UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 148 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 1st January 2020 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Swachh Sarvekshan League 2020: National Cleanliness RankingsPart of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Health and Sanitation In News Jamshedpur and Indore have emerged as the cleanest cities with a population upto 10 lakh and upto 20 lakh respectively in India. Swachh Survekshan League 2020 (SS League 2020) was introduced with the objective of sustaining the onground performance of cities along with continuous monitoring of service level performance when it comes to cleanliness SS League 2020 is being conducted by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in three quarters (April-June, July-September and October-December) Sustainability of the sanitation chain has been focused in SS League 2020 whereby parameters such as wastewater treatment and reuse, and faecal sludge management have been given special attention. SS League will be integrated with Swachh Survekshan 2020, the 5th edition of the annual cleanliness survey of urban India. The performance of cities in SS League 2020 is crucial to their ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2020 due to the 25% weightage of the quarterly assessments to be included in the annual survey scheduled to commence from 4 January till 31 January 2020. Bhima-Koregaon battle of 1818: 202nd Anniversary Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I- Modern History In News The battle was fought on 1 January 1818 between the British East India Company and the Peshwa faction of the Maratha Confederacy, at Koregaon Bhima, a small village in Pune district of Maharashtra, A few hundred Mahar soldiers of the East India Company, led by the British, defeated the massive Peshwa army, led by Peshwa Bajirao II The Vijay Sthamb (victory pillar) was erected by the East India Company in memory of those who fought the battle. The names of the Mahar soldiers who unknowingly brought an end to the Peshwa rule in 1818 are inscribed on the pillar. The Dalits who follow BR Ambedkar view this battle as a victory of Mahars over the injustice and torture meted out to them by the Brahminical Peshwas. Chandrayaan-3: Launch this year Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Space Science & technology In News India will launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020, government stated, asserting that the mission cost will be less than Chandrayaan-2. The experience gathered from Chandrayaan-2 and available infrastructure would bring down the cost of Chandrayaan-3 Value Addition for Prelims Chandrayaan-2 mission was India's first attempt to land on lunar surface. The ISRO had planned the landing on the South Pole of the lunar surface. However, the lander Vikram hard-landed. Nevertheless, the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter remains in good health ISRO’s new commercial arm New Space India Ltd. (NSIL) will oversee the technology transfer to the private sector and manufacturing of space components by the industry. Department of Military Affairs (DMA): Created in the Defence Ministry, Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Security In News The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) has been created in the Defence Ministry, and General Bipin Rawat who is the new Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) will head it. The DMA will be the fifth department in the Ministry after the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the Department of Defence Research and Development and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. The DMA’s mandate includes promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services; facilitating restructuring of the military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about a jointness in operations, including through the establishment of joint/theatre commands and promoting use of indigenous equipment The DMA would deal with The armed forces; The integrated headquarters of the Ministry, comprising the Army, Naval and Air and defence staff headquarters; The Territorial Army; and Works relating to the three services and procurement exclusive to them, except capital acquisitions. National Population Register(NPR): Trial form gets governments approval Part of: GS Prelims and GS II- Governance In News NPR form used at the trial stage in September 2019 is likely to be finalised as the authorities did not receive any adverse feedback from a sample set of respondents. Around 30 lakh people responded to the “pretest” form that was used to collect data in 74 districts. It sought details on 21 parameters, especially the “place of birth of father and mother, the last place of residence”, along with Aadhaar (optional), voter ID card, mobile phone and driving licence numbers. Value Addition for Prelims NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It includes both Indian citizens as well as a foreign citizen. According to the Citizenship Rules, 2003, a usual resident is a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more. The entire NPR exercise will be conducted by the Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) under the Union Home Ministry. The first NPR was prepared in 2010 and updation of this data was done during 2015 by conducting door to door survey. In the last NPR done in 2010, the data was collected on the 15 points and it did not include ‘date and place of birth of parents’ and last place of residence. The present NPR has a database of 119 crore residents. 5G: India decides to include Chinese telecom major Huawei in the 5G trial Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Science & Technology In News 5G is the 5th generation mobile network which will take much larger role than previous mobile network generations 1G delivered analog voice. 