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InsightsDailyCurrentAffairs,14December2016
insightsonindia.com/2016/12/14/insightsdailycurrentaffairs14december2016/

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InsightsDailyCurrentAffairs,14December2016

Paper2Topic:Bilateral,regionalandglobalgroupingsandagreementsinvolvingIndiaand/or
affectingIndiasinterests.

IndiaSignsGrantAgreementwiththeIBRD

AnagreementforGlobalEnvironmentFacilityGrantofUSD5.19MillionforAdditionalFinancingforFinancing
EnergyEfficiencyatMSMEsProjectProgrammaticFrameworkforEnergyEfficiencywasrecentlysignedbetween
IndiaandIBRD.

Keyfacts:
Theproposedadditionalfinancing(AF)wouldbeusedtohelpfurtherscaleuptheinitiativestakenupunder
theparentprojectIndia:FinancingEnergyEfficiencyatMSMEProject(FEEMP).
Theadditionalfinancingwillalsocontributetobridgethecurrentgapinunderstandingbetweendifferent
stakeholders,mainlyenergyprofessionals/technologysuppliers,entrepreneurs,banksandfinancial
institutions.

TheprojectwillfocusontappingEnergyEfficiency(EE)benefitsthroughathreeprongedapproachwhichincludes:
Awareness/capacitybuilding.
DirectinterventiontoincreaseEEinvestmentsatMSMElevel,facilitatingactiveinvolvementofservice
providersandFinancialInstitutions.
ExpandingtheEEknowledgebasetoscaleupandreplicatetheprojectinitiatives,especiallythrough
establishingkeyperformanceindicators.

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Background:
TheparentprojectIndia:FinancingEnergyEfficiencyatMSMEProject(FEEMP)becameeffectiveonSeptember
29,2010withanoriginalGEFGrantamountofUS$11.3million.TheDevelopmentObjectiveoftheprojectwasto
increasedemandforenergyefficiencyinvestmentsinselectmicro,smallandmediumenterpriseclustersandto
buildtheircapacitytoaccesscommercialfinance.
TheparentprojectcurrentlyhasaSatisfactoryratingtowardsachievementofProjectDevelopmentObjective
(PDO),andimplementationperformance.
Sources:thehindu.

Paper2Topic:Bilateral,regionalandglobalgroupingsandagreementsinvolvingIndiaand/or
affectingIndiasinterests.

Internationalconferenceonhousing&urbandevelopment

UnionUrbanDevelopmentMinisterMVenkaiahNaidurecentlyinauguratedaninternationalconferenceonhousing
andurbandevelopmentinAsiaPacificregion.

Keyfacts:
ThesixtheditionofAsiaPacificMinisterialConferenceonHousing&UrbanDevelopment(APMCHUD)
seekstoaddressissuesrangingfromcrowdedcitycentrestoperipheralexpansion,metropolitanbased
urbanpopulationgrowth,megacitiesandurbancorridors,amongothers.
Duringtheconference,ministersandseniorofficialsfrom68countriesintheregionwilldeliberateon
challengesofurbanplanningandmanagement.
TheconferencewillcomeoutwithaDelhiDeclarationandimplementationplanforaligningurban
developmentstrategiesofmembercountrieswiththeNewUrbanAgendaadoptedatQuito,Eucadorforthe
next20years.
ThethemeofthedeclarationwillbeonEmergingUrbanFormsPolicyResponsesandGovernment
Structures.

Significanceoftheconference:
TheAPMCHUDisthefirstsuchconferenceafterUNHabitatIIIglobalconferenceonsustainable
developmentheldinQuitothisSeptember.
ItwillhelpinfurtheringthenewurbanagendaadoptedattherecentconferenceofUNHabitatIII.
TheconferenceassumessignificanceconsideringthatAPACregionaccountsfor60%oftheworldpopulation
and55%ofglobalurbanpopulation.
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Sources:pib.

Paper2Topic:WelfareschemesforvulnerablesectionsofthepopulationbytheCentreandStates
andtheperformanceoftheseschemesmechanisms,laws,institutionsandbodiesconstitutedforthe
protectionandbettermentofthesevulnerablesections.

