World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
Why in news?
- The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned Russia from international sporting events for 4 years, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, after accusing Russia of falsifying data from an anti-doping laboratory.
Key highlights:
- The ruling means Russian athletes will still be allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics as neutrals, but only if they can demonstrate that they were not part of what WADA believes was a state-sponsored system of doping.
- Participants will have to prove that they were not involved in the doping schemes as described by the McLaren report, or they did not have their samples affected by the manipulation.
- In 2016, Professor Richard McLaren, an independent investigator working on behalf of WADA published a report showing that more than 1,000 Russians athletes in over 30 sports were involved in or benefited from state-sponsored doping between 2011 and 2015.
India up one rank in UN development index
Why in news?
- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released the 2019 Human Development Report (HDR), entitled “Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: inequalities in human development in the 21st Century”.
Human Development Index (HDI):
- The HDI measures average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development — life expectancy, education and per capita income.
- India ranks 129 out of 189 countries on the 2019 HDI — up one slot from the 130th position last year. India’s HDI value increased by 50% (from 0.431 to 0.647), which places it above the average for other South Asian countries (0.642).
- Norway, Switzerland and Ireland occupied the top three positions in that order. Germany is placed fourth along with Hong Kong, and Australia secured the fifth rank on the global ranking.
- Among India’s neighbours, Sri Lanka (71) and China (85) are higher up the rank scale while Bhutan (134), Bangladesh (135), Myanmar (145), Nepal (147), Pakistan (152) and Afghanistan (170) were ranked lower on the list.
- South Asia was the fastest growing region in human development progress witnessing a 46% growth over 1990-2018, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at 43%.
Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI):
- The Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) indicates percentage loss in HDI due to inequalities.
- For IHDI, India’s position drops by one position to 130, losing nearly half the progress (.647 to .477) made in the past 30 years.
Gender Inequality Index (GII):
- In the Gender Inequality Index (GII), India is at 122 out of 162 countries. Neighbours China (39), Sri Lanka (86), Bhutan (99), Myanmar (106) were placed above India.
- The world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030 as per the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It may take 202 years to close the gender gap in economic opportunity — one of the three indicators of the GII.
Social Norms Index:
- The Report presents a new social norms index that looks at the links between social beliefs and gender equality in multiple dimensions.
- The new “social norms index” in the Report says that in half of the countries assessed, gender bias has grown in recent years. It shows that only 14% of women and 10% of men worldwide have no gender bias.
Human Rights Day
Why in news?
- Human Rights Day is being celebrated on the 10th December.
Important facts
- Human Rights Day is celebrated on the 10th December every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948.
- The Declaration recognizes that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of mankind are the foundation of justice, freedom and peace in the world.
- The United Nations’ theme for this year’s Human Rights Day is: “Youth Standing up for Human Rights.”
National Human Rights Commission of India - Since its inception on the 12th October, 1993, the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has endeavoured to promote a culture of human rights.
- The NHRC, like most of the human rights institutions in the world, is a recommendatory body as per the Protection of Human Rights Act passed by Parliament.
Lok Sabha clears Arms (Amendment) Bill
Why in news?
- Parliament has passed the Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019, with the Rajya Sabha approving it today.
About the bill:
- The bill restricts the use of hazardous materials on ships and regulates recycling of ships.
- It defines ship recycling as dismantling it at a facility to recover the components and materials for reuse and taking care of the hazardous material so produced.
- Under the legislation, every ship recycler must ensure safe and environmentally sound removal and management of hazardous materials from a ship.
Important facts of the bill:
- On contravening these provisions, the ship recycler will be liable to pay environmental damages and cleanup operation compensation as prescribed.
- It seeks to reduce the number of licensed arms per person and to increase the quantum of penalties for violation of the law. Celebratory firing will now be punishable.
- Quantum of punishment for illegal manufacture, import or export, possession or buying and selling of firearms without permission has been enhanced.
- The license period for firearms would be increased from three to five years.
IS 10500:2012
Why in news?
- The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing the ground for enforcement of piped water quality standards in the states.
- A workshop was organised by BIS to disseminate information about the requirements of IS 10500:2012, the piped water quality standard.
- However, it is not yet clear whether the Centre’s own flagship mission to provide piped water to all households by 2024 will implement the BIS standard.
- Unlike the BIS standard for bottled water, which is mostly produced by private companies, the standard for piped water — largely supplied by government agencies — is not yet mandatory.
- Jal Shakti is the nodal Ministry for the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide functional household tap connections to 14.6 crore rural households by 2024.
Pashu Kisan Credit Cards
Why in news?
- The First Pashu Kisan credit cards in India were distributed to 101 animal farmers in Bhiwani in Haryana.
News summary
- Haryana Government has set a target to issue 10 lakh Pashu Kisan Credit cards by March 2021.
- Under the Scheme, banks give Rs 40783 for a cow and Rs 60249 for a buffalo. The credit amount for goat and sheep each is Rs 4063. In the case of a pig, it is Rs 16337 per pig. For Hens, it is Rs 720 per layer and Rs 161 per broiler hen.
- Haryana is the first state to implement this scheme. As many as 101 livestock owners have been handed over cards and can use these to pay for animal feed, etc. They can repay within a stipulated period
- The card is along lines of the Kisan credit card scheme and will allot credit according to the animal you own.