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BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !
BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.
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Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 13th Jan 2021
Today's Must Read Articles :Insecticide-treated mosquito nets
HEADLINES:
Using insecticide-treated mosquito nets for fishing could lead to collapse of fisheries & health hazards
WHY IN NEWS:
A combinations of insecticides from the nets could also end up in the waterways.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Agriculture
ISSUE:
INSECTICIDE-TREATED MOSQUITO NETS
- However, across sub-Saharan Africa,ITNs are often used as fishing nets as several studies have suggested.
- This behaviour could endanger the health of fisheries as well as humans, according to a recent commentary published in Environmental Health Perspectives.
- The introduction of ITNs in malaria-prone tropical regions has also contributed to the problem of overfishing and has threatened fisheries with collapse.
- This can limit the long-term sustainability of fishing and subsequently lead to decline in fishery health.
IMPACT ON HUMAN BEINGS
- Human toxicity to pyrethroid-based insecticides, commonly used to treat mosquito nets, was traditionally thought to be low.
- Moreover, malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in many areas have developed resistance to the pyrethroid insecticides.
- Thus, scientists have experimented with treating the nets with multiple insecticides.
- Success was reported from the inclusion of a synergist, piperonyl butoxide, which increased mortality in mosquito populations.
- These combinations of insecticides could also end up in the waterways through ITNs that are used as fishing nets.
- The behavior of fishing with ITNs is understandable and perhaps even predictable if seen through the prism of sustainable livelihoods framework.
- An underlying aspect of the sustainable livelihoods framework is that rural livelihoods change as people exploit opportunities to generate income or ensure food security.
IASbhai WINDUP:
LIVELIHOOD AND ITNs
- Although ITNs are intended to be used to reduce malaria and improve health (human capital).
- They are tools (physical capital) and are repurposed to achieve livelihood outcomes such as food security and increased income through fishing.
SOURCES: THE HINDU IE PIB DownToEarth | Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 13th Jan 2020
Green bonds
HEADLINES:
Leg up for green bonds amid record sustainable debt in 2020
WHY IN NEWS:
Sustainable debt worth $732 billion issued globally; $305 billion of that in green bonds
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3 : Bond Markets : Green Bond
ISSUE:
GREEN BOND
- A record $732.1 billion (Rs 53.6 lakh crore) worth sustainable bonds and loans were issued last year, 29 per cent more than in 2019, according to a recent report.
- Green bonds, the oldest of the sustainable debt instruments, rose 13 per cent to set an issuance record of $305.3 billion.
- Social and sustainability bonds grew consistently while green bonds surged later in the year.
- Sustainability bonds grew 81 per cent to $68.7 billion.
- On the other hand, issuance of both sustainability-linked loans and green loans reduced 15 per cent to $119.5 billion and $80.3 billion respectively.
GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE DEBT ANNUAL ISSUANCE, 2013-2020
OBSERVATIONS
- COVID-19-related disruption affected issuance of some sustainable debt instruments in 2020, but spurred others
- Overall growth of almost 30% in the market showed that sustainability continues to rise up on the agenda for investors, businesses and governments.
- This relatively new market is now being seen as a tool global economies can use to build back greener and socially fairer.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The vast majority of issuance of these bonds came from government agencies and supranational bodies that borrowed money for healthcare and relief objectives.
SOURCES: DownToEarth | Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 13th Jan 2020
Kayakalp awards
HEADLINES:
Kayakalp awards
WHY IN NEWS:
Public and Private Health Facilities were felicitated with Kayakalp award for high standards of Sanitation and Hygiene.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1 : Awards
ISSUE:
KAYAKALP AWARDS
- The government had launched a National Initiative ‘Kayakalp’ on 15th May 2015 to ensure hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness in Public Health Facilities in India.
- Under this program one community health centre (CHCs) situated within ODF block receives one-time grant of 10 lakh rupees for undertaking improvement activities, so that the CHC becomes Kayakalp CHC.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The scheme, which saw the participation of 716 District Hospitals and central government institutions in its first year has spread to 26 thousand 172 public health facilities now.
SOURCES: AIR | Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 13th Jan 2020
The Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook 2.0
HEADLINES:
The Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook 2.0
WHY IN NEWS:
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog launched its new edition of Atal Tinkering Lab handbook which reinforces detailed establishment and operational processes of the Atal Tinkering Labs and its journey towards an innovative ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Schemes
ISSUE:
AIM
THE ATAL TINKERING LAB HANDBOOK 2.0
- The handbook named ‘The Atal Tinkering Lab Handbook 2.0’ outlines a practical guidance on structural, selection, establishment and celebration aspects of the AIM’s flagship ATL programme.
- The ATL Handbook encompasses work done by the AIM team in a framework using 4 key pillars of the ATL initiative – Selection, Establishment, Enablement, and Celebration.
FOCUS
- Within a ATL students are free to think and explore, try and fail, even come up with something out of the box.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- ATL is also providing other sections of the community including parents, mentors and other individuals interested in innovation to give life to their ideas.
- Under the ATL scheme, grant-in-aid of up to ` 20,00,000/- (Rupees Twenty Lakhs Only) is provided to schools selected for setting up the ATL.
SOURCES: PIB | Current Affairs News Analysis for UPSC | 13th Jan 2020
DISCOVER MORE : Important Daily Current Affairs for UPSC PRELIMS 2021
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