NEWS TODAY

VISIONIAS

29th MAY, 2021

The assistance amounts to the cooking cost component of the Mid-Day-Meal (MDM) scheme.NTP systems offer greater flexibility for deep

space missions. They can reduce travel times to Mars by up to 25% and, more importantly, limit a flight crew’s exposure to cosmic radiation.

Key recommendations relate to COVID-19 relief measures, Black fungus medications and measures related to ships and vessels. Also, as measures for trade facilitation,

About GST Council:

Amnesty Scheme with reduced late fee for GST Small Taxpayers.Rationalization of Late fee for Small Taxpayers to be applicable to future liabilities.

Annual Return form to be rationalized, Government to amend CGST Rules.Annual Return filing to continue to be optional for Small Taxpayers.

It is a constitutional body set up under Article 279A for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax (GST). 

It is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members include Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.One-half of the total number of Members of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall constitute the quorum at its meetings.

Every decision is taken by a 75 % majority with the centre having one-third weightage and states having two-thirds weightage of the total votes cast.

43rd GST COUNCIL MEETING

Central Government

Supreme Court (SC)

The Kerala government would provide a monthly stipend of ₹2,000 to the children till they were 18 years of age. It has also decided to bear the cost of their education up to the degree level.

VARIOUS STEPS TAKEN TO MITIGATE THE STRESS CAUSED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG CHILDREN

The PLI scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to make domestic manufacturing globally competitive and to create global Champions in manufacturing.

Issues in PLI scheme:

These diseases generally receive less funding for research and treatment than malaises like tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS and malaria.

January 30 as ‘World NTD: The proposal to recognise the day was floated by the United Arab Emirate.

The strategy behind the scheme is to offer companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in India.

Apprehensions about the penalty clause and the minimum bid size of 5 gigawatts per hour (GWh) set in the eligibility criterion.

It did not address the core challenges faced by the Sunrise industry manufacturers such as presence of domestic firms, cutting edge technology etc.It needs to be adequately supported by an integrated approach where the entire manufacturing ecosystem corresponds to it.

To ensure minimum domestic value addition of 60% within five years.

They have been specifically designed to boost domestic manufacturing in sunrise and strategic sectors, curb cheaper imports and reduce import bills, improve cost competitiveness of domestically manufactured goods, and enhance domestic capacity and exports.13 key sectors under PLI schemes includes mobile manufacturing, active pharmaceutical ingredients, Manufacturing of Medical Devices, Automobiles, Pharmaceuticals Drugs, etc.

To help safeguard the nutritional levels of children and aid in protecting their immunity the Union Minister for Education approved monetary assistance to 11.8 crore students  (studying in class 1 to 8 in the government and government aided schools across the country) through Direct Benefit Transfer.

The assistance is in addition to the Centre’s announcement of distribution of free-of-cost food grains at 5 kg per person per month to nearly 80 crore beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

The SC ordered district authorities across the country to immediately identify children orphaned, abandoned and traumatised by the COVID-19 pandemic who were starving with-out food on the streets and provide them with basic needs like food, shelter and clothes.

GOVERNMENT MAY EASE BATTERY PRODUCTION LINKED INCENTIVE (PLI) RULES AS COMPANIES RAISE CONCERNS

The first World NTD Day was celebrated informally in 2020. In January 2021, the new NTD road map was launched.

Reducing malaria case incidence and malaria mortality rates by at least 90%Eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries

Preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of infections that are most common among marginalised communities in the developing regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Malaria, caused by plasmodium species, is transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It claims more than 400,000 lives annually.

Resolution to accelerate efforts to end malaria:The resolution is led by the United States of America and Zambia and co-sponsored by others (India is not a part).Global targets under the “Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030”

74th WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY (WHA) ADOPTS NEW RESOLUTION ON MALARIA AND ANNOUNCES ‘WORLD NTD’ DAY

World Health AssemblyThe WHA is the main decision making governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO) comprising 194 member states.  It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

PM Garib Kalyan Ann  YojanaIn 2021, the scheme was reintroduced for two months (May and June) in the backdrop of resurgence of COVID-19.

It was launched to supply free food grains to migrants and poor who faced hardship on the account of economic disruption caused by COVID-19 and Lock Down.

Additional 5 kg free wheat/rice per month along with 1 kg free pulses via ration shops to 80 crore beneficiaries registered under National Food Security Act (NFSA).

