DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

16^th October 2021

S. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	About AMRUT 2.0	Prelims & Mains
2.	About the UN Human Rights Council	Prelims & Mains
3.	What is ‘One Health Consortium’	Prelims & Mains
4.	Gati Shakti Mission	Prelims & Mains
5.	Kargil War Memorial at Drass	Prelims Specific
6.	About the Wealth Redistribution Council	Prelims Specific

 

1. About AMRUT 2.0:

GS II

Topic : Government Policies:

• Why in the News:
• The Union Cabinet approved the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) until 2025-26.
• This is a step towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat which aims to make cities ‘water safe and self-sufficient’ with a circular water economy.
• Background:
• The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) has been introduced to make life easier for the citizens of 500 cities by providing tap and sewer connections.
• To date, 1,1 crore sewage connections have been connected.
• AMRUT 2.0:
• 100% access to water for all households in urban areas by providing approximately 68 crore tap connections.
• 100% sewerage installation and sanitation in 500 AMRUT cities by donating approximately 64 crore sewers / septage pipes.
• Apply the Round Ecosystems (Making a treasure trove using 3R)
• Promote the conservation and rehabilitation of groundwater bodies.
• Data management management in water management
• Technology Sub-Mission to use the latest global technology and skills.
• ‘Pey Jal Survekshan’: Promoting inter-urban competition.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• What are the features of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 and Amrut 2.0
• Which departments will be involved in its implementation?
• What will be the contribution of the State Government and its obligations
• What parameters will be used to monitor the system?
• Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/real-estate/cabinet-approves-amrut-2-0-and-swachh-bharat-mission-urban-2-0-until-2025-26-7575631.html

2. About the UN Human Rights Council:

GS II

Topic :International Relations:

• Why in News:
• India is being re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the sixth time by a majority.
• In addition, the US has also joined more than three years after Trump’s administration left the UNHRC for what it called a perpetual bias against Israel and a lack of reform.
• About the UNHRC:
• The UNHRC was reconstituted from the previous organization, the UN Commission on Human Rights to help overcome the “lack of loyalty” of the previous organization
• Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.

Composition

• The UNHRC has 47 members working at all times with elections held to fill seats each year, based on regional allocations around the world to ensure local representation.
• Each elected member serves a three-year term.
• Countries are not allowed to stay in the chair for more than two consecutive terms.
• Activities:
• The UNHRC extends non-binding decisions on human rights issues through periodic review of all 193 UN member states called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
• Conducts specialist investigations of criminal offenses in certain countries (Special Procedures).
• Challenges and Need for Change:
• The human rights record of member states such as Saudi Arabia, China and Russia in the council also did not align with the goals and objectives of the UNHRC, which led critics to question its validity.
• Despite the ongoing participation of several western countries in the UNHRC, they continue to maintain skepticism in the understanding of human rights.
• Non-compliance has been a major problem with regard to the functioning of the UNHRC.
• Non-participation of powerful nations like the US.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• About the UNHRC.
• What Is a Global Time Review
• UNHRC headquarters.
• Countries have recently left the UNHRC
• Source; https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-gets-re-elected-to-un-human-rights-council-for-2022-24-term/article36999783.ece

3. What is ‘One Health Consortium’:

GS II

Topic :Health related issues:

