UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 21-12-2020 | Current Affairs

Human Freedom Index 2020

It is released by the Cato Institute in the United States and Fraser Institute in Canada.
The index consists of 76 indicators -personal, civic and economic freedom.
India is placed at 111 out of 162 countries.
It is ranked 110 in terms of personal freedom and 105 on economic freedom with an overall score of 6.43 out of 10.
New Zealand topped in the index, followed by Switzerland and Hong Kong.
China, Bangladesh and Pakistan are placed at 129, 139 & 140 position respectively.

UNEP report on CO2 Emissions

In its recent report, UNEP has highlighted that CO2 emissions from building sector is highest in 2019.
The building sector emitted more than a third of global energy-related carbon dioxide.
Of the total global emissions, building operations accounted for 28% & construction-related industries (cement, glass, etc) accounted 10%.
Use of fossil fuels for power generation & carbon-intensive electricity sector contributed for the increased CO2 emissions.
Steps taken by the India government for green buildings:

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) was formed by the Confederation of Indian Industry in 2001.
- It is the first rating program exclusively for the residential sector.
- It is the India's premier body for green building certification and related services.
- It aims to create sustainable building environment & wants India to be a leader in it.
Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is the National Green Building Rating System.

It is an assessment tool to measure and rate a building’s environmental performance.
The rating is based on energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption etc.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has launched the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC).

It aims to optimize energy savings & launched a five-star rating scheme.
Buildings that comply with the provisions are termed as ECBC Compliant Building.

Energy Conservation – New Indian Way for Affordable & Sustainable homes (ECO-NIWAS) was launched as an online interactive portal.

It aims to increase awareness about sustainable building and energy-efficient homes.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) India is another Green Building rating program.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) plays a very crucial role in developing green building capacities.

Ease of Doing Business Rankings

Data irregularities in Ease of Doing Business rankings has surfaced recently.
The report is released by the World Bank.
In August, the World Bank had decided to pause the publication the report due to irregularities in the data.
As per new report, China’s slipped from 85^th rank to 78^th rank.
The rankings of three other countries - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan have also changed.
As per 2020 report, India is placed at 63^rd position among 190 countries, jumped by 14 positions from the previous year position.
India’s rank remains unchanged after adjusting irregularities in the data.
The ranking is based 10 indices:

Himalayan trillium

Trillium govanianum- Himalayan herb is often called Nagchatri in local areas.
It is found in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas at an altitude from 2,400-4,000 metres above sea level.
In India, it is found in four states only - Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed Himalayan trillium in “Endangered” category.

It can cure diseases like dysentery, wounds, skin boils, inflammation, sepsis, as well as menstrual and sexual disorders.
It can be also used as an anti-cancer and anti-aging agent.

NFHS data reveals about child malnutrition

Recently Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the results of first phase of the National Family Health Survey.
This is the fifth such survey covering 17 states and 5 UTs.
The first four referred to 1992-93, 1998-99, 2005-06 and 2015-16, respectively.
Data reveals that several states have either seen child malnutrition increase or improvement at a very slow rate.
The following criteria have either stagnated or getting worsened –

Children who are born between 2014 and 2019 are more malnourished than the previous generation.
This can lead to cognitive and physical deficiencies.
Rising levels of anaemia in women (especially pregnant ones) is also witnessed.
Despite improvements in water availability and sanitation methods, India has shown poor results.

NFHS

It is a large-scale nationwide survey of representative households.
The MoHFW has designated International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai as the nodal agency.
The survey is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with supplementary support from UNICEF.
The survey is based on 131 parameters.

Jharkhand’s Cyber-crime prevention scheme

In the last five years, 4803 cyber crimes have surfaced in Jharkhand.
This scheme aims to protect women and children from growing cybercrimes.
The scheme has 5 components- online cyber crime registration, forensic search, capacity building, awareness creation and research and development units.
Individual will be informed about the various types of cyber-crimes and how to securely use technology to protect them.
It helps make a robust system & modernise the police to tackle growing cybercrime.
Students from the various schools in the state will be trained for community policing.
Awareness campaigns like one day workshop, essay and elocution competition etc. will be conducted at schools, college level across the country.

Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express, Down to Earth, Economic times

UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 21-12-2020