Current Affairs 29th December 2018

Current Affairs 29th December 2018 - Important Points

• India to build new vertical bridge to replace - Pamban Bridge
• Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar released by - Central Government
• China’s navigation satellite system BeiDou offering - Global service
• Bhutanese PM on a 3-day visit to India from - 27th Decemeber 2018
• UAE reopens its embassy in Syria, after 6 years of suspension on - 27th Decemeber 2018
• Cabinet approves amendment in POSCO Act, 2012 to protect children from sexual abuse on - 28th December 2018
• Railways to grant fare concession to transgender senior residents on - 27th Decemeber 2018

Current Affairs 29th December 2018 - Details

India to build new vertical bridge to replace - Pamban Bridge

Indian Railways is constructing the nation’s 1st vertical-lift bridge to join Rameswaram in the Arabian Sea to mainland India. The bridge will permit ships and steamers to pass through without any interruption.
The new bridge would replace the present 104 years old Pamban bridge. It would be ready in the next 4
years.
More about the New Vertical Bridge
The New Bridge will have a 63m stretch which will lift-up while remaining parallel to the deck to permit
access to the ships. The lifting would be done with the help of a sensors at each end. The new bridge will
have electro-mechanical controlled systems which will be linked with train control systems in place of
present manual operation & control.
Pamban Bridge
Pamban Bridge joins the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to Indian continent. Pamban Bridge was the 1st and the longest sea bridge in India until the Bandra-Worli Sea Link was unlocked in 2010.
Pamban Bridge is situated in a very challenging location. It is situated in the world’s 2nd most corrosive
environment after Florida and is susceptible to to high-velocity cyclones. This makes preservation very
challenging.

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar released by - Central Government

The central government has released Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar yearly
awards to highlight the excellent work done by individuals & institutions in the nation in the field of
disaster management.
The prize has been instituted with an objective to recognise the hard work of individuals & groups who have been working attentively to alleviate the human suffering caused by disasters.
About the Prize

• According the statement released by the National Disaster Management Authority 3 eligible institutions & people will be given the “Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar” every year with cash rewards ranging from Rupees Five lakh to Rupees 51 lakh.
• Only Indian Nationals and Indian institutions are entitled for this prize.
• If the awardee is an individual, the person shall get a certificate and a cash prize of Rupees Five lakh and in case the awardee is a firm, it will be given a certificate and a cash prize of Rupees 51 lakh & the prize money will be used for disaster management concerned activities only.
• For the year 2019, the prize would be declared on January 23rd, 2019, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

China’s navigation satellite system BeiDou offering - Global service

China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has initiated offering Global service. It is advertised as a rival to America’s Global Positioning System. Pakistan has become the 1st foreign country to utilise the
BeiDou system ending its reliance on Global Positioning System.
China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System was the 4th Global Navigation System after United States’
Global Positioning System, Russia’s GLONASS and the EU’s Galileo.

BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

• China has called its navigation satellite system after the Chinese term which means “Big Dipper”. BeiDou-1 contained 3 satellites and was contributing navigation services mainly in China & neighbouring districts. It was withdrawn in 2012.
• The 2nd generation of the navigation system, BeiDou-2 became working in China in December 2011 with a partial constellation of ten satellites in orbit and initiated delivering services in the Asia-Pacific region from December 2012.
• The 3rd generation of the navigation system, BeiDou-3 started to deliver global services from 27 December 2018.
• China plans to have a sum of 33 satellites working in orbit for BeiDou by the end of 2018 which consists of 15 BeiDou-2 satellites and 18 BeiDou-3 satellites.
• China further devices to release another eleven BeiDou-3 satellites and 1 BeiDou-2 satellite in the coming 2 years to form a complete global network for enhancing the global service performance.

Bhutanese PM on a 3-day visit to India from - 27th Decemeber 2018

PM of Bhutan Lotay Tshering reached in India on 27th December for a 3-day visit. The Visit is noteworthy because it is occurring during the Golden Jubilee year of the founding of formal diplomatic ties between the both nations.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister was given ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
He would pay homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and hold talks with PM Narendra Modi.
India-Bhutan Diplomatic Ties

• The diplomatic ties between India & Bhutan were founded in 1968.
• India started a special office of India in Thimphu in 1968. Earlier to this, Indian diplomatic ties with Bhutan were looked after by Indian Political Officer in Sikkim.
• The India-Bhutan bilateral ties are ruled by the Treaty of Friendship & Cooperation inked in 1949 between the both nations. The treaty was revised in February 2007.
• The India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty  together with reflecting the modern nature of our relationship lays the foundation for their future development in the 21st century.
• The Golden Jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between India & Bhutan is being celebrated in the year 2018.
  Lotay Tshering
  Doctor by profession, Lotay Tshering is a Bhutanese politician who is the present PM of Bhutan. He is also the president of the political party, Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa since 14 May 2018. Lotay Tshering is the 3rd democratically elected Prime Minister of Bhutan.

