0484-3190310 9446331522 9446331522 TPS 18 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS Date: 15-12-2017 Social Sector Sakhi One Stop Centres.. 1 Economy The Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) & Atal Innovation Mission. 2 World Affairs Hamas. 3 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). 3 Environment Energy Conservation Day and Awards and BEE 4 Eco-niwas. 4 Science and Technology Plants that can glow and Bioluminescence.. 5 Security Ajeya Warrior 2017.. 5 Also in news E-Way Bills.. 6 SOCIAL SECTOR SAKHI ONE STOP CENTRES The Minister of Women and Child Development inaugurates a Two Day National Workshop on Role of Sakhi One Stop Centres in Strengthening Multi Sectoral Response to Violence in New Delhi. More about One Stop Centers One Stop Centre (OSC) is a centrally Sponsored Scheme to support women affected by violence. It is a subscheme of Umbrella Scheme for National Mission for Empowerment of women. The scheme is being implemented since 1st April 2015 and it is popularly known as Sakhi. NEO IAS 0484-4030104, 9446331522, 9446334122 9446331522 Page 1
Features These Centres will be established across the country to provide integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces in phased manner. For establishing a Centre, the first preference will be given to set up the center within a hospital /medical facility. In case girls under 18 year of age are referred to the Centre, they will also be served in coordination with authorities/institutions established under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act, 2012. Services Offered Centres will be integrated with a Women Helpline to provide a range of services which are outlined in the table below: o medical aid o police assistance o legal aid/case management o psychosocial counselling o temporary support services o shelter o video conferencing facilities to facilitate court and police procedures ECONOMY THE ATAL TINKERING LAB (ATL) & ATAL INNOVATION MISSION NITI Aayog launches ATL Community Day. As part of the program, 25 young mentors to interact with over 200 students not enrolled in the formal education sector. About the Atal Tinkering Lab Community Drive Initiative It is aimed at maximizing the impact of Atal Tinkering Labs by extending innovation to children in the community who do not have access to formal educational institutions. The purpose of this initiative is to provide these children with the same educational tools as the students in Atal Tinkering Labs to enable them to become problem solvers. The NGOs participating in these interactions include organizations working with disabled children, street and working children, and girls from the weaker sections of society. Atal Tinkering Labs It is one of the Atal Innovation Mission s flagship initiative. Atal Tinkering Labs are dedicated works spaces where students (Class 6th to Class 12th) learn innovation skills and develop ideas that will go on to transform India. The labs are powered to acquaint students with state-of-the-art equipment such as 3D printers, robotics & electronics development tools, IoT & sensors etc. The vision is to Cultivate 1 Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators. The applicant schools would be provided financial support in the form of Grant-in-aid for a maximum period of 5 years. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is Government of India s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Objectives of AIM are NEO IAS 0484-4030104, 9446331522, 9446334122 9446331522 Page 2
o o o to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy. to provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders. to create awareness. o to create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country. AIM s flagship schemes are o establishing Atal Tinkering Labs and Atal Incubation Centers. o providing scaling up support to Established Incubation Centers. o Atal Grand Challenges and Atal Vikas Challenges for finding ultra-low cost solution to India s most intractable problems. WORLD AFFAIRS HAMAS The head of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, called for fresh protests across the world against U.S. President s controversial December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. What is Hamas? It is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-din al-qassam Brigades. It is regarded, either in whole or in part, as a terrorist organization by several countries and international organizations, most notably by Israel, the United States and the European Union. Fatah is another name frequently appear in news with regard to Palestinian conflict. It is a Palestinian nationalist political party and the largest faction of the confederated multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES (MSF) Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has estimated that at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in Myanmar between August 25 and September 24 after violence broke out in Rakhine. More about the organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. It is a non-profit, self-governed organisation founded in Paris, France in 1971. They conduct their own evaluations on the ground to determine people s needs and more than 90 per cent of our overall funding comes from millions of private sources, not governments. Access Campaign to make drugs accessible to the Past year Question (2016 Prelims) Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres), often in the news, is (a) a division of World Health Organization (b) a non-governmental international organization (c) an inter-governmental agency sponsored by European Union (d) a specialized agency of the United Nations Solution: B NEO IAS 0484-4030104, 9446331522, 9446334122 9446331522 Page 3
