23rd November, 2021 Current Affairs

Sakshi Education

NATIONAL
Personal data Bill adopted by JPC

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on “Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019” met recently under the leadership of MP PP Chaudhary.
Key agenda of the meeting was to consider and adopt the draft report of JPC on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019.
The bill deals with privacy and security of citizen’s personal data.
Members of the JPC have been given the deadline of November 24, to submit their dissent.
JPC held its last meeting on November 12.
Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was drafted following a Supreme Court ruling in August 2017 that declared ‘Right to Privacy’ a fundamental right.

Cabinet had approved the Bill in December 2019.

It aims to provide for protection of privacy of individuals related to their personal data.
It also seeks to specify the flow & usage of personal data and create a relationship of trust between entities and persons processing the personal data.
Bill will also protect the rights of individuals whose personal data are processed.
It will also create a framework for organizational and technical measures to process data.

It will also lay down norms for:

Social media intermediary
Accountability of entities processing personal data
Cross-border transfer
Remedies for unauthorised & harmful processing
To establish a Data Protection Authority of India.

SC dismisses writ petition challenging proposal of land use change in Central Vista

The Supreme Court dismissed a writ petition which challenged the alleged proposal to change the land use of Plot 1 in the Central Vista area from recreational to residential for the new official residences of Vice President and the Prime Minister.
Unless the petitioner is alleging malafides, the court cannot interfere since it is a matter of policy.
The Apex Court also asked the petitioner, how the proposed change is impermissible in law. The petitioner had earlier unsuccessfully challenged the notifications for the Central Vista Project.

INTERNATIONAL
India to not withdraw subsidies for fisheries sector at WTO meet: MoS L Murugan

India has made it clear that it will not succumb to pressures to withdraw subsidies for the fisheries sector at the WTO meet.
The Union Government has devised several schemes to uplift the lives of fishermen in the country. An allocation of 20,000 crore rupees has been earmarked under the Prime Minister's Matsya Sampada Yojana for the benefit of fishing community.
The schemes include the development of fishing harbors, Fish Landing Centres, Group Insurance Schemes for fishermen, Integrated Fisheries Villages, and development of fishing clusters among others.

India, US to revive Trade Policy Forum after 4 years

India and United States have agreed to look after ways of resolving differences on issues like market access and digital trade besides reviving the Trade Policy Forum after four years.
This agreement was made at the start of a two-day visit by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
Negotiators from both countries struggled for more than a year to sign a trade package as India and US spar over different issues like tariffs.
During two-day visit, US Trade representative raised market access restrictions, unpredictable regulations, high tariffs, and restricted digital trade between both the countries.
India and USA have agreed to revive their Trade Policy Forum, after four years. The revived forum will help in expanding bilateral trade that has never live up to its potential. It will help in deepening bilateral trade by establishing regular contact of resolving obstacles.
United States is the second largest trading partner of India, while India is its 9th largest trading partner. Major items of import from India include information technology services, machinery, textiles, gems & diamonds, iron & steel products, chemicals, tea, coffee, and other edible food products.
American items imported by India are fertilizers, aircraft, hardware, computer medical equipment and scrap metal. US is also India’s largest investment partner.

Australia signs submarine deal with U.S., U.K.

Australia signed a submarine deal with new defence alliances, namely United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) on November 22, 2021.
The deal seeks to equip Australian Navy with nuclear-powered submarines.
The deal was signed by Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton with U.S. and British diplomats.
This deal allows the exchange of sensitive “naval nuclear propulsion information” between three countries.
It is the first agreement on technology to be publicly signed
The deal will help Australia to do an 18-month study into submarine procurement. Details of the procurement has not yet decided, including whether Australia will opt for a vessel based on British or U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarines.
With access to the information delivered under the deal, Australia will be positioned to be reliable and responsible stewards of the naval nuclear-powered technology.
Australia, UK and US had announced the formation of a new defence alliance between them, called AUKUS. It was created to confront strategic tensions in the Pacific Ocean, where China-US rivalry is increasing.

