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Current Affairs February 2019 VISION IAS www.visionias.in CURRENT AFFAIRS FEBRUARY 2019 Copyright © by Vision IAS All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS. 1 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS Table of Contents 1. POLITY AND GOVERNANCE ____________ 4 5.5. Landscape-Level Approach to Address 1.1. Falling Productivity of Rajya Sabha _______ 4 Human-Elephant Conflicts ________________ 50 1.2. National Security Act __________________ 5 5.6. Cheetah Reintroduction _______________ 51 1.3. Section 124-A of The Indian Penal Code ___ 6 5.7. Indus Dolphin _______________________ 52 1.4. Judges and Post Retirement Positions ____ 7 5.8. The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ___________ 9 2019 __________________________________ 52 2.1. India-Saudi Arabia Relations ____________ 9 5.9. Low Carbon Strategy for Renewable Energy 2.2. Chabahar Port ______________________ 10 Integration _____________________________ 53 2.3. Geneva Convention 1949 ______________ 11 5.10. Rainwater Harvesting in Metropolitan 2.4. ICJ on Decolonization of Mauritius ______ 13 Cities _________________________________ 54 2.5. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty 14 5.11. Pradhan Mantri Ji-Van (Jaiv Indhan- 3. ECONOMY _________________________ 16 Vatavaran Anukool Fasal Awashesh Nivaran) 3.1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM- Yojana ________________________________ 55 KISAN) ________________________________ 16 5.12. Eviction Order of Forest Dwellers ______ 56 3.2. Policy Bias Against Rainfed Agriculture ___ 18 5.13. Environmental Rule of Law ___________ 57 3.3. National Mineral Policy 2019 ___________ 20 5.14. Small Grants Programme (SGP) ________ 59 3.4. Draft E-Commerce Policy ______________ 21 5.15. Repeated Earthquakes in Palghar ______ 59 3.5. National Policy for Software Products ___ 22 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ____________ 61 3.6. National Policy on Electronics, 2019 _____ 24 6.1. Cleaning Up Space Debris _____________ 61 3.7. Setting up of India Post Bank as Payment 6.2. Progress of Digital Literacy Programs in India Bank __________________________________ 25 ______________________________________ 62 3.8. Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions 6.3. Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) ________ 64 (OSDT) ________________________________ 26 6.4. Param Shivay _______________________ 64 3.9. National Minimum Wage ______________ 27 6.5. Measles-Rubella _____________________ 65 3.10. PM Shram-Yogi Maandhan Yojana 6.6. National Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis (PMSYM) ______________________________ 28 Control ________________________________ 65 3.11. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of The 7. SOCIAL ISSUES ______________________ 67 NSSO _________________________________ 29 7.1. Defining Minorities in India ____________ 67 3.12. Public Sector Undertaking ____________ 30 7.2. Development and Welfare Board for 3.13. Department for Promotion of Industry and Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Internal Trade (DPIIT) ____________________ 31 Communities ___________________________ 68 3.14. Draft National Logistics Policy _________ 31 7.3. Operation Digital Board _______________ 70 3.15. River Information System ____________ 33 8. CULTURE ___________________________ 71 3.16. New Angel Tax Rules ________________ 34 8.1. India’s National War Memorial _________ 71 3.17. Fame India Phase II _________________ 35 8.2. Maithili Language ____________________ 71 3.18. Printing Presses Declared as Public Utility36 8.3. Bagru Block Printing __________________ 72 3.19. International Financial Services Center 9. ETHICS _____________________________ 73 Authority Bill ___________________________ 36 9.1. Social Accountability _________________ 73 3.20. Pricing of Drugs ____________________ 37 10. NEWS IN SHORT ____________________ 75 3.21. Strategic Petroleum Reserve __________ 40 10.1. National Commission for Safai Karamcharis 75 3.22. Global IP Index _____________________ 41 10.2. National Productivity Council ____________ 75 4. SECURITY __________________________ 42 10.3. Samadhan Portal ______________________ 75 4.1. Terror Activities and Mutual Distrust in 10.4. Nyaya Bandhu ________________________ 75 India-Pakistan Relations __________________ 42 10.5. INSTEX SAS ___________________________ 75 10.6. North Macedonia Signs Accord to Join NATO 76 4.2. Project 75-I _________________________ 44 10.7. World Government Summit _____________ 76 5. ENVIRONMENT _____________________ 45 10.8. Hindi as Official Court Language in Abu Dhabi 5.1. Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment Report 45 _________________________________________ 76 5.2. Polar Vortex ________________________ 47 10.9. Women's Global Development and Prosperity 5.3. Indian Sundarbans- A Wetland of (W-GDP) Initiative __________________________ 76 International Importance _________________ 48 10.10. National Housing Bank (NHB) ___________ 76 5.4. Kelp Forests ________________________ 49 10.11. Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund ________ 76 2 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS 10.12. Establishment of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog 10.34. Super-Efficient Air Conditioning Programme ________________________________________ 77 _________________________________________ 80 10.13. New Initiatives for Khadi and Village 10.35. India’s First District Cooling System ______ 81 Industries ________________________________ 77 10.36. Technology Collaboration Programme on 10.14. SWAYATT & Start-Up Runway __________ 77 Bioenergy ________________________________ 81 10.15. Women’s Livelihood Bond _____________ 77 10.37. Bramble Cay Melomys ________________ 81 10.16. E-Aushadhi Portal ____________________ 77 10.38. Wallace’s Giant Bee- Rediscovered ______ 81 10.17. Sela Tunnel _________________________ 77 10.39. Ghumot: Goa’s Heritage Instrument _____ 81 10.18. Arun-3 Hydro Project _________________ 78 10.40. Attukal Pongala ______________________ 81 10.19. Petrotech -2019______________________ 78 10.41. Indian Council of Historical Research _____ 82 10.20. Military Exercises ____________________ 78 10.42. Cultural Heritage Youth Leadership 10.21. Milan-2t Anti-Tank Missiles ____________ 78 Programme (CHYLP) ________________________ 82 10.22. LCA TEJAS ___________________________ 78 10.43. Know India Programme ________________ 82 10.23. Artillery Gun ‘Dhanush’ ________________ 79 10.44. Swachh Shakti-2019 Programme ________ 82 10.24. Chinook Helicopters __________________ 79 10.45. Darwaza Band Campaign ______________ 82 10.25. Opportunity Rover Mission _____________ 79 10.46. National Rural Economic Transformation 10.26. SPHEREX ___________________________ 79 Project ___________________________________ 82 10.27. Neptune’s Moon – Hippocamp __________ 79 11. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN NEWS _____ 83 10.28. IAF Commissions Hyper Spectral Programme 11.1. Mid-Day Meal Scheme _________________ 83 ________________________________________ 79 11.2. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana– Gramin ___ 84 10.29. IPRISM _____________________________ 79 11.3. SHREYAS Scheme ______________________ 84 10.30. Inclusive Internet Index 2019 ___________ 80 11.4. North East Special Infrastructure Development 10.31. Delhi Declaration' on Digital Health ______ 80 Scheme (NESIDS) __________________________ 84 10.32. Stars Scheme ________________________ 80 11.5. Atal Jaianusandhan Biotech Mission- 10.33. India’s First ESG Fund _________________ 80 Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNATI) _________________________ 85 3 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS 1. POLITY AND GOVERNANCE 1.1. FALLING PRODUCTIVITY OF RAJYA SABHA Why in news? Rajya Sabha Chairman recently presented a “report to the people”, highlighting the below-par performance of the Upper House and need to hold legislatures accountable. Highlights of report Reasons for low productivity of Rajya Sabha Since June 2014, the Rajya Sabha has held 18 sessions and Political Tussle between the government 329 sittings and passed 154 Bills — which comes to less and opposition leads to stalling of its than one Bill in two sittings. functioning, adjournments etc. The legislative output of the Rajya Sabha has been falling. Lack of consensus: It also reflects that there In 2009-2014, it cleared 188 Bills and in 2004-09 it cleared is lack of consensus on many issues and 251 Bills. government is not able to take opposition Since 2014, the Upper House has been unable to function in confidence on such matters. for 40% of its allotted time due to disruptions. Politicization of Rajya Sabha deviating it from being a serious deliberative body Out of 48 hours in the Budget session, the house providing important insights on matters of functioned only for eight hours. public importance. Relevance of Rajya Sabha Permanent House: Rajya Sabha is never dissolved. Hence it provides the nation leadership and stability in the times when Lok Sabha is not constituted. It also acts as a check against any abrupt changes in the composition of the Lower House. Guard against populist measures: While Lok Sabha may work under populist compulsions; Rajya being the permanent and less political house can take a deeper and non-populist look at bills and issues at hand. It also provides a second opinion on crucial issues of national interest. Representation of States: Rajya Sabha has representatives from State, hence interests of states are reflected and guarded by the Rajya Sabha. Space for Experts: Rajya Sabha provides a space for experts in their fields to voice their
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