RAJASTHAN
- Rajasthan still among top 4 states with high fertility rate: Niti
- Rajasthan might have been praised by NITI Aayog for its efforts in improving health indicators but in population stabilisation efforts
- The NITI Aayog report released recently shows that there is no change in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the state. It is still among the four states with highest TFR in the category of large states (a group of 21 states) as TFR remains the same from 2016-17 to 2017-18. The population growth was reported in 2017-18 at the same pace as it was in 2016-17.
- The report pointed out that in developing countries, high level of fertility is linked to poverty, low maternal education, gender inequality, low female labour participation rates, and other measures of social and economic development.
- TFR represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she experiences the current fertility rate throughout her reproductive age of 15 to 49 years.
- Aiming to monitor the progress in health indicators, NITI Aayog has issued second edition of the Health Index, which analysed the overall performance and incremental improvement in the states and UTs for the period 2015-16 (Base Year) and 2017-18 (Reference Year).
INTERNATIONAL
- France will impose green tax on plane tickets from 2020
- French government is to impose a tax of up to €18 on plane tickets for all flights from airports in France to fund less-polluting transportation projects,
- The move which will take effect from 2020
- A tax of €1.5 imposed on economy-class tickets on internal flights within Europe.
- The highest tariff applied to business-class travellers flying outside the bloc.
- A tax of €1.5 imposed on economy-class tickets on internal flights within Europe.
The highest tariff applied to business-class travellers flying outside the bloc,
The new measure is expected to bring in €182 million a year which will be invested in greener transport infrastructures - A similar tax was introduced in Sweden in April 2018, which imposed an added charge of up to €40 on every ticket in a bid to lessen the impact of air travel on the climate.
- NASA awarded Imaging Xray polarimetry explorer (IXPE) mission to SpaceX
- NASAhas awarded a contract to SpaceX to launch NASA’s Imaging Xray polarimetry explorer (IXPE) mission, a groundbreaking astrophysics mission. The mission aims to uncover the mysteries behind black holes and neutron stars.
- The cost estimated for the mission is $50.3 million. The mission plans to launchthree space telescopes. These telescopes will be capable of analyzing the polarization of cosmic X-rays. The IXPE mission is expected to be launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in April 2021.
- The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) will get information regarding thepolarization state of light from astrophysical sources. This will provide insight into the X-ray production in objects such as neutron stars and pulsar wind nebulae, as well as stellar and supermassive black holes.
NATIONAL
- ICSI launches UDIN to improve corporate governance
- Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) rolled out an initiative in the form of a Unique Document Identification Number (UDIN)
- The main aim is to pursue a heightened sense of self-governance and strengthen the practicing side of company secretaries.
- UDIN will provide ease of maintaining a register of attestation and certification services.
- The ICSI functions under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
- Cabinet approves bill to merge 13 labour laws into single code
- The Union Cabinet approved the Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, also known as the OSH Code, that seeks to merge 13 central labour laws into a single code which would apply on all establishments employing 10 or more workers.
- The OSH Code is the second majorlabourreformapprovedby the government. It cleared the Wage Code last week that contained “provisions of minimum wages and payment of wages to cover employees in both the organised and unorganised sectors”, unlike the current Minimum Wages Act and the Payment of Wages Act that apply only to employees engaged in certain kinds of jobs.
- The OSH code will cover 400 million workers in the organised and the unorganised sectors and encompass provisions from around 13 labour laws, including the Factories Act, the Mines Act,
- The Dock Workers Act, the Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees Act, and the Cine Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers Act.
- IAF to get Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM)
- TheIndian Air Force (IAF)plans to adopt Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), a new European visual range air to air missile, across its fighter fleet.
The first firing is expected by the end of 2019. This first firing would be the first over the wing launched missile in the IAF inventory. All missiles are fired from under the wing.IAF aims to expand its Su-30 fleet with a proposal to build 40 more jets under license at HAL’s Nashik facility. The Indian government has formally requested Russia to extend the production license.
- The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) of MBDA, European Arms manufacturers company, has been approved for fitting onJaguar jets is currently undergoing integration. ASRAAM is used as a Within Visual Range (WVR) air dominance missile with a range of over 25km.
- For IAF, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had built about 145 Jaguars for the IAF, of which around 120 are in service, and 80 jets will continue till 2025-30. A plan to get a new more powerful engine has been long delayed.
