Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 16 August 2018

::NATIONAL::

Centre to relax guidelines for NRC for labourers & migrant workers

The Centre is mulling relaxed guidelines for migrant workers and labourers from other States who were not included in the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam that was published on July 30.
As per revised standard operating procedure (SOP) prepared by the Centre that was filed in the Supreme Court a day ago, around 40 lakh applicants not included in the final draft would get time till November 28 to file claims and objections. Earlier the process of claims and objections was to be done from August 30 to September 28.
The Centre informed the court that biometric details of the 40 lakh applicants will be recorded and after the publication of the final NRC legal residents of the country will be given Aadhaar number.
It said that during the course of the hearings by NCR authorities on disposing of claims and objections, the State government in collaboration with UIDAI will undertake the process of biometric enrolment of all the applicants of NRC.
The government, which filed the SOPs to be adopted for disposing of claims and objections with regard to NRC, said that various organisations have made representations that adequate time period of at least three to four months be provided for the purpose of filing the claims and objections.

PM addresses the nation with Jan ArogyaAbhiyan

The healthcare sector has welcomed Prime Minister NarendraModi’s announcement in his Independence Day address that the PradhanMantri Jan ArogyaAbhiyaan, also known as Ayushman Bharat or the National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), will be launched on September 25.
The government-sponsored health insurance scheme will provide free coverage of up to ₹5 lakh a family a year in any government or even empanelled private hospitals all over India. Meant to help the poor and the economically deprived, the scheme will be available for 10.74 crore beneficiary families and about 50 crore Indian citizens.
Healthcare experts said Ayushman Bharat was an attempt to ensure that universal healthcare reached the weaker sections of society and it could raise the ratio of people availing primary and secondary healthcare.
Rana Mehta, partner and leader healthcare, PwC, India, said that besides addressing the challenges of geographic inaccessibility and unaffordability, Ayushman Bharat had the potential of creating a cost-effective digitalised health economy and catapulting India to the league of developed nations.
The healthcare sector has noted that the government should look at mandatory universal health cover for all sections of society which will increase the pool and allow cross-subsidy between the government and the private sector.

::ECONOMY::

Tea exporters to neighbouring countries rise

India shipped larger quantities of tea to two neighbouring countries — China and Pakistan — in the first half of 2018, when overall tea exports increased to 112.1 million kg, from 107.1 million kg in the year earlier period.
According to data with the Tea Board, total earnings between January and June 2018 was ₹2,177.1 crore, against ₹2,091.8 crore a year earlier, although the unit (per kg) price of the commodity was marginally lower both in rupee and dollar terms this year.
Exports dropped to India’s single largest market — Russia, as also the CIS countries — which together imported 28.7 million kg against 31.2 million kg.
The opening up of the Chinese black tea market has thrown up opportunities for India. Exports to China, where India has been planning to take a delegation, rose to 4.4 million kg valued at ₹77.1 crore in the first half, from 3.7 million kg and ₹64.7 crore a year earlier.
SujitPatro, secretary of the Indian Tea Association,, said that the improved exports scenario was linked to the various delegations that Tea Board and ITA had taken to countries such as Iran and Egypt during the year. Quite a few more are lined up over the next two months.

Centre affirms that forex reserves enough to meet volatile rupee

Union Minister ArunJaitley said India has sufficient foreign exchange reserves to mitigate any undue volatile in the currency market. His comment comes a day after the rupee fell sharply to breach the 70-mark against the dollar for the first time.
In a series of tweets, Mr.Jaitley said that the developments were being monitored closely to address any situation that may arise in the context of the “unsettled international environment”.
The rupee on Tuesday fell to a record low of 70.08 against the dollar, mainly, as the sharp fall in the Turkish lira continued to affect all emerging market currencies. “Recent developments relating to Turkey have generated global risk aversion towards emerging market currencies and the strengthening of the dollar,” the Minister tweeted.
“India’s foreign exchange reserves are comfortable by global standards and sufficient to mitigate any undue volatility in the foreign exchange market,” he said.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

