Daily Current Affairs – 4 October 2022

Swedish scientist Svante Paabo won the Nobel Prize in medicine

He get Nobel for his discoveries on human evolution that provided key insights into our immune system and what makes us unique compared with our extinct cousins.

About Nobel Price

The Nobel Prize is among the most eminent awards in the world presented each year for intellectual achievement in six different fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Economic Sciences and Peace.
The winner of the Nobel Prize takes home a gold medal, diploma and 10 million Swedish Kronor.
The prize money comes from the bequest of Alfred Nobel, the creator of the award.

History of Nobel price

Alfred Nobel’s will of 1895 instructs that his fortune must be used as a fund to confer five annual prizes to those people who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.
The prizes established through his will were for five fields– Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace.
The sixth category, Economic Sciences, was not originally listed in Alfred Nobel’s will.
It was established in 1968 by the Bank of Sweden in memory of Alfred Nobel and was first awarded in 1969.
Post the death of Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Foundation was established to carry out the provisions of his will and to administer the funds.
According to the will, three Swedish and one Norwegian institution must award the prizes.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the prizes for Chemistry, Physics and Economic Sciences, the Karolinska Institute confers the prize for physiology or medicine, and the Swedish Academy confers the prize for literature.
The Nobel Peace Prize is conferred by the Norwegian Nobel Committee based in Oslo.

Selection process of Nobel price

The selection process for the Nobel Prizes begins in the preceding year during Autumn and the winners are announced in October and November.
The aforementioned institutions invite thousands of individuals to nominate the names to be considered for the prestigious prize.
Nominations from each category are filed and the proposals must be submitted on or before January 31 of the award year to the Nobel Committees.

Centre tells TV channels and news websites to Remove online betting advertisement

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry advised news websites, OTT platforms and private TV channels to refrain from publishing or broadcasting advertisements of online betting platforms or any surrogate product depicting them.

I&B Ministry Rule regulation of Content broadcasting

Until 2021, it had the powers to regulate content across all sectors — TV channels, newspapers and magazines, movies in theatres and on TV, and the radio — barring the internet.
In February, 2021, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, extended its regulatory powers over internet content too, especially on digital news platforms and Over the Top (” OTT “) platforms.

Government may lift the AFSPA at in 4 States after Naga peace pact

About AFSPA

The British colonial government had on 15^thAugust, 1942, promulgated the Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance to suppress the Quit India movement.
It was the foundation for four ordinances, including one for the “Assam disturbed areas” invoked in 1947 to deal with Partition-induced internal security challenges.
The Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Act, 1958, followed the Assam Disturbed Areas Act of 1955 to deal with the uprising in the Naga Hills and adjoining areas.
The Act was replaced by the AFSPA for wider application. A similar Act specific to Jammu and Kashmir was enacted in 1990.
AFSPA gives sweeping powers to the armed forces.
- For example, it allows them to open fire, even causing death, against any person in contravention to the law or carrying arms and ammunition.
- Also, it gives them powers to arrest individuals without warrants, on the basis of “reasonable suspicion”, and search premises without warrants.
It can be imposed by the Centre or the Governor of a state, on the state or parts of it, after these areas are declared “disturbed’’ under Section 3.
- The Act was amended in 1972 and the powers to declare an area as “disturbed” were conferred concurrently upon the Central government along with the States.
- Currently, the Union Home Ministry issues periodic “disturbed area” notification to extend AFSPA only for Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
- The notification for Manipur and Assam is issued by the State governments.
- Tripura revoked the Act in 2015 and Meghalaya was under AFSPA for 27 years, until it was revoked by the MHA from 1^stApril 2018.

About Naga Peace Talks:

The talks seek to settle disputes that date back to colonial rule.
The Nagas are an ethnic community that comprises several tribes who live in the state of Nagaland and its neighbourhood.
Key demands of Naga groups:Creation of Greater Nagalim, an extension of Nagaland’s borders by including Naga-dominated areas in neighbouring Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and even of Myanmar uniting 1.2 million Nagas.
Assertion of Naga nationalism, gave rise to decades of insurgency that claimed thousands of lives.

What is the Naga peace process

It refers to ongoing talks between the Indian government and Naga insurgent groups, in particular the NSCN(IM), since 1997 with the aim to sign a Naga Peace Accord.
The Naga insurgency, rooted in Naga nationalism, is one of the oldest insurgencies in the country.

What has happened since

In August 2015, the group signed a framework agreement with the Indian government for the Naga Peace Accord.
Both the government and Naga groups successfully concluded talks on the government’s deadline of October 31, 2019, no accord was signed.
In January 2020, the government had IB special director Akshay Mishra step in and continue the engagement.

