Daily Current Affairs : 21/1/2019

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. Central Information Commissioner
2. Flamingo Festival
3. Global Economy Watch report
4. Elephantiasis
5. Biodynamic Agriculture
6. Operation Kabaddi

1 . Chief Information Commissioner

Context : RTI activists have termed the appointment of former Law Secretary Suresh Chandra as a Central Information Commissioner on January 1 an “arbitrary process” as he had not applied for the position.

How is Central Information Commission constituted?

• Under the provision of Section-12 of RTI Act 2005 the Central Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette,constitute a body to be known as the Central Information Commission.
• The Central Information Commission shall consist of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and such number of Central Information Commissioners not exceeding 10 as may be deemed necessary.

What is the eligibility criteria and what is the process of appointment of CIC/IC?

• Section 12(3) of the RTI Act 2005 provides as follows.
  (i) The Prime Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee;
  (ii) The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha ; and
  (iii). A Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
• Section 12(5) of the RTI Act 2005 provides that the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology,social service, management, journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
• Section 12(6) of the RTI Act 2005 provides that Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory as the case may be , or hold any other office of profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or pursuing any profession.

What is the term of office and other service conditions of CIC?

• Section 13 of the RTI Act 2005 provides that the Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office and shall not be eligible for reappointment:
• Section 13(5)(a) of the RTI Act 2005 provides that the salaries and allowances payable to and other terms and conditions of service of the Chief Information Commissioner shall be the same as that of the Chief Election Commissioner.

2 . Flamingo Festival

Context : The Flamingo Festival had a flying start on Sunday with tourists, both domestic and foreign, making a beeline for the picturesque Pulicat lake, a safe haven for migratory birds.

About Flamingo Festival

• The Flamingo Festival is organised annually to encourage tourism in Pulicat and Nellapattu

About Pullicat Lake Bird Sanctuary

• Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary is located in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and Protected area in Thiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu state in South India. 
• Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish-water eco-system in India after Chilka lake in Orissa
• The sanctuary is most noted for the many greater flamingos seen here.
• It also attracts many migratory birds and also is a feeding and nesting ground for aquatic and terrestrial birds such as pelicans,storks,etc.

3 . Global Economy Watch report

Context : PwC’s Global Economy Watch report projects real GDP growth of 1.6% for the U.K., 1.7% for France and 7.6% for India in 2019.

About the Report

• PwC’s Global Economy Watch is a short publication that looks at the trends and issues affecting the global economy and details its latest projections for the world’s leading economies.

Details of the Global Economy Watch Report

• India is likely to surpass the United Kingdom in the world’s largest economy rankings in 2019
• PwC’s Global Economy Watch report projects real GDP growth of 1.6 per cent for the UK, 1.7 per cent for France and 7.6 per cent for India in 2019.
• The global economy as a whole is expected to slow in 2019 as G7 countries return to long-run average growth rates

4 . Elephantiasis

Context : Maharashtra is all set to roll out the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended triple-drug therapy for lymphatic filariasis to speed up elimination of the disease. A pilot project was rolled out in Nagpur on Sunday. While Nagpur is one of the six high-prevalence areas, the therapy may be rolled out in other areas in future.

About Elephantiasis

• Elephantiasis, also known as lymphatic filariasis, is a very rare condition that’s spread by mosquitoes.
• The common name is often used because if you have it, your arms and legs can swell and become much bigger than they should be
• Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease.
• According to the WHO, infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes.
• The infection is usually acquired in childhood, causing hidden damage to the lymphatic system.

5 . Biodynamic Agriculture

About Biodynamic Agriculture

• Biodynamic agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture very similar to organic farming, but it includes various esoteric concepts drawn from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925)
• Initially developed in 1924, it was the first of the organic agriculture movements
• It treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated tasks, emphasizing spiritual and mystical perspectives.
• Biodynamics has much in common with other organic approaches – it emphasizes the use of manures and composts and excludes the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants.
• Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include its treatment of animals, crops, and soil as a single system, an emphasis from its beginnings on local production and distribution systems, its use of traditional and development of new local breeds and varieties.
• Some methods use an astrological sowing and planting calendar
• Biodynamic agriculture uses various herbal and mineral additives for compost additives and field sprays; these are prepared using methods that are more akin to sympathetic magic than agronomy, such as burying ground quartz stuffed into the horn of a cow, which are said to harvest “cosmic forces in the soil

6 . Operation Kabaddi

About Operation Kabaddi

• It was to be the largest planned operation by the Indian Army to end cross-LoC infiltration by capturing at least 25 selected Pakistani posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in September 2001. However, owing to some issues it was not carried out.
• The objective of Operation Kabaddi was to change the geography of the LoC with access to tactical points there, which would then help the Army tackle the infiltration of militants by the Pakistani side.