Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 4 June 2017

:: National ::

NIA conducted searches at 26 locations in Kashmir, Haryana and Delhi

• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at 26 locations in Kashmir, Haryana and Delhi in a case relating to funding of terrorist activities by Pakistan-based terror outfits.

• In the raids, which started around 6 a.m, at least four NIA teams, along with police and CRPF personnel, fanned out across Srinagar and raided 14 premises of separatists and businessmen. Seven senior separatist leaders were questioned.

• During the raids, NIA recovered Rs. 1.15 crore in cash, property-related documents, letterheads of banned terrorist organisations — Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen — pen drives, laptops and incriminating documents.

• The bank accounts and lockers revealed during the investigation have been ordered to be frozen, the spokesperson said. The concerned persons have been summoned for questioning, it said.

Goods and Services Tax Council finalised the rates on all the remaining products

• GST Council finalised the rates on all the remaining products, including gold, footwear, textiles, agricultural implements, biscuits, and beedis. The Council also cleared the rules regarding return filing, and transitional provisions.

• Union Finance Minister said gold, silver, and diamonds would be placed in a new rate category of 3% while rough diamonds would attract a nominal rate of 0.25%.

• Biscuits, currently taxed at a combined State and central tax rate of 20-23%, have been placed in the 18% GST rate category.

India and France vowed to work together for Paris agreement and terrorism

• India and France vowed to work together for the implementation of the landmark Paris climate agreement and fight the challenge posed by terrorism, as PM Modi met newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron.

• Mr. Modi said India was committed to “go above and beyond” the Paris deal to protect climate for future generations as he termed the U.N.-brokered agreement a shared legacy of the world.

• After holding two hours of wide-ranging talks with Mr. Macron, Mr. Modi said the Paris climate deal reflects “our duty towards protecting the mother Earth and our natural resources. For us, this (protection of environment) is an article of faith.”

• On his part, Mr. Macron said he wants to restate France’s full commitment to the fight against climate warming. The two leaders voiced concern over the growing threat of terrorism worldwide.

• “Terrorism is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing today,” Mr. Modi said.

• Mr. Modi invited the French president to visit India. Mr. Macron said he would visit New Delhi by the end of the year for an international summit on solar power.

EVM went unchallenged, with CPI deciding only to understand its functioning

• The electronic voting machine (EVM) went unchallenged, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) deciding only to understand its functioning and the Nationalist Congress Party opting out.

• Calling it a mutual learning exercise, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told presspersons that the memory and battery numbers of the machines could not be provided to the NCP in advance as they were kept sealed in warehouses.

• The EC, through a letter to the NCP, said the party conveyed that it would only participate in the event as an “academic exercise”.

• The NCP’s representatives also had two rounds of meetings with the EC, and a detailed interaction with the Technical Experts Committee on EVMs.

• Expressing hope that the exercise had put to rest all the doubts about EVM security, Dr. Zaidi said the NCP could participate in future.

::International::

Successive Israeli governments have invested billions of dollars on West Bank

• Successive Israeli governments have invested billions of dollars over the past 50 years on settlements in the occupied West Bank, making any withdrawal from the Palestinian territory a costly proposition.

• There is no official overall figure for Israel’s spending on Jewish settlements since the June 1967 Six-Day War.

• Each year, the Finance Ministry has published partial figures, amounting to $3.5 bn over the 12 years up to 2015, but the sum does not include investments before 2003.

• It also does not cover the vast amounts spent on infrastructure such as special roads reserved for settlers and on their security.

• More than 6,00,000 settlers live among 2.9 million Palestinians in the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem, with frequent outbreaks of violence.

• The figures also do not include the Gaza Strip, which Israel also captured in 1967 but from where its army and settlers pulled out in 2005.

• The settlements, deemed illegal under international law, are seen as a key obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. No Israeli government, however, has turned its back on the settlers.

• The total surface area of settlements construction has doubled in 18 years, according to the non-governmental organisation.

• As a financial incentive for the expansion of settlements, the average settler receives three times more in public subsidies than a resident of Israel proper within its pre-1967 borders.

Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia to launch joint patrols on Mindanao region

• Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia will launch joint patrols in waters off the Mindanao region this month to counter threats from Islamic State group militants, Malaysia’s Defence Minister said.

• Hishammuddin Hussein made the comments as Philippine troops continued to battle self-styled Islamic State group gunmen who attacked the city of Marawi on Mindanao island nearly two weeks ago.

• He said joint sea patrols in the waters bordering the three nations would kick off on June 19, with air patrols starting at a later date.

• Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao in response to the crisis.

::Business and Economy::

For the textile engineering industry exports have shown a steady increase

• For the textile engineering industry, which consists of more than 2,800 units producing machinery for different processes in the textile value chain, exports have shown a steady increase in the last five years.

• Almost all the major global spinning machinery manufacturers have a base in India and China now. It is not only to cater to these two respective markets but also to other countries from here.

• India is gradually becoming a manufacturing hub for textile machinery and so exports will only go up.

• Though official data shows a drop in exports in 2015-2016, private data indicated Rs. 2,572 crore of exports in 2015-2016. Areas with scope for exports currently are spinning and processing.

• India is a major manufacturer of spinning machinery. We export processing machinery too. But, a large number of looms, knitting and garmenting machinery are imported by the textile industry here.

• Textile machinery imports were Rs. 7,643 crore in 2011-2012 and Rs. 10,305 crore in 2015-2016. This includes machinery, tools, and accessories. Apart from weaving and garmenting machinery, autoconers are also imported.

• Though the economic slowdown had affected investments by the domestic textile industry, investments continue in select pockets. Some States have come out with State-specific textile policies.

• Industries that focus on value addition, expansion, modernisation and replacements are driving investments in the domestic market, he added.

• The Union Government has been focusing on development of machinery for weaving and processing sector.

• It has supported loom development projects on public-private partnership mode and also cleared a project to set up a common engineering facility centre.

As many as 71 mineral blocks have been identified for auction

• As many as 71 mineral blocks have been identified for auction in the current fiscal, the government said.

• These include six blocks in in Andhra Pradesh, 11 in Chhattisgarh, 12 blocks in Gujarat, nine in Jharkhand, the Mines Ministry said in a statement.

• Besides, 18 blocks are in Maharashtra, 7 in Odisha and 8 blocks in Rajasthan, it said.

• In a meeting of the Coordination—cum—Empowered Committee (CCEC) of the major mineral-producing states deliberate discussion took place on preparedness for e-auction of mineral blocks for 2017-18.

• Representatives from seventeen states were present in the meeting.

::Science and Tech::

Mental health care access is improving in India

• While about 10% of the population in India suffers from common mental disorders, only about 15-25% of this receives mental health care.

• But a small-scale study carried out on approximately 5,000 people living in 30 tribal villages in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh was able to improve the practice of seeking out mental health care significantly.

• The intervention was carried out for three months from November 2015 to January 2016 by involving 21 ASHA workers and two primary health care doctors who were trained for about 10 days.

• A mobile technology-based mental health service delivery model was used by ASHA workers and doctors for screening, diagnosing and treating people with common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, suicide risk and stress.

• Of the nearly 5,000 people who were screened, 238 were identified as being positive for common mental disorders and were referred to primary care doctors for treatment.

• Thirty of the 238 people visited a primary care doctor for further diagnosis and treatment.

• The percentage of people who sought mental health care shot up from 0.8% at the beginning of the intervention to 12.6% at the end of the three-month intervention period. The results were published in the Journal of Global Health.

• Considering that there were not sufficient mental health professionals to treat all patients across the country, the study has been successful in training ASHA workers and PHC doctors to provide basic mental health care that included screening and providing treatment.

• Prior to intervention, an anti-stigma campaign was carried out for three months. The campaign improved the awareness level and changed the attitude and behaviour related to mental health.

Click Here for Old Current Affairs Archive

This is a Part of Online Coaching Programme for UPSC Exam

Buy Printed Study Material for UPSC PRELIMS EXAM

Join Test Series for IAS (Pre.) Exam