Highlights |UPSC Exam Current Affairs 18-02-2020
UPSC exam current affairs 18-02-2020 The following article contains all the updated events and news for IAS Preparation. Our daily IAS Current Affairs and News cover the most important topics to give precise information to the reader and IAS Aspirants.
- Women Army officers eligible for permanent commission
- Peninsular command
- Google to end the ‘Station’ programme
- Women in the Armed Forces
- Indian Railways’ Corporate Train model
Importance of Current Affairs in IAS Coaching
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UPSC Exam Current Affairs 18-02-2020 are followed in the part below:
UPSC Exam Current Affairs and News Analysis (18-02-2020)
Women Army officers eligible for permanent commission
Part of: GS Prelims –Society and GS-II- Women Empowerment
In News:
Supreme Court:
- Rejected the Union government’s entries that ladies are physiologically more vulnerable than men as a “sex generalization”
- Pronounced that Short Service Commission (SSC) ladies officials are qualified for lasting commission and direction posts in the Army regardless of their long stretches of administration.
- The court found the comments in the note naturally invalid as well as prejudicial, influencing the respect of ladies officials.
- More subtleties – Refer the Mains Focus segment
IASbaba’s Value Addition:
Prejudice & Stereotype :
- Partiality alludes to specific mentalities towards an individual or a gathering of people.
- Generalization alludes to the assignment of specific jobs to an individual or gathering of people.
For instance, some have a partiality towards ladies that they are frail. This prompts their job designation in the general public and certain occupations have been stereotyped for ladies receptionists, instructors, nurture and so forth.
- Prejudice and stereotypes lead to social inequality and exclusion.
For instance, if ladies are stereotyped as medical attendants, educators and receptionists, they have no possibility of turning into an IAS, IPS, Astronaut, negotiator, researcher and trooper.
India’s bird population suffers a long-term decline
Part of: GS Prelims –Environment and GS-III- Conservation
In news:
State of India’s Birds 2020 (SoIB) assessment states :
- Over a fifth of India’s winged creature assorted variety, running from the Short-toed Snake Eagle to the Sirkeer Malkoha, has endured solid long haul decreases
- 80% misfortune among a few regular winged creatures
- each winged creature species that were seen as expanding in numbers over the long haul, 11 have endured misfortunes
- Rufous-fronted Prinia, Nilgiri Thrush, Nilgiri Pipit and Indian vulture were affirmed as enduring a present decrease
- The normal sparrow has gotten uncommon in urban communities and urban territories. purposes behind this is a diminishing in creepy crawly populaces just as settling places
Threat
- loss of natural surroundings because of human action,
- the across the board nearness of poisons, including pesticides;
- Chasing and catching for the pet exchange.
Peninsular command
Part of: GS Prelims –Polity and GS-II- Defence
In news:
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) talked about :
- A guide for rebuilding the Armed Forces that would comprehensively counter dangers along the outskirts with China and Pakistan just as in the Indian Ocean, upheld by calculated concurrences with different nations.
- An Indian Ocean-focused Peninsular Command, conceivably framed by consolidating the Eastern and Western Naval Commands
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS):
- Bureau Committee on Security affirmed the creation
- Head military counsel to the protection serve
- Delegated in a four-star rank at standard with the three help boss
- The lasting administrator of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC)
- Capacity as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority
Google to end the ‘Station’ programme
Part of: GS Prelims –Sci & Tech and GS-III- IT
In news:
- Google Started the ‘Station’ program to bring free open Wi-Fi to 400 busiest railroad stations in India.
- Presently chose to step by step wind down the administration all-inclusive
What?
- Google accepts that better information designs and improving a versatile network have made it “less complex and less expensive” for clients to get on the web.
- The program was launched in India in 2015 as an association between Google, Indian Railways and RailTel to bring quick and free open WiFi.
Govt. plans research on ‘indigenous’ cows
Part of: GS Prelims –Polity and GS-II- Govt Policy
In news:
- Government has revealed a program to look into on ‘indigenous’ cows. (SUTRA PIC or Scientific Utilization Through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows)
- Subsidized by numerous logical services, the activity, SUTRA PIC, is driven by the Department of Science and Technology
Five themes:
- The uniqueness of Indigenous Cows,
- For Medicine and Health,
- For Agricultural Applications,
- For Food and Nutrition,
- Bovines based utility things.
