Today's GK(1,2-oct-13)

Abdullah Abdullah to contest

Prominent Afghan opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah declared his candidacy on Tuesday for next year’s presidential election, a key vote that will help determine the success or failure of 12 years of U.S.-led military and political intervention.

Mr. Abdullah Abdullah was the runner up to President Hamid Karzai in the 2009 elections, dropping out just ahead of a runoff vote following allegations of massive fraud in the first round.

The April 5 vote will elect the President and provincial councils countrywide. They are considered critical in determining Afghanistan’s future following the withdrawal of all foreign combat troops at the end of 2014.

Coal India reports 4.7 per cent growth in first half of 2013-14

BNP MP given death for 1971 war crimes

A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal on Tuesday awarded death penalty to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, a top ranking opposition leader, for murder and genocide during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.

Nine of the 23 charges levelled against Chowdhury (64) were proved “beyond doubt”. He was a leading youth activist of Muslim League then, became Minister later and is now a presidium member of main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP),

A firebrand critic of the liberation war and secular politics, Chowdhury received death penalty for four charges, including genocide; 20-years for three charges; and five-years each for two other charges.

15.7 million undernourished people live in developed countries: U.N.

About 842 million people, or roughly one in eight, suffered from chronic hunger in 2011-13, down from 868 million people reported for the 2010-12 period, according to the new State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2013 report released on Tuesday by United Nations food agencies.

Interestingly, the agencies observed that while a vast majority of hungry people lived in developing regions, 15.7 million lived in developed countries.

This does not surprise Supreme Court-appointed Food Commissioner and National Advisory Council (NAC) member N.C. Saxena who told The Hindu that although hunger has reduced in China and South-east Asia, there always has been some hunger even in the U.S. and some European countries. “It is not as if everything is hunky-dory in developed countries. I was reading a report that said that 16 per cent people in the U.S. are below poverty line.”

At the same time, he said that “the record of reducing hunger in India and South Asia is not so good. If you look at the cereal consumption of the poor in India, it has remained stagnant or even gone down because they tend to spend their incremental income on health, transport or even tobacco. It is not just high prices of food but lack of demand. It is very unfortunate.”

The report, published every year by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture Development and the World Food Programme, defined chronic hunger as “not getting enough food to lead active and healthy life.”

Continued economic growth in developing countries improved incomes and access to food. Higher farm productivity growth, supported by increased public investment and renewed interest of private investors in agriculture improved food availability.

In addition, in some countries, remittances from migrants were playing a role in poverty reduction, leading to better diets and food security, the report noted.

Calling for nutrition-sensitive interventions in agriculture and food systems as a whole as well as in public health and education, the report said policies aimed at enhancing farm productivity and food availability could achieve hunger reduction even where poverty was widespread.

Substantial reductions in both, the number of hungry and prevalence of undernourishment, have occurred in most countries of East Asia, Southeastern Asia and in Latin America. Sub-Saharan Africa has made only modest progress in recent years and has the highest prevalence of undernourishment with one in four people (24.8 per cent) estimated to be hungry.

The developing regions, the report says, have made a significant progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target of halving the proportion of hungry people by 2015. It says that if the average decline since 1990 continues till 2015, then the prevalence of undernourishment will reach a level close to the MDG hunger target.

The report underscored that “economic growth is the key for progress in hunger reduction,” but added that growth may not lead to more and better jobs and incomes for all, unless policies specifically target the poor, especially those in rural areas.

“In poor countries, hunger and poverty reduction will only be achieved with growth that is not only sustained but also broadly shared,” the report observed.

The findings and recommendations of the report will be discussed by representatives of governments, civil society and private sector next week at a meeting of the Committee of Food Security at the FAO headquarters in Rome.

Slum population up by 25% in 10 years

Newly released census data shows families living in slums have a far better child sex ratio than the urban Indian average. Over a third of India’s slum-dwellers live in unrecognised slums.

Over 65 million people lived in slums in 2011, up by 25 per cent from 52 million in 2001, but slum populations have grown slower than the average urban population over the last decade. The average household living in a slum is no larger than an average urban Indian household, with 4.7 family members. The child sex ratio (0-6 years) of an average slum household is 922 girls for every 1,000 boys, compared to 905 for urban India.

Scheduled Castes (SCs) are over-represented in slums, with one out of every 5 slums residents belonging to SC, compared to just over one out of 10 for urban India as a whole. The proportion of SCs living in slums has risen over the last decade. They have far better sex ratios than other urban communities.