• Why in the News:
• The Department of Biotechnology has launched the ‘One Health’ union.
• This is DBT’s first ‘One Health’ project.
• About the project:
• It is brought out to carry out surveillance of key diseases caused by viruses, viruses and zoonotic parasites as well as cross-border diseases in the country.
• The project also looks at the use of existing diagnostic trials and the development of additional methods to monitor and understand the spread of emerging diseases.
• Composition:
• The ‘One Health Consortium’ has 27 organizations led by the DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad.
• The need and importance of the ‘One Health’ approach:
• The Covid-19 epidemic has highlighted the importance of ‘One Health’ principles in the management of infectious diseases, especially efforts to prevent and contain zoonotic diseases worldwide.
• Therefore, there is a need for a holistic approach to understanding human, animal and wildlife health to reduce the damage caused by the coming epidemic.
• What is the concept of One-Health:
• One Health is a collaborative effort of many sectors working locally, nationally and internationally, to achieve the well-being of our people, animals and our environment, as defined by the One Health Initiative Task Force.
• One Health Model supports a variety of disease control measures to control emerging and existing zoonotic threats.
• What are zoonotic diseases:
• The term ‘Zoonosis’ (Pleural: Zoonoses) was coined by Rudolf Virchow in 1880 to put together diseases transmitted by humans and animals.
• The WHO, in 1959, later described Zoonoses as one of the most common diseases and diseases inherent in human and invertebrates.
• Zoonoses can be bacterial, viral, or parasitic, or they may include abnormal substances.
• Concerns:
• As well as being a public health problem, many of the major zoonotic diseases prevent the proper production of food from animals and create barriers to international trade in animal products.
• India’s Framework&Programs:
• India’s vision of ‘One Health’ is rooted in a three-state agreement that includes the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations. Environment Program (UNEP) – an international initiative supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank with the ultimate goal of contributing to ‘One World, One Health’.
• In line with long-term goals, India established the Zonoses State Representative Committee much later in the 1980s.
• This year, funds were approved to establish a ‘Single Health Center’ in Nagpur.
• The Department of Animal Husbandry (DAHD) has launched a number of strategies to reduce the spread of animal diseases since 2015, with a funding pattern in the 60:40 line (Center: State); 90:10 Northeast Country, with 100% Union support.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• One Health Sector under the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well Being.
• Zoonotic vs vector-borne diseases.
• Common One-Health issues.
• Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/govt-launches-one-health-consortium-for-surveillance-of-bacterial-viral-infections/article36998786.ece

4. GS IIIGati Shakti Mission:

Topic :Infrastructure related issues:

• Why in News:
• “PM GatiShakti – National Development Plan” for infrastructure development has been launched.
• It aims to boost multimodal connectivity and drive down logistics costs.
• About PM Gati-Shakti:
• It is a digital platform that connects 16 departments – including highways and highways, railways, shipping, petrol and gas, power, telephone, freight and aircraft.
• It aims to ensure the overall planning and implementation of infrastructure projects.
• Initiatives offered:
• The site will provide 200 layers of geographical data, including existing infrastructure such as roads, highways, railways, and toll plazas, as well as geographical information about forests, rivers and regional boundaries to assist in planning and obtaining permits.
• The site will also allow various government departments to track, in real time and in a single location, the progress of various projects, especially those that affect many sectors and regions.
• Significance:
• The aim is to ensure that “each department now has the visibility of each other’s activities to provide sensitive information while planning and performing tasks in a comprehensive manner.
• In this way, the various departments will be able to prioritize their projects through inter-sectoral collaboration”.
• It will also increase last-mile connections and reduce the cost of ordering with integrated planning and reduce startup traffic.
• Need for:
• Poor infrastructure planning includes newly constructed roads dug by the water department to lay pipes. This has adversely affected road infrastructure and national mobility.
• Also, the cost of asset management in India is about 13-14% of GDP as opposed to 7-8% of GDP in the developed economy. Higher management costs property costs within the economy, and makes it more expensive for retailers to ship goods to consumers.
• Prelims Hot-Link:
• About the Project.
• Key features.
• Source : https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/narendra-modi-pm-gati-shakti-7572192/

5. Kargil War Memorial at Drass:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• The Drass is known as the “Gateway to Ladakh” and is famous for its hiking trails and tourist attractions.
• And it is a very important military point, where Indian Army personnel have to endure high and low temperatures throughout the year to monitor the LoC.
• It is one of the coldest places in the world where temperatures drop below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit [-40 ° C].
• Located between Zoji La pass and the city of Kargil, the average temperature in Drass begins below 20 degrees Celsius in winter and is often referred to as the “coldest region” in India.
• Why News?
• President Ram Nath Kovind celebrated the Dussehra event with Indian Army soldiers in the Kargil’sDrass area.

https://www.firstpost.com/india/president-kovind-lays-wreath-at-kargil-war-memorial-in-drass-celebrates-dussehra-with-troops-10060111.html

6. About the Wealth Redistribution Council:

Prelims Specific Topic:

• The new Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has unveiled the new council.
• Purpose: There will be work to develop strategies to combat wealth inequality and redistribute wealth in households.
• Composition: The panel will consist of a mix of ministers and private sector representatives. At least seven independent members are women.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-japanese-pm-kishida-has-proposed-wealth-redistribution-council-7573882/