Current Affairs, News & Facts of 23 Feb 2015

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• Jul 08, 2016 India’s widening gender gap a concern : ILO 

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  There is a difference of 25 per cent in workforce participation rate of men and women worldwide but in India it is up to 40 per cent.

  International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director General Guy Ryder has expressed concerns over the widening gender gap in workforce in India.

  ILO will work with the government in its labour reform process by bringing in international experience and setting international labour standards. The reforms would probably bridge the gap of  gender gap in workforce in India.

  India does poorly in comparison to its neighbours despite a more robust economic growth. In 2015, women comprised of 43% of the labour force in Bangladesh,

  The rate has also increased in Pakistan, while participation has remained relatively stable in Sri Lanka. Myanmar with 79% and Malaysia with 49% are also way ahead of India.

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• Jul 08, 2016 BRICS drug control meeting begins in New Delhi  

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  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the second anti-drug Working Group meeting of Heads of Drug Control Agencies of BRICS  in New Delhi to discuss issues related to narco-terrorism and money laundering. The meeting is being organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

  BRICS drug control meeting 2016 : 

  The delegates from the member countries of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) and  the Ambassadors of the respective countries will participate in the meeting.

  The Directors General of Border Guarding Forces and the Paramilitary will also attend the inaugural session along with the heads of the Intelligence and Investigative Agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

  The Indian delegation shall be headed by Shri Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau and shall comprise of officers from the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Health and Family welfare and Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs. 

  Background :

  The anti-drug working group meeting of heads of anti-narcotics agencies has been organised by India in accordance with the ‘eThekwani Declaration’ adopted during the BRICS summit in March 2013 at Durban, South Africa where it was decided that the heads of anti-drug agencies of the five member countries may meet regularly under the aegis of the BRICS anti-drug working group meeting. In keeping with the spirit of the eThekwani Declaration, the first anti-drug working group meeting of BRICS countries was organized at Moscow, Russia in November, 2015. 

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• Jul 07, 2016 Cabinet approves setting up a Major port at Enayam near Colachel in Tamil Nadu 

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  The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its 'in-principle' approval for setting up a Major port at Enayam near Colachel in Tamil Nadu. 

  Background : At present, there are only a few ports in India that have sufficient draft and can match global cargo handling efficiencies. Currently, all of India's trans-shipment traffic gets handled in Colombo, Singapore and other international ports. Indian port industry loses out upto Rs 1,500 Crores of revenues each year. 

  Significance of Enayam port :

  Establishing this Major port at Enayam will not only act as a major gateway container port for Indian cargo that is presently trans-shipped outside the country, but also become a trans-shipment hub for the global East-West trade route. 

  Enayam will also reduce the logistics cost for exporters and importers in South India who currently depend on trans-shipment in Colombo or other ports thus incurring additional port handling charges. 

  Note : Currently India has 12 major ports. They are Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Managlore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V.O. Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

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