U.S urges U.K to move back from Iran deal

The United States urged Britain on Sunday to ditch its support for the Iran nuclear deal and instead join forces with Washington to counter the global threat it says Tehran poses.
U.S. Ambassador to Britain Woody Johnson criticised Tehran for funding “proxy wars and malign activities” instead of investing in its economy. He said Iran needed to make tangible and sustained changes to behave like a normal country. “Until then, America is turning up the pressure and we want the U.K. by our side,” wrote Mr. Johnson in The Sunday Telegraph.
It is time to move on from the flawed 2015 deal. We are asking global Britain to use its considerable diplomatic power and influence and join us as we lead a concerted global effort towards a genuinely comprehensive agreement.
Mr. Burt said the deal was an important part of regional security and that, with the European Union, the government was trying to protect British companies from the U.S. sanctions when dealing with Iran.

Srilankan leaders pays tribute to former Indian PM Vajpayee

Sri Lankan cabinet minister and Leader of the House LakshmanKiriella will attend former Prime Minister AtalBihari Vajpayee's funeral on Friday, as an envoy of Sri Lanka, authorities said.
In a tweet on Thursday, President MaithripalaSirisena said: “Today, we have lost a great humanist and a true friend of Sri Lanka. Former Prime Minister of India AtalBihari Vajpayee was a visionary leader and an ardent defender of democracy. My condolences to his family and millions of his admirers around the world.”
Recalling Mr. Vajpayee’s contributions to bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka, Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam said India-Sri Lanka relations “were blessed” by Mr. Vajpayee's “futuristic policies”.
Shri Vajpayee led India during the transition of global geopolitics and ensured that his country rose in International stature. He also followed proactive policy of reaching out to India’s neighbours in South Asia and South East Asia," Mr.Wickremesinghe said in a statement.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Centre unveils Gaganyan Mission

An Indian astronaut, be it a man or a woman, will go on a space odyssey by 2022 on board ‘Gaganyaan’, Prime Minister NarendraModi said in his Independence Day address.
He said when India celebrates 75th year of Independence in 2022, “and if possible even before, an Indian son or daughter” will undertake a manned space mission on board ‘Gaganyaan’ “carrying the national flag.”
Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first lunar probe. It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in October 2008 and operated until August 2009.
The mission is estimated at ₹9000 crore. Most of the critical technologies and hardware required for the project are ready or have been demonstrated by its centres. ISRO would now stitch them up into a complete project and present a comprehensive project report to get a formal approval of the government, Dr. Sivan said.
Describing it more as a national mission than ISRO’s alone, Dr. Sivan, who is Secretary, Department of Space, said it would be the pride of India. It would raise scientific and technological temper across the country and inspire youngsters.

ISRO unveils its TV channel

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will have an year-long Vikram Sarabhai centenary celebration starting in August 2019 to honour the visionary scientist and its legendary founding father.
In a few months’ time, it plans to roll out a dedicated ISRO TV channel showcasing space applications, developments and science issues, targeting young viewers and people in remote areas in their language.
ISRO’s tributes to Sarabhai start with naming the first Indian moon landing spacecraft of the Chandrayaan-2 mission ‘Vikram’. The mission is planned for early 2019.
Dr. Sivan said 100 lectures by science luminaries would be held across the country and in association with the International Astronautical Federation, the global space networking body. Space clubs, knowledge centres and talk shows are also among the plans.
As it strengthens its public outreach, ISRO will shortly start allowing the public to watch satellite launches from its Sriharikota launch centre. “We are opening our space port to visitors just as NASA (the U.S.’ National Aeronautical and Space Administration) does,” Dr. Sivan said.

::SPORTS::

Leander paes moves out of Asian games

Miffed at not getting a “specialist” men’s doubles partner, veteran tennis star Leander Paes on Thursday pulled out of the 18th Asian Games starting on Saturday.
The 45-year-old Indian, winner of 18 Grand Slams, was asked to team up with struggling singles player SumitNagal after All India Tennis Association (AITA) agreed to pair country’s top doubles players RohanBopanna and DivijSharan in the men’s doubles, on their request.
Paes was already miffed at his exclusion from TOP Scheme but had made himself available for the Asian Games, where he has won eight medals, including five gold.