Women’s Workforce Participation
- A report notes that women's participation in the country's workforce has had a massive fall from 36.7 % in 2005 to a low 26 % in 2018.
- There are about 19.5 crore women employed in the unorganized sector or in unpaid work in the country.
- The lack of access to quality education and the widening digital divide limits women from gaining employable skill-sets and entering the workforce.
- The employment ratio of women remains low despite the increasing focus on re-skilling and up-skilling of workforce in general and women in particular, in line with the evolving industry needs.
- The empowerment of women can be facilitated by
- better access to quality education
- gaining managerial, leadership and soft skills
- attaining financial and digital literacy
- influencing social settings and building support systems
- access to resources like finance, technology, raw materials, talent and joining the right networks
Marine Heat-waves
- The number of marine heat-wave days has increased by more than 50% since the mid-20th century.
- Marine heat-waves have damaged ecosystems across the globe and are poised to become even more destructive.
- It is becoming more frequent and prolonged.
- For instance a 10-week marine heat-wave near Western Australia in 2011 shattered an entire ecosystem and permanently pushed commercial fish species into colder waters.
Rationale behind fog formation
- Fog is a cloud of small water droplets that is near ground level.
- It is also sufficiently dense to reduce horizontal visibility to less than 1,000 meters.
- During daytime, the earth gets heated due to exposure to sunlight.
- At night, if the skies are clear, all this heat is radiated into space causing the ground and the air above it to cool down.
- When this happens, the water vapour in the air condenses on tiny, suspended particles like dust, aerosol, etc. creating a fog.
- Fog does not form during summer because the ground gets very hot but summer nights being shorter, there is not enough time for the ground to cool completely.
- Winter nights are long and cool and more suitable for fog formation.
- This fog stays until the heat of the sun evaporates the condensed water droplets in the fog.
White Label ATM
- The Reserve Bank of India has allowed white-label ATM operators (WLAOs) to display advertisements pertaining to non-financial products/services within the WLA premises, among others.
- White label ATMs are set up by non-banking entities.
- Broadly, ATMs differ from WLAs in two ways:
- In case of a White Label ATM, the logo displayed on the ATM machine and in the ATM premises pertain to the WLA operator instead of a bank.
- Cash deposits are not accepted at WLAs as it is not permitted by the RBI at present
- The country’s first WLA was set up by the Tatas’ Indicash in 2013.
- Non-bank entities were allowed by the RBI to set up White Label ATMs as banks won’t be able to provide their ATM facilities in each and every place.
- At present, cash crunch following demonetization and transaction fees that do not cover costs are affecting these services hardly.
WHO Reforms
- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced sweeping reforms to modernize and strengthen the organization.
- It would align its processes and structures with the triple-billion targets:
- One billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage
- One billion more people better protected from health emergencies
- One billion more people enjoying better health and well-being
- Its new structure and operating model would also align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
- Among 17 SDGs set by the UN in 2015, at No.3 was ‘Good Health and Well-being’.
- WHO announced a slew of new structures:
- A division of the chief scientist
- A department of digital health
- A division of data
- A division of emergency preparedness
- Soumya Swaminathan will be the first to hold the Chief Scientist position.
- She was moved from the position of Deputy Director-General of WHO
Source: PIB, The Hindu, Down to Earth