2G introduced digital voice (e.g., CDMA). 3G brought mobile data (e.g., CDMA2000). 4G LTE ushered in the era of mobile Internet. 5G supports new services (like IoT), uses spectrum better than 4G, faster than 4G(up to 20 Gigabits-per-second) and has more capacity than 4G (it will support a 100x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency) Inclusion of the tech giant in the Indian scene had become a diplomatic issue with opposition from the U.S. and Japan. The Chinese major was banned by the U.S. in May 2019 on issues of security & privacy which led to an international campaign to stop other countries from including it in 5G projects MAINS FOCUS POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate Chief of Defence Staff (CDS): Gen. Bipin Rawat Appointed as first CDS Context: General Bipin Rawat (December 30) appointed the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a newly created post meant to enhance the quality of military advice to the political leadership through integration of service inputs. The CDS is a high military office that will oversee and coordinate the working of the three Services, and offer seamless tri-service views and single-point advice to the Executive (in India’s case, to the Prime Minister) on long-term defence planning and management, including manpower, equipment and strategy, and above all, “jointsmanship” in operations. Need for Chief of Defence Staff In general, the policy formulation is done by Defense Secretary, who is a bureaucrat, while its execution rests with Chiefs of armed forces. This makes defence policy incoherent. The emergence of modern warfare domains like Space, Cyber etc, requires a more integrated approach to defense strategy. A group of ministers that was formed in 2001 to explore necessary reforms required to improve India's national security had also favoured creating the post of Chief of Defence Staff. In 2012 Naresh Chandra task force recommended the appointment of a permanent chairman of chiefs of staff committee. The permanent chairman of chiefs of staff committee is the senior most of the three Chiefs. The CDS is also one of the 99 recommendations made by the Lt. General D.B. Shekatkar (retd.) committee (2016). Significance The creation of the CDS will eventually lead to the formation of tri-service theatre commands intended to create vertical integration of the three forces. This is expected to save money by avoiding duplication between the Services, at a time of shrinking capital expenditure within the defence budget. It will help India in Defense diplomacy. United States: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff According to the US Department of Defence website, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the nation’s highest-ranking military officer and the principal military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defence (equivalent to Minister for Defence in India) and the National Security Council. United Kingdom: Chief of the Defence Staff The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the Armed Forces and principal military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence (equivalent to Minister for Defence in India) and the government. The UK CDS reports to the Defence Secretary and the Prime Minister. Australia: Chief of the Defence Force Australia has a diarchy system, under which the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary for the Department of Defence (a senior civilian public servant in the Ministry) jointly manage the Defence organisation, per the Department of Defence website. Challenges: The KRC Report pointed out that India is the only major democracy where the Armed Forces Headquarters is outside the apex governmental structure. It observed that Service Chiefs devote most of their time to their operational roles, “often resulting in negative results”. Long-term defence planning suffers as day-to-day priorities dominate. Also, the Prime Minister and Defence Minister do not have the benefit of the views and expertise of military commanders, in order to ensure that higher level defence management decisions are more consensual and broadbased. The CDS is also seen as being vital to the creation of “theatre commands”, integrating tri-service assets and personnel like in the US military. Connecting the dots: Do you think CDS is required for India? Do you think CDS will create co-ordination between all the three wings of the defence? INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. US-China: ‘phase one’ trade deal to be signed January 15 Context: United States and China recently announced a “Phase One” agreement With this US will reduce some tariffs in exchange for increased Chinese purchases of American farm and energy goods. Background: Donald Trump in 2018 began setting tariffs and other trade barriers on China with the goal of forcing it to make changes to what the U.S. says are “unfair trade practices” of China Among those trade practices and their effects are the growing trade deficit, the theft of intellectual property, and the forced transfer of American technology to China The trade war has brought struggles for farmers and manufacturers and higher prices for consumers. It has also caused economic damage In some countries, some countries have benefited from increased manufacturing to fill the gaps. It has also led to stock market instability. Impact of trade war on India : The US manufacturers are setting up their bases in India. For India, this will be beneficial as it would create more jobs for us. There is a possibility that China could soon start flooding excess steel and aluminium into India’s market after this raised tariffs on Chinese products by US. Mobile phones, refrigerators, washing machines, ACs, water purifiers, and possibly electric vehicles will now see increased investment flow directed towards India. The Indian