Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 08 December 2022

::NATIONAL::

Centre told Google to prohibit publishing online betting ads

• The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked Google to comply with its advisory to refrain from publishing or broadcasting advertisements of online betting platforms or any surrogate product depicting them.

About:

• The latest guideline was issued by the Ministry in October after it noted violations of a previous advisory in June 13, 2022, as some online offshore betting platforms had started using news websites as a surrogate product to advertise betting platforms on television channels.
• The Consumer Affairs Department had also informed the Ministry that online betting platforms were advertising themselves as professional sports blogs, sports news websites, etc. while providing an indicative list of online betting platforms which were using news for surrogate advertising.
• In view of the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements-2022 under the Consumer Protection Act, read with the Advertising Code under the Cable TV Network Regulation Act, advertisements of the news websites that were in fact surrogate promotions, did not appear to be in strict conformity with the laws.

Betting and gambling:

• Betting and gambling, illegal in most parts of the country, pose significant financial and socio-economic risk for the consumers, especially youth and children, the advisory states.
• These advertisements on online betting are misleading and have the effect of promoting this largely prohibited activity.

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Delhi HC allows woman to terminate 33-week pregnancy

• The Delhi High Court allowed a 26-year-old woman to medically terminate her pregnancy after she moved the court claiming “cerebral abnormality” of the foetus, saying her mental and physical health and the child’s wellbeing tilted “its mind in favour” of her plea.
• The Court has observed that, it has clearly been able to gauge the mental trauma affecting the parents, their economic and social conditions, as also, the fact that the Petitioner is taking a cautious and well-informed decision, while seeking termination of pregnancy. She has understood as to what termination of pregnancy entails at such an advanced stage.

Background:

• Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 permits termination of pregnancy upto 24 weeks beyond which termination ispermitted only in case “substantial foetal abnormalities”.
• Recently, the Supreme Court had extended the right to safe and legal abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy to all women in thecountry, regardless of marital status.
• Medical Board is constituted by the State/Union Territories to decide if a pregnancy may be terminated after 24 weeks.
• Termination of pregnancy has been a matter of debate due to ethical and moral perspective.
• Indian law recognizes the right of a woman to choose to terminate her pregnancy even at an advanced stage.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India’s Growth Forecast by World Bank

• The World Bank recently lifted its growth forecast for India’s economy this year to 6.9%, after having downgraded it to 6.5% in October, citing resilience in economic activity despite a deteriorating external environment.

About:

• The Bank said it revised the GDP forecast considering the strong upturn in the July to September quarter of 2022-23, when it grew 6.3% despite inflationary pressures and tighter financing conditions, “driven by strong private consumption and investment”.
• The government’s focus on bolstering capital expenditure also supported domestic demand in the first half of 2022-23. 
• High frequency indicators indicate continued robust growth of domestic demand at the start of Q3 (October to December quarter).
• India’s economy has been remarkably resilient to the deteriorating external environment, and strong macroeconomic fundamentals have placed it in good stead compared to other emerging market economies.
• The Bank expects the Indian economy to grow at a slightly slower 6.6% in 2023-24 as a challenging external environment and faltering global growth will affect its economic outlook through different channels.
• The report said that while a one percentage point decline in growth in the United States is associated with a 0.4 percentage point decline in India’s growth, the effect is around 1.5 times larger for other emerging economies, and the result is similar for growth spillovers from the EU and China.

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Big industries don’t observe uniform labour standards in India.

• The Asia Pacific Regional Meeting of the International LabourOrganisation(APRM of ILO), representatives of workers and employers from India highlighted the employment situation in the country.

Key findings:

• While employers hailed the Union government’s steps to “help” workers and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) during the pandemic, the workers’ side said big industry do not follow labour practices in India. 
• The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and the All IndiaOrganisation of Employers (AIOE), an allied body of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), presented their views a day after international trade unions attacked the Centre’s labour policies at the meeting.

About ILO:

• Based in Geneva, Switzerland, The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the world of work.
• It was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice. In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of the newly formed United Nations.
• Its mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards.
• ILO’s mandate as the basis for peace is expressed today as Decent Work for all.
• It is also a member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDP), a coalition of UN organization aimed at helping meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The ILO has 187 member states: 186 out of 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands.
• It is the only tripartite U.N. agency, that brings together governments, employers and workers’ representatives of 187-member States.

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::Economy::

Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Report

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India on December 7 increased the repo rate by 35 basis points (bps) to 6.25%, and the Standing Deposit Facility stands raised to 6%.

Key highlights:

• Inflation is expected to be 6.7% this year, with CPI inflation for the first quarter of 2023-24 projected at 5% and the second quarter at 5.4% on the assumption of a normal monsoon.
• The focus on inflation control continues and there will be no let-up in our efforts to bring down inflation, first below 6% and then closer to the 4% target, the Governor said.
• The central bank’s key committee also marginally lowered the GDP projection to 6.8% for 2022-23, with the third quarter registering 4.4% growth. 
• The rupee has appreciated by 3.2% in real terms even as several other currencies have dropped. 
• The terminal rate for the U.S. Fed is anyone’s guess, but it cannot be the case that their monetary tightening will continue endlessly. When it stops, the tide will turn, Mr. Das said.
• PMI for Manufacturing and Services also expanded in November. Both manufacturing and Services PMIs in November are among the highest in the world.
• Construction activity is picking up after the monsoon as shown by high growth of steel and cement output, he said.

::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

Patho Detect kit

• PathoDetect™ kit’, by Pune based Mylab, India’s first indigenous TB Detection kit, has receivedapproval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, TB Expert Committee and the ICMR.

Advantages

• Single test can detect tuberculosis and multidrug-resistantce (against Isoniazid and Rifampacin).
• Kit is more automated and reduces the need for high expertise to run the test.
• Kit can be stored at Indian room temperature.
• Low cost and do not require special infrastructure for operations.

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