Election commition announces Seven Assembly bypolls in six States on Nov. 3

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced byelections to seven Assembly seats in six States.
Voting will take place on November 3 and counting on November 6, according to the ECI.
Bypolls will be held in Andheri (East) in Maharashtra, Mokama and Gopalganj in Bihar, Adampur in Haryana, Munugode in Telangana, Gola Gokrannath in Uttar Pradesh and Dhamnagar in Odisha.

About Bypolls elcetion

A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election in Pakistan is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumbent dying or resigning, or when the incumbent becomes ineligible to continue in office (because of a recall election or appointment to a prohibited dual mandate criminal conviction or failure to maintain a minimum attendance), or when an election is invalidated by voting irregularities.
In some cases a vacancy may be filled without a by-election or the office may be left vacant

Railway stations to get revamped with modern amenities

200 number of railway stations across India to be revamped with modern amenities, according to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Minister said that overhead spaces would be created in stations which would have world class facilities including waiting lounges and food courts, besides amusement facilities for children.

As per Government data, 69% houses under PMAY in rural India are owned by women

Over 69% of houses constructed under the Prime Minister’s special housing scheme are either wholly or jointly owned by women in rural areas.
a total of two crore houses had been constructed out of the 2.46 crore houses that were sanctioned. Of this, 69% are owned partly or completely by women.

About the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G):

Launch:To achieve the objective of “Housing for All” by 2022, the erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was restructured to Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) e.f 1^st April, 2016.
Ministry Involved: Ministry of Rural development.
Aim: To provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families, who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses by the end of March 2022.
- To help rural people Below the Poverty Line (BPL) in construction of dwelling units and upgradation of existing unserviceable kutcha houses by providing assistance in the form of a full grant.
Beneficiaries: People belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, disabled persons and minorities.
Selection of Beneficiaries: Through a three stage validation – Socio Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha, and geo-tagging.
Cost Sharing: The cost of unit assistance is shared between Central and State Governments in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and hilly states.

Features:
- The minimum size of the house has been increased to 25 sq.mt (from 20sq.mt) with a hygienic cooking space.
- The unit assistance has been increased from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain and from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 1.30 lakh in hilly states.
- The assistance for construction of toilets shall be leveraged through convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.
- Convergence for piped drinking water, electricity connection, LPG gas connection etc. different Government programmers are also to be attempted.

Sujoy Lal Thaosen has been named as the new DG of CRPF

About CRPF

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is one of the premier Central Armed Police Forces of India (under the Ministry of Home Affairs)for internal security. The other Central Armed Police Forces are as follow: Assam riffle, BSF, CISF, ITBP, NSG, SSB

History of CRPF:

Originally constituted as the Crown Representative Police in 1939, it is one of the oldest Central paramilitary forces.
After Independence, the force was renamed as Central Reserve Police Force by an Act of Parliament on December 28, 1949.

Mission of CRPF

To enable the government to maintain Rule of Law, Public Order and Internal Security effectively and efficiently, to Preserve National Integrity and Promote Social Harmony and Development by upholding supremacy of the Constitution.

Important Role of CRPF

The force played a significant role during the amalgamation of the princely States into the Indian Union. It helped the Union Government in disciplining the rebellious princely States of Junagarh and the small principality of Kathiawar in Gujarat which had declined to join the Indian Union.

Duties performed by the CRPF include:

- Crowd/ Riot control
- Counter Militancy/Insurgency operations
- Dealing with Left wing extremism
- Protection of VIPs and vital installations
- Checking environmental degradation and protection of local Flora and Fauna
- Fighting aggression during War time
- Participating in UN Peacekeeping Mission
- Rescue and Relief operations at the time of Natural Calamities

Anish Dayal Singh has been named as the new DG of ITBP

About ITBP

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is India’s primary border patrol organization for its border with China’s
It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
In September 1996, the Parliament of India enacted the “Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992” to “provide for the constitution and regulation” of the ITBP “for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith”.
The first head of the ITBP, designated Inspector General, was Balbir Singh, a police officer previously belonging to the Intelligence Bureau.
The ITBP, which started with 4 battalions, has, since restructuring in 1978, undergone expansion to a force of 60 Battalions with 15 Sectors and 05 Frontiers as of 2018 with a sanctioned strength of 89,432.
Sharpshooter team of North West Frontier ITBP Leh, Ladakh during a training session.
The ITBP is trained in the Civil Medical Camp, disaster management, and nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.
ITBP personnel have been deployed abroad in UN peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Western Sahara, Sudan, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
Two battalions of ITBP are deputed to National Disaster Response Force.