This additional allocation is over and above the existing monthly entitlement of 5 kg grains per person.

VISIONIAS

VISIONIASALSO IN NEWS

Section 304-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)

Hepatitis

DRDO develops critical near isothermal

forging technology for Aeroengines

Van Gujjars Nomadic Tribe

Personalities in news

US second largest source of FDI in

India in 2020-21: DPIIT data

She should have suffered cruelty or harassment from her husband or in-laws ‘soon before her death’ in connection with demand for dowry.

R-134a is also called as tetrafluoroethane. It is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) which is primarily used as a high temperature refrigerant for domestic refrigeration and automobile air-conditioners.

Singapore remained the top source of FDI into the country for the third consecutive fiscal year at USD 17.41 billion. 

Scientists have identified 5 unique hepatitis viruses, identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E.   As of now no vaccine is available for Hepatitis C.

This technological breakthrough involves developing complex titanium and nickel based alloys that can withstand temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius.

Bharat Ratna Professor C.N.R. Rao has received the International Eni Award 2020 also called the Energy Frontier award.

Born in Maharashtra's Nashik he is popularly known as Veer Savarkar. He was a great leader, lawyer and writer. He served as the President of Hindu Mahasabha, formulated Hindu Nationalist philosophy of “Hindutva”.He co-founded the student society called “Abhinav Bharat Society”. He was also associated with societies such as ‘India House’ and the ‘Free India Society’ while studying law in the UK. He authored Indian War of Independence 1857, Hindu Rashtra Darshan, Inside the enemy camp etc.

The Energy Frontiers award has been conferred for his work on metal oxides, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and other materials and two-dimensional systems, including graphene, boron-nitrogen-carbon hybrid materials, and molybdenum sulfide (Molybdenite - MoS2) for energy applications and green hydrogen production.

It would help in India in developing jet engines with thrust to power a combat fighter. 

The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

The scope of section 304-B of IPC in dowry deaths is widened by Supreme Court.

Laws against dowry system in India:

Professor C.N.R. Rao

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (18 May 1883-26 February 1966)

According to Section 304-B, to make out a case of dowry death, a woman should have died of burns or other bodily injuries or ‘otherwise than under normal circumstances’ within seven years of her marriage.

The Finance Ministry has extended by six months the validity of existing anti-dumping duty on inert gas- R-134a imports from China.

Anti- Dumping duty is a tariff imposed on imports manufactured in foreign countries that are priced below the fair market value of similar goods in the domestic market.

According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the US replaced Mauritius as the second largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India during 2020-21 with inflows of USD 13.82 billion.

Isothermal forging is a hot working process to work on super alloys that have low forge ability. Here the work piece is maintained at its maximum elevated temperature throughout the entire operation.

The Uttarakhand High Court in Nainital recently passed an interim order upholding the right of Van Gujjars to migrate to their summer homesteads in the bugyals (Himalayan alpine meadows) located within the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park.The Van Gujjars are nomadic pastoral community in Uttarakhand Himalayas that pursue transhumance from the Terai-Bhabar and Siwalik region to the higher bugyals in summer and vice versa in winter to enable their livestocks to feed on the meadows/pastures.

Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of hepatitis (like secondary results of medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol). 

During 2020-21 total FDI, including equity, reinvested earnings and capital, rose 10% to the highest-ever USD 81.72 billion, as against USD 74.39 billion in 2019-20.

INDIA’S EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER AND US’S SECRETARY OF STATE MEET

Anti-dumping

The issues of mutual concerns like vaccine cooperation, Quad, Indo-Pacific were discussed among other things.Shared interest and mutual concerns like peace in Afghanistan and the Chinese expansion made India and the U.S. come together.

Both the countries have expanded their military cooperation through 3 “foundational agreements” that US signs with its defence partners.

India-U.S. ties were elevated to “comprehensive global strategic partnership” in 2020 and India is a "Major Defence Partner" of the US.The 2+2 dialogue (defence and foreign ministers) established in 2018 is the highest-level institutional mechanism between them that brings together the perspectives of the two countries on foreign policy, defence and strategic issues.

Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), 2016 allows their militaries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies as well as provides for deeper cooperation.COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement), 2018 provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for sale of high end technology from the US to India.BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement), 2020 provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.

According to the WHO access to viral hepatitis diagnosis and treatment is still limited.