(FREE) UPSC Current Affairs 2024 PDF

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 19 December 2020

::NATIONAL::

Jharkhand government has launched the Centrally Sponsored Scheme CCPW. The scheme is co funded by theMinistry of Home Affairs.
It aims to protect women and children from growing cybercrimes.

Key components of the CCPWC include:

Union Health Minister underlined the importance of multi stakeholder coordination, prevention, and patient-centric quality care inmaking giant strides towards a “TB Free India”.
He said that focus is being directed to Airborne Infection Control in Hospital wards and Out-patient waiting areas.
The TB Program already has provisions of chemoprophylaxis against TB disease in pediatric contacts of TB patients and shall soon be expanding TB preventive treatment for the adult contacts of TB patients.

About:

Its aims and objectives are:

The prevention, control, treatment and relief of tuberculosis.
The encouragement of and assistance in the establishment throughout India of State Associations having objectives similar in whole or in part to those of the Association.
The affiliation or control of and the rendering of assistance to any institution having objectives similar in whole or in part to the objects of the Association.
The undertaking of the Research and Investigation on subjects concerning tuberculosis and allied chest diseases.
The doing of all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objectives.

A global ranking of personal, civil and economic freedom released on Thursday placed India at 111 out of 162 countries.
The Human Freedom Index 2020, which uses data from 2008 to 2018, by the Cato Institute in the United States and Fraser Institute in Canada, noted a decrease in personal freedoms since 2008 globally.
The index covered 76 indicators of personal, civic and economic freedom.
India was ranked 110 in terms of personal freedom and 105 on economic freedom, with an overall score of 6.43 out of 10.
New Zealand was ranked one in the index, followed by Switzerland and Hong Kong. “Given the Chinese Communist Party’s unprecedented intervention in Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020, the authors expect the territory’s freedom score to decline notably in future editions of the index. The three least-free countries in descending order are Venezuela, Sudan, and Syria,” the statement said.
The index put China at 129 rank, Bangladesh at 139 and Pakistan at 140.

Key highlights:

Building sector emitted more than a third of global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2019.
CO2 emissions increased due to a high proportion of fossil fuels used for power generation, combined withhigher activity levels in regions where electricity remains carbon-intensive.
In India, Energy Conservation Building Code caters to commercial buildings.
In 2018, a separate energy codefor residential buildings, Eco-Niwas Samhita, was launched.

The government has invited public comments for introducing adoption of E20 fuel to promote green fuel like ethanol.
Adoption of E20 fuel means blending of 20 per cent of ethanol with gasoline as an automotive fuel.
The notification facilitates the development of E20 compliant vehicles.
It will also help in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, etc.
The move will help reduce the oil import bill, thereby saving foreign exchange and boosting energy security.

Union Defence Minister handed over three indigenously developed Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) systems to Army, Navy and Air Force at a function held in DRDO Bhawan.

About:

Rajnath Singh handed over the Indian Maritime Situational Awareness System (IMSAS) to the Chief of Naval Staff, ASTRA Mk-I Missile to Air Chief Marshal and Border Surveillance System (BOSS) to the Chief of Army Staff.
BOSS is an all-weather electronic surveillance system successfully designed and developed by Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun. The system facilitates monitoring and surveillance by automatically detecting the intrusions in harsh high-altitude sub-zero temperature areas with remote operation capability.
The IMSAS is high performance intelligent software system that provide Global Maritime Situational Picture, Marine planning tools and Analytical capabilities to Indian Navy. Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), Bengaluru and Indian Navy has jointly conceptualised and developed the product and the BEL, Bengaluru has implemented it.
The ASTRA Mk-I is the indigenously developed first Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, which can be launched from Sukhoi-30, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Mig-29 and Mig-29K. it was developed by Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) Hyderabad.

Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as acompetitive sport.
It will ensure new technologies and new strategies being inducted into the disciplines to benefit athletesand officials.
It will encourage yoga, spread awareness about its benefits and to help improve physical and mental wellbeingof the people.
Yogasana is an integral and important component of Yoga.
Proposed events include Traditional Yogasana, Artistic Yogasana (Single), Artistic Yogasana (Pair), RhythmicYogasana (Pair) etc.