Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 17 FEBRUARY 2019

::NATIONAL::

President addresses agricultural leadership summit

•  The President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind, graced and addressed the closing ceremony of the Fourth Agri Leadership Summit, organised by the government of Haryana, in Ganaur, Sonipat,today. He also presented the Haryana KisaanRatnaPuraskaar and the Haryana KrishiRatnaPuraskaar.
•  Speaking on the occasion, the President said that, “Three days ago, some of our brave jawans lost their lives in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Along with every Indian, I condemn this heinous crime. The entire country is in mourning with the bereaved families. On behalf of the country, I express gratitude towards our brave soldiers and security personnel.”
•  The President noted that the people and government of Haryana were making efforts for the overall development of the state, including in enhancing ease of doing business and improving social indicators such as the child sex ratio.
•  Adoption of modern, 21st century technologies in agriculture was part of this process. Farmers, the President said, would benefit from such collaborations. He called for locating farming in a wider entrepreneurial context, and linking traditional farming to the agricultural value chain.
•  The President also appreciated that farmers in Haryana, with help from the state government, were adopting new methods to manage stubble and crop residue. He expressed confidence that farmers would help find a solution to the problem of pollution emanating from stubble burning.

Regional conference on DDRS initiative held

•  For the overall empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangajan), a “Regional Conference on Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS”) is being organizedby the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India at Kolkata, West Bengalon 18thFebruary, 2019 (Monday).
•  Under the scheme, every year more than 600 NGOs are provided with financial assistance for running their projects for the rehabilitation of persons with disability such as Special school, pre-school and early intervention, Halfway Homes and Community Based Rehabilitation etc.
•  The NGOs being funded are catering the rehabilitative services to more than 35000 to 40000 beneficiaries every year. Apart from this, the role of State Government is very crucial. The recommendation from the District Social Welfare Officer and State Government is important in release of grant-in-aid to NGOs.
•  The objectives of the Conference are to disseminate the provisions of the revised scheme and to sensitize various stake holders about it. This conference also provides a unique opportunity for interactions amongst all stakeholders. The conference would ensure exchange of cross-sectoral views on the aspects of the efficacy of the scheme as well as the scope of improvements in it.
•  The conference would have a profound impact on the implementation of the Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme for the welfare of the Divyangjan. It will sensitize NGOs about the major changes brought about in the revised scheme and would create awareness among major stakeholders, viz. State Government and District level Officers and NGOs in popularizing the scheme further, thereby promoting the well-being of Divyanjan.

::ECONOMY::

Finance commission not to fully depend on 2011 census

•  The 15th Finance Commission will not alter its approach on solely using the 2011 Census for population figures in its calculations for allocations to States, Chairman N.K. Singh said in an interview.
•  However, he added that other measures would be included that would ensure that States that have performed well by controlling population growth would not be penalised.
•  He said that the recommendations of the Commission, especially to do with the quantum of devolution to the States, will have a bearing on not only the Central Budget but also those presented by the States for the year 2020-21.
•  In general, State finances are in a weaker position than the Centre’s, but we need not be in a celebratory mood regarding the Centre’s finances either. he said. Perhaps for very good reasons, they have kicked the can on the fiscal deficit and debt targets down the road.
•  The Chairman, however, said the Commission had not yet finalised whether it would be altering the previous Commission’s recommendation that 42% of the Centre’s tax revenue be shared with the States.
• Finance minister to highlight interim budget points at RBI meeting
•  Finance Minister ArunJaitley will highlight the key points of the interim Budget, including the fiscal consolidation roadmap in the customary post-budget meeting of the central board of the RBI, scheduled tomorrow.
•  The meeting will take place against the backdrop of a slight deviation from the fiscal deficit target for the current financial year, tax rebate for income up to 5 lakh rupees and income support scheme for 12 crore farmers.
•  In the Interim Budget, the government has projected a fiscal deficit of 3.4 per cent of the GDP for 2019-20, against the earlier target of 3.3 per cent.