consumers will get the products at a cheaper rate but the domestic producers of India will have to compete with the Chinese imports or else face loss. Indian producers will get an opportunity to fill this generated gap and penetrate in the US market. This will increase their trade and profit. There will be a short-term impact on the stock markets. Features: The US will halve its 15 per cent tariff on about $120 billion in Chinese goods China has agreed to increase its total purchases of US goods and services by at least $200 billion over the next two years. Also included is a commitment by China to increase its buying of US agricultural products Addresses unfair currency practices by committing to refrain from competitive devaluations and exchange rate targeting. “This approach will help reinforce macroeconomic and exchange rate stability and help ensure that China cannot use currency practices to unfairly compete against U.S. exporters” China have agreed not to pressure foreign companies to transfer their technology to Chinese companies. The agreement also include a dispute-resolution mechanism that will serve as the enforcement arm. Critics: It would bring only temporary relief in the over 18-month-old trade war between the US and China. Does little to resolve the United States’ biggest concerns about China’s trade practices, including its use of industrial subsidies and state-owned enterprises to dominate global industries like steel and solar panels. The deal would increase Chinese purchases of American agricultural and energy products, It limits on China’s ability to weaken its currency and provide greater protection to US companies that are operating in China. Way forward: China and the United States, the world’s two largest economies, must deal with bilateral economic and trade relations with the big picture in mind. Reaching the agreement will serve the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries and the world, It is expected to bring positive influences on areas including economy, trade, investment and the financial market Conclusion: The economic and political benefits of de-escalation in the trade war have become readily apparent. A rollback of tariffs and cancellation of new levies, makes sense for the US economy and for the World economy. Connecting the dots: Do you think Phase One” agreement make a positive impact on Indian economy? How does this impact India- US relations? (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Chandrayaan-2 Mission Chandrayaan-2 mission was India's first attempt to land on lunar surface. The ISRO had planned the landing on the South Pole of the lunar surface Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Military Affairs Department The department will be headed by Defence Secretary It will facilitate restructuring of the military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about a jointness in operations, including through the establishment of joint/theatre commands Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) The National Population Register exercise will be carried out by which body/Ministry? Office of the Registrar General of India, Union Home Ministry National Sample Survey Office Prime Minister’s Office None of the above Q.4) Consider the following statements about 5G While 4G LTE focused on delivering the data much faster, 5G will also support new services such as mission-critical communications and Internet of Things (IoT). 5G has lower latency than 4G i.e. it has the potential to deliver more instantaneous, real-time access: a 10x decrease in end-to-end latency down to 1ms. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 31 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 B 3 B 4 B MUST READ A group of theocracies: On why India should rebuff OIC on Kashmir The Hindu It is everybody’s Constitution The Hindu Weighing in on the public sector privatisation debate The Hindu An anatomy of anti-CAA protests The Hindu Groundwater gets the priority it’s due ET NITI Aayog’s SDG report sheds light on uneven progress in states, suggests roadmap for intervention. IE
National Population Register ARCHIVES Search 28th Dec, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. In News: The Union Cabinet recently approved a proposal to conduct Census 2021 and update the National Population Register (NPR) in all the States/UTs except Assam. The Government will spend Rs 8,754 crore for the Census 2021 and Rs 3,941 crore for updating the NPR. National Population Register (NPR): The NPR is a register of usual residents of the country. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. It includes both Indian citizens as well as a foreign citizen. The objective of the NPR: To create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The first National Population Register was prepared in 2010 and updating this data was done during 2015 by conducting door to door survey. Also essential for providing good governance Citizenship Act: It is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District, State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. The announcement on the NPR came amid continuing protests against the recent Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, in many parts of the country NPR connected to NRC? The Citizenship Act empowers the government to compulsorily register every citizen and maintain a National Register of Indian Citizens. A nationwide NRC — if undertaken — would flow out of NPR. This does not necessarily mean that an NRC must follow NPR — no such register was compiled after the previous NPR in 2010. After a list of residents is created, a nationwide NRC — if it happens — could go about verifying the citizens from that list. Concerns: NRC or NPR exercise, in combination with the recently enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, could lead to disenfranchisement and harassment of the poor