NationalResourceCentreforTribalLivelihoodtobelaunched

UnionMinistryofTribalAffairsincollaborationwithUNDPandNationalScheduledTribesFinanceandDevelopment
Corporation(NSTFDC)isallsettolaunchVanjeevantheNationalResourceCentreforTribalLivelihoodissuesat
Bhubaneswar,Odisha.

AboutVanjeevan:
Vanjeevanwillbeaprogrammetoidentifytheproblemsinlivelihoodissuesinselectdistrictsofsixstateshavinglow
HDIoftribalpeopleinthefirstphase.ThestatesareAssam,Gujarat,MadhyaPradesh,Rajasthan,Odishaand
Telangana.
InthesecondphasetheprogrammewillbeimplementedinthestatesofArunachalPradesh,Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand,Maharashtra,MeghalayaandTripura.
Theprogrammewillfocusontheidentificationoflocalresources,keepinginviewtheexistingskilllevel.
TheprogrammewillfacilitateutilizationoffundsundervariousGovernmentprogrammesfortheabove
purpose.
TheNationalResourceCentrewillserveasaplatformforlivelihoodmapping,skillgapanalysisand
knowledgehubwhereconsolidationofbestlivelihoodandentrepreneurshipmodelswillbeaccessiblefor
tribalentrepreneurshipdevelopment.
Sources:pib.

Paper2Topic:IssuesrelatingtodevelopmentandmanagementofSocialSector/Servicesrelatingto
Health,Education,HumanResources.

Waragainstmalariafarfromover

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AccordingtotherecentlyreleasedWorldMalariareportbytheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO),theglobal
fightagainstmalariaisinurgentneedofmorefunding.

Highlightsofthereport:
Therewere212millionnewcasesofmalariaand4,29,000deathsworldwidein2015.Further,nearly78%of
Plasmodiumvivaxmalariacasesin2015occurredinjustfourcountries:Ethiopia,India,Indonesiaand
Pakistan.
Despitethebillionsofdollarsspentonmalariaprogrammes,toomanypeoplearemissingoutonavailable
resourceslikemedicinesandbednetsthatprotectagainstmosquitoesthatspreadthedisease.
Surveillancesystemscatchfewerthan20%ofcases.ThevastmajoritycasesareinAfrica.About70%of
deathsareinchildrenundertheageoffive.

Background:
WHOhadsetagoalofcuttingmalariacasestonearzerobytheendoflastyear.Itfellfarshort,andnowis
aimingtoreducemalariacasesanddeathsbyatleast90%by2030.
Sources:thehindu.

Paper3Topic:Challengestointernalsecuritythroughcommunicationnetworks,roleofmediaand
socialnetworkingsitesininternalsecuritychallenges,basicsofcybersecuritymoneylaunderingand
itsprevention.

CentretoreviewITActtobolstercybersecurity

Thegovernmentismullingareviewofthemorethan15yearoldInformationTechnology(IT),Acttostrengthen
cybersecurityinfrastructure,followingthepushfordigitalpaymentspostdemonetisation.

Keyfacts:
Aclosedgroup,underITSecretaryArunaSundarajan,hasbeensetuptolookintovariousaspectsoftheAct
inlinewiththechangingtimes.
TheMinistryofElectronicsandIT(MeitY)hasalsosetupaseparatedigitalpaymentsdivisionunderIndian
ComputerEmergencyResponseTeam(CERTIn)itscybersecurityarmtomonitorandstrengthen
cashlesstransactions.
AlldigitalpaymentsagencieshavealsobeenaskedtoreporttoCERTInanyunusualactivitythattheyseeon
theirplatforms.
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WhyreviewofITactisnecessary?
TheITActcameoutin2000.Sincethen,ithasnotbeenreviewed.However,sincewearemovingtowardsadigital
economynow,theactshouldbereviewedtoseeifthereisaneedtorelookattheITActarchitecturetomakeit
moreofadeterrentforcybercriminals.
Besides,Venezuela,whichlikeIndiahaswithdrawnitshighestcurrencynotefromthemarket,hasalsocautioned
NewDelhiaboutcybercrimesthattargetthedigitaleconomy.
Sources:thehindu.

