VISION IAS www.visionias.in CURRENT AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2017 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 CONSTITUTION ___________ 4 3.20. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Review 1.1. Mission Antyodaya ____________________ 4 ______________________________________ 44 1.2. Municipal Reforms ____________________ 5 3.21. Financial System Stability Assessment 1.3. Special Courts for Trying Politicians ______ 7 (FSSA) and Financial Sector Assessment (FSA) _ 45 1.4. Section 29A of RPA ____________________ 8 4. SECURITY___________________________ 46 1.5. Candidates Contesting from Two Seats____ 9 4.1. NIC-CERT Setup ______________________ 46 1.6. Open Prisons _______________________ 10 4.2. Border protection Grid ________________ 46 1.7. Judicial Accountability & RTI Act ________ 11 4.3. Endo-Atmospheric Interceptor Missile 1.8. Adultery Law to be Revisited ___________ 12 Successfully Test Fired ___________________ 47 1.9. Meghalaya’s Social Audit Law __________ 13 4.4. INS Kalvari _________________________ 47 1.10. Schemes for North Eastern Region _____ 13 4.5. Military Exercises ____________________ 48 2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS __________ 15 5. ENVIRONMENT ______________________ 49 2.1. Indian Diaspora Largest in the World ____ 15 5.1. Delhi Air Pollution: Recent Initiatives ____ 49 2.2. India Gets Entry into Wassenaar 5.1.1. Delhi Government Action Plan __________ 49 Arrangement ___________________________ 16 5.1.2. NGT Action Plan to Combat Delhi Air Pollution 2.3. The New US Security Strategy __________ 17 _________________________________________ 49 2.4. US Recognises Jerusalem as Capital of Israel 5.1.3. Centre’s "Air Action Plan - Abatement of Air Pollution in Delhi National Capital Region" ______ 50 ______________________________________ 17 5.1.4. Environment Ministry’s Regional Project to 2.5. International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Tackle Stubble Burning ______________________ 51 ______________________________________ 18 5.2. Excessive Nitrogen in Atmosphere ______ 51 2.6. International Solar Alliance ____________ 19 5.3. Electric Vehicle ______________________ 53 2.7. Maldives and China __________________ 19 5.4. Environment Impact Assessment _______ 54 2.8. US Withdraws from Global Compact on 5.5. Global E-Waste Monitor ______________ 55 Migration ______________________________ 20 5.6. China Launches Nation Carbon Market ___ 56 2.9. Permanent Structured Cooperation on 5.7. Invasive Alien Species ________________ 57 Defence (PESCO) ________________________ 20 5.8. Scheme for Protection of Majuli Island ___ 58 3. ECONOMY _________________________ 21 5.9. Birth Control for Animals ______________ 58 3.1. Strategy on Resource Efficiency ________ 21 5.10. Joint Tiger Census ___________________ 59 3.2. WTO Ministerial Conference 11 ________ 23 5.11. India Awarded by CITES ______________ 59 3.3. Mid-Term Review of Foreign Trade Policy 25 5.12. Cyclone Ockhi ______________________ 60 3.4. Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance 5.13. Urban Fires ________________________ 61 (FRDI) Bill 2017 _________________________ 26 5.14. Project ‘Blue Flag’ for Beach Clean-up __ 62 3.5. RBI’s Financial Stability Report _________ 28 5.15. Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities 3.6. Consumer Protection Bill 2018 _________ 29 ______________________________________ 63 3.7. Contract Farming ____________________ 30 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ____________ 64 3.8. Fertilizer Sector _____________________ 32 6.1. Brain Gain: Indian Scientists Returning to 3.9. Energy Access _______________________ 33 India __________________________________ 64 3.10. Methanol Economy _________________ 35 6.2. Free Space Optical Communication ______ 65 3.11. DBT in Power Sector _________________ 36 6.3. Nasa’s Sofia Mission __________________ 65 3.12. Guidelines for Procuring Wind Power ___ 37 6.4. New Matter ‘Excitonium’ Discovered ____ 66 3.13. Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for 6.5. Eminid Meteor Shower _______________ 66 Solar Transfiguration of India (SRISTI) _______ 38 6.6. ITCOOCEAN _________________________ 66 3.14. India Challenges China as World's Biggest 7. SOCIAL _____________________________ 68 LPG Importer ___________________________ 39 7.1. State of The World’s Children 2017 Report 68 3.15. National Highway Investment Promotion 7.2. National Nutrition Mission ____________ 69 Cell ___________________________________ 40 7.3. National Strategic Plan (2017-24) & Mission 3.16. Plans for Backward Districts __________ 41 Sampark _______________________________ 70 3.17. Ship-Breaking Industry _______________ 42 7.4. National Trachoma Survey Report (2014-17) 3.18. Leather Industry ____________________ 43 ______________________________________ 72 3.19. Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles 7.5. MGNREGS Assessment ________________ 73 Sector _________________________________ 44 7.6. Ganga Gram Project __________________ 73 7.7. Scheme for Inter-Caste Marriages _______ 74 2 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS 7.8. Minority Tag ________________________ 74 10. MISCELLANEOUS ___________________ 81 7.9. Gaming Disorder ____________________ 75 10.1. Darpan Project _____________________ 81 7.10. Utkrisht Impact Bond ________________ 75 10.2. Kimberly Process Certification Scheme __ 81 8. CULTURE __________________________ 77 10.3. Eco-Niwas Portal ___________________ 81 8.1. Kumbh Mela ________________________ 77 10.4. Public Procurement Portal for MSME ___ 82 8.2. Hornbill Festival _____________________ 77 10.5. Iraq Overtakes Saudi Arabia as India’s 9. ETHICS ____________________________ 79 Biggest Oil Supplier ______________________ 82 9.1. Conflict of Interest ___________________ 79 10.6. Virtual Currency of Venezuela _________ 83 9.2. Ethics of Privacy _____________________ 79 10.7. Sameep ___________________________ 83 3 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS 1. POLITY AND CONSTITUTION 1.1. MISSION ANTYODAYA Why in News? Example of Convergence of schemes- Department of Rural Development released the ranking of • Dept. of Rural Development’s MNREGA- Gram Panchayats under Mission Antyodaya. for building physical assets, & DAY-NRLM- to create social capital for livelihood Context promotion. • Article 243G of the Indian Constitution mandates • Ministry of Tribal Affairs approved preparation of plans for economic development and social Minimum support price for non-timber forest produce to help tribal people who, justice by Panchayats and through this process Panchayats under DAY-NRLM, collectively coordinate are expected to evolve into institutions of local self- the procurement and payment process. governance. • However, due to multiple layers of planning, administration and resource allocation to tackle deprivations, the efforts are often dispersed in time and space, leading to suboptimal results. • Variance in selection criteria across schemes as well as spatial and temporal mismatch in supporting the same individual/household through government scheme results in different schemes targeting different individuals/households resulting in under-utilization of capacity and sub-optimal outcomes. • Further, despite substantial public investment being made for strengthening rural economy and livelihoods base of the poor; due to multidimensionality of poverty, there is a need to optimize efforts through inter-sectoral approach. • Hence, it is necessary to develop a model framework-along with enhanced financial allocation- based on convergence, accountability and measurable outcomes to ensure that the resources are effectively spent in providing ‘sustainable livelihoods for every deprived household’. Importance of GP level planning • It captures felt local needs and provides better appreciation for local potential and ensures easy access to resources, entitlements and services. • It provides space for integration of people’s knowledge and wisdom into local development efforts. • It responds to differential needs of different groups while mobilizing all the sections and encourages their participation in the local governance. • It helps to forge better bond between the panchayats and local citizens while ensuring responsive governance. • It improves overall service delivery and motivates volunteerism. 4 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS Framework for Implementation for Mission Antyodaya • The framework makes use of Information & Communication Technology to ensure that the benefits reach those who are most deserving as per SECC Data. • Through a robust Management Information System linked to schemes data bases, it would be possible to ensure end- to-end targeting against defined set of indicators to measure progress against the base line. Ranking of Gram Panchayats • Over 25 Departments and ministries of central and • The broad parameters used are- state governments will be participating in this o Infrastructure Parameters mission. o Economic development and Livelihood • The data from different schemes would be put in o Health, nutrition and sanitation public domain for complete transparency. o Women Empowerment • The states have selected Gram Panchayats o Financial Inclusion (GPs)/clusters which are either GPs with • Tellapur gram panchayat in Telangana has been achievements like ODF, crime/dispute free GPs award found to be the best village in the country winning GPs, or are covered under other schemes.