and undocumented segments of the population was not born out of anyone’s imagination Where does Aadhaar fit in? There is a little back story about NPR and Aadhaar. The two were considered rival projects under the UPA government of Manmohan Singh. When NPR process began in the government, P Chidambaram was the Union home minister, who pushed the population register project aggressively. Aadhaar was taking shape with equally aggressive push from then Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee (who later became the President of India -- a development that saw Chidamabaram moving to the finance ministry and also an end to NPR-Aadhaar rivalry). Both the NPR and Aadhaar projects were concurrently underway collecting demographic and biometric data. Initially, both had better and targeted delivery of benefits and services to people as their objectives. The works of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the home ministry were viewed as duplication and wastage of resources. The conflict, however, ended in a compromise between the home ministry and the UIDAI where it was decided that NPR and Aadhaar databases will be used for different purposes. Aadhaar will deliver welfare services and NPR will be used for other purposes of governance. It was also decided that those already enrolled for Aadhaar need not give their biometric details during NPR exercise. The NPR data were to be matched with Aadhaar data for de-duplication. But the final formula gave NPR an upper hand. It was agreed that in case of discrepancy between Aadhaar and NPR data, NPR would prevail. Simply put, NPR conducted in accordance with the Citizenship Amendment Act 2003 will form the key data set for both Aadhaar and NRIC. Criticisms The NRC, as it was rolled out in Assam, puts the burden of proof on citizens to establish that they are indeed citizens. The undocumented and the poor will bear the brunt of this approach. The proposed format for enumerating the NPR only exacerbates this concern and adds a third axis to the ongoing confusion and turmoil. With the passage of the CAA, and the announcement of the NRIC, there is enough factual basis for doubting the government’s claim that the NPR has nothing to do with the NRIC. Advantages Identify own citizens: Provide a comprehensive identity database with relevant demographic details leading to better formulation of policies as well as aid national security Streamline data: Will ease the life as targeted population for government help will be better served and paperwork and red tape will be cut down on Eliminate duplication: Would also eliminate duplication in voter lists Way forward: If the government has a rethink on its strident position on the NRC, it must say so upfront, and at any rate desist from denigrating critics. Conclusion: The NPR is not about citizenship but only about residency. However, when additional questions such as “place of birth of father and mother”, etc are being proposed for the forthcoming exercise, the concern that this may be a prelude to the NRIC is logical. Connecting the dots: Do you think NPR creates confusion among people? Explain Are NPR NRC and CAA are interrelated? Examine.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Kerala is in the top slot Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Federalism; GS-III- Sustainable Development In News NITI Aayog has released its latest SDG India Index 2019, which assesses each state and Union Territory’s achievement on 16 sustainable development goals (SDG). A score of 100 implies that the state/ UT has achieved targets set for 2030 Kerala is in the top slot with a score of 70, while Bihar is at the bottom with 50. Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim have joined the four southern States among the front-runners, which scored over 65 points out of a possible 100 Ending hunger and achieving gender equality are the areas where most States fall far short, with the all-India scores at a dismal 35 and 42 points respectively. Value Addition for Prelims The SDGs are a set of 17 broad-based global goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, and intended to be achieved by 2030 The UN has developed 232 indicators to measure compliance by member nations. The NITI Aayog has adapted the monitoring approach to the Indian context, with 100 indicators of its own for the Index. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st December 2019 Src: click here Chief of Defence Staff: Gen. Rawat Appointed as first CDS Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Security In News The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is a high military office that oversees and coordinates the working of the three Services He offers seamless tri-service views and single-point advice to the Executive ( Prime Minister) on long-term defence planning and management, including manpower, equipment and strategy, and above all, “jointsmanship” in operations. The upper age limit for the CDS has been fixed at 65 years. Service chiefs have a tenure of three years or 62 years, whichever is earlier. However, the tenure of CDS has not been fixed Read more here: https://iasbaba.com/2019/12/chief-of-defence-staff-cds-union-cabinet-gives-approval/ Regional Reservations: Karnataka Students in National Law School Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II- Federalism, Development In News In order to provide reservation to those students who have studied in Karnataka for at least 10 years, Karnataka government is mulling passing a bill that provide 25% reservation to such students in National Law School of India University (NLSIU) A similar Bill, proposing 50% reservation to Kannadigas, was passed in 2017. However, the Governor sent it back, saying that such a regional reservation could not be accepted. NLSIU at Bangalore was established was established by a statute passed