Aims
- To perform logical research on the total characterisation of milk and milk items got from Indian indigenous bovines
- Logical research on healthful and helpful properties of curd and ghee arranged from indigenous types of cows by conventional strategies; improvement of models for customarily prepared dairy results of Indian-birthplace cow
No headway in India-U.S. trade talks
Part of: GS Prelims –Economy and GS-III- Trade
In news:
Concerns :
- changing internet business, and speculation standards for retail
- Clinical gadget value tops required by India,
- a defence of levies exacted by the two sides,
- More noteworthy market access for U.S. horticultural and dairy items.
- Full reclamation of GSP (Generalized System of Preferences)
From Prelims Point of View
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)
- The umbrella that involves the greater part of special plans conceded by industrialized countries to creating nations.
- Diminished Most Favored Nations (MFN) Tariffs or obligation free passage of qualified items sent out by recipient nations to the business sectors of benefactor nations.
- GSP was received at UNCTAD in New Delhi in 1968
UNCTAD
- Joined Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a perpetual intergovernmental body set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964.
- It bolsters creating nations to get to the advantages of a globalized economy all the more decently and successfully.
(MAINS FOCUS)
Topic: General Studies 2:
- A detachment of forces between different organs question redressal systems and foundations (Judicial Overreach Vs Judicial activism)
- Government strategies and intercessions for improvement in different segments and issues emerging out of their structure and execution
Women in the Armed Forces
Context
The Supreme Court has requested that the administration cling to its own expressed approach on giving changeless commission to ladies in the Short Service Commission (SSC)
At present, the ladies officials are permitted changeless commission (PC) just in two parts of the Indian Army, to be specific the Judge Advocate General and Army Education Corps.
The staying eight branches that will open up for ladies SSC officials in the military are Corps of Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defense, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and the Intelligence Corps
What is the Short Service Commission?
- It is an alternative of joining the Army and filling in as a Commissioned Officer for a long time
- Toward the finish of 10 years an individual has two choices – Either to get chosen for a Permanent Commission or quit.
- Those not chose for Permanent Commission have the alternative of a 4 years expansion. They can leave whenever during this period.
- A Permanent Commission implies a profession in the Army until you resign
Women in Army: Background of the case
1992: Induction of Women officials into the Army began. Ladies were appointed for a time of five years in certainly picked streams through Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES)
WSES had a shorter pre-commission preparing period than their male partners who were charged under the Short Service Commission (SSC) conspire.
2003: PIL was documented under the watchful eye of the Delhi High Court for the award of perpetual commission (PC) to ladies SSC officials in the Army
2006: WSES conspire was supplanted with the SSC plot, which was stretched out to ladies officials.
- Ladies were appointed for a time of 10 years, extendable as long as 14 years
- Ladies were, in any case, confined to jobs in streams determined before — which prohibited battle arms, for example, infantry and heavily clad corps.
- While male SSC officials could settle on lasting commission toward the finish of 10 years of administration, this alternative was not accessible to ladies officials
Impact of such a system:
- Ladies were kept out of any order arrangement (they could just reach up to the degree of Colonel)
- Ladies couldn’t fit the bill for an administration annuity, which begins simply following 20 years of administration as an official.
2008: Defense Ministry passed a request saying PC would be allowed tentatively to SSC ladies officials in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) office and the Army Education Corps (AEC) (2 out of 10 streams in PC)
2010: Delhi High Court Order: Women officials of the Air Force and Army on SSC who had looked for changeless commission yet we’re not allowed that status, would be qualified for PC at standard with male SSC officials.
This request was thusly tested by the legislature in the Supreme Court and furthermore didn’t actualize the High Court request despite the fact that it was not remained by the zenith court.
August 15, 2018: Prime Minister Modi reported that lasting commission would be allowed to serving ladies officials of the military. Be that as it may, it was not actualized on the ground which drove the SC to pass the present judgment
The premise of contentions set forth by the administration in the Apex Court while contending against Women’s consideration in Permanent Commission are:
- Ladies were kept out of order posts on the thinking that the to a great extent provincial position and the record will have issues with ladies as bosses.
- Constraints of legal audit on approach issues
- Word related risks
- SSC is simply a help unit
- Organic contentions: Rationalization on physiological restrictions for work in staff arrangements.
- Sending of ladies officials was not prudent in strife zones where there was “negligible office for natural surroundings and cleanliness. (Notwithstanding the way that 30% of the absolute number of ladies officials are deputed to strife regions)
Implications of Supreme Court ruling:
- The court dismissed all the above contentions of the administration as biased and against Article 14 of the Constitution
- Ladies on a standard with male officials: SC has discarded all segregation for the award of PC in 10 non-battle wings in the military, welcoming ladies keeping pace with men.
