Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 02 July 2014

Most unnatural deaths caused by road accidents, suicides

Road accidents are the biggest non-disease killers of men in the country and suicides the biggest killers of women, shows an analysis of National Crime Records Bureau data for 2013.
The NCRB data is a compilation of all deaths reported to the police in that year. The vast majority of deaths in the country, however, are on account of diseases, which the NCRB does not count. Of the 95 lakh annual deaths in the country in 2013, only 5.7 lakh people died of unnatural reasons such as murder, natural disaster, accident and suicide.
Road accidents killed over 1.17 lakh men in 2013, more than the number killed by the next two biggest causes of unnatural deaths — suicide and murder — put together. Train accidents and drowning round off the top five causes of unnatural deaths for men.
For women, however, suicides are the biggest cause of unnatural deaths, killing over 44,000 annually. Last year, an international study led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation found that suicide had become the leading cause of death in women aged 15-49 in India, ahead of maternal disorders related to child birth, the historic big killer of women in developing countries.
Road accidents come next killing over 20,000 women annually, followed by fire, poisoning and murder.Accidents are a major cause of death among younger adults, but for those 60 and above, non-communicable diseases are the biggest cause of deaths. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu account for a third of all road accidents. “Family problems” are the biggest official cause of suicides for both men and women.

Indians in Mosul used for forced labour

Indian construction workers trapped in Mosul have been press-ganged to build earthworks and defensive fortifications by Islamist insurgents holding the city.There is no sign that ISIS intends to use the workers as hostages and there has been no demand for a ransom either. Food and fuel are running short in Mosul, so the workers are probably facing considerable hardship.
The families of the 39 Indians trapped in Mosul, many of whom were in contact with their loved ones until a fortnight ago, said ISIS had promised the men safety and even offered to help secure back wages from their employer, a Dubai-based construction firm.
ISIS has executed Iraqi military officials and killed large numbers of Shia and Christian Iraqis, but there have been no reports so far of threats to the hundreds of foreign workers trapped in territories it controls.

Japan’s defence policy shift slammed

China has slammed the move by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government to reinterpret the country’s Pacifist Constitution to enable a wider role for the Japanese military overseas, terming the decision “a brutal violation” of the spirit of the post-Second World War Constitution.
Mr. Abe’s Cabinet approved a reinterpretation of the post-war imposed Pacifist Constitution that severely limited the use of the Japanese military, even when on overseas peacekeeping missions. The reinterpretation now allows for “collective self-defence” that would permit Japan to come to the aid of its allies overseas.
That the move came amid the most heightened tensions between China and Japan in many years over disputed East China Sea islands and questions over war-time history has prompted analysts in Beijing to see the reinterpretation as being directed at China.
“The new policy raises doubts about Japan’s approach to peaceful development. We urge Japan to sincerely respect the rightful concerns of neighbouring Asian countries, diligently solve any related issues, and not affect China’s rights and the stability of the region,Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.

Central govt. extends validity of industrial licences

The Modi Government, announced its first step towards greater ease of doing business by addressing the industry’s demand on the simplification of the process for the extensions of industrial licences.
In a new Press Note, the government extended the period of validity of industrial licences from two years to three years and relaxed the requirement for companies to have to go back to the Licensing Committee for the extensions. The extensions will now be done with the approval of the Joint Secretary concerned of the administrative ministry.
The new guidelines will apply to those cases where even three years after the issue of the industrial licence, the licence holder has not commenced production. The renewals would be allowed for a period of two years.
The Press Note also clarified the preconditions for the extensions. These include: Land should have been acquired, either under ownership or on lease for a minimum period of 30 years and the orders for plant and machinery for the project should have been placed. Certificates from an appropriate local body such as the Municipal Corporation stating construction on the project has commenced will also be required.