June 24th Current Affairs

1. TIWB

IN NEWS:

Bhutan’s Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) programme launched in partnership with India.

KEY POINTS:

• Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), launched its programme in Bhutan.
• India was chosen as the Partner Jurisdiction and has provided the Tax Expert for this programme.
• This programme is expected to be of about 24 months’ duration through which India in collaboration with the UNDP and the TIWB Secretariat aims to aid Bhutan in strengthening its tax administration by transferring technical know-how and skills to its tax auditors, and through sharing of best audit practices.
• The focus of the programme will be in the area of International Taxation and Transfer Pricing.
• This programme is another milestone in the continued cooperation between India and Bhutan and India’s continued and active support for South-South cooperation.

SOURCE:PIB

2. Great Barrier Reef recommended to be added to a list of “in danger” World Heritage Sites

IN NEWS:

Recently, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has recommended that the Australia’s Great Barrier Reef should be added to a list of “in danger” World Heritage Sites.

KEY POINTS:

• It was recommended to add to the list because of the impact of climate change.
• Despite Reef 2050, the coral reef ecosystem has suffered three major bleaching events since 2015 due to severe marine heatwaves.
• The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan is the Australian and Queensland Government’s framework for protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef by 2050.
• Australia, which is one of the world’s largest carbon emitters per capita, has remained reluctant to commit to stronger climate action and has pointed out jobs as a major reason to continue fossil fuel industries.
• It has not updated its climate goals since 2015.

Important Information:

About Great Barrier Reef

• It is the world’s most extensive and spectacular coral reef ecosystem composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.
• The reef is located in the Coral Sea (North-East Coast), off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
• It can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms.
• This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps.
• Polyps are tiny, soft-bodied organisms.
• At their base is a hard, protective limestone skeleton called a calicle, which forms the structure of coral reefs.
• These polyps have microscopic algae called zooxanthellae living within their tissues. The corals and algae have a mutualistic (symbiotic) relationship.
• It was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.
• Initiatives to Protect Corals

SOURCE:IE

3.WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Guinea over

IN NEWS:

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that the Ebola outbreak that started in February 2021 in Guinea, is over now.

KEY POINTS:

About Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

• Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses.
• It is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human to human transmission.
• Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River (the present Democratic Republic of Congo)
• Transmission: Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.
• Animal to Human Transmission: Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
• Human-to-Human Transmission: Ebola spreads via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with:
• Blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola.
• Objects that have been contaminated with such body fluids (like blood, feces, vomit).
• Symptoms:Fever, Fatigue, Muscle pain, Headache, Sore throat, Vomiting, Diarrhoea, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
• Diagnosis:ELISA (antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)
• Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, etc.

Vaccines:

• The Ervebo vaccine.
• In May 2020, the European Medicines Agency recommended granting marketing authorization for a 2-component vaccine called Zabdeno-and-Mvabea for individuals 1 year and older.

Treatment:

• Two monoclonal antibodies (Inmazeb and Ebanga) have been approved for the treatment of Zaire ebolavirus infection in adults and children by the US.

SOURCE:TH

4. G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting

IN NEWS:

G20 Labour & Employment Ministers’ Meeting was hosted in blended mode by Italy.

KEY POINTS:

• During the virtual meeting, G-20 Ministers exchanged their views on transitions from school to work.
• Ministry of labour & employment, India was represented by MoS (I/C) Shri Santosh Gangwar along with minister of state for education, Sanjay Dhotre.
• Ministers reiterated to recognize the need to equip youth well for a smooth transition into work space after they complete their education.
• This move is especially important for learners belonging to socially and economically disadvantaged population groups, who are more at risk of being left behind.
• Indian Minister committed to help its youth in developing knowledge, skills and attitudes which are necessary for 21st century global work space. India’s approach is to integrate vocational education with general academic education. It also focuses on demand driven, competency based and modular vocational courses.
• India is also enhancing post education apprenticeship opportunities for youth by realigning existing National Apprenticeship Training Scheme.
• India has a great importance for collaboration between G20 countries in the areas of vocational education and training.

SOURCE:Business standard

5. UN Annual Report on children and armed conflict.

IN NEWS:

United Nations published its “Annual Report of Secretary-General on Children & Armed Conflict (CAAC)”. As per the report, about 19,300 children, including boys and girls, have suffered from one or more incidents of grave violations in 2020.

KEY POINTS:

• As per the report, 26425 grave violations were committed against children in 2020, including attacks on schools and hospitals.
• About 19,300 children affected by war in 2020 were victims of grave violations like killing, maiming or rape.
• As per report, recruitment & use of children, killing & maiming were most prevalent grave violations against children which is followed by denial of humanitarian access & abduction.
• Crimes of abduction has increased by 90%, incidents of rape & other forms of sexual violence have increased by 70% in 2020.
• Wars of adults have taken away childhood of millions of boys and girls in 2020.
• One in four children affected by grave violations like rare & other forms of sexual violence were girls. 98% of incidents of sexual violence perpetrated against girls.

SOURCE:TH