Daily Current Affairs : 12 September 2020

1.World Suicide Prevention Day

Recently, the World Suicide Prevention Day was observed on 10th September.

About World Suicide Prevention Day

• It is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in association with World Health Organization.

• It provides the opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

• The 2020 World Suicide Prevention Day theme is ‘working together to prevent suicide’.

Source: The Indian Express

2. P-7 Heavy Drop

Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has developed P-7 Heavy Drop System.

About P-7 Heavy Drop System

• It is capable of para dropping military stores up to seven-tonne weight class from IL- 76 aircraft.

• It consists of a platform and specialized parachute system.

  • The parachute system is a multi-stage system comprises of five Main canopies, five Brake chutes, two Auxiliary chutes, one Extractor parachute and platform is a metallic structure made up of Aluminium or steel alloys.

• It has been developed successfully with 100 per cent indigenous resources.

• It has been inducted in the Indian Army.

Source: All India Radio

3. Assessment of relief to Bank Borrowers

Recently, the Government of India has constituted a three member expert committee to assist in the assessment of relief to bank borrowers.

Key Points

• The panel to assist in assessment of relief to bank borrowers is chaired by former CAG Rajiv Mehrishi.

• The committee will measure the impact on the national economy and financial stability of waiving of interest and COVID-19 related moratorium.

• The committee will also give suggestions to mitigate financial constraints of various sections of society in this respect and measures to be adopted in this regard.

Source: All India Radio

4. Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes (SAROD)-Ports 

Recently, the Ministry of Shipping has launched the Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes (SAROD)-Ports.

About (SAROD)-Ports

• It is established under Societies Registration Act, 1860 with the following objectives:

  • Affordable and timely resolution of disputes in fair manner; and

  • Enrichment of Dispute Resolution Mechanism with the panel of technical experts as arbitrators

• It consists of members from Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Indian Private Ports and Terminals Association (IPTTA).

• It will be the pivotal mechanism of ummeed (hope), vishwas (trust) and nyaya (justice) in the Port sector of India.

• It will resolve the disputes in fair and just manner while saving huge amount of legal expenditure and time.

• It will promote ease of doing business in the maritime sector because of the fast, timely, cost effective and robust dispute resolution mechanism.

• It will cover disputes between granting authority and Licensee/Concessionaire/Contractor and also disputes between Licensee/Concessionaire and their contractors.

• It will advise and assist in settlement of disputes through arbitrations in the maritime sector, including ports and shipping sector in Major Port Trusts, Non-major Ports, including private ports, jetties, terminals and harbours.

• It is similar to provision available in Highway Sector in the form of SAROD-Roads constituted by NHAI.

Source: PIB

5. WHO South East Asia Region

Recently, the 73rd session of WHO South East Asia Region was concluded under the Chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Thailand.

About WHO South East Asia Region

• The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia was established in New Delhi in 1948 after the First World Health Assembly in 1948.

• It is one of the six regions of the World Health Organization (WHO).

  • The other five regions are: African Region, Region of the Americas, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, and Western Pacific Region.

• The first Members of the WHO South East Asia Region were Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

• It is committed to building a better, healthier future for the nearly two billion people in the Region with 11 member states.

• The 11 member states are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

• The WHO South-East Asia Regional office in based in New Delhi, India.

• The Region has eight flagship priority programmes:

  • Measles and rubella elimination;

  • Preventing non-communicable diseases;

  • Reducing maternal, under-five and neonatal mortality;

  • Universal health coverage with a focus on human resources for health and essential medicines;

  • Combating antimicrobial resistance;

  • Scaling up capacities for emergency risk management;

  • Eliminating neglected tropical diseases; and

  • Accelerating efforts to end TB

Source: PIB

6. Mutual Logistics Services Pact

Recently, the Mutual Logistics Services Pact (MLSP) was signed between Indian Navy and Japanese Navy.

About Mutual Logistics Services Pact

• The MLSP with Japan would permit the Indian Navy access to a Japanese base in Djibouti.

• The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JSDF) would be permitted to use India’s military installations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• The MLSP aims to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region amid China’s aggressive policies.

• India has already signed similar agreements with the US, France, Australia and Singapore.

• India has been signing MLSAs with countries primarily eyeing deeper maritime cooperation which is important considering China's rapid military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific, Indian Ocean and South China Sea.

