Daily Current Affairs for 10th December 2020

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Cabinet okays public WiFi scheme

Paper:

Mains: G.S. II Polity and Governance

Why in news?
In a bid to improve wireless connectivity, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of public WiFi networks across the country. It is an effort to increase ease of doing business and take another step towards Digital India.

Key details

  • The WiFi will be provided through public data offices (PDOs) for which there will be no licence, registration or any other fees, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
  • The public WiFi was being rolled out as part of the Prime Minister WiFi Access Network Interface (PM- WANI).
  • The PDO, to be set up along the lines of public calling office, can be a mom-and-pop store in the area or the common services centre present in various small towns, gram panchayats, and villages in the country. The PDOs can either provide the internet on other own or lease it from other telecom and internet service providers.
  • Though there will be no licence for PDOs, a simple registration system will be put in place for PDO aggregators as well as app providers, which will be approved within seven days of the application being submitted. If the said application is not approved within seven days, it shall be deemed approved by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Prasad said.
  • A central registry, which will contain all the details of all the PDO, the PDO aggregators, and app providers will be maintained by the Centre for Development of Telematic (C-DOT).
  • Like a PCO, the PDO allows users to connect to a public WiFi system for a limited session depending on the internet pack chosen by the user. These internet packages can either by charged on per minute or per hour basis by the PDOs. In 2018, when Trai had floated the test model, it mooted that the users should be able to buy “sachet-sized” internet plans, that varied between Rs 2 and Rs 20, and can be used anytime.
  • It is believed that the proliferation of public Wi-Fi will not only create employment but also enhance disposable incomes in the hands of small and medium entrepreneurs, and boost the country’s GDP.

Emissions hit new record, world on track for 3℃ warming: UN

Paper:

Mains: G.S. III Environment and Ecology

Why in news?

Greenhouse Gas emissions reached a new high last year, putting the world on track for an average temperature rise of 3℃, a UN report showed on Wednesday.

Key details

  • Greenhouse gas emissions hit a new high last year, before COVID-19 slowed the global economy, putting the world on track for an average temperature rise of 3 degrees Celsius, a U.N. report showed Wednesday.
  • If realized, the temperature increase runs hotter than that deemed desirable by the voluntary Paris climate accord
  • The report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) caps a year of notable weather extremes like a high number of named Atlantic storms, rapid ice loss in the Arctic, record heat waves and devastating wildfires from Siberia to Australia to the U.S. West.
  • The annual UNEP “emissions gap” report measures the divide between anticipated emissions and those consistent with limiting the global temperature rise this century as agreed in the 2015 Paris agreement.
  • The voluntary Paris pact that unites major governments, but has included private companies from the sidelines, aims to hold the increase in average global temperatures “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally no more than 1.5C (2.7 F), compared to pre-industrial levels.
  • The report also confirmed that combined emissions of the richest 1% of the global population account for more than twice the combined emissions of the poorest 50%.
  • Total 2019 emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) hit a new record of 59.1 gigatonnes.
  • An increase of 3℃ in global temperatures could cause catastrophic weather related events around the world, the way to avoid it is to encourage a green recovery.
  • A Green Recovery involves investment in zero-emissions tech and infrastructure, reducing fossil fuel subsidies, stopping new coal plants, and promoting nature based solutions. Such actions could cut 25% of predicted emissions by 2030, and gives the planet a 66% chance of keeping warming below the 2℃ mark.

A people’s Parliament

Paper:

Mains: G.S. II Parliament

Why in news?

The 75th year of India’s independence, in 2022, will be a milestone in the country’s democratic governance. To mark this occasion, a People’s Parliament is being built for the first time in the country’s history. The new building will stand out as an institution created by 130 crore citizens, cementing India’s place as one of the biggest and renowned democracies in the world.

