides for a system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education and ensures availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals in all parts of the country, among others.

The new law provides for setting up of an NMC in place of the Medical Council of India for development and regulation of all aspects of medical education, profession and institutions.

The president had dissolved the MCI in 2018 and a Board of Governors was appointed to perform its functions.

At least 72 applications for NMC were received by the central government.

On the dissolution of the MCI, the person appointed as its chairman and others appointed as the member, any officer and other employee of the Council shall immediately vacate their respective offices, according to the provision of the NMC Act.

The Commission can have a chairperson, 10 ex-officio members and 22 part-time members, according to the law.

Amid allegations of corruption against MCI office bearers and probes into opaque accreditation to medical colleges, the Supreme Court had in May 2016 directed the government to set up a committee with the authority to oversee all statutory functions of MCI till the new legislation comes in.

Many of MCI members have been accused of taking bribes to fast-track accreditation. There have been allegations of corruption in granting different kinds of permission by the council to medical colleges across the country, officials said.

 

International News

1. China to issue GDP figures under new mechanism from 2020

China will revise its historical regional GDP data under a unified accounting mechanism from early next year, the National Bureau of Statistics said, amidst the continued slowdown of the world's second largest economy.

The Chinese economy grew at an annual pace of 6.0 per cent in the July-September quarter, the slowest growth since 1992. The slowdown is exacerbated by the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

In November this year, China revised its 2018 GDP, saying the economy was 2.1 per cent bigger than earlier estimated, revising the gross domestic product (GDP) for 2018 to 91.93 trillion yuan (USD 13.1 trillion) from USD 12.8 trillion.

A new GDP data under a unified accounting mechanism to be introduced early next year, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as reporting on Friday.

The new mechanism will unify the standards and procedures for calculating national and local GDP numbers which had been calculated under different accounting methods adopted by local and national statistics authorities since 1985, the bureau said.

The reform is expected to close the current discrepancy between national and regional figures, improving data quality while enhancing the credibility of the government statistics, it said.

To ensure data comparability, the country will also revise historical local GDP figures and publish them in 2020, the bureau said.

As the economic activities of some government institutions are only reflected in the national GDP, the combined regional number will be slightly lower than the national amount, it said.

China and the US have been locked in a longstanding trade war that has threatened to roil the global economy.

The US, the world's biggest economy, has imposed tariffs on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods, accusing the country of unfair trade practices. Beijing hit back with duties on USD 110 billion of US goods, blaming the US for starting "the largest trade war in economic history".

The IMF has warned that a full-blown trade war would weaken the global economy.

2. ISRO 2020: 10 Satellites, Solar Mission, Unmanned Mission And More

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Monday (December 23), announced its plans for next year’s missions. Accordingly, it will be launching over ten satellites, Aditya L1 (sun) mission by mid-2020 and the first unmanned test-flight of Gaganyaan mission in December 2020.

Apart from launching communication satellites like Gisat1, Gisat 12R and earth observation satellites such as Risat-2BR2 and Microsat, ISRO will be preparing itself for the first solar mission that will help scientists and space researchers study solar corona.

Kailasavadivoo Sivan, the chief of ISRO, talking to TOI, said that the team is currently working on the project  — a 400 Kg class satellite, which will be launched using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the satellite will be carrying six scientific payloads. The satellite is expected to be inserted in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1), which is roughly 1.5 Mn Km away from the Earth.

Reusable Launch Vehicle (RSV) For Commercial Satellites

Furthermore, Sivan spoke about the launch of a reusable launch vehicle (RLV) and the first development flight called the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV or mini-PSLV), early next year. This vehicle-on-demand project has been developed keeping in mind the half-a-billion-dollar small satellite market. The RLV technology will help ISRO reuse the rocket, cut cost and carry heavier payloads. Similar to SpaceX and Blue Origin’s rockets.

Feature and specification-wise, SSLV weighs 110 tonnes, which is one-tenth the mass of a PSLV. The rocket can be assembled in just three to four days as compared to 40 days for a PSLV. It can carry a payload of up to 500 Kg to the low earth orbit, ideal for launching small satellites.

Recently, at Rajya Sabha, Jitendra Singh, union minister for the department of space said that ISRO in the FY19 earned INR 324 Cr from satellite transmitting services using its PSLV. The Indian space agency has brought INR 232.56 Cr from PSLV in FY18. In the last five years, ISRO has earned INR 1,245 Cr from PSLV operations, he added.

ISRO’s top 10 commercial contracts for PSLV services have come from countries like USA, UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Netherlands, Malaysia, Algeria and France.

