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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 09 February 2021

::NATIONAL::

The FSSAI has amended its rules to put a cap on trans fatty acids (TFAs) in food products just weeks after it tightened the norms for oils and fats.

About:

Food products in which edible oils and fats are used as an ingredient shall not contain industrial trans fatty acids more than 2% by mass of the total oils/fats present in the product, on and from 1st January, 2022.
In December, the FSSAI had capped TFAs in oils and fats to 3% by 2021, and 2% by 2022 from the current levels of 5%.
The 2% cap is considered to be elimination of trans fatty acids, which we will achieve by 2022.

Trans fatty acids:

Trans fatty acids are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid, increase shelf life of food items and for use as an adulterant as they are cheap.
They are present in baked, fried and processed foods as well as adulterated ghee which becomes solid at room temperature.
They are the most harmful form of fats as they clog arteries and cause hypertension, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.
The WHO has called for the elimination of industrially-produced trans fatty acids from the global food supply by 2023.

The NITI Aayog has commissioned a study that seeks to examine the “unintended economic consequences” of judicial decisions that have hindered and stalled big-ticket projects on environmental grounds.

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The document appears to suggest that judgments that negatively impact major infrastructure projects don't adequately consider the economic fallout — in terms of loss of jobs, revenue.
Doing so, it reckons, would contribute to public discourse among policymakers for promoting an “economically responsible approach by judiciary” in its decisions.
The project brief says that it intends to examine five major projects that have been “impacted” by judicial decisions of the Supreme Court or the National Green Tribunal.
It plans to do this by interviewing people who've been affected by the closure of the projects, environmental campaigners, experts and assessing the business impact of closure.
Projects to be analysed include the construction of an airport in Mopa, Goa; cessation of iron ore mining in Goa and, the shutting down of the Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The others are decisions by the NGT involving sand mining and construction activities in the Delhi National Capital Regions.
The study is to be undertaken by the Jaipur-headquartered CUTS (Consumer Unity and Trust Society) Centre for Competition, Investment and Economic Regulation, that also has an international presence.

The US announced plans to reengage with the much-maligned U.N. Human Rights Council that former President Donald Trump withdrew from almost three years ago.

About:

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.
The UNHRC has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis.The headquarters of UNHRC is in Geneva, Switzerland.

Functions:

The UNHRC investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in United Nations member states, and addresses important thematic human rights issues such as freedom of association and assembly, freedom of expression, freedom of belief and religion, women's rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and ethnic minorities.
The UNCHR was established by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNHCR, herein CHR) that had been strongly criticised for allowing countries with poor human rights records to be members.
The UNHRC works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and engages the UN's special procedures.

YudhAbhyas 20, an annual bilateral joint exercise between the Indian Army and US Army.
The Chinook is an American twin-engined, tandem-rotor, heavy-lift helicopter. It is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters.
Indian Air Force had inducted four Chinook heavy-lift choppers in 2019.
The joint military exercise aims to enhance cooperation and interoperability in counter-terrorism operations.
This annual training exercise enhances combined interoperability capabilities through training and cultural exchange, which foster enduring partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region through common defence objectives.

Ministry of Commerce and Industry informed Rajya Sabha about Industrial parks and industries in the country.

Industrial Park Scheme-2002, applicable for any undertaking which develops and operates, or, maintains and operates, an Industrial Park for the period beginning 1st day of April, 1997 and ending 31st day of March, 2006, was notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade on 1st April, 2002.
Data on Industrial Parks that have been established and functional in different States of the country during the last three years is not centrally maintained.
During the last three years, Department for Promotion of Industry and InternalTrade has accorded final approval for setting up of one National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) namely Hyderabad Pharma City NIMZ in Rangareddy district of Telangana.
Setting up of Industrial Park and Industries in different States comes under the purview of the concerned State Government itself.
However, Central Government provides support to the States through its scheme/programmes, once the proposal to develop the parks/clusters/industries in a particular region is received from the concerned State Government.

Three spacecrafts are set to arrive in quick successions on Mars.
The spacecrafts are: United Arab Emirates orbiter Amal, NASA's rover Cosmic caboose, China’s duo (rover & orbiter) Tianwen-1.
This is because they were rocketed away within days of one another last July, during an Earth-to-Mars launch window.
This launch window occurs only every two years.