Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 02 DECEMBER 2019
::NATIONAL::
Parliament to discuss on crimes against women
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the government is
ready for a discussion in LokSabha on the issue of crime against women and
willing to explore stringent provisions in laws to check incidents like the
Hyderabad rape and murder case.
- Responding to a discussion during Zero Hour in the wake of the
rape and murder of a veterinarian in Hyderabad, Singh said he was falling
short of words to condemn the heinous crime.
- As soon as the House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla said he
would allow members to raise the "serious issue" in Zero Hour.
- Uttam Kumar Reddy (Cong) raised the issue of the rape and murder
of the 26-year-old veterinarian and slammed the Telangana Home Minister for
his purported "insensitive" remarks.
- He also slammed the state police for initially delaying to lodge a
case.T R Baalu (DMK) raised the issue of sexual assault of a school girl in
Coimbatore.Saugat Roy (TMC) said rape convicts should be hanged.
Nationwide vaccination to be conducted under Mission Indradhanush 2.0
- Centre is launching nationwide vaccination drive to prevent eight
diseases under Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 across the country
today.
- The government's flagship scheme is aimed at immunizing children
under the age of 2 years and pregnant women against eight vaccine
preventable diseases.
- The IMI covers vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus,
poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B. Vaccines
for Japanese encephalitis and hemophilus influenza are also being provided
in selected areas.
- The IMI 2.0 aims to achieve targets of full immunization coverage
in 272 districts spread over 27 States. The IMI 2.0 will be carried out
between December 2019 and March 2020.
- The campaign will be carried out in 260 development blocks of 43
districts of the state including the capital Bhopal and Indore. In addition
, the mission will be running in four-phases in state. Children will be
vaccinated under the National Mission Indradhanush in the months in January
, February and March next year.
::ECONOMY::
Steel imports have increased over a period of 5 years ,claims govt.
- Government today said import of steel has increased during the
last few years.
- Replying to questions in the LokSabha, Steel Minister
DharmendraPradhan, however, said domestic production has consistently
increased regardless of such imports. Mr Pradhan said, in the current year,
country is a net exporter.
- He said, to counter import of cheap steel, anti-dumping duties
have been imposed on various grades of steel which were dumped into the
country.
- Mr Pradhan further said, import of steel grades which are not
manufactured in adequate quantity in the country is essential for supporting
manufacturing sector.
- The Minister informed the House that the total number of steel
plants in the country is 977. He said, work is currently going on in NMDC
steel plant in Nagarnar, Chattisgarh, which is a Greenfield project.
Centre plans listing of single-use plastics
- The Centre is likely to identify as many as eight articles as
‘single-use plastic’ items that will be discontinued on a priority basis,
including plastic cutlery, plastic bags and certain Styrofoam items.
- Defining single-use plastic is the first step in the direction of
doing away with such products in India by 2022, as called for by Prime
Minister NarendraModi during his Independence Day address.
- While many states have banned plastic, there are wide variations
in implementation and the range of products covered.After consulting
stakeholders, the environment ministry is close to announcing a clear and
uniform definition of single-use plastic.
- The ministry wrote to the states in September asking them to curb
production of plastic bags, irrespective of thickness and size, and
Styrofoam (thermocol) cutlery and to encourage manufacturers and consumers
to shift to other environmentally friendly material.
::INTERNATIONAL::
India –Sweden to expand cooperation at delegation level talks
- Prime Minister NarendraModi held delegation level talks with King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at Hyderabad House in New Delhi today.
- The meeting is aimed at giving a boost to bilateral co-operation
in various sectors. Several agreements are expected to be signed between the
two countries.
- King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia arrived on a state visit to
India this morning at the invitation of President Ram NathKovind. They were
given a ceremonial welcome at RashtrapatiBhawan. This is His Majesty’s third
visit to India. The King will meet President Ram NathKovind this evening.
UN chief urges to improve efforts to counter climate change
- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that
the world's efforts to stop climate change have been utterly inadequate so
far.
- There is a danger global warming could pass the point of no
return. He was speaking before the start of a International Climate
Conference in Madrid scheduled for today.
- The U.N. Chief noted that the world has the scientific knowledge
and the technical means to limit global warming, but the political will is
lacking.
- Mr Guterres said, he hoped the meeting in Madrid would see
governments make more ambitious pledges ahead of a deadline to do so next
year.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
Govt. considering satellite mechanisms to monitor forestation
- A satellite-based mechanism to monitor areas under green cover and
the growth of saplings planted there is being developed by the government,
Union Environment Minister PrakashJavadekar said on Saturday. The
Environment minister said some states have made significant achievements in
nurturing planted saplings to their full growth.
- The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning
Authority (CAMPA) funds to the tune of Rs 47,000 crore will be utilised for
greening India, he said after a meeting with the forest ministers and
officials of various states.
- The minister said "very positive discussions" on issues like the
use of CAMPA fund for forestation, water conservation, fodder augmentation
and moisture management in the forests, besides the eradication of Lantana
weed were held in the meeting.
- In August this year, the Environment minister handed over Rs
47,436 crore of CAMPA funds to various states for the promotion of
afforestation and achieving green objective of the country.
::SPORTS::
Gurpreetsingh and Sunil Kumar wins national wrestling championships
- In wrestling, Asian Championships silver medallists Gurpreet Singh
and Sunil Kumar clinched gold medals on the final day of the senior national
championships in Jalandhar yesterday.
- Gurpreet defeated two-time world junior championships medallist
SajanBhanwal, who was representing the Railways, by a 3-1 margin, in the 77
kilogram categor. This was Punjab grappler's fourth senior national title.
- Sunil also managed an easy win over Punjab's Prabhal. The
Railway's grappler used all his experience to crush the Punjab wrestler 5-1
in the 87 kg final.In the 55 kg category, Arjun, representing Services, won
against Ajay by technical superiority.