by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Karnataka (NLSIU Karnataka Act 22 of 1986). The statute states that Chief Justice of India serves as the school's chancellor. Electro-kinetic streaming: To produce energy from flowing or stagnant water Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Science & Technology In News Researchers at the IIT-Guwahati (IIT-G) has developed materials that can produce energy from flowing or stagnant water in households. Electro-kinetic streaming potential: When fluids stream through tiny channels(made up of special semiconducting material) that are charged, they can generate an electrical voltage, which may be harnessed through miniaturised generators. Devices with doped graphene flakes was also fabricated for generating power by dipping it in a bucket of water or any stagnant water source to “complementary charge transfer activities” Graphene is the sheet produced by oxidation followed by reduction of natural graphite flakes. Value Addition for Prelims - Graphene: Graphene is a form of carbon and a super-strong, ultra-light material discovered in 2004 Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, each atom bound to its neighbours by chemical bonds. It enables flexible electronic components, enhances solar cell capacity, and promises to revolutionise batteries. Indian State of Forest Report 2019 (ISFR) Part of: GS Prelims and GS II- Governance; GS-III- Environment In News The ISFR is a biennial publication of Forest Survey of India (FSI) an organization under the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change Government of India The report assesses the forest and tree cover, bamboo resources, carbon stock and forest fires. At 7,12,249 sqkm, the forest cover constituted 21.67% of the nation’s geographical area or 0.12% more than last year. The forest cover in the country increased by 3,976 square kilometres (sqkm) but with the sharpest declines in the northeastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram. However, these states have higher proportion of forest than most States — Mizoram (85.4%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.63%) and Nagaland (75% The top three States showing an increase in forest cover are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Tree cover, defined as patches of trees less than 1 hectare and occurring outside the recorded forest area, grew by 1,212 sqkm Tree and forest cover together made up 25.56% of India’s area. In the last assessment it was 24.39%. Quality of forest — in terms of the canopy density of the trees comprising forest patches — is wavering. National Forest Policy, 1988 had envisaged 33% of total area to be under tree and forest cover. Ujjwala scheme, which provides free cooking gas to extremely poor families, has had a positive impact on reducing the demand for fuelwood. (MAINS FOCUS) HISTORY TOPIC: General Studies 1: Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country Inter- state border dispute : Maharashtra-Karnataka Belgaum tension (Part-1) In news: Recently Bus services between Kolhapur and Belgaum were suspended after the decades-old border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka flared up again. Various Kannada organisations had staged a protest in Belgaum and burnt the effigy of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Do you know? The dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over Belgaum and other border areas is a longstanding issue between the two states, and has been pending before the Supreme Court for many years. Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st December 2019 Src: Frontline History: In 1947, the Belgaum district became a part of the Bombay State. In 1948, the Belgaum Municipality that was dominated by Marathi speaking politicians requested Indian Constituent Assembly and the Boundary Commission to include the Belgaum in the proposed Maharashtra state for the Marathi speakers. In accordance to the established policy of bifurcation on linguistic majority basis, in 1956, the Belgaum district was incorporated into the newly formed Mysore state (now Karnataka) with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act(The Act, reorganised India's states along linguistic and administrative lines) Adjoining areas which had majority of Marathi speaking citizens were included in the newly formed Maharashtra state. included Belgaum in the Kannada-majority Karnataka, the district had most of the Marathi-speaking population hence the ‘dispute’ arised. Data: In the 1881 census, Belgaum had 864,014 people of which 556,397 were Kannada-speaking (64.39%), while 225,008 were Marathi-speaking (26.04%) Mahajan committee: The Government of India constituted Mahajan Committee in 1960 to look into the case,But it failed to reach an agreement Summary of the Mahajan committee report: Belgaum to continue in Karnataka Around 247 villages/places including Jatta, Akkalakote, Sholapur to be part of Karnataka Around 264 villages/places including Nandagad, Nippani Khanapur to be part of Maharashtra Kasaragod (of Kerala) to be part of Karnataka Response to the report: The Maharashtra and Kerala government refuted the recommendations of the report and demanded another review of the issue. Maharashtra government termed the findings of the reports as biased and self-contradictory because the "formula" applied for Kasaragod was not applied for Belgaum. Maharashtra Government insisted that the report is against the "wish of people" of Belgaum. Kerala, on the other hand, refused to hand over Kasaragod to Karnataka. The Karnataka government, continued to press for the implementation of the report or maintaining status quo. What Maharashtra wanted? Maharashtra wanted to apply following points and agreed to hand over Kannada majority villages to Karnataka: Villages as a unit Geographical proximity/integrity Marathi or Kannada speakers "relative majority"; in