• The pacts signed with the US and France provide for accessing various crucial bases by Indian military in Djibouti, Guam and the Reunion Islands among others.

Source: LiveMint

7. India and Japan signed an MOU  

Recently, India and Japan has signed an Agreement on concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan.

Key Highlights of the Agreement

• It establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services.

• The provisions of the agreement will come into play when Indian and Japanese forces are engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities.

• It will also enhance the interoperability between the Armed Force of India and Japan.

• It is aimed at increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries.

Source: The Hindu

8. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

Recently, Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism virtually participated in the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Culture Ministers’ Meeting.

Key Highlights of SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting

• The National Museum of India is in process of organizing the first SCO Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage in order to promote the mutual bonding.

• The Exhibition marks India’s Chairpersonship of Council of Heads of Government.

• Sahitya Akademi is translating ten Indian literary works into the SCO languages Russian and Chinese with the objective of sharing Indian literature with our fellow nations of SCO.

• The National Gallery of Modern Arts intends to hold collaborative programmes on reciprocal basis such as collection based virtual exhibitions, online art workshops and dialogues with museum professionals and artists.

• India supports the proposal of declaring 2021 the Year of Culture of the SCO to celebrate the occasion to celebrate 20th anniversary of the SCO.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

• It is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation established in 2001.

• It was formed in Shanghai (China) by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter was signed during the St. Petersburg SCO Heads of State meeting in 2002 and came into force in 2003.

• In 2017 Astana, the status of a full member of the Organization was granted to India and Pakistan.

• The SCO's main goals are as follows:

  • Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states;

  • Promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas;

  • Making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and

  • Moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.

• The organisation has two permanent bodies i.e. the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

• The SCO comprises eight member states, namely India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

• The SCO counts four observer states, namely Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia.

• The SCO has six dialogue partners, namely Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka.

Source: All India Radio

9. Five Star Villages Scheme

Recently, the Department of Posts has launched a Five Star Villages Scheme.

About Five Star Villages Scheme

• It aims to ensure universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural areas of the country.

• It seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages.

• Under the scheme, all postal products and services will be made available and marketed and publicized at village level.

• The branch offices will function as one-stop shop to cater all post office-related needs of villagers.

• The schemes covered under the Five Star scheme include:

  • Savings Bank accounts, Recurrent Deposit Accounts, NSC / KVP certificates;

  • Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/ PPF Accounts;

  • Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts;

  • Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy; and

  • Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account / Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account.

• The scheme is being launched on pilot basis in Maharashtra and will be implemented nation-wide afterwards.

  • The entire state of Maharashtra will be covered under the scheme.

• The scheme will be implemented by a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village for marketing of all products, savings and insurance schemes of the Department of Posts.

Source: PIB

10. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G)

Recently, the PMO has decided that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will participate in ‘Grih Pravesham’ and inaugurate 1.75 lakh houses built under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G) in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

About PMAY-G

• It is a scheme for rural housing by the Indian Government, earlier known as Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY).

• Under PMAY-G, each beneficiary is given 100% grant of Rs. 1.20 lakh with a sharing ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State.

  • 100% financing will be offered by the Central government for the construction of houses in Union Territories including the newly-formed union territory of Ladakh.

• The funds for all the houses constructed under PMAY-G are given by way of 4 instalments directly into the bank account of the beneficiary.

• The social welfare program was initiated to meet the objectives of the “Housing for All” scheme by the year 2022.

• It aims to provide a 25-square meter pucca house including basic amenities to beneficiaries of the scheme.

• The beneficiaries are selected using parameters from the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) and verified by Gram Sabhas.

• The beneficiaries are provided support of unskilled labour wages for 90/95 person days under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

• They are also given assistance of Rs. 12,000 for construction of toilets through Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin.

• There are certain parameters based on which beneficiaries are identified for the PMAY-G scheme:

  • Families who do not have their own houses or houses that have zero, one, or maximum two rooms with a kutcha wall and roof.

  • Households that do not have a literate adult above 25 years of age

  • Households without an adult male member between 16 and 59 years of age

  • Households without any adult member aged between 16 and 59 years

  • Families without any physically disabled members and with a disabled member

  • Landless candidates who are earning income from casual labour

  • Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Minorities

Source: PIB

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