poor and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) are two major medical programs run by the organization. ENVIRONMENT ENERGY CONSERVATION DAY AND AWARDS AND BEE President of India gives away National Energy Conservation Awards and National Painting Competition Prizes for 2017 on 14 th December Energy Conservation Day. The Energy Conservation Day The Energy Conservation Day is organized on 14th December each year by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under Ministry of Power, with an aim to demonstrate India s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) BEE is set up under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles, within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. It works under Ministry of Power. It performs quasi regulatory role with regard to setting minimum energy performance standards, certification and accreditation of energy auditors, specifying energy conservation building codes etc. Some of the major schemes under BEE are National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), Standard &Labelling (S&L), Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), Agriculture and Municipal Demand Side Management, Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY), Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) and Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT). The National Energy Conservation Awards Programme It recognizes the energy efficiency achievements in 56 sub sectors across industry, establishments and institutions such as thermal power stations, office and BPO buildings, hotels, hospitals, shopping malls, zonal railways, railway workshops and stations, municipalities, State Designated Agencies and manufacturers of BEE Star labeled appliances/equipment and electricity distribution companies. ECO-NIWAS On the occasion of Energy Conservation Day, President unveiled the interactive online portal, ECO-NIWAS. What is ECO-NIWAS? ECO-NIWAS (Energy COnservation New Indian Way for Affordable & Sustainable homes) is an online portal to increase awareness to build sustainable and energy efficient homes in the country. NEO IAS 0484-4030104, 9446331522, 9446334122 9446331522 Page 4
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PLANTS THAT CAN GLOW AND BIOLUMINESCENCE MIT scientists create plants that can glow in the dark. It is achieved by embedding specialised nanoparticles into their leaves. This technology could be used to provide lowintensity indoor lighting, or to transform trees into self powered street lights. More about the research To create the glowing plants, the team turned to luciferase, the enzyme that gives fireflies their glow. Luciferase acts on a molecule called luciferin, causing it to emit light. Another molecule called co enzyme A helps the process along by removing a reaction by product that can inhibit luciferase activity. The team packaged each of these three components into a different type of nanoparticle carrier. To get the particles into plant leaves, the researchers first suspended the particles in a solution and allowed the stomata in plants to absorb it. More important is to know here about the concept of Bioluminescence Bioluminescence It is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Chemical reactions that produce light are called chemiluminescence, and when chemiluminescence occurs inside an organism, the overall process is called bioluminescence. Organisms capable of bioluminescence are most abundant in oceans. Besides, it occurs in some of the fungi, microorganisms including some bioluminescent bacteria and terrestrial invertebrates such as fireflies. All chemical reactions require the presence of a substance called luciferin and the enzyme luciferase. Bioluminescence is rare in true plants; however, scientists had also found a way to artificially create bioluminescent plants by crossing them with bioluminescent bacteria. Otherwise, if plants appear to be bioluminescent, it's most likely because there are bioluminescent bacteria living on them. In some animals, the light is produced by symbiotic organisms such as Vibrio bacteria. SECURITY AJEYA WARRIOR 2017 Joint military exercise Ajeya Warrior 2017 of India and the U.K. concludes in Bikaner. More about Ajeya Warrior It is a fortnight-long exercise, which was aimed at sharing best practices and experiences of the Indian and British armies. It was third joint military exercise between India and UK. The first exercise was conducted in 2013 at Belgaum, Karnataka and second exercise was held in 2015 in UK. NEO IAS 0484-4030104, 9446331522, 9446334122 9446331522 Page 5
ALSO IN NEWS E-WAY BILLS Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister said that Revenue collections from the Goods and Services Tax could pick up over the coming months as provisions such as e way bills for transport of goods kick in. Read More about E-Way Bill on NEO IAS TPS 28 th November Current Affairs. NEO IAS 0484-4030104, 9446331522, 9446334122 9446331522 Page 6