By the end of 2020, ISRO will be launching the first test-flight of Gaganyaan mission. The modified Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) MKIII will be carrying a humanoid to space and scientists will monitor the activities of the humanoid in order to prepare for the manned mission. The humanoid is a robot with human features that will have sensors attached to it.

This will be followed by a second unmanned mission in July 2021 and the human spaceflight mission in December 2021, where three Indian astronauts will be sent to space for a period of five to seven days for research work. The $1.4 Bn Gaganyaan mission is expected to be India’s biggest and most expensive space mission of all times.

3. UN ups 2020 budget, includes funds for war crimes probes

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday adopted a USD 3.07-billion operating budget which for the first time includes funding for the investigation of war crimes in Syria and Myanmar.

The budget represents a slight increase from 2019's figure of USD 2.9 billion.

The increase is due to additional missions assigned to the UN Secretariat, inflation and exchange rate adjustments, according to diplomats.

These include the observer mission in Yemen, a political mission established in Haiti, the investigation of crimes committed in Syria since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, and in Myanmar after the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority.

For the first time, the budgets for the Syria and Myanmar investigations -- which were previously financed by voluntary contributions -- will in 2020 be transferred to the UN secretariat's budget and will receive compulsory contributions from the 193 member states.

Russia proposed multiple amendments during negotiations in the Committee on Budgetary Questions meeting and in the General Assembly plenary session.

At each vote, Russia, Syria, Myanmar and their supporters, including North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and Venezuela, were outvoted. They all stated that they dissociated themselves from references to investigative mechanisms in the adopted resolutions.

Russia said it would examine its future obligatory payments in light of the vote outcome and predicted an increase in the arrears that currently plague the UN's treasury due to countries not paying enough.

Moscow argued Friday the investigative mechanism was illegitimate, while Damascus stressed that it had no mandate from the Security Council.

The UN's operating budget is separate from the annual budget for peacekeeping operations of some USD 6 billion that was adopted in June.

4. Fausta, world's oldest black rhino, dies at 57

Eastern Black Rhino named Fausta, who is believed to be the oldest of her kind in the world, took her last breath on December 27, 2019, back in Tanzania.

As reported by Fox News, the 57-year-old rhino passed away due to natural causes in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority.

Fausta lived a free moving life for over 54 years before being taken to a sanctuary due to the health problems that she was suffering from.

In a Facebook post, Dr. Freddy Manongi from Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority said that Fausta was first spotted in 1965, when she was only 3 or 4 years old. Her health began deteriorating in 2016 and she lost sight, which made it difficult for her to survive in the wild.

It was observed that Fausta survived 57 years without bearing any calves.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, black rhinos are critically endangered. Though the black rhino population was at its historic low 20 years ago, now the numbers have increased to nearly 5,455 rhinos, most of which are located in Namibia.

The number of black rhinos in the world are slowly increasing but the species is still at risk as poachers illegally trafficked rhino horns, further endangering the species.

5. Russia, Ukraine Finalize Gas Transit Deal Just Before Deadline

Moscow and Kyiv on Monday signed a five-year agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, finalizing months of difficult talks just ahead of a New Year deadline.

The current deal between the two ex-Soviet countries expires Tuesday and ties between them have been shredded since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and supported a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed the deal by phone and congratulated each other ahead of New Year's celebrations, a sign that their relations could be on the mend.

The gas deal "creates a positive atmosphere for solving other bilateral problems," the Kremlin said in a statement.

About 18 percent of the European Union's annual natural gas consumption comes from Russia via Ukraine, which put pressure on EU officials to help broker the deal.

"Ukraine has signed a five-year transit contract," Zelenskiy announced in a late-night post on his Facebook page, nearly two weeks after a provisional deal was reached.

A wide range of documents and contracts were involved, and together formed "a package deal which has re-established the balance of interests," Alexei Miller, the boss of Russian gas giant Gazprom, was cited as saying in a statement.

The documents were signed after five days of non-stop talks.

Gazprom is expected to ship at least 65 billion cubic meters (2.3 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas via Ukraine next year, and at least 40 billion per year from 2021 to 2024, said Zelenskiy, from which Kyiv would earn "more than seven billion dollars."

'Great news' for Europe

The agreement should prevent a repeat of so-called gas wars that previously disrupted supplies and in some years caused real energy problems in EU member states.

EU Commission vice president in charge of energy Maros Sevcovic called the deal "great news for Europe's energy security" on Twitter, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked Russia and Ukraine.

"Continued gas transit via Ukraine... is a good and important signal for ensuring our European security of gas supply," she said.