- Opening of direction positions would fundamentally launch a whirlwind on exercises inside the military. Military secretary’s branch should start with redesigning framework the board to oblige ladies officials
- It has likewise evacuated the limitation of ladies officials just being permitted to serve in staff arrangements, which is the most noteworthy and sweeping part of the judgment.
Conclusion
The greater move should happen in the way of life, standards, and estimations of the majority of the Army, which will be the duty of the senior military and political administration.
Connecting the dots!
- The portrayal of Women in Parliament/Legislature – Should SC additionally pass a request ordering 33% of lawmaking body seats to be saved for Women.
- Potential results of the decision on Societal partialities on ladies
Topic: General Studies 3:
- Framework: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways and so forth.
- Government approaches and intercessions for improvement in different parts and issues emerging out of their plan and usage.
- Indian Economy and issues identifying with arranging, activation, of assets, development, advancement and business.
Indian Railways’ Corporate Train model
Context
Indian Railways intends to offer upwards of 500 trains to private administrators throughout the following five years.
The Kashi Mahakal Express is the nation’s third ‘corporate’ train after the two Tejas Express trains between Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Ahmedabad. All these three trains are controlled by PSU IRCTC
How does the model work?
- Right now, the enterprise takes all the choices of running the administration — charge, nourishment, locally available offices, housekeeping, grievances and so on.
- Indian Railways is liberated from these encumbrances and finds a good pace IRCTC a pre-concluded sum, being the proprietor of the system.
- Indian Railways is liberated from these encumbrances and finds a good pace IRCTC a pre-concluded sum, being the proprietor of the system.
- This sum has three segments haulage, rent and care.
- As such, IRCTC needs to pay Indian Railways an aggregate of these three charges, generally, Rs 14 lakh for the Lucknow Tejas runs in a day (here and there) and afterwards factor in a benefit far beyond this.
What powers does IRCTC have?
- Being a corporate element with a Board of Directors and financial specialists, IRCTC demands that the mentors it gets from Railways are new and not in a summary condition, as is seen in numerous trains.
- Right now, has full adaptability to choose the administration parameters and even change them without going to Railway service or its strategies.
- IRCTC gets the opportunity to choose even the quantity of stoppages it needs to manage the cost of on a course, contingent upon the necessities of its plan of action.
- The Lucknow Tejas, for example, has two stops, while the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas has six stops. These stops are business choices.
Is this the same model for private train operators?
- Private players should not pay rent and guardianship charges as it is normal that they will get their own moving stock.
- Organizations should offer a system of courses and offers will be settled on an income sharing model.
- They (organizations) should pay the haulage (charges for utilizing tracks) charges at ₹686 per km to the railroads. Alongside this, they should have a part of their income.
- Foundation, upkeep and security will be dealt with by the railroads.
- Private train administrators will be permitted to acquire prepares, work and look after them, give better ready understanding and administrations to travellers, as far as nourishment, comfort, diversion, among others.
- Organizations will likewise have the opportunity to choose the charge
Necessity/Merits of such plans
- To satisfy developing traveller need: Indian Railways goes around 13,000 traveller prepares each day and an extra necessity of 3,000-4,000 trains is assessed.
- Throughout the following five years, after the two devoted cargo passageways are operationalised and a lot of cargo trains move to the halls, a lot of limits will free up in the regular railroad lines for more traveller trains to hurry to take into account the interest.
- Private train administrators will carry with them the specialized and administrative aptitude which prompts ideal usage of assets.
- The progression is additionally expected to support private interest in the area.
- It will likewise facilitate the weight on government funds and lessens the loss of Indian Railways (on account of under-recuperation of cost because of low passages and strong overheads)
- It will make nature for improved assistance quality and client experience for the travellers
Way Ahead
The administration needs to make an empowering environment (arrangements, banking, framework arrangement, guideline, simplicity of working together) to tap the maximum capacity of private players in the railroad segment.
Connecting the dots!
- Bibek Debroy Committee
- Should the government insist on “Made in India” rakes for private players who wish to enter the sector? – Critically analyse
(TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE)
Model questions: (You can now post your answers in the comment section)
Q 1. In the context of Indian wildlife, the flying fox is a
- Bat
- Kite
- Stork
- Vulture
Q 2. Consider the following fauna of India:
- Indian Vulture
- Nilgiri thrush
- Nilgiri Pipit
Which of the above is/are endangered?
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- None
Q 3. ‘Station’ programme to bring free public Wi-Fi busiest railway stations in India started by
- Ministry of IT
- Wipro
- Infosys
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