Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 10 October 2016

:: National ::

Terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba suffered the worst damage in the recent surgical strikes

The Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) suffered the worst damage in the recent surgical strikes on terror launchpads carried out by the Indian Army. Radio intercepts indicate that nearly 20 militants of the banned outfit were killed.
The assessment reports available from the Army’s field units, show that the most damage was inflicted on the LeT at the Dudniyal launchpad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, opposite the Kupwara sector in north Kashmir.
The sources said that five teams chosen from the Army division in the area were tasked with destroying the launch pads of terror groups located at Kail, also known as Kel, and Dudniyal.
In a well-calibrated operation, which started on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, the Army moved across the Line of Control and smashed four launch pads that were under the guard of a Pakistani post 700 metres from the Line of Control.
The sources said the terrorists were not expecting an action by the Indian Army and were taken by surprise. The terrorists, mainly of the LeT, were seen running towards the Pakistani post, and they were killed by the Indian troops, the assessment reports say.
Pakistani Army’s radio intercepts indicated that at least 10 LeT terrorists were killed during the multiple and near-synchronised surgical strikes on four launchpads.
There was heavy movement of Pakistani Army vehicles till the break of dawn, and all the bodies were taken away. As per the radio intercepts, there was a mass burial in the Neelum valley.
A similar blow was dealt to the terror launchpads at Balnoi, opposite Poonch, in which nine LeT militants were killed, the sources said. Two Pakistani soldiers belonging to 8 Northern Light Infantry were also killed.
There were intelligence reports that terrorists were planning to enter India through Kashmir and Jammu. The Army waited for the terrorists to gather at one place before launching the attack.

SC has ordered deletion of words “adult male” the Domestic Violence

In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court has widened the scope of the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion of the words “adult male” from it.
It paved the way for prosecution of women and even non-adults for subjecting a woman relative to violence and harassment.
The apex court has ordered striking down of the two words from Section 2(q) of the Domestic Violence Act, which deals with respondents who can be sued and prosecuted under the Act for harassing a married woman in her matrimonial home.
Apex court said “the microscopic difference between male and female, adult and non-adult, regard being had to the object sought to be achieved by the 2005 Act, is neither real or substantial, nor does it have any rational relation to the object of the legislation.”
The remaining part of the legislation had been kept untouched and would remain operative.

Janani Suraksha Yojana has helped in reducing socioeconomic disparities

A new study brings in first conclusive evidence of the role played by Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) in reducing ‘socioeconomic disparities’ existing in maternal care.
The JSY was launched in 2005 as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to improve maternal and neonatal health by promotion of institutional deliveries.
According to a working paper JSY has led to an enhancement in the utilisation of health services among all groups especially among the poorer and underserved sections in the rural areas, thereby reducing the prevalent disparities in maternal care.”
While previous studies had shown the impact of JSY in reducing maternal mortality, it was not known if it had reduced socioeconomic inequalities — differences in access to maternal care between individual people of higher or lower socioeconomic status.
Three key services of maternal care were used for the analysis: full antenatal care (full ANC), safe delivery, and postnatal care.
There were three major findings. First, the increase in utilisation of all three maternal healthcare services between the two rounds was remarkably higher among illiterate or less educated and poor women.
Secondly, the usage of all three maternal healthcare services by the OBC, Dalit, Adivasis and Muslim women increased between the surveys. The study found that after the implementation of the JSY, “there was generally a narrowing of the gap between the less educated and more educated women and between the poorer and richer women.”
It was found in the survey that women in their early 20s were more likely to avail of all three maternal health care services as compared to their older women.
Also, the incidence of women availing maternal healthcare decreases with the increase in the number of children. High incidence of maternal mortality continue to plague India.
As per the latest Lancet series on maternal health, India accounted for 15 per cent of the total maternal deaths in the world in 2015 — second only to Nigeria — with 45,000 women dying during pregnancy or childbirth.

:: International ::

The Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency

The Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency effective immediately following a week of anti-government violence that resulted in deaths and property damage across the country, especially in the restive Oromia region.
In a televised address, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the state of emergency was declared because there has been “enormous” damage to property.

Five Indian-Americans are among the richest in the U.S.

Five Indian-Americans are among the richest in the U.S., according to a Forbes list of 400 people which has been topped by Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates for the 23rd year in a row.
Symphony Technology founder Romesh Wadhwani; co-founder of Syntel Bharat Neerja Desai; Airline veteran Rakesh Gangwal; entrepreneur John Kapoor; and Silicon Valley angel investor Kavitark Ram Shriram have featured in Forbes ’ ‘The Richest People In America 2016’ list.

:: Business and Economy ::

A new global pollution deal for aviation

A new global pollution deal for aviation is seen providing a long-term boost for carbon markets by generating demand for environmental offset projects that now often sell at rock-bottom prices, according to industry groups and analysts.
The carbon offsetting scheme, the first such industry-wide initiative, will start in 2021 with at least 65 participating countries in its voluntary phases, following the deal's approval by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency.
Carbon credits now sell for 40 cents a tonne, but can rise to $10 a tonne depending on the quality of the carbon-emission reduction project, which can range from efforts to counter deforestation, to more efficient stoves.
Analysts estimate demand will rise closer to the deal's mandatory phase in 2027.

Govt will augment the process of development for 36 waterways

Moving to get its ambitious waterways project under way, the government has said it will augment the process of development for 36 waterways in the first phase and soon float tenders to invite bids for the project.
Draft feasibility reports have been received for 36 waterways.
Parliament had enacted a legislation allowing 106 rivers across the country to be converted into National Waterways in addition to the existing 5 in a bid to boost movement of goods and passengers via rivers and reducing transportation costs.
The minister said the environment-friendly and cost-effective mode of transportation will reduce the logistics costs significantly from as high as 18 per cent in India.