Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 29 November 2015

:: National ::

Drug-resistant bug causes

Doctors report that third-generation antibiotics—carbapanems — are failing to treat the Klebsiella pathogen, leading to higher mortality in patients and peg the resistance at up to 50per cent. In Mumbai, the bug is being recorded in 10-20per cent of the patients in ICUs of major public hospitals.
Cases of colistin-resistant Klebsiella have started emerging, including four in Mumbai. Colistin is the last antibiotic available in the world for infections that the strongest antibiotics fail to treat.
Klebsiella causes urinary tract infections, ventilator-acquired pneumonias and blood stream infections(sepsis) among other conditions and is proving to be fatal in 30 to 40 per cent of the patients who have contracted it — usually during a long stay in the hospital, particularly in the intensive care unit.
Patients such as those suffering from lymphoma or who have undergone trans-plants are particularly dii-cult to treat
The implication of the growing resistance is serious. Simply put, higher the level of resistance, higher the mortality.
If Klebsiella is resistant to carbapanem, a higher dosage or combination therapy is the next step, but this requires careful laboratory evaluation and patient monitoring, which may not be possible in many hospital settings.

GST logjam

Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha expressed the hope that the Goods and ServicesTax would be implemented soon, and prove to be one of the biggest game-changers inIndia’s history.
The GST constitutional amendment bill is stuck in the Rajya Sabha, having been passed in the Lok Sabha in May,2015.
What the NDA wants
Tax rate of 22%, 1% extra levy for manufacturing states, 1/3rd seats for Centre in GST council, Alcohol and tobacco outside the ambit of GST for at least 5 years
What the Congress is demanding
Tax rate of 18%, Levy should be removed, Only 1/4th representation for the Centre in the GST council, Alcohol and tobacco to be included in GST within 5 years.

Policy shift angers fishing community

Fishing communities in Kerala and the other coastal States are up in arms against the constitution of an expert committee by the Central government to revise the National Marine Fisheries Policy, without ensuring the representation of stakeholders.
A survey initiated by the expert committee to elicit response to the preparation of the revised fisheries policy has also come under fire from fishermen organisations who feel that it failed to address their livelihood concerns and the key issues affecting the marine fisheries sector

Jaitapur project villages come together in opposition

Around 13 villages, surrounding the proposed 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, have passed a resolution against the plant even as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit India during which he is likely to seal the pending civil nuclear agreement.
Japanese companies Mitsubishi, Toshiba and Hitachi provide technology to French Areva and the U.S. – based Westinghouse and GE respectively. These companies are responsible for setting up nuclear plants at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, Mithivardi in Gujarat and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh.
The resolution cite radioactivity, nuclear waste, unproven EPR technology to be used in the project and cost of the electricity are the reasons behind their opposition.
While the land acquisition process for the project is already over, it has not moved ahead since several techno-commercial agreements are yet to be finalised.

Preparations for long-range missile launch from ship (Register and Login to read Full News..)

India’s polio fight (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Artificial glaciers come to rescue for Ladakh tackle effects of climate change (Register and Login to read Full News..)

Flexible policy for defence procurement (Register and Login to read Full News..)

:: International ::

Delhi-Dhaka ties crucial ahead of war crimes execution

Dhaka-New Delhi collaboration will play a key role in maintaining law and order in the India-Bangladesh border region, as the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gears up for the possible execution of one of the most important 1971 war crimes accused, Motiur Rahman Nizami.
Though India has not officially commented on the recent executions of war crimes accused, it is generally understood that India supports Bangladesh’s quest to bring the accused to justice.

:: Economy ::

8% growth would trigger employment

India needs to grow at 8 per cent for decades so as to create the required amount of employment for the country’s working-age population
This building of production capacity involves developing hard assets, such as roads, ports, rails connectivity,and others s well as soft assets like skills and an innovation eco-system
Six ‘game-changers’ . The first, was putting in place universal social security through the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, and Mobile). “In100 days the government has en-sured that 100 per cent of families have bank accounts and 90per cent of MGNREGA payments are being done directly into the accounts. This is historic,revolutionary.”
The second was the various schemes and initiatives, such as the Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and providing agri-credit and crop insurance,the government has under taken for the upliftment of farmers.
The third is endeavor to create employment through Skill India mission
The government would soon be launching a major initiative around startups, a Startups Yojana of sorts.
Public investment is pouring into transportation, including railways. There was virtually no capital investment in railways in the last 10 years. Now Rs.8.5 lakh crore will be investment in rail-ways during this government’s term. Public investment in general is up 40 per cent over its levels last year.
The Indradhanush revamp plan is do-ing more for banks than any-thing since nationalisation.
This involves empowering the States in terms of the devolution of taxes. The devolution share was increased from 32per cent to 42 per cent, a change of 10 per cent. The earlier largest change was in the order of 2.5per cent.

BS-V andBS-VI norms for 4-wheelers

The government on Saturday said it has advanced the date for implementation of the roll out of Bharat Stage(BS) stage V and VI norms for four-wheelers by three years.
The ministry has decided to implementBS-V norms from April 1, 2019.BS-VI norms, which aim at substantial reduction in NOx/4C levels will be implemented from April 1, 2021, it added. This reflects a firm commitment to play a major role in reducing vehicular emissions. Draft norms for two- and three-wheeler categories will be notified shortly with advanced timeline similar to the four wheeler category