22 March 2019: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam

March 22^nd 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

Swachh Survekshan 2019

Swachh Survekshan 2019 is the world’s largest cleanliness survey conducted to rank cities on various sanitation and cleanliness parameters covering 4237 cities.

• Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) conducted the survey.
• It is a completely digitized and paperless survey.
• The objective of the Swachh Survekshan survey is to encourage citizen participation, increase city capacities for sustainable ODF and sanitation measures and to create awareness amongst all sections of society about the importance of collective action to contribute in India.

Methodology for City Ranking

Part-1: Service Level Progress: Verification of data submitted by the Urban Local Bodies on the online MIS portal of MoHUA

Part –2: Certification: Star Rating of Garbage Free Cities and Open Defecation Free Protocols

Part-3: Direct Observation: On-field independent observation and Collection of data

Part-4: Citizen Feedback: collected from Citizens directly (face to face), through Outbound Calls, 1969, Swachhata App/Swachh Manch and through Swachh Survekshan-2019 portal.

Swachh Manch web portal

• It is a web-based platform which aims to bring together every stakeholder contributing to the Swachh Bharat Mission under a common platform.
• It allows stakeholders to create/invite/participate in volunteering opportunities around neighborhoods.

Report on Sample Size of VVPAT Counting

Context:

The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) presented its Report on the sample size of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slip counting to the Chief Election Commissioner.

Details:

In view of the varying demands for enhanced percentage of VVPAT Slip count during elections in the country, the Commission had engaged the Indian Statistical Institute to systematically analyse and scientifically examine the issue of VVPAT Slip verification with electronic count of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

ISI:

• Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) is an academic institute of national importance as recognised by a 1959 act of the Indian parliament.
• ISI is one of the most prominent and reputed national institution devoted to research, teaching and application of statistics and sampling methodology in the country.
• It grew out of the Statistical Laboratory set up by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
• It functions as an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI).

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Africa- India Field Training Exercise-2019

Africa- India Field Training Exercise-2019 is the military exercise between Indian Army and 17 African Nations.

• AFINDEX-19 underscores India’s growing military-to-military ties with a range of African states.
• The aim of the exercise is to practice the participating nations in planning and conduct of Humanitarian Mine Assistance and Peace Keeping Operations under Chapter VII of United Nations Peace Keeping Operations
• The 17 participating African states include Benin, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
• AFINDEX shall significantly enhance India’s relations with the African continent.
• The activities includes demonstrations and training on establishing & functioning of Mine Action Center, identification and survey of contaminated areas, mechanical and manual demining, disposal of improvised explosives devices and air causality disposal.
• The exercise is focusing on exchange of best practices amongst the participating nations, team building and tactical level operations in conduct of Humanitarian Mine Assistance and Peace Keeping operations based on the guidelines issued by the United Nations.

Cyclone ‘IDAI’ 

• Intense Category 3 Tropical CycloneIDAI is regarded as one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere as a whole.
• The storm caused catastrophic damage in multiple nations, leaving more than 400 people dead and hundreds more missing.
• Idai originated from a tropical depression that formed off the eastern coast of Mozambique and made landfall in Mozambique. The depression later re-emerged into the Mozambique channel and was upgraded into Moderate Tropical Storm.
• Idai is the deadliest Tropical cyclone witnessed in 2019.

Read more about Tropical Cyclones

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March 22^nd 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

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