case of villages with no population, it should be merged with that state where the owners of that land reside People's wish Karnataka Government, wanted status quo to be maintained. Connecting the dots: Do you think this dispute is detrimental for the integrity of the country? How do you think the dispute can be resolved? TECHNOLOGY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. Internet rights: Internet shutdown in India In news: In Kashmir, the government imposed a complete. The enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act led to protests all over the country and State governments responded by suspending the Internet. The Software Freedom Law Centre data says there have been more than a 100 Internet shutdowns in different parts of India in 2019 alone. Universal Declaration of Human Rights Internationally, the right to access to the Internet can be rooted in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Human Rights Council The Human Rights Council of the United Nations Resolution dated 2018, noted with concern the various forms of undue restriction on freedom of opinion and expression online, including where countries have manipulated or suppressed online expression in violation of international law. Recommendation by: Justice BN Srikrishna Committee The appropriateness of a right to be forgotten in specific circumstances would require that the right to privacy be balanced with the freedom of speech It called right to confirmation, access and correction to be included in the data protection law. Kerala High Court: In Faheema Shirin v. State of Kerala, the Kerala High Court declared the right to Internet access as a fundamental right forming a part of the right to privacy and the right to education under Article 21 of the Constitution This judgment acknowledges the role of the right to access Internet in accessing other fundamental rights Observations by the Court The Court observed that the internet acts as a learning tool and nobody can impose restrictions on it, citing discipline. The petitioner argued that the restriction on the use of internet amounted to a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. The Kerala HC in response cited the Supreme Court judgment in the S. Rengarajan and others v/s P. Jagjivan Ram case (1989) that the fundamental freedom under Article 19(1)(a) can be reasonably restricted only for the purposes mentioned in the Article 19(2). Conclusion: Internet broadband and mobile Internet services are a lifeline to people in India from all walks of life. While the Internet is certainly a main source of information and communication and access to social media, it is so much more than that. Hence it is high time to recognise the right to Internet access as a fundamental right. Connecting the dots: Do you think Internet access should be a basic human right? What do you think about Kerala high court decision? (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements about Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) The upper age limit for the CDS has been fixed at 65 years. Similar to Service Chiefs, the tenure of CDS has been fixed at three years. Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements about Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) The SDGs are a set of 17 broad-based global goals adopted at Rio+2- conference in 2012, and intended to be achieved by 2030 Kerala tops the States in progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while Bihar is at the bottom of the NITI Aayog’s SDG Index. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statements The Indian State of Forest Report is a biennial publication of NITI Aayog which assesses the forest and tree cover, bamboo resources, carbon stock and forest fires National Forest Policy, 1988 has envisaged 33% of India’s total geographical area to be under tree and forest cover. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Graphene Graphene is a form of silicon and a super-strong, ultra-light material discovered in 2004 It enables flexible electronic components, enhances solar cell capacity, and promises to revolutionise batteries. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 30 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 A 3 B 4 D MUST READ Daring to recast a vision set in stone The Hindu Uncovering the CAA’s larger stratagem The Hindu For a personal healing touch The Hindu Freedom from 3Cs IE Vengeful state IE
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 147 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
Indo-Sweden Bilateral Relations ARCHIVES Search 2nd Dec, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2 Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests India and Sweden have had a bilateral trade turnover of USD 3.37 billion in 2018 and cumulative investments of about USD 2.5 billion since 2000. Bilateral relations between India and Sweden are friendly and based on principles of democracy and transparency, right to freedom, and rule of law. Regular interactions in political, business, scientific and academic spheres have provided dynamism to the bilateral ties of the two countries. Historically, India and Sweden have always had an atypical diplomatic relationship even though both sides have established sound business and investment ties that go back to the early 1920s. Market: India has always been a market of immense opportunities for Sweden, with Stockholm selling everything from table mats to warplanes here. At a time when Indian consumers were beginning to learn the concepts of single-brand and multi-brand retail, and that too affordable at that, it was Sweden that entered the country with Ikea and H&M.; Ikea had first announced its plans to foray into India in 2008 but opened its first store, after a decade-long wait, at Hyderabad in 2018. H&M; entered the country in 2015. Defence ties between India and