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

::INTERNATIONAL::

• India & Iran asks Pakistan to destroy terrorists from its territory
•  India and Iran delivered a stern message to Pakistan when External Affairs Minister SushmaSwaraj made a brief stopover in Tehran yesterday, days after both countries lost soldiers to attacks carried out by terrorists operating from Pakistani soil. MrsSwaraj met Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchchi while enroute to Bulgaria as part of her three-nation tour.
•  In a tweet, MrAraghchi said, Iran and India suffered from two heinous terrorist attacks recently which resulted in big casualties. He said, both leaders agreed on close cooperation to combat terrorism in the region.
•  While India lost 40 CRPF jawans to a terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama on Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards has accused Pakistan's security forces of supporting the perpetrators of a suicide bombing that killed 27 of its troops on Wednesday.
•  Meanwhile, Iran today summoned the Pakistani ambassador to the country over deadly terror attack on their security forces. In a statement, Foreign Ministry said, the Islamic Republic of Iran expects Pakistan government and army to seriously confront the terrorist groups active on its border with Iran
•  Iran's Revolutionary Guards Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari yesterday blamed Pakistan's army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency, saying that sheltering and silence amounts to supporting the perpetrators. He warned if Pakistan government does not take action against these terrorists, Iran will retaliate and Islamabad will bear the consequences.

Iran to develop Chabahar port before U.S sanctions worsen

•  With U.S. sanctions threatening Iran’s main port of Bandar Abbas, the Iranian government is planning to promote the Chabahar port being developed by India in a major conference on February 26, highlighting the potential of the Indian Ocean port beyond India-Afghan trade alone.
•  India is sending an official delegation to the event led by the Shipping Ministry, where about 200 guests from 35 countries have been invited, officials said.
•  The event will also bring into focus a tightrope India must walk, with the U.S. tensions with Iran on one side, in order to achieve the triple aims of trade with Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan and posing a counter to the China-Pakistan developed Gwadar port nearby.
•  The potential for inland trade, according to Mr. Chegeni, goes well beyond the present plan of trade from India-Afghanistan via Chabahar, as he revealed the government’s plans to connect ‘via Turkmenistan to Central Asia, via Turkey to Europe, and via Iraq to Syria and the Mediterranean’ countries. “Once the railroad from Chabahar connects to Zahedan, many more opportunities will open up,” he said.
•  India has committed to building the 500-kilometre $1.6 billion railway from Chabahar to Zahedan, which are both in the Sistan-Baluchistan province, and anMoU worth $2 billion was signed by the Railway Ministry last February during Iran President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to India.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Study reveals Hornbills can adapt to modified habitats

•  Amid a changing environment, with natural homes of birds getting depleted as natural forests make way for plantations and other such modified terrain, comes the good news of how the great Indian hornbill ( Bucerosbicornis ) adapts to such change.
•  A group of researchers from NCBS-TIFR in Bengaluru and Nature Conservation Foundation in Mysuru observed eight hornbill nests, three located in contiguous forests and five located in modified habitats such as coffee plantations. They found that the birds followed similar nesting behaviour but adapted to the changed environment.
•  The team chose to study the great Indian hornbills nesting in the Anamalai hills. For comparison, the researchers located the study in the modified habitat in the Valparai plateau and the contiguous forests in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve and the Vazhachal Reserve forests.
•  Hornbills are secondary cavity nesters and choose cavities formed in large trees for nesting. Also they are monogamous, and the female, after copulation, seals herself in the hole until the initial breeding period of two-four months is over.
•  During this time, the female and the young ones are fed by the male bird, with fruit such as figs and animal matter. So, in principle, along with other threats such as hunting, modified land use, ensuing forest fragmentation, felling of large trees with the potential for nesting, the loss of fruit bearing trees could also affect hornbill nesting habits.

::SPORTS::

Saina clinches national championship,defeatsSindhu

•  In badminton, SainaNehwal won her fourth title at the Yonex-Sunrise 83rd Senior Nationals, defeating P.V.Sindhu convincingly 21-18, 21-15 in Guwahati today.
•  SourabhVerma completed a hat-trick of titles, claiming the men's singles crown after defeating young LakshyaSen in straight games of 21-18, 21-13.
•  Earlier, the pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and ChiragShetty outclassed top seed duo Arjun M.R and ShlokRamachandran in straight games of 21-13, 22-20 to clinch the Men's Doubles title.

Click Here For Today's Current Affairs MCQ's

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