Paper2Topic:Importantaspectsofgovernance,transparencyandaccountability,egovernance
applications,models,successes,limitations,andpotentialcitizenscharters,transparency&
accountabilityandinstitutionalandothermeasures.

Centretofinancedigitaldiscounts

TheCentrehasdecidedtobeartheburdenimposedonpublicsectorfirmsonaccountofthemanydiscountsand
incentivesofferedtopromotedigitalpayments.Publicsectorinsurers,oilmarketingfirmsandotherswillthusnot
takeahitontheirbooksfortheCentrescashlesspush.

Background:
Thegovernmenthasofferedmanydiscountsontransactionchargesandmerchantdiscountratesthataccompany
paymentsusingcardsoronlinelastweek.

Whatsbeingdone?
Anewexpenditureheadintheexchequersaccountsthatwillabsorbthecostsofincentivesprovidedwillbe
created.
Anontaxreceiptportal,bharakosh.gov.in,hasbeendevelopedtoenableuserstomakenontaxpaymentsto
thegovernmentfor237categoriesincludingspectrumcharges,RTIapplicationfees,andpurchaseforms
online,withoutgoingtoeitherabankoragovernmentoffice.
Mobilebankingthroughinteroperableautomatictellermachines(ATM)hasbeenlaunched,81,000ATMsor
12banksarealreadyliveandanother15,000machinesareexpectedtogoliveshortly.
All5.5lakhfairpriceshopsrunbythegovernmentarebeingequippedwithmicroATMs/PoSterminals,which
willenablethemtoundertakedigitalpaymenttransactionsorevenbebankingcorrespondents.
Astandardised,interoperablemultipurpose,multimodalNationalCommonMobilitycardisbeingdeveloped
forsmartcitiesandisreadyfortestingonapilotbasis.
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Wayahead:
Thesemeasuresarebeingputinplacetoenableacashlesstransactionsecosystem.Goingforward,all
governmentorganisations,publicsectorundertakingsandauthoritieshavebeenadvisedtoreviewrulesand
regulationstosupportdigitalpayments,adoptpaymentrelatedsolutionsandabsorbtransactionfeesandactivate
paymentsfacilitythroughthePayGovIndiaiftheyhavesuchafacility.
Sources:thehindu.

FactsforPrelims
EKUVERIN:
SeventheditionofExerciseEKUVERINwillshortlybeheldatKadhdhoo,LaamuAtoll,Maldives.
TheExerciseisa14dayplatoonleveljointmilitaryexercisebetweentheIndianArmy&theMaldivesNational
DefenceForceconductedonayearlybasis.

Theaimoftheexerciseistoconductmilitarytrainingwithemphasisonamphibious&counterinsurgency/
counterterrorismoperationswithaviewtoenhanceinteroperabilitybetweenthetwoarmies.
ThepreviouseditionoftheexercisewasheldinIndiaatTrivandrum,Kerala.
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IndraNavy2016:
INDRANAVYisabilateralmaritimeexercisebetweentheIndianandRussiannaviesandepitomizesthe
strategicrelationshipbetweenthetwocountries.Initiatedin2003,theexercisehasmaturedovertheyears
withincreaseinscope,complexityofoperationsandlevelofparticipation.
The9theditionofexerciseINDRANAVY,anannualbilateralmaritimeexercisebetweenIndianNavyand
RussianNavyhasbegunintheBayofBengal.
TheprimaryaimofexerciseINDRANAVY16istoincreaseinteroperabilityamongstthetwonaviesand
developcommonunderstandingandproceduresformaritimesecurityoperations.
Thescopeoftheexerciseincludeswiderangingprofessionalinteractionsinharborphaseandadiverse
canvasofoperationalactivitiesacrossaspectrumofmaritimeoperationsatsea.
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