UAE reopens its embassy in Syria, after 6 years of suspension on - 27th Decemeber 2018

The UAE on December 27th, 2018 restarted its diplomatic services at its embassy in Damascus, Syria after 6 years of suspension. The initiative indicates a thaw in the ties between the both nations, as also with the Arab world. 
The Charge d'Affaires of the United Arab Emirates Embassy started discharging his duty on December 27th, 2018. The decision follows a vigilant reading of the latest developments and a belief that the next phase needs Arab involvement to protect Syria’s sovereignty & territorial integrity.

Following suit is Bahrain, as the nation announced on December 28th, 2018 that it will restart workings at its embassy in Syria, reflecting new exertions by Gulf Arab states to recover ties with President Bashar Assad as the civil war cools down.
Significance

• The United Arab Emirates Ministry in a statement informed that the initiative underscores the United Arab Emirates government’s keenness to restore ties between the both brotherly nations to their normal course.
• The recommencement of ties will enhance and implement the Arab role in backing the independence, sovereignty & territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. 
• It will also avoid the dangers of regional interference in Syrian affairs.

Cabinet approves amendment in POSCO Act, 2012 to protect children from sexual abuse on - 28th December 2018

The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi on December 28th, 2018 sanctioned the proposal for Amendment in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences- POCSO Act, 2012 to make punishment stricter for committing sexual crimes against children.
Suggested Amendments

• The cabinet has sanctioned the amendment in Section 4, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15 and Section-42 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 to address the aspects of child sexual abuse in a suitable manner.
• The modification has been suggested to address the necessity for stringent measures needed to deter the rising trend of child sex abuse in the nation.
• The Section-4, 5 &  6 of the Act are planned to be amended to provide the option of strict punishment, including the death penalty, for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault crime on a child to safeguard the children from sexual abuse.
• The amendment is projected in section-9 to safeguard children from sexual offences in times of natural calamities & disasters and in cases where children are directed, in any way, any hormone/chemical substance, to get early sexual maturity for the purpose of penetrative sexual assault.
• The Section-14 & Section-15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 have been suggested to be amended to address the menace of the child pornography.
• It is planned to levy fine for not destroying/ deleting/reporting the pornographic material involving a child.
• The person can be more penalised with jail period/fine/both for transmitting, spreading & administrating such material in any manner except for the motive of reporting as may be prescribed and for utilise as evidence in court.
• The penal requirements have been done stricter for storing/possessing any pornographic material in any form  concerning a child for a commercial determination.

Railways to grant fare concession to transgender senior residents on - 27th Decemeber 2018

The Indian Railways declared on December 27th, 2018 that it has finalised to approve 40% concession in passenger fares to transgender senior residents. The concession will be appropriate to those of the 3rd gender, who are aged 60 years/above. It will be available from January 1st, 2019.
Important Highlights

• The Indian Railways proposes concessions on ticket prices to 53 various categories, ranging from 10-100%.
• The Indian railways approves 40% concession in fares to males aged 60 years/above and 50% concession in fares to females aged 58 years/above.
• The students traveling to their hometown/educational tours can avail a concession of 50% in fares for the 2nd and sleeper class, while students belonging to the ST community can avail a concession of 75 %.
• Similarly, students of government school in rural areas are qualified to get a concession of 75% in 2nd class for a study tour/entrance examination once a year.
• Those appearing for UPSC and Central Staff Selection Commission can also enjoy a concession of 50% on the fares. 
• Industrial labours & farmers, who wish to visit agricultural exhibitions, can also avail a 25% concession on 2nd  class and sleeper class tickets.
• In addition, foreign students studying in India are also entitled for a 50% concession in the 2nd &sleeper class.
• Apart from these, senior residents, who book their railway tickets online, now have the choice to choose between 100% concession, 50% concession and no concession.