TNPSC Current Affairs February 14, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs February 14, 2020 (14/02/2020)

Topic: Public Awareness and General Administration, Latest Diary of Evvens

Private member’s Bill calls for two-child norm

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Anil Desai has introduced a Private Member’s Bill in the Rajya Sabha that proposes incentives in taxation, education and employment for people who limit their family size to two children.

Key features of the Bill:

The Bill has sought the incorporation of a new provision, Article 47A in Part IV of the Constitution, to withdraw all concessions from people who fail to adhere to the “small-family” norm.

Essentially, the Bill aims to amend the Constitution in order to incentivise limiting families to two children by offering tax concessions, priority in social benefit schemes and school admissions, among other things.

Why we need a legislation on this?

India’s population has already crossed 125 crore is “really frightening”. It has doubled in the last 40 years and that it is expected to unseat China as the world’s most populous nation in the next couple of decades.

Despite the fact that we have framed a National Population Control Policy, we are the second most populous country in the world.

Further, the population explosion will cause “many problems” for our future generations.

Criticisms related to two- child policy:

India is a country with a booming technology industry, one that relies on young people. There is fear that, by restricting the number of children that can be born, there will not be enough educated young people in the next generation to carry on India’s technological revolution.

Critics also argue that the population growth of India will slow down naturally as the country grows richer and becomes more educated.

There are already well-documented problems with China’s one-child policy, namely the gender imbalance resulting from a strong preference for boys and millions of undocumented children who were born to parents that already had their one child. These problems risk being replicated in India with the implementation of their two-child policy.

By interfering with the birth rate, India faces a future with severe negative population growth, a serious problem that most developed countries are trying to reverse. With negative population growth, the number of old people receiving social services is larger than the young tax base that is paying for the social services.

The law related may also be anti-women. Human rights activists argue that, not only does the law discriminate against women right from birth (through abortion or infanticide of female fetuses and babies), but divorce and familial abandonment are at risk of increasing if a man with a large family wants to run for political office.

A legal restriction to two children could force couples to go for sex-selective abortions as there are only two ‘attempts’. A significant proportion of such women, especially those from lower socio-economic strata, would be forced to go for unsafe abortions because of issues of access and affordability. Besides being inhumane, this is bound to create gender imbalances.

Topic: Latest diary of Events

How WHO names a new disease?

On February 11, the World Health Organization officially announced COVID-19 as the name for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

This comes more than 40 days after WHO was alerted by China about a cluster of pneumonia-like cases seen in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province.

Background:

The WHO had to come up the name in line with the 2015 guidelines between the global agency, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

What does the name COVID-19 stand for?

The “CO” in COVID stands corona, while “VI” is for virus and “D” for disease. The number 19 stands for the year 2019 when the outbreak was first identified.

Why was WHO in a hurry to name the disease?

The urgency to assign a name to the disease is to prevent the use of other names that can be “inaccurate or stigmatising”. People outside the scientific community tend to call a new disease by common names. But once the name gets “established in common usage through the Internet and social media, they are difficult to change, even if an inappropriate name is being used.

Therefore, it is important that whoever first reports on a newly identified human disease uses an appropriate name that is scientifically sound and socially acceptable.

Topic: Public Awareness and General Administration, Latest Diary of Events

All medical devices to be treated as ‘drugs’ from April 1

The central government has notified all medical devices as ‘drugs’, effective from April 1, bringing a range of products from instruments to implants to even software intended for medical use in human beings or animals under the purview of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. At present, only 37 medical devices are notified as drugs. The health ministry made some amendments to the Medical Devices Rules, 2017.

Significance and implications of this move:

Apart from expanding the scope of regulation to ensure safety and efficacy, the move may pave the way for regulation of prices under the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO).

It will also make companies, in case of violations, liable to be penalised in a court of law.

Companies will now have to seek approval from the drug controller to manufacture, import and sell any medical device in the country.

Topic: Places in News

Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Centre

4 Indian pilots chosen as candidate-astronauts for Gaganyaan mission began their training at the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC).

The Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC) is a training facility responsible for training cosmonauts for their space missions. It is located in Moscow, Russia.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

World Unani Day – February 11

Every year, on February 11, the birth Anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan is celebrated as World Unani Day. He was an Indian Unani Physician and a social reformer.

The main aim of this day is to spread awareness about Unani medical system, its preventive and curative philosophies. The AYUSH Ministry organized a function to commemorate the day and it was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Topic: Profile of States, General Administration

President’s Colours Awards to INS Shivaji on its 75 years of Service

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the President’s Colours Awards to INS Shivaji. The Indian Naval Station Shivaji has completed 75 years of service. Last year, the award was given to India Naval Academy.

Key facts:

The award was presented to the Indian Naval Station at Lonavala. The station was commissioned as HMIS (Her Majesty’s Indian Ship) in 1945. The Station has rendered 75 years of service to the country by providing training to the personnel from Coast Guard, Indian Navy and also for Naval personnel from other countries.

Topic: Places in News, Latest Diary of Events

Antarctica recorded the hottest temperature of 20.75 degrees Celsius

The World Meteorological Organization announced that for the first time in record Antarctica has recorded its hottest temperature ever, 20.75 Degree Celsius. So far, the highest was 18.3 Degrees Celsius that was recorded in January 1982.

Key facts:

The higher temperatures were influenced by shifts in El Nino and Ocean Currents. According to United Nations scientists, the Antarctic region stores more than 70% of world’s fresh water. If it melts, the sea level will increase by 50 to 60 metres.