The literacy rate in slums is now up to 77.7% but still lags behind the urban average. Both men and women living in slums participate at a higher rate in the workforce than the urban average, even though fewer have employment through the year.

Newly released census data shows families living in slums have a far better child sex ratio than the urban Indian average. Over a third of India’s slum-dwellers live in unrecognised slums.

Over 65 million people lived in slums in 2011, up by 25 per cent from 52 million in 2001, but slum populations have grown slower than the average urban population over the last decade. The average household living in a slum is no larger than an average urban Indian household, with 4.7 family members. The child sex ratio (0-6 years) of an average slum household is 922 girls for every 1,000 boys, compared to 905 for urban India.

Scheduled Castes (SCs) are over-represented in slums, with one out of every 5 slums residents belonging to SC, compared to just over one out of 10 for urban India as a whole. The proportion of SCs living in slums has risen over the last decade. They have far better sex ratios than other urban communities.

The literacy rate in slums is now up to 77.7% but still lags behind the urban average. Both men and women living in slums participate at a higher rate in the workforce than the urban average, even though fewer have employment through the year.

Cabinet withdraws ordinance on lawmakers

The National Voluntary Blood Donation Day observed on 1 October

The National Voluntary Blood Donation Day on 1 October celebrated every year in India since on 1 October 1975.It is organised by National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) and National AIDS Control Organisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Government of India.

The main objectives of National Voluntary Blood Donation Day

• To increase awareness among the people and the importance of voluntary blood donation.
• To achieve 100 percent Voluntary Blood Donation, so as to be able to give the safest blood to the needy patients.
• To have enough blood stock in our blood banks for any eventuality.
• To give our thanks and reinforce the self esteem of those who donate blood voluntarily, so that they continue to do so regularly.
• To inspire those who has not donated blood but are in good health, to start donating blood.
• To inspire those donors who donate blood only for their relatives or friends, to donate voluntarily.

Health Ministry launched Several Schemes for Assam

Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad on 1 September 2013 launched several new health initiatives worth 500 crores rupees under NRHM for the strengthening of healthcare services in Assam at Guwahati today. The new initiatives are - Free Generic Drug Service, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya karyakram (RBSK), National Iron Plus Initiative, Fleet of 359 New Ambulances for National Ambulance Service. Shri Azad also inaugurated Mother & Child Tracking System Call Centre and Tele-Radiology Project under NRHM.

In addition, Health Ministry also laid the foundation stone of 14 MCH Wings of various District Hospitals which are being constructed at the cost of more than 320 crores rupees to cater to the increased demand of institutional deliveries, as also improve the maternal & child health. These MCHs wings upon becoming functional will provide 1400 additional beds to the health system of Assam.

The National Coalition Won The Parliamentary Elections in Australia

The National coalition won the Parliamentary elections in Australia .The result of the House of Representatives (Lower house of Parliament of Australia) was declared by the Australian Electoral Commission on 8 September 2013. The National coalition is a coalition of four Parties the Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal National Party, National Party of Australia and Country Liberal Party.
The National coalition appointed Tony Abbott of The Liberal Party as leader of the National coalition. He will become the Prime Minister of Australia and successor of Kevin Rudd of the Labor Party.

The National coalition got 90 seats out of 150 seats in The House of the Representative. The ruling Labor Party was successful in winning 57 seats. The Green Party and Katter’s Australia Party got 1 seat each. The total turnout of the voters was 77.26 percent. The National coalition got 53.15 percent and Labor Party got 46.85 percent.

Ranjan Mathai Appointed as India's High Commissioner to United Kingdom

Former Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on 20 September 2013 was appointed as India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He will succeed noted economist and veteran diplomat Dr Jaimini Bhagwati. However, he will take up the charge of the office later.

Italy PM Letta wins confidence vote after Berlusconi U-turn

Premier Enrico Letta has won a confidence vote in the Italian Senate after Silvio Berlusconi delivered an about-face and announced he would support the government.

With a few dozen votes still being counted, Mr. Letta had more than 230 “yes” votes in the 321-member Senate, far more than he needed to keep his five-month-old coalition alive.

The actual voting was anticlimactic after Mr. Berlusconi acknowledged defeat and said he would support Mr. Letta after defections in his party robbed him of the backing he needed to bring down the government.

Vice President of India released a commemorative postage stamp of Baba Jumdev

The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari released a commemorative postage stamp in the memory of Baba Jumdev at a function in Gondia, Maharashtra on 30 September 2013. Baba Jumdev was a prominent spiritual leader and revered social activist. He was a spiritual guide and a social reformer for who worked towards the service of humanity.