Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 18 January 2020

:NATIONAL::

Home ministry says Aadhar mandatory for claiming benefits meant for civilian victims of terror

• Aadhaar will be required for getting benefits under a central government scheme for providing financial assistance to family members of victims of violence perpetrated by terrorists or Naxals, and communal riots.
• In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said, an eligible beneficiary desirous of receiving the benefit under the scheme for assistance to Civilian Victims, Family of Victims of Terrorist, Cross Border Firing and Mine, IED Blasts on Indian Territory' is required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.
• The Ministry said the notification comes into effect in all states and union territories except Assam and Meghalaya, where Aadhaar has not covered all residents.
• Till the time Aadhaar is assigned to the beneficiary, benefit under the scheme will be given on the production of the Aadhaar enrolment identification slip if he or she has enrolled and any one of the designated documents including bank or post office passbook with photo, voter card, PAN card and ration card.
• In case of poor fingerprint quality, IRIS scan or face authentication facility shall be adopted for authentication.

CDS stresses on diplomatic isolation of terror sponsoring countries

• Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Bipin Rawat today stressed on the need to take strong global action against those who are sponsoring terrorism. He said, there is a need to take the bull by its horns and strike at the root cause.
• Speaking at Raisina Dialogue 2020 in New Delhi, he said, there has to be diplomatic isolation of those sponsoring terrorism and any country sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task.
• He said, a country cannot have partners who on the one hand are partnering in global war on terrorism and sponsoring terrorism on the other hand. He added, as long as there are states which sponsor terrorism, there will be terrorism and we will have to live with this menace.
• General Rawat said, there is a need to take hard line approach in dealing with terrorism, the way US adopted after 9/11 declaring global war on terror. He said, blacklisting by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is one of good measures to restrict the terrorism.
• General Rawat said, online radicalisation can be stopped if the right person can be targeted. He said, those who have been radicalised should be de-radicalised.
• On the newly created post CDS, General Rawat said, the Chief of Defence Staff has authority over service chiefs in some areas other than operations.

::ECONOMY::

UN report suggests continued structural reforms to boost growth in India

• A UN report on Friday said continued structural reforms are necessary to boost growth in India, which is currently facing an economic slowdown.
• The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2020 (WESP) report has also lowered GDP growth estimate for India while expressing hope that combination of fiscal stimulus and financial sector reforms will help boost consumption.
• However, the data related to India was revised to 5 per cent for the current fiscal and 5.8-5.9 per cent for the next financial year, Nagesh Kumar, Head, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said.
• According to the UN study, one in five countries will see per capita income stagnate or decline this year, but listed India among few countries where the per capita GDP growth rate could exceed 4 per cent level in 2020.
• As the global economic balance is shifting from the EU, the US and other developed countries towards China, India and other developing countries, global economic decision-making power is shifting as well, it noted.
• The UN report also said that eradicating poverty will increasingly rely on tackling inequality going forward.

Study finds sub optimal utilisation of funds in Indian welfare schemes

• Progress across major development schemes in India, including education, health and nutrition among others, remains constrained due to sub-optimal utilisation of available funds, especially at the district level, according to a recent study by Tata Trust.
• The study by Tata Trust and Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) stressed that India needs to improve utilisation of budgetary resources, across all levels of governance, given the limited fiscal space available to the government.
• "Progress across major development schemes in India, including education, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, agriculture and rural development, livelihood, among others, remains constrained due to sub-optimal utilisation of available funds, especially at the district level," Tata Trust said in a statement.
• According to statement, pressing challenges related to staff shortages, their capacity, transparency and accountability in public financial management, monitoring have not received adequate attention.
• The 2-year study focused on ten social sector schemes including Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan (SSA), Mid-Day Meal (MDM), National Health Mission (NHM), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).

::INTERNATIONAL::

Chinese economy slumps to lowest mark in 3 decades

• China registered 6.1 per cent GDP last year, which is the slowest pace of growth for the country in almost three decades.
• The government today said, sluggish domestic demand and the bruising 18-month trade war with the US has seriously impacted the economy.
• The new GDP data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) comes a day after China and the US signed a long-awaited phase one deal. In 2018, China's economy sank to a 28-year low slowing down to 6.6 per cent, lower than the 6.8-per cent growth registered in 2017.
• After signing the phase one deal, US President Donald Trump said 25 per cent tariff hike on 360 billion US Dollar worth of Chinese products would continue until the phase-2 deal is worked out. China aims to double the per capita income of its urban and rural residents from 2010 levels By 2020.

Afghan archaeological treasures threatened by climate change

• In Afghanistan, the archaeological treasures of Bamiyan province are facing a new and possibly a daunting threat of climate change.
• Nestled in the heart of the Hindu Kush mountains,the Bamiyan valley's spring snow-melts, is putting this historic art and architecture at risk of destruction.
• Afghan officials were warned in a 2016 United Nations report that the structures may collapse and suffer from severe erosion due to conditions directly linked to climate change.
• Director of the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan Philippe Marquis, who has explored and worked in the region for decades, told Media that Afghanistan, is very fragile geologically, especially as vegetation cover has greatly diminished due to deforestation.
• The archaeologist readily admitted that erosion is increasing, but believes the real danger comes from human influence at the site, including looters, who are rampant in Afghanistan.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

High power communication satellite GSAT -30 successfully launched

• India's high power communication satellite GSAT-30 was successfully launched onboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana early today morning.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the GSAT-30 is aimed at providing high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services. The 3,357-kg GSAT-30 derives its heritage from ISRO's earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series, and is equipped with 12 C and 12 Ku band transponders. GSAT-30 will serve as replacement to the aging INSAT-4A spacecraft services with enhanced coverage.
• ISRO said, the satellite will provide Indian mainland and islands coverage in Ku-band and extended coverage in C-band covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia.
• With a mission life of 15 years, GSAT-30 is an operational communication satellite for DTH, television uplink and VSAT services. ISRO said the communication payload of GSAT-30 is specifically designed and optimized to maximize the number of transponders on the spacecraft bus.
• According to the space agency, the spacecraft will be extensively used for supporting VSAT network, television uplinking and teleport services, digital satellite news gathering (DSNG), DTH television services, cellular backhaul connectivity and many such applications.

::SPORTS::

ICC U-19 world cup begins at South Africa

• The ICC Under-19 World Cup Cricket begins in South Africa today. Indian team, under the captaincy of Priyam Garg, will look to defend the title when it begins its campaign against Sri Lanka at the Oval, Bloemfontein, on Sunday.
• India are placed in Group 'A' and will face New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Japan, who will be making their first-ever appearance in any World Cup.
• India is the most successful team in the tournament, having won four titles till date, including the last edition in 2018. After playing Sri Lanka in their first group game, India will face debutant Japan in their next group match on the 21st of this month.
• In their final Group Game, India will face New Zealand on 24th January. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super League stage. The final of the tournament will be played at Oval on the 9th of next month.