DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS
28th October 2021
| S. No. | Topic Name | Prelims/Mains |
| 1. | About the Asian Development Bank | Prelims & Mains |
| 2. | What is the ‘Pegasus Snooping’ Issue | Prelims & Mains |
| 3. | Amendments made to the Registration of Birth and Deaths Act, 1969 | Prelims & Mains |
| 4. | About the Agni 5 Missile | Prelims Specific |
| 5. | What is the ‘Knock every door’ campaign | Prelims Specific |
| 6. | The Integrated Teacher Education Program | Prelims Specific |
- About the Asian Development Bank:
GS II
Topic – International Relations & Health related issues:
- Why in the News:
- The Indian government has applied for a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to purchase up to $ 667 million of the COVID-19 vaccines.
- The Manila-based ADB and the Beijing-based AIIB, where China and India are the largest shareholders, are in the process of processing the loan.
- Background:
- The vaccine will be purchased by the Government of India through a competitive process and the ADB will regulate the procurement process and process it under ADB’s APVAX, or the Asia-Pacific Vaccine Access Facility.
- About ADB:
- It is a Regional Development Bank.
- It was established on 19 December 1966.
- It has headquarters – Manila, Philippines.
- It is an Official Observer of the United Nations.
- Who can be its members:
- The bank welcomes members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, former Asia and the Middle East Economic Commission or ECAFE) and non-regional countries also.
- The ADB now has 68 members, 49 of them from within Asia.
- Voting rights in ADB:
- It is modelled close to the World Bank, and has a voting system based the ‘same weight’ mechanism where votes are distributed proportionally to members’ financial contributions.
- As of 31 December 2019, the five largest ADB shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).
- Roles and responsibilities:
- It contributes to poverty alleviation in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, sustainable environmental growth, and regional integration.
- This is done through investments – in the form of loans, grants and information sharing – in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration programs, helping countries prepare for the impact of climate change or better management of their natural resources, and other areas.
- Prelims Hot-Link:
- About ADB.
- Grants and loans by ADB.
- Its Members.
- Its Voting Process.
- Source – https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-applies-for-adb-aiib-loans-to-procure-667-million-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines/article37196769.ece
- What is the ‘Pegasus Snooping’ Issue:
GS II
Topic – Right to Privacy vs National Security:
- Why in News:
- Emphasizing that state power to act on behalf of national security cannot completely be on the cost of compromising the ‘Right to Privacy’ of citizens, the Supreme Court has appointed a specialist committee of experts headed by former Supreme Court judge R.V. Raveendran to investigate allegations that the Central Government used Israeli software Pegasus to spy on citizens.
- What is the problem:
- Petitioners have complained about the misuse of spyware software ‘Pegasus’ by the Government of India to get hold of their personal information, that directly infringes on the privacy of citizens, which is a fundamental right under article 21 of the Indian Constitution as declared by SC in KS Puttaswamy Case.
- Background:
- Continued use of spyware Pegasus in India which is made by an Israeli company that sells it only to governments around the world, has been confirmed by various non-official reports.
- Also, it is alleged that the Pegasus Software has apparently been updated and now comes with new monitoring capabilities.
- What is Pegasus:
- It is a spyware tool developed by an Israeli company, NSO Group.
- It is used to spy on people through their phones.
- Pegasus works by sending an exploit link, and when the target user clicks on the link, a malicious computer program or a software code is installed on the user’s phone which allows to do the surveillance of the user.
- Once Pegasus is installed, the attacker has full access to the target user’s phone.
- What can Pegasus do:
- Pegasus “can retrieve targeted personal data, including passwords, contacts, calendar events, text messages, and live voice calls from popular mobile messaging apps”.
- The target’s phone camera and microphone can be turned on to capture all activities close to the phone, thus increasing the range of surveillance.
- Prelims Hot-Link:
- About Spyware.
- About Pegasus.
- Differences between Spyware, Malware and Trojans.
- Source – https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-pegaasus-spyware-surveillance-verdict-7592853/
- Amendments made to the Registration of Birth and Deaths Act, 1969:
GS II
Topic – Government Initiatives:
- Why in the News:
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed amendments to the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1969 which will enable it to “keep records of registered births and deaths at the national level”.
- At present, the registration of birth and death is done at the state level by an official appointed by the respective State Government.
- Need for:
- The information may be used to update the Population Register and Electoral Register, as well as to update the citizen’s details in Aadhaar, ration card, passport and driving’s license, thus reducing the chances of multiplicity of data and thereby enhancing its authenticity.
- Proposed amendments:
- It is proposed that the Chief Registrar (which is appointed by the States) keep the unified records at the State level and integrate them with “national level” data, which is maintained by the Registrar General of India (RGI).
- The amendments will mean that the Centre will act as a repository of all the collected data.
- Under the proposed amendments, “Special Sub-Registrars” shall also be appointed in the event of a disaster.
- What are the benefits of birth and death registration:
- A birth certificate is a child’s first right and is the first step in determining who he or she is.
- The following mandatory usage of birth and death certificates has emerged:
- Admission to schools.
- As proof of working age.
- For proof of age in marriage.
- Establish age for registration purposes.
- Establish age for insurance purposes.
- To register with the National People’s Register (NPR).
- Production of compulsory death certificate for the purpose of inheriting property and claiming compensation from insurance companies and other companies.
- Prelims Hot-Link:
- Registrar General of India – Appointments and duties.
- IMR and MMR- current trends.
- About the Agni 5 Missile:
Prelims Specific Topic:
- India has successfully tested the Agni-V nuclear missile.
- Agni-V Intercontinental-range Ballistic Missile (ICBM) was developed by the Défense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
- It weighs around 50,000 kilograms and its length is around 1.75 metre with a diameter of around 2 metres.
- A 1,500-kilogram warhead will also be mounted on three-dimensional oil-powered rocket boosters.
- The missile would be able to travel all over Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa.
- India has already conducted seven missile tests till now, more than 5,000 kilometres wide.
- What is the ‘Knock every door’ campaign:
Prelims Specific Topic:
- The Department of Health plans to launch a “Har Ghar Dastak” (Knock Every Door) campaign in low-vaccinated districts to encourage people to get their covid-19 jab.
- The Integrated Teacher Education Program:
Prelims Specific Topic:
- The Department of Education on Wednesday announced a four-year Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP), which provides two major qualifications that will be required for the employment of school teachers by 2030, according to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- As a pilot project in 2022-23, the program will initially be offered at 50 selected multidisciplinary institutions across the country.
- Admission to the program will be done by the National Testing Agency through the National Common Entrance Test (NET).