Last year, Gazprom supplied Europe with 200.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas, about 40 percent of which passed through Ukraine for roughly $3 billion in transit fees.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that Moscow wanted to keep some gas flowing through Ukraine, despite having built several pipelines to Europe since the current deal was agreed a decade ago.

The new agreement comes days after Gazprom paid $2.9 billion to Ukraine's Naftogaz to settle a long-running dispute over transit fees that had blocked the deal.

Meanwhile, Russia is pursuing work on the Nord Stream 2 project that is to be completed by the end of next year and would double gas shipments to Germany.

The United States has long opposed the 9.5-billion-euro ($10.6-billion) project and the U.S. Senate voted last week to levy sanctions on companies working on it.

Washington believes the pipeline will give Russia too much influence over security and economic issues in western Europe.

Transit problems for Russian gas began after the fall of the Soviet Union when independent Ukraine took control of the pipeline infrastructure.

Several crises followed, with Russia using gas supplies to put pressure on Ukraine by cutting them repeatedly in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

The last gas crisis disrupted supplies to Europe in 2010.

6. Nepal launches Visit Nepal Year 2020 to boost tourism

Nepal's President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday launched Visit Nepal Year 2020, an initiative of the Nepal government to attract two million tourists in a bid to re-energise the country's tourism sector which was hit by the great earthquakes of 2015.

Speaking at a grand ceremony held at the Dasharath Stadium here for the launch of Visit Nepal Year 2020, Bhandari said that there was a need to forge collaboration and cooperation among all for the development of the tourism sector.

"We also need to preserve nature and culture while promoting tourism, not by damaging them," Bhandari said.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai said that the Visit Nepal Year 2020 was only an entry point and that the government was preparing to observe the coming decade as the tourism decade.

Tourism is the largest industry in Nepal, and the largest source of foreign exchange and revenue.

Possessing eight of the 10 highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a hot-spot destination for mountaineers, rock climbers and people seeking adventure.

The devastating earthquake in 2015 that caused the Himalayan nation a huge infrastructure loss impacted its tourism industry the most.

Nepal received 1.2 million tourists in 2019 and the government is working out a strategy to increase the number of foreign visitors to two million in 2020.

The inaugural function was attended by the several dignitaries including India's Minister of State for Tourism Pralhad Singh Patel, China's Deputy Tourism Minister Wang Siaopheng, Myanmar's Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Conservation U. Ohan Moug among others.

7. Iran fires missiles at Iraq military bases that house U.S. troops

Iran launched missile strikes late Tuesday against two Iraqi military bases housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last week. More than a dozen ballistic missiles targeted the Al Asad and Erbil military bases, the Pentagon said, and U.S. officials were assessing the damage.

It was still unclear early Wednesday morning whether there were any casualties, but in a tweet Tuesday night President Trump said: "All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning."

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif defended Iran's attack, tweeting that Tehran "took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense." He added that "we do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression." 

The Al Asad air base houses about 1,500 U.S. and coalition forces. The base was already on high-alert and recently paused its operations against ISIS to shift resources to prepare for a possible revenge attack by Iran.

8. Iran Names New Commander After Top General Killed In US Strike

Iran's supreme leader named the deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm Esmail Qaani to replace its commander on Friday after he was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.

"Following the martyrdom of the glorious general haj Qasem Soleimani, I name Brigadier General Esmail Qaani as the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement posted on his official website.

Qaani was described by Khamenei as one of the "most decorated commanders" of the Guards during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

"The orders for the (Quds) force remain exactly as they were during the leadership of martyr Soleimani," said the supreme leader.

"I call on the members of the force to be present and cooperate with General Qaani and wish him divine prosperity, acceptance and guidance," he added.

 

Awards

1. Amitabh Bachchan receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award from President Ram Nath Kovind in Delhi

Amitabh Bachchan, who has been conferred this year's Dadasaheb Phalke Award, received the award in Delhi. President of India Ram Nath Kovind presented the award to the actor. Amitabh Bachchan is honoured with the award for his outstanding contribution to the film industry.

The 66th National Awards were held in Delhi.  Amitabh Bachchan, who was ill at that time, was not able to attend the ceremony. Today, President Ram Nath Kovind invited all the National Award winners of this year to the Rashrapati Bhavan for a get-together. During the award ceremony it was announced that Amitabh Bachchan will be presented with the award on December 29.

Amitabh Bachchan was accompanied by his wife Jaya Bachchan and son Abhishek Bachchan to the event today.

The award, named after the father of Indian cinema, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, was instituted in 1969. It is conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. It consists of a Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of ten lakh rupees.

2. Anjum Chopra, Kris Srikkanth to get CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement

The BCCI Annual Award function will be held in Mumbai on January 12 ahead of the first ODI against Australia on January 14.

