23th Nov Daily current affairs for UPSC Civil Service Exam

European Bank for Reconstruction & Development

• The Union Cabinet has approved India's membership for European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
• EBRD is an international financial institution founded in 1991 and headquartered in London.
• It is owned by 65 countries and two EU institutions, and US is the biggest shareholder.
• Besides Europe, member countries of the EBRD are also from other continents - North America (Canada and US), Africa (Morocco), Asia (Japan, China, South Korea) and Australia.
• EBRD's core operations pertain to private sector development in their countries of operation.
• The minimum initial investment towards the membership of EBRD will be approximately one million Euros.
• The EBRD is not to be confused with the European Investment Bank (EIB) which is owned by EU member states and used to support EU policy.

15th Finance Commission

• The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of the 15thFinance Commission.
• It will decide on the distribution of tax proceeds among centre, states and local bodies in the post-goods and services tax (GST) era.
• The setting up of the finance commission for every 5 years is a Constitutional obligation under Article 280 (1) of the Constitution.
• The recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission are valid from 2015 to 2020.
• The recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission will be implemented in the period 2020 to 2025.
• The 14th Finance Commission had raised the untied share of states in net central taxes to 42% from 32% after ending discretionary resource transfers from the centre to the states.

Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra

• The objective of this new scheme is to empower rural women through community participation.
• Improving the child sex ratio, survival of new born girl child, girl education and empower them through several initiatives are the main motives.
• It aims to create an environment in which women realize their full potential.
• The scheme is envisaged to work at national, state and block level.
• Under the scheme, community engagement through student volunteers is envisioned in the backward districts at block level.
• Student volunteers will help in awareness generation regarding various important government programmes as well as social issues.
• It will be implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under umbrella mission for “Protection and Empowerment for Women” for the duration of 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Brahmos Missile

• It is the supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air based platforms.
• IAF has successfully test fired the air-launched version of the brahmos for the first time from Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet.
• With this launch, India has completed the cruise missile triad for land, sea and air variants.
• The air launched BrahMos missile is a 2.5 ton supersonic air to surface cruise missile with ranges of more than 400 kms.
• It marks a history as IAF is the first air force in the world to have successfully fired an air launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile.
• The original range was 290 km which was further extended to 450 km after joining MTCR and expected to be extended even up to 600 km.
• Click here to know more about Brahmos missile

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

• The Union Cabinet has recently given its approval for expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao for a Pan India reach covering all the 640 districts of the country as per census 2011.
• The scheme was launched in 2015 to address the issue of decline in Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in gender critical districts.
• The objectives of the Scheme are

1. Prevent gender biased sex selective elimination
2. Ensure survival & protection of the girl child
3. Ensure education of the girl child

• The initiative has two major components such as mass communication campaign and multi-sectoral action covering all States and UTs.
• It is currently implemented in 161 districts which has adverse CSR.
• It is being implemented in a coordinated effort by Ministry of WCD, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of HRD.
• CSR - Number of girls per 1000 boys in the age group of 0-6 years. It declined sharply from 976 in 1961 to 918 in Census 2011.

Implementation period of Environmental Protocols

• Paris Agreement, 2015 under UNFCCC is intended for 2020-2030 period.
• First phase of the Kyoto Protocol - 2005-2012
• Doha amendment, 2012 – concerning the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol
• As only 75 countries have so far ratified the Doha amendments it could not be enforced which requires ratification of 144 countries.
• Second phase of the Kyoto Protocol -  2013-2020
• India ratified the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol.

Source: The Hindu, PIB.