Current Affair 1:

Third World Network (TWN)

 

Third World Network (TWN) is an independent non-profit international research and advocacy organisation involved in issues relating to development, developing countries and North-South affairs.

TWN was formed in November 1984 in Penang, Malaysia.

Mission

TWN’s mission is to bring about a greater articulation of the needs and rights of the peoples of developing countries, a fair distribution of world resources, and forms of development that are ecologically sustainable and fulfil human needs. Accordingly, TWN undertakes policy research and analysis, conducts training and capacity building to increase the knowledge and awareness of government decision-makers, civil society organisations and the public.

Secretariat and Board

The international secretariat is based in Penang, Malaysia, with offices in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Geneva (Switzerland) (where the work focuses on developments in international organisations including the UNFCCC, WTO, UNCTAD, WHO and WIPO); Delhi (India) and Beijing (China).

TWN is officially affiliated as observer or NGO to several UN bodies, including UNFCCC, CBD, UNCTAD, WTO, WIPO, ECOSOC.

TWN’s work has three pillars within an over-arching framing of sustainable development: Public Health, Environment and Economics.

Current Affair 2:

About Monkeypox

 

All 8 below has been taken from World Health Organization website:

1. Monkeypox is caused by monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
2. Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases can occur. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3–6%.
3. Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus.
4. Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.
5. Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions.
6. An antiviral agent developed for the treatment of smallpox has also been licensed for the treatment of monkeypox.
7. The clinical presentation of monkeypox resembles that of smallpox, a related orthopoxvirus infection which was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980. Monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and causes less severe illness.
8. Monkeypox typically presents clinically with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.

Current Affair 3:

Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)

 

On 23rd December 1993 Prime Minister had announced the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) in the Parliament. Initially the MPLADS was under the control of the Ministry of Rural Development. The 1st Guidelines were issued in February 1994, covering the concept, implementation and monitoring of the Scheme. The MPLAD Scheme was transferred to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in October 1994.

What is the objective of scheme?

The objective of the scheme is to enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on the locally felt needs to be taken up in their Constituencies. Right from inception of the Scheme, durable assets of national priorities viz. drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc. are being created.

Read all the points given below. Directly we are taking from guidelines.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has been responsible for the policy formulation, release of funds and prescribing monitoring mechanism for implementation of the Scheme.

1. The Government of India informs the State Nodal Department about the MPLADS funds released to the District Authorities.
2. The District Authorities report the status of MPLADS implementation to the Government of India and State Nodal Department.
3. The MPLADS is a Plan Scheme fully funded by Government of India. The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crores.
4. If a Lok Sabha Constituency is spread over more than one District, the Member of Parliament can choose any one of the Districts as Nodal District in his/her constituency.
5. The Rajya Sabha MP can choose any District in his/her State of Election as Nodal District.
6. Nominated Members of both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can choose any District in the country as Nodal District.
7. Minimum funds mandatorily transferred in the development of Areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe.

1. The District Authorities should maintain information and data on implementation of the

provision for SC/ST areas and also furnish the same on quarterly basis to the nodal department of the State Government.

1. Natural & Man-made Calamities: MPLADS works can also be implemented in the areas prone to or affected by the calamities like floods, cyclone, Tsunami, earthquake, hailstorm, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack, landslides, tornado, drought, fire, chemical, biological and radiological hazards.
2. District Collector/District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner will generally be the District Authority to implement MPLADS in the district.
3. The District Authority shall make the selection of an appropriate Implementing Agency through which a particular work recommended by an MP would be executed;
4. The selection of the Implementing Agency shall be undertaken in accordance with the State Government rules/guidelines applicable for the purpose.
5. Provided that for certain works in certain Central Government Ministries/Organizations (like Railways) where the Implementing Agency has necessarily to be the concerned Central Government Ministry/Organization, the same shall be selected as the Implementing Agency.

Current Affair 4:

Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-chemical Development in Small Island Developing States Programme (ISLANDS)

 

Launched at the Conference of Parties of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions in Geneva today, the $515 million Implementing Sustainable Low and Non-chemical Development in Small Island Developing States Programme (ISLANDS) will help island countries in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian, and Pacific Ocean regions prevent the release of over 23,000 metric tons of toxic chemicals and more than 185,000 metric tons of marine litter by 2027.

Led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), ISLANDS will help participating countries control the import of hazardous substances, soundly dispose of harmful chemicals and waste, and establish circular production systems, in partnership with the private sector.

Now this is for map:

Participating countries include: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cook Islands, Dominican Republic, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guyana, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Union of Comoros, and Vanuatu.

Current Affair 5:

Typosquatting

 

With the Advancement of technology and development of commerce in Cyberspace, transformation of Cybercrimes is also taking place. 'Typosquatting' is one of such lesser-known evil in Cyberspace.

Typosquatting, also called URL hijacking, is based on the probability of a considerable number of internet users would make typographical error while net-surfing.

For example, imagine a young Indian child while surfing Internet, wants to visit a website "www.indianchild.com" in order to read short inspiring stories, omitting letter "a" type "www.indinchild.com" negligently, will reach a website containing adult content. Again, the situation will become worst when that child tries to close the window but unable to do so and with his every attempt a new window opens on his computer screen.

In India, there is no law in existence to combat this evil of Typosquatting, there are no specific provisions under the Information Technology Act 2000 to deal with typosquatting. Our Law makers do not respond against this evil of typosquatting despite the fact that this illegal activity is universal in nature. The only remedy is to bring an action under The Trade Marks Act, 1999, the sole enactment for the protection of Domain name in India. Generally, the courts all over the world applied their respective Trademark Laws in order to resolve domain name disputes.

United States is the first country that criminalizes Typosquatting by passing a law 'The Truth in Domain names Act' in 2003.

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