“Srikkanth and Anjum will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement award for their contributions to Indian cricket. Everyone in BCCI feels that they are perfect choices for the award,” a BCCI source told

Srikkanth is undoubtedly one of the biggest names to have come out of Tamil Nadu cricket stable apart from another former India skipper S Venkataraghavan and Ravichandran Ashwin. He represented India between 1981 to 1992.

The 60-year-old Srikkanth played 43 Tests, scoring 2062 runs with two hundreds and 12 half-centuries.

He also scored a half-century against Pakistan in the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket final in 1985.

Srikkanth was appointed captain in 1989 for a tough tour of Pakistan where Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut. However after a drawn series, he was removed from captaincy as it is believed that a heavyweight BCCI official from the all-powerful Mumbai lobby went by feedback on his captaincy from neutral umpire John Hampshire.

Srikkanth retired in 1992 after the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and then from 2009-12 served as the chairman of the national selection committee.

It was the Srikkanth-led committee that selected the Indian squad for the 2011 World Cup.

He was also associated with the IPL side Chennai Super Kings during its initial years and has been an analyst on various platforms including TV, print and digital.

The 42-year-old Anjum is considered to be one of India’s finest batswomen before Mithali Raj. A left-hander, Anjum played 12 Tests scoring 548 runs.

Anjum also played 127 ODIs in which she scored a hundred and 18 fifties. She also played 18 T20 Internationals.

She was a part of the Indian XI that played in the Women’s World Cup final against Australia in 2005.

The post Anjum Chopra, Kris Srikkanth to get CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement appeared first on Connect Gujarat.

 

Festivals, Days and Events

1. Annual Flamingo Festival at Pulicat Lake

The annual Flamingo Festival is to be held in January at Pulicat lake. The Pulicat lake supports rich biodiversity and high biomass of fishes and planktons which is utilised as food resources by visiting birds. Thus about 75 aquatic and terrestrial bird species visit the sanctuary every year.

The number of birds is much higher than usual due to abundant rains in 2019.

Pulicat Lake is the second-largest brackish water ecosystem in the country after the Chilika Lake (Odisha).

It is located on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It lies majorly in Andhra Pradesh.

The large varieties of birds like grey pelicans, painted storks, visit the site annually.

Grey Pelican and Painted Stork both are near-threatened species under IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

2. Defence India Startup Challenge kick-Starts in Kochi

The third edition of the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC 3) began at Maker giving innovators a rare opportunity to engage directly with the military and showcase their technologies.

The programme got off under the iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence), where Maker Village is a partner, having been inducted one-and-a-half months ago as an official partner with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) under the union government, a press release from Maker Village said.

3. Eleven day long Dhanu Jatra begins at Bargarh in western Odisha

The famous 11-day Dhanu Jatra celebrated as the largest open-air theatre of the world begins at Bargarh in western Odisha. The Jatra is based on the mythological story of Lord Krishna and his demon uncle King Kansa.

Dhanu Jatra is the annual drama-based open-air theatrical performance celebrated in and around Bargarh city considered to be the world’s largest outdoor theatrical festival that finds a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. The annual festival came into being in 1947-48 to celebrate Indian’s Independence and to symbolize the victory of good over evil. Over 70 artists performed in the Dhanu Yatra at Mathura, another 45 artists played different roles at Gopapura during the festival. Around 3,000 artists of 120 cultural troupes from across the state and from neighboring states will perform at the Raj Durbar, Nanda Durbar, and Rangamahal during the festival. The department of Culture of the Government of India accorded the National Festival status to Dhanu Jatra in November 2014.

4. 107th Indian Science Congress: Theme, Significance and Objective

The 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC) was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 3, 2019 at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru.

The 107th Indian Science Congress aims to bridge the gap between farmers and tech-developers. Many of the innovations have helped in enhancing market access, crop productivity and diversifying rural livelihood profiles. However, the gap between the farmers and innovators has resulted in only partial exploration of the benefits.

The 107th Indian Science Congress will provide the desired platform to the farmers who introduced innovations in agriculture.

During the inauguration of the 107th Indian Science Congress, PM Modi also launched the Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) Portal. The portal has been designed to be the gateway for researchers to locate a specific type of facility they require to conduct their research and development work in India.

5. 2020: Year of the Nurse and Midwife

In May last year the World Health Organization confirmed that 2020 would be dedicated nurses and midwives, providing a “once in a generation opportunity” to showcase the professions. It chose the theme to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.