US adds four Afghan men to its Designated Global Terrorists list

United States has added four Afghan men to its Designated Global Terrorists list, including Ismatullah Khalozai who was designated as a key financial facilitator for ISIL-Khorasan in Afghanistan. US Treasury Department designated Khalozai, an individual who has acted as a financial facilitator for the Islamic State's Khorasan Province (ISIL-Khorasan), active in Afghanistan.
According to it, three more individuals, Sultan Aziz Azam, Sanaullah Ghafari, Maulawi Rajab, were also added to the Specially Designated Global Terrorists list.
US government alleged that Khalozai was transferring funds to finance ISIL-Khorasan operations from Turkey for a period of two years.

Bulgaria's Rumen Radev wins Presidential re-elections: Exit Polls

Exit Polls in Bulgaria suggest that incumbent Rumen Radev has won the country’s presidential run-off. The partial official result yesterday showed he had won 66.7 percent of the second-round vote over the conservative candidate Anastas Gerdzikov.
The 58-year-old now seems set for a second five-year term in the largely ceremonial post and will be formally reappointed in January.
Sofia University Rector Gerdzhikov, who was backed by the center-right GERB (in Bulgarian GERB - Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria), party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, trailed with just 32 percent - according to exit polls - and has conceded defeat.
Some three percent of the voters have voted against both candidates.

Japan to provide USD 2.6 bn loan for power and metro project in Bangladesh

Bangladesh signed an exchange of note and loan agreement with Japan worth USD 2.66 billion for two development projects in the country.
The agreement was signed in Dhaka by the ambassador of Japan in Bangladesh Ito Naki and Secretary, Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh Fatima Yasin.
The loan will be used to implement the 1200 MW Matarbari Ultra Super critical coal fired power project as the 6th tranche of the ongoing project and the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development project.
The Japanese Development agency JICA is already financing the Dhaka metro project in different phases. JICA will provide USD 1 billion as the second tranche under the ODA loan.
Bangladesh will also get USD 365 million as budgetary support to enhance access to health services to achieve universal health coverage in the country under the COVID 19 crisis response emergency support loan.

Science and Technology
Atal Innovation Mission and Vigyan Prasar announce collaboration between Atal Tinkering Labs and Engage with Science

Atal Innovation Mission, a flagship initiative of Niti Aayog has announced a collaboration with Vigyan Prasar to drive synergies between AIM’s Atal Tinkering Labs and Vigyan Prasar’s unique interactivity platform, Engage with Science. Vigyan Prasar is an autonomous organization of the Department of Science and Technology.
Engage with Science will onboard all ATL-enabled schools and engage their students, teachers and Principals in perennial activities. These activities will lead to accumulation of points based on which certificates and incentives will be provided to motivate students and teachers about STEM content consumption.
With a vision to Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators, Atal Innovation Mission has established over 9,200 Atal Tinkering Laboratories in schools across India.
The main aim of ATL is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds simultaneously inculcating skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, and physical computing.

NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD)

NASA is set to test a “Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) technology” in space, with the aim of speeding up space communications.
The LCRD will be launched on December 4, following a two-year delay.
It will be launched into space by Department of Defence, onboard United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket during Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) mission.
Mission will be launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
It will benefit “Artemis manned Moon-landing mission”, which is scheduled to be executed in 2025.
Laser technology in space will allow 10–100 times more data sent back to Earth, as against radio frequencies. This technology will also prevent overcrowding of radio frequency spectrum. LCRD is significant as NASA and commercial sector are planning several space missions using Artemis as well as Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme and planned Gateway space station.

AWARDS

ABU – UNESCO Peace Media Awards 2021

Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)-UNESCO Peace Media Awards 2021 were presented on November 17, 2021 at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
In the award event, Doordarshan and All India Radio received multiple awards.
Multiple awards showcased the excellence of Prasar Bharati in quality content creation, TV shows and Radio shows, to the world.
Programme ‘DEAFinitely Leading the Way’ of Doordarshan won award under ‘Living Well with Super Diversity’ category.
All India Radio’s programme called ‘Living on the edge – The coastal lives’ won award in ‘Ethical & Sustainable Relationship with Nature’ category.
Awards were given by UNESCO in collaboration with ABU, under an initiative called ‘Together for Peace’ (T4P). This competition was open for TV, Radio and digital platforms.
This award highlight and promote crucial role of ethical & independent journalism and citizens’ media literacy in order to build positive peace in human minds.
Positive peace does not only mean absence of conflicts & war, but striving for equitable & fair societies having sustainable relations with the environment.