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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 30 September 2022

::NATIONAL::

Registered medical doctors are exempt from disclosing to the police the identity of minors who have come in for abortion, the Supreme Court directed in a judgment.

About:

A registered medical practitioner (RMP) is obliged under Section 19(1) of the POCSO Act to report to the police when a minor approaches him or her for an abortion.
In many cases minors and their guardians opt to go to an unqualified doctor for abortion rather than risk being involved in criminal proceedings following a report under Section 19(1) of the POCSO Act.
If there is an insistence on the disclosure of the name of the minor in the report under Section 19(1) of POCSO, minors may be less likely to seek out RMPs for safe termination of their pregnancies under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act.
The court said it was necessary to harmonise the provisions of the MTP and POCSO laws to enable minors to approach an RMP for abortion without the fear of getting exposed.
It would also protect the statutory obligation of the RMP to report the offence under the POCSO Act and the rights of privacy and reproductive autonomy of the minor under Article 21 of the Constitution.

According to data highlighted in the report, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions saw the foreign touristarrivals in India dip by 44.5% in 2021.

Key highlights:

The top countries from which foreign tourists arrived in India included the U.S., the U.K., Bangladesh, Canada, Nepal,Afghanistan and Australia.
Number of Indian nationals departing the country saw a rise of 7.3% in 2021.
The UAE was the top destination for Indians in 2021, followed by the U.S., Qatar, Oman and the U.K.
Only 1.64% of all tourists worldwide comes from India.
Domestic tourism in India saw a minor revival with an increase of 11.05%
India’s ranking in the global Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) is 54th in 2021.

Steps taken by government to promote tourism industry

Swadesh Darshan Scheme, a Central Sector scheme launched in 2014-15 for the integrated development of theme-based touristcircuits.

The United States announced $810 million in new funding for Pacific islands at a summit with President Joe Biden amid inroads by China in the strategic but sparsely populated region.

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The White House said $600 million will be in the form of a 10-year package to clean up and develop dirty waters to support the tuna industry, while the United States will also expand climate and development aid and its diplomatic presence.
Biden will also address the first-ever Washington summit of Pacific Island nations, including 12 heads of state or government, in hopes of using a personal touch to reconnect with a region that has been tied closely to the United States since the Second World War.
With the U.S. until now often seen as taking the region for granted, China has asserted itself strongly in recent years through investment, police training and, most controversially, a security pact with the Solomon Islands.
The Biden administration also announced that the United States would recognise Cook Islands and Niue, a self-governing territory whose foreign and defence policies and currency are linked to New Zealand. The step will allow the United States to increase its diplomatic footprint in the Cook Island and Niue, which have fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.

Carl-Gustaf M4

Swedish defence firm Saab announced its plan to set up a manufacturing facility in India for the Carl-Gustaf M4 shoulder-fired weapon system in India.

About:

The Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifle is a man-portable, multi-role weapon system that allows
dismounted soldiers to effectively deal with multiple challenges on the modern battlefield.
Adaptable and flexible, the system is constantly evolving to satisfy future user and market needs.
The M4 weapon system is capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including anti-armour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the “world’s first CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) terminal” at Bhavnagar in Gujarat on September 29.

About:

This is a three-year-old project that is expected to infuse Rs 4,000 crore in developing the existing port infrastructure at Bhavnagar.
Why is the Bhavnagar port important? The Bhavnagar port is in close vicinity to the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) and is expected to serve the industries that set up base in the region. It is already connected to the northern hinterland through a railway line that extends to the existing berths at the port.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful test flightof VSHORADS missile.

About:

VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) designed and developedindigenously by the DRDO.
It can neutralise low altitude aerial threats at short ranges.
It is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor and incorporates miniaturized Reaction ControlSystem (RCS) and integrated avionics.