Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 23 July 2018

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 23 July 2018

::NATIONAL::

PSC report on watershed development projects saddening

  • Irrigation projects of the PradhanMantriKrishiSinchaiYojana (PMKSY) and the vital component of that scheme watershed development, is lagging behind badly, according to a Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) report.
  • In its response, the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) had updated that 849 projects in 11 States were completed by October 2017, but admitted that 1,257 projects had not even completed the initial step of preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) at that point, although no new projects were sanctioned after 2015-2016.
  • Terming the pace of development of the scheme as “lethargic”, the Committee urged the DoLR to “go all out on a war footing scale for the expeditious completion of the remaining projects.”
  • Apart from DoLR and NREGA, the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture, including the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries departments, all play a role, and coordination on the ground takes time.

UGC prescribes fixed tenure for college principals

  • College principals across the country could enjoy a minimum fixed tenure of five years, with the University Grants Commission notifying its Regulations 2018 in the gazette. Besides, college principals will now be designated in the rank of professors unlike the rank of associate professors that followed hitherto.
  • A college principal shall be appointed for a period of five years, extendable for another term of five years on the basis of performance assessment by a committee appointed by the (respective) university,” the new regulation said.
  • All universities in the country have been mandated to amend their statutes to give effect to these amendments within six months.
  • Besides, the UGC Regulations formally provide for the post of vice-principal. A senior faculty member can be designated for the post by the governing body of the college for a tenure of two years.
  • In addition to the existing posts of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor, the UGC has decided to prescribe qualifications for appointment to the post of Senior Professor in universities up to 10% of the sanctioned strength of professors in the university through direct recruitment.

High power committee brings in new recommendations in coal block allocations

  • Major changes in the coal block auction system have been suggested by the high-powered committee set up last year to review the current process.
  • The recommendations, submitted this month, rest on four tenets — ensuring transparency and fairness, equity, early development of coal blocks and simplicity of implementation of the recommendations. These suggestions coincide with the opening up of the coal sector for commercial mining.
  • The proposed changes aim at introducing flexibility in the number of bidders, penalties for defaulting on milestones (and revoking bank guarantees), project execution, and relaxation to captive miners to sell some of the coal in the market.
  • The panel has recommended developing a Coal Index for determining the value of blocks and a revenue-sharing model with the States. Currently, the valuation is on the basis of the notified price of Coal India Ltd.
  • If accepted, the changes would mark a major shift in the current system which was put in place after the cancellation of 204 coal-block allocations and introducing a system of auctioning the mineral block.

DBS report says India,Asian economies to overatke U.S by 2030

  • The 10 major economies of Asia, including India, are expected to see robust growth and amount to over $28 trillion in real GDP terms on aggregate, more than the U.S. by 2030, says a DBS report.
  • The Asia-10 include China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Real GDP (2010 constant dollars) terms for the U.S. will amount to $22.33 trillion by 2030.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

U.S secretary seeks waiver of sanctions on certain countries

  • U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has sought waivers from sanctions on some countries making a transition from their military dependence on Russia, asserting that it will allow them to build closer security ties with America and strengthen U.S.’ allies in key regions.
  • U.S defence secretary has been seeking waivers for India from the punitive Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions ACT or CAATSA, under which sanctions kick off on countries that purchase significant military equipment from Russia.
  • Though the act targets Russia, it is having its unintended consequences on India, which is planning to buy five S-400 Triumf air defence systems for around $ 4.5 billion from Russia which U.S. officials say could be considered as a significant military purchase.
  • Responding to a similar question at a separate panel, Senator Mark Warner, who is a strong proponent of the CAATSA, said the lawmakers were looking into it and did not want India to suffer its unintended consequences.

China extends further credit to Srilanka

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered Sri Lanka a fresh grant of two billion yuan ($295 million), as Beijing tries to expand its influence in the island-nation.
  • President MaithripalaSirisena of Sri Lanka, a partner in China’s Belt and Road project, made the announcement on Saturday at a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a Chinese-funded kidney hospital in his home constituency of Polonnaruwa.
  • The grant offer comes at a time when a Chinese firm is facing heavy criticism for allegedly financing the last election campaign of former President MahindaRajapaksa.
  • Mr.Sirisena had at the start of his term suspended most of the Chinese-backed infrastructure projects started under Mr.Rajapaksa over suspected corruption, overpricing and for flouting government procedures.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Radioactive content found in Californian wineyard

  • Ever since a huge earthquake off the coast of Japan sent a tsunami crashing into a nuclear plant in Fukushima, setting off one of the world’s worst nuclear crises, scientists have been uncovering the radioactive legacy of the 2011 disaster.
  • In a new study, the researchers report testing 18 bottles of California rosé and cabernet sauvignon from 2009 onward and finding increased levels of radioactive particles in the wine produced after the Fukushima disaster. In the case of the cabernet, the levels of the radioactive materials doubled.
  • Ingesting cesium-137 can result in an elevated risk for cancer, but the level of radioactive material from Fukushima in food and drink in countries outside Japan has been too low to result in a health hazard, according to the World Health Organisation.

Army to get artillery guns soon

  • From September, the Army will be inducting two types of artillery guns into its arsenal. These will be the first induction of heavy artillery since the Swedish Bofors guns imported in the 1980s.
  • The Army will start taking delivery of the K9 Vajra-T tracked self-propelled artillery guns from South Korea in September and the first regiment of 18 guns is expected to be ready by the third quarter of 2019. At the same time, it will also receive four M777 ultra-light howitzers from the U.S.
  • In April 2017, the Indian engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Hanwa Techwin of South Korea signed a contract to manufacture the K9 Vajra-T guns. The K9 was shortlisted by the Army after extensive trials and the deal is worth about ₹4,500 crore for 100 guns.
  • K9 Vajra-T is a 155-mm, 52-calibre self-propelled artillery gun with a maximum range of 40 km, customised from the original K9 Thunder gun. The fire control system has been customised for desert conditions to the requirements of the Army.

::SPORTS::

AIFF announces player of the year awards

  • Sunil Chhetri has been declared the 2017 Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
  • Woman Footballer of the Year award was given to Kamala Devi.
  • The Committee also recommended a standard draft agreement be circulated to the Clubs that will include all clauses which need to be included as per FIFA regulations.
  • However, the committee observed, Clubs would be allowed to use certain variable clauses as an annexure to be implemented from the 2019-20 season.

2020 Olympic mascots christened

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