Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 18 APRIL 2019
::NATIONAL::
Study finds rising zinc deficiency in crops
- Rising carbon dioxide levels can accelerate zinc deficiency in
crops and thus in human consumption, cautions a new study titled ‘Inadequate
zinc intake in India: past, present and future’ by the Harvard T.H. Chan
School of Public Health.
- The study states that inadequate zinc intake has been rising in
India for decades, causing tens of millions of people to become newly
deficient in it. The study added that the highest rate of inadequate zinc
intake was concentrated mainly in the southern and northeastern States with
rice-dominated diets: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur and
Meghalaya.
- “Rising carbon dioxide levels in the coming decades could
accelerate this trend. National grain fortification programmes, increased
dietary diversity, bio-fortified crops, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions
could all make a difference to slow or reverse the course,” the study noted.
- “Rice is poor in [the presence of] zinc, causing higher rates of
zinc inadequacy in diets that rely heavily upon it. Overall urban
populations, and wealthier urban groups in particular, showed higher rates
of inadequate intake as well, due to a higher proportion of nutrient-poor
fats and sugars in the diet,” the study said.
Inclusion of more states delaying Tiger census report
- The much awaited 2018 tiger census report is likely to be delayed
and will be released only after the formation of a new government at the
Centre, an official said citing “huge data” which is to be analysed.
- The four-yearly report, which gives out the number of big cats
living in the country, was to be released this month, but officials say it
is not expected before June due to addition of states in the survey, intense
methods and delay by states in submitting the data.
- According to Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an
autonomous institution of the Ministry of Environment, the process of
estimating tigers commenced late and it has been an elaborate exercise with
minute details being taken care of so the report is likely to come out in
May end.
- “We are analysing the huge data. It will take time. It’s
definitely not coming out before a new government gets elected. The process
of estimation began six months late this time. So the report is likely to
come out by May end,” Y.V. Jhala, a senior scientist in WII, said.
- A wildlife official from the National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA), a statutory body of the environment ministry, said the delay was on
the part of state governments in submitting their data to the Centre and due
to the increase in the number of states from where the data is being
collected.
- “Number of states have increased this time. Nagaland, Manipur and
Gujarat have been included this time besides the 18 tiger reign states. We
started the process of tiger estimation from our side but submission of data
from different state forest departments took time,” DIG of NTCA NishantVerma
said.
- This is the fourth cycle of the tiger census. The first was
conducted in 2006, second in 2010 and third in 2014. A team of over 44,000
officials is working on the census along with 55 biologists, the WII
scientist said.
- According to the last survey conducted in 2014, the tiger count
was 2,226.
::ECONOMY::
CRISIL approves transfer of rating business to subsidiary
- The board of directors of Crisil has approved the transfer of the
ratings business to a 100% subsidiary of Crisil. This has been done to
comply with the rules laid down by the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI), which state that rating and non-rating businesses of credit
rating agencies have to be segregated.
- “This segregation will have no impact on Crisil’s businesses and
the financial value to Crisil’s shareholders will remain unchanged,” Crisil
said in a statement.
- “The segregation process will be seamless and on completion,
ratings of all financial instruments under respective guidelines of the
financial sector regulators and authorities will move into the wholly owned
subsidiary. During the interim period, the ratings business will continue
uninterrupted,” it added
- Meanwhile, the transfer would be undertaken through a scheme of
arrangement under the Companies Act and will have to be approved by the
stock exchanges and the National Company Law Tribunal.
Jet airways suspends services after banks refuse to give funds
- Jet Airways on Wednesday announced temporary suspension of all its
international and domestic flights, with the last flight operating between
Amritsar and Mumbai.
- In a filing before the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and a statement
to the media, Jet Airways said it was informed by the State Bank of India (SBI),
on behalf of the consortium of Indian lenders, that they were unable to
consider its request for critical interim funding.
- “Since no emergency funding from the lenders or any other source
is forthcoming, the airline will not be able to pay for fuel or other
critical services to keep operations going. Consequently, with immediate
effect, Jet Airways is compelled to cancel all international and domestic
flights. The last flight will operate on Wednesday,” it said.
- Kuldeep Sharma, vice- president, global compliance, and company
secretary, in the filing to BSE, said the decision had been taken after a
painstaking evaluation of all alternatives that were made available to the
company and after receiving guidance and advice from its Board of Directors.
- Jet Airways said it had informed the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation and the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Finance and other relevant
government institutions of this course of action.
- “Over the last several weeks and months, the company has tried
every means possible to seek both interim and long-term funding.
Unfortunately, despite its very best efforts, the airline has been left with
no other choice today but to go ahead with a temporary suspension of flight
operations,” the filing said.
::INTERNATIONAL::
UN cultural experts to support rebuild of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris
- UN cultural experts have offered to help in rebuilding the iconic
structure of the famed Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre Director MechtildRössler who visited
the site yesterday told UN News that the cathedral is a universal symbol and
the centre of France and its devastation has left people across nations
shocked.
- Rössler said that a team of UNESCO experts is on hand to
investigate the stability of the stonework.
- The UNESCO chief said, the Cathedral is part of the World Heritage
site officially known as “Paris, Banks of the Seine”, inscribed on the World
Heritage List, in 1991.'
- The cathedral, where construction began in the 1160s extending for
more than a century, is considered to be the finest example of the French
Gothic style of architecture, with its groundbreaking use of rib vaults and
buttresses, stained glass rosettes and sculpted ornaments.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
NASA astronaut to spend 11 months in Space
- A NASA astronaut will spend nearly a year at the International
Space Station, setting a record for women.
- Station astronaut Christina Koch will remain on board for about 11
months, until February. That approaches but doesn’t quite break Scott
Kelly’s 340-day U.S. record. She knew before launching last month that her
flight might stretch into 2020. She says it’s awesome.
- Another NASA astronaut will also have an extended stay. Andrew
Morgan will launch to the space station this summer for a nine-month
mission, also considerably longer than the usual six months.
- NASA announced the extended assignments this week. Ms. Koch will break
the record of 288 days for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at the
end of December. Retired astronaut Peggy Whitson is the current
record-holder.
- PHF was fined for not sending the national team for the Pro League
matches in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.
