International Shark Attack File (Isaf) : Defactoias

Daily Current Affairs
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Daily Current Affairs- 27 Jan 2020

“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there
are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and
the teacher”.
-A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
INTERNATIONAL SHARK ATTACK FILE (ISAF)

Part of GS- 3 Environment
Why in news?
Globally, unprovoked shark attacks have been declining in the last two years,
according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) compiled by the University of Florida.
Highlights:
 There were 64 unprovoked bites in 2019, roughly in line with 2018’s 62 bites, and about
22% lower than the most recent five-year (2014-18) average of 82 incidents a year.
 The Florida Museum of Natural History. located in the university, quoted Gavin Naylor,
director of its shark research programme, as saying that the recent decline may reflect
changes in the migration patterns of blacktip sharks, the species most implicated in the 21
bites that took place in Florida.
 The United States had the highest number of unprovoked attacks in 2019, at 41, and
Florida was the US region with the highest number, at 21. Following the US’s 41 cases was
Australia with 11; these two countries accounted for over 80% of all cases.
 Over half of them (53%) were surfing or participating in board sports. These were followed
by swimming/wading at 25%, snorkeling/free-diving at 11%, body-surfing/horseplay at 8%
and scuba diving at 3%.
 The Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus) is a critically endangered species of shark found in
the Ganges River (Padma River) and the Brahmaputra River of Bangladesh and India.
Source: Indian Express
GTCI
Part of GS- Economy
Why in news?
India has climbed 8 places to 72nd rank in the 2020 Global Talent Competitiveness
Index (GTCI), which was topped by Switzerland, the US and Singapore.
Highlights:
 India has climbed eight places to 72nd rank in the 2020 Global Talent Competitiveness
Index (GTCI) although more could be done to improve the country's educational system
(68th in Formal Education), India's key strength relates to growing (44th) talent, due to its
levels of lifelong learning (40th) and access to growth opportunities (39th) the GTCI report
said.
 The GTCI report compiled by INSEAD in collaboration with human resource firm Addeco and
Google was released in Davos, Switzerland.
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 Report noted that the gap between high income, talent-rich nations and the rest of the
world is widening.
 More than half of the population in the developing world lack basic digital skills. "Thus, the
country's talent competitiveness is in line with what would be expected given its income
level," according to the report.
 This year's GTCI report explores how the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is not
only changing the nature of work but also forcing a re-evaluation of workplace practices,
corporate structures and innovation ecosystems.
 Sweden (4th), Denmark (5th), the Netherlands (6th), Finland (7th), Luxembourg (8th),
Norway (9th) and Australia (10th) complete the top 10 league table.
 In the BRICS grouping, China was ranked 42nd, Russia (48th), South Africa (70th) and Brazil
at 80th position.
Source: Mint
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Part of GS- 1 Social Issues
Why in news?
The Adhoc Committee of the Rajya instituted by Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has made
40 recommendations to prevent sexual abuse of children and to contain access to and
transmission of child pornography content on the social media.
Highlights:
 Expressing concern over the seriousness of the prevalence of the horrific social evil of child
pornography, the Committee has recommended important amendments to the Protection
of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and the Information Technology Act, 2000
besides technological, institutional, social and educational measures and state level
initiatives to address the alarming issue of pornography on social media and its effects on
children and the society as a whole.
 The 40 recommendations made by the Adhoc Committee relate to adoption of a broader
definition of child pornography, controlling access for children to such content, containing
generation and dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), making accountable
the Internet Service Providers and online platforms for denying access to children and
removing such obscene content from online sites besides monitoring, detection and removal
of content, preventing under-age use of such content, enabling parents for early detection
of accessing such content by children, enabling effective action by the governments and
authorized agencies to take necessary preventive and penal measures etc.
 National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal shall be designated as the national portal under
reporting requirements in POCSO Act in case of electronic material;
 Apps that help in monitoring children's access to pornographic content shall be made
mandatory on all devices sold in India.
 On-streaming platforms like Netflix and social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook etc.
should have separate adult section where under- aged children could be disallowed;
 National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) should be designated as the
nodal agency to deal with the issue of child pornography.
 The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shall mandatorily record and report annually
cases of child pornography of all kinds.
Source : PIB
MERCHANTING TRADE TRANSACTIONS (MTT) – REVISED

GUIDELINES
Part of GS- 3 Economy
Why in news?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued the revised guidelines for Merchanting Trade
Transactions (MTT) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.
Highlights:
 In Indian Context, the trade is called Merchanting Trade when,
a) The supplier of goods will be resident in one foreign country
b) The buyer of goods will be resident in another foreign country
c) The merchant or the intermediary will be resident in India
 Merchanting transaction is one which involves shipment of goods from one foreign country
to another foreign country involving an Indian Intermediary. Hence, It is also called
Intermediary Trade.
 According to revised guidelines, for a trade to be classified as merchanting trade, goods
acquired shall not enter the Domestic Tariff Area. Also, the entire MTT shall be completed
within an overall period of nine months.
o Provided, the MTT is in adherence to all other provisions except the delays in timelines (either for
outlay or completion period of MTT or both) attributed to reasons mentioned at a, b and c above.
Shall be subject to following conditions:
a) AD bank shall satisfy itself with the bonafides of the transactions and ensure that there are
no KYC/AML concerns.
b) The transaction shall not be under investigation under FEMA by any of the investigating
agency/ies.
c) The counterparty to the merchant trader is not from a country or jurisdiction in the updated
FATF Public Statement on High Risk & Non-Co-operative Jurisdictions on which FATF has
called for counter measures.
Source : RBI
PARADIP PORT TRUST.