Florence Nightingale. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale on 12 May 1820. As well as her work during the Crimean War, the nursing pioneer campaigned for healthcare improvements, especially on infection control. In 1859, she published ‘Notes on Nursing’. The WHO wants to raise the status and profile of nurses and midwives, and to highlight that the world needs nine million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030 and, therefore, to encourage global government investment in the two professions.

6. Ritualistic festival ‘Lai Haraoba’ begins in Tripura

In Tripura, Lai Haraoba, a ritualistic festival observed by Manipuri meitei communities since ancient times, began in Agartala. The five day long festival is jointly organised by the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, Government of Tripura, Puthiba Lai Haraoba Committee and Puthiba Welfare & Cultural Society, Agartala.

Lai Haraoba is celebrated through oral literature, music, dance and rituals. A cultural troupe from Manipur has also come to take part in the festival. They will be performing various cultural and traditional musical skits including Manipuri martial arts, folk music and folk dances during the festival.

 

Sports News

1. Koneru Humpy wins World Rapid Chess title in Russia

India’s Koneru Humpy defeated China’s Lei Tingjie in a tense Armageddon battle to win the Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship in Moscow.

While Humpy was crowned as the world women’s rapid champion, Norway’s Magnus Carlsen claimed the men’s title in the space.

2. IOA ends boycott call for 2022 Commonwealth Games

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officially withdrew its threat to boycott the 2022 Commonwealth Games while also revealing their desire to bid to host for various multi-nation sporting events like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games as well as the Youth Olympics.

3. Rohit Sharma lays foundation stone for international cricket stadium in Hyderabad

Star opening batsman Rohit Sharma laid down the foundation stone for an international cricket stadium and training centre at Heartfulness Institute on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The cricket stadium has been named after Rohit Sharma and this facility will provide the youngsters at the institute to perfect their cricketing skills.

 

Reports & Index

1. India Forest Report 2019: Green cover increased by 5,188 square kms in two years

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on December 30, 2019, released a report depicting forest cover in India. According to this report, the forest area in the country has increased by 5,188 square km in the last two years. It has also mentioned in the report that this green area covers about 25% of the total geographic area of the country. 

India State of Forest Report 2019 has been prepared by Forest Survey of India (FSI). It is a biannual report. The report is prepared after mapping of forests and trees through satellite. According to the report, the forest area has increased by 3976 kilometers and the area of trees by 1212 square kilometers in two years.

According to the report, the three states where forest area has grown the most include Karnataka (1025 km), Andhra Pradesh (990 km) and Kerala (823 km). It has also mentioned in the report that the forest area of the northeastern states has decreased except Assam. A marginal increase in forest cover was recorded in Himachal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Bihar. The report shows that the forest area has also increased in the infertile regions of Rajasthan. Jammu and Kashmir grew 371 sq. km of forest cover while Himachal Pradesh grew 334-sq. km of forest area.

The report highlights that all hill districts of India has 2,84,006 sq. km of forest area which is 40.30% of the total geographical area of all hill districts of the country.

2. Kerala tops Niti's Sustainable Development Goal Index, Bihar worst performer

Kerala retained the top rank while Bihar was adjudged as the worst performer in Niti Aayog's SDG India Index 2019, which evaluates progress of States and Union Territories on social, economic and environmental parameters..

According to 'SDG India Index 2019', Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim have shown maximum improvement, but states like Gujarat have not shown any progress vis-a-vis 2018 rankings.

Kerala retained its rank as the top state with a score of 70. Chandigarh too maintained its top spot among the UTs with a score of 70. Himachal Pradesh took the second spot while Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana shared the third spot. Bihar, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh are the worst performing states in this year's Index for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the report, India's composite score improved from 57 in 2018 to 60 in 2019 with major success in water and sanitation, industry and innovation. However, nutrition and gender continue to be problem areas for India, requiring more focussed approach from the government.

With regard to poverty reduction, states which have done well include Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim.

On 'zero hunger' parameters, Goa, Mizoram, Kerala, Nagaland and Manipur were the front runners, according to the report.

3. India may overtake Germany to become fourth-largest economy by 2026: CEBR report

 India is expected to become the fourth largest economy by 2026 and the third largest by 2034, according to a report by UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). The CEBR report states that India would surpass Germany to take on the mantle in 2026 and further topple Japan in 2034 to become the third largest economy.

The report stated that India would achieve its dream of reaching a gross domestic product (GDP) of $5 trillion by 2026. It has pegged the achievement a couple of years after the government's target.

However, the ranking would not be set in stone as the three economies would continue to battle for the third position over the next 15 years, the CEBR report stated. The World Economic League Table is an annual calculation by CEBR jointly published by CEBR and Global Construction Perspectives. The base data for 2019 is taken from the IMF World Economic Outlook.