Key details

  • This building is being developed in the heart of the National Capital which will showcase the evolution of Indian democracy – uniquely shaped by its citizens – and reflect the aspirations of New India.
  • India’s Parliament is a magnificent manifestation of the country’s democratic ethos. As the national legislature and repository of the constituent powers of the Union, it houses the representatives of the people, occupies a central position in our democratic polity and is a temple of faith for the people of India.
  • The question for a Parliament building for India was first raised in the British Parliament in 1912 — there were enquiries about a building to house the Legislative Council in Delhi. This was envisioned as a hall in the Governor General’s official residential complex.
  • However, the Government of India Act, 1919, institutionalised a bicameral legislature. This created the need for a building to accommodate the new Houses of the Imperial Legislative Council. The Complex, inaugurated in 1927, had three halls — the Chamber of Princes, State Council and Central Legislative Assembly, known as Library Hall, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively in the post-Independence era. 
  • The present Parliament House signifies an imperial provenance, from where India has progressed in more than seven decades of successful citizen-led democracy.
  • The new Parliament is an intrinsic part of the vision for New India@75 and will host the Winter Session to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence in 2022.
  • The Parliament Complex, comprising the current Parliament House and a new triangular shaped building, will form an ensemble enabling effective and efficient running of the legislature. The building’s design and interiors will capture Indian values and the rich diversity of our regional arts, crafts, textiles, architecture and culture.
  • The new building will be a state-of-art structure, it will be energy efficient and accessible to all and has been designed to house a Lok Sabha three times the size of the current House. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Halls will have high quality acoustics and audio-visual facilities, improved and comfortable seating arrangements, effective and inclusive emergency evacuation provisions, with high-level security for the members. The building is designed for ease of maintenance and operations.
  • By 2024, there will be a chamber for every MP. Seamless access between the current and new Parliament buildings, the Chamber for Members, the Parliament Annexe and Library buildings will form a legislative enclave, which will stand as an iconic and modern colosseum of democracy. It will cater to the future demands of New India, while preserving the iconic heritage of the Central Vista.
  • As India aspires to become $5 trillion economy by 2024, and scale that up to $10 trillion by 2030, the new Parliament building and development/redevelopment of the Central Vista will serve as a project for national integration, instilling a sense of national pride amongst her citizens and ensuring that each one of us contributes towards the national goal of meeting the aspirations of New India.

Indus Valley diet had dominance of meat, finds study

Paper:

Mains: G.S. I History of India 

Why in news?

A new study has found the presence of animal products, including cattle and buffalo meat, in ceramic vessels dating back about 4,600 years at seven Indus Valley Civilisation sites in present day Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Key details

  • The study, titled “Lipid residues in pottery from the Indus Civilisation in northwest India”, looks at the food habit of the people of that era on the basis of lipid residue analysis found in pottery from Harappan sites in Haryana.
  • It finds dominance of animal products such as meat of pigs, cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat, as well as dairy products, used in ancient ceramic vessels from rural and urban settlements of Indus Valley civilisation in northwest India – in present-day Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Out of domestic animals, cattle/buffalo are the most abundant, averaging between 50% and 60% of the animal bones found, with sheep/goat accounting for 10% animal remains. The high proportions of cattle bones may suggest a cultural preference for beef consumption across Indus populations, supplemented by consumption of mutton/lamb.
  • It says that at Harappa, 90% of the cattle were kept alive until they were three or three-and-a-half years, suggesting that females were used for dairying production, whereas male animals were used for traction.
  • Indus Valley civilisation was spread across large parts of modern Pakistan, northwest and western India and Afghanistan.

China ties hit like never before

Paper:

Mains: G.S. II International Relations

Why in news?

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday China had given India five differing explanations for deploying large forces at the LAC.

Key details

  • Violation of bilateral pacts had very significantly damaged the relationship that is now at its most difficult phase in the last 30-40 years.
  • Minister affirmed that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC is the basis for the rest of the relationship to progress.
  • You can’t have the kind of situation you have on the border and say let’s carry on with life in all other sectors of activity. It is just unrealistic.
  • Jaishankar further said, we have this problem because from 1988, our relationship had hiccups, we had our issues and differences but the direction of the ties were broadly positive.
  • He said, multiple agreements between the two sides were inked from 1993 with a commitment that both parties would not bring large forces to border areas. Now for some reason, for which the Chinese have to date given us five differing explanations.
  • The Minister affirmed and said clearly that Chinese have literally brought tens of thousands of soldiers in full military preparation mode right to the LAC in Ladakh.
  • Galwan valley incident had completely changed the national sentiments.
  • We have multiple layers of communication, communication is not the issue, the issue is the fact that we have agreements and those agreements are not being observed.

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