Part of GS- 3 Economy
Why in news?
An inter-ministerial panel has approved a Ministry of Shipping proposal for
deepening and optimisation of inner harbour facilities of the Paradip Port Trust.
Highlights:
 The total project cost is estimated at Rs 3,025 crore and the project will be executed in the
public-private-partnership (PPP) mode, a government source said.
 Located in Odisha, the deepwater Paradip Port handles various cargo like crude oil, iron
ore, thermal coal, coking coal, limestone, manganese and fertilisers among others.
 As part of the National Infrastructure Pipeline prepared by the Finance Ministry for next
five years, the Centre is working to approve all projects where financing can be tied up
quickly and which are ready to be executed.
INDIA & BRAZIL-15 AGREEMENTS & MOU

Part of GS- 2 IR
Why in news?
India and Brazil on Saturday concluded an Action Plan to deepen the strategic
partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Brazilian President Jair Messias
Bolsonaro outlined efforts to further deepen ties between the two countries.
Highlights:
 The two countries also concluded 15 agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) including on investment cooperation and facilitation treaty, mutual legal assistance in
criminal matters, bioenergy and cyber security.
 The India-Brazil Joint Commission for political, economic, scientific, technological and
cultural cooperation will be the main forum for monitoring the implementation of the
Action Plan and will convene every two years, the Action Plan states.
 Key MoUs under the Action Plan concldued,
a) existing mechanisms, as well as the goals of the Action Plan, have been
grouped in six major thematic areas:
b) political and strategic coordination;
c) trade and commerce,
d) investments,
e) agriculture,
f) civil aviation and energy mechanisms;
g) science, technology and innovation;
h) space cooperation;
i) environment and technical cooperation;
j) health mechanisms;
k) defence and security;
l) culture and education;
m) Consular issues, social security and legal cooperation mechanism.
Source: PIB
CARA
Part of GS- 1 Social Issues
Why in news?
The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has recorded 246 instances of
disruption over a period of five years between 2014-15 and 2018-19, which translates into
six in 100 children being returned at an advanced stage of adoption.
Highlights:
 Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is the nodal body for adoption of Indian
children.
 It regulates in-country and inter-country adoptions (in accordance with the provisions of The
Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption, 1993, ratified by Government of India in
2003).
 It is an autonomous body of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.
 The mandatory registration of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and linking to CARA has been
provided in Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
 On an average there are 4,000 legal adoptions annually within and from India, as per
official data.
 With the number of such cases showing a recent increase, CARA has begun a nationwide
capacity building programme for social workers who help assess the suitability of the
adoptive family and prepare a child for a new home.
Source: The Hindu
NAGARDHAN EXCAVATIONS
Part of GS- 1 A&C
Why in news?
Recent archaeological excavations at Nagardhan in Ramtek taluka, near Nagpur,
have provided concrete evidence on the life, religious affiliations and trade practices of the
Vakataka dynasty that ruled parts of Central and South India between the third and fifth
centuries.
Highlights:
 Nagardhan is a large village in Nagpur district, about 6 km south of Ramtek taluka
headquarters.
 Archaeological remains were found on a surface spread over a 1 km × 1.5 km area.
 The researchers excavated the site during 2015-2018. A Koteshwar temple dating back to
the 15th-16th centuries stands on the banks of a stream.
 The existing village sits on top of the ancient habitation. The Nagardhan Fort stands south of
present-day Nagardhan village.
 This was constructed during the Gond Raja period and later renovated and re-used by the
Bhosales of Nagpur during the late 18th and 19th centuries. The area surrounding the fort
is under cultivation and has archaeological remains.
Why this site is important?
 Nagardhan served as the capital of the Vakataka kingdom. It is the first time clay sealings
have been excavated from Nagardhan.
 The oval-shaped sealing belongs to the period when Prabhavatigupta was the queen of the
Vakataka dynasty.
 It bears her name in the Brahmi script, along with the depiction of a conch.
 The presence of the conch, scholars say, is a sign of the Vaishnava affiliation that the
Guptas held.
 An intact idol of Lord Ganesha, which had no ornaments adorned, too was found from the
site.
 This confirmed that the elephant god was a commonly worshipped deity in those times.
Researchers found animal rearing to be one of the main occupations.
 Remains of seven species of domestic animals cattle, goat, sheep, pig, cat, horse and fowl
were traced in an earlier study by the team.
Vakataka dynasty
 Vakataka dynasty, Indian ruling house originating in the central Deccan in the mid-3rd
century CE, the empire of which is believed to have extended from Malwa and Gujarat in
the north to the Tungabhadra in the south and from the Arabian Sea in the west to the
Bay of Bengal in the east.
 The Vakatakas, like many of the contemporary dynasties of the Deccan, claimed
Brahmanical origin.
 Little is known, however, about Vindhyashakti the founder of the family.
 Territorial expansion began in the reign of his son Pravarasena I, who came to the throne
about 270 and reached the Narmada River in the north by annexing the kingdom of Purika.

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Daily Current Affairs

Join Telegram @DeFactoIAS

Daily Current Affairs- 27 Jan 2020

INTERNATIONAL SHARK ATTACK FILE (ISAF)

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

MERCHANTING TRADE TRANSACTIONS (MTT) – REVISED

PARADIP PORT TRUST.

INDIA & BRAZIL-15 AGREEMENTS & MOU

Why this site is important?

Source: Indian Express

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