Sweden also go back several years. The turning point, however, was in 1986 when India, then under former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, signed an agreement with Swedish defence major Bofors to procure 155-mm Howitzer field guns. This eventually turned into a huge political controversy post which defence cooperation between India and Sweden took a backseat for a long time. In 2016, when the Modi government conducted the much-talked-about ‘surgical strikes’ on Pakistan, Indian para commandos were believed to have used the Carl Gustav-84 mm rocket launchers, made by the Swedish weapons firm Saab, to hit the terror launchpads. Present… The two sides inked three pacts providing for cooperation in polar science, innovation and research and in maritime spheres – a) India-Sweden High-Level Dialogue on innovation policy: Focus on areas such as digital health, artificial intelligence (AI), future mobility and circular economy. 'Digital health': The programme aims to provide scalable and implementable innovative, sustainable and flexible health solutions in both countries, using artificial intelligence-based technologies as a tool. 'Smart grids': The Swedish Energy Agency has allocated 25 million SEK over the next four years for this industry-led call. b) Launched the Agri-Waste to High Energy Biocoal pilot project: Has been established under the Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) Waste to Wealth Mission A torrefaction pilot plant for the conversion of agri-waste into biocoal at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in Mohali, Punjab. The biocoal made from unutilised crop waste produces 20 times lower emissions than conventional coal. The expected outcomes of this pilot study are: Improved air quality with reduction of crop burning; reduced emissions from use of biocoal as a clean energy source; livelihood generation opportunities for farmers as biocoal production creates new market linkages for agri-waste; soil quality improvement in fields from avoided crop burning, according to a statement. c) 'Smart cities and clean technologies' and 'Digitisation and Internet of Things' The project aims to develop technologies that can be commercialised after two years through joint cooperation between India and Sweden. Vinnova will provide funding to Swedish side participants up to 2,500,000 SEK as grant. On the Indian side, conditional grant of up to 50 per cent with a limit of Rs 1.5 crore per project to Indian project partners will be provided. The Department of Science & Technology, India, and the Swedish Research Council will fund 20 bilateral projects in the area of computer science and material science under the Indo-Swedish Joint Network Grant Awards. The Swedish Research Council will fund 14 million SEK for 2 years for this programme. The Department of Science and Technology will provide activity matching funding to the Indian counterparts. Sweden’s Expectations: The Gripen deal: Sweden is now keenly looking at selling its Gripen warplanes to India under the Modi government’s $12 billion fighter jet deal. Saab, the maker of Gripen, was ready with a plan to build the fighters in the country under the ‘Make in India’ programme in 2016. It had even announced its collaboration with Adani for the project in 2017. 5G network across: Swedish Ericsson is one of the contenders in the 5G race. Note: A. Modi had visited Sweden in April 2018 to take part in the first-ever India-Nordic Summit; he was the first Indian PM to do so in 30 years. The last PM to visit the country was Rajiv Gandhi in 1988. Swedish Monarchy: A monarchy is a form of government in which total sovereignty is invested in one person, a head of state called a monarch who holds the position until death or abdication. The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. According to the website of the Swedish Royal Court, the country has had a monarch for more than 1,000 years. Connecting the Dots: Compare and contrast the history of socialism in Sweden with that of Venezuela.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th December 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) SnowEx: To assess how much water does snow contain Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- Science & Technology In News In order to better understand how water is contained in each winter’s snowfall and how much will be available when it melts in the spring, NASA has launched a seasonal campaign called SnowEx. The goal is to address the most important gaps in our snow remote sensing knowledge, and thus lay the groundwork for a future snow satellite mission. SnowEx assesses where snow has fallen, how much there is and how its characteristics change as it melts. It uses airborne measurements, ground measurements and computer modelling The geographical focus of SnowEx is proposed as North America which contains the six broad snow climate categories identified in the literature: tundra (alpine or Arctic), taiga (Boreal forest), warm (temperate) forest, maritime, prairie, and ephemeral. Dadasaheb Phalke Award Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains I- Culture In News The country’s highest film honour, the DadasahebPhalke award, was presented this year to Amitabh Bachchan The award comes in the year that marks Mr. Bachchan’s golden jubilee in cinema, who made his debut in 1969 DadasahebPhalke (1870–1944), was an Indian film-maker who directed India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913). He is regarded as “the father of Indian cinema.” The award is given to people for their “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema”. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting). The award prize consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a shawl. The award was first presented in 1969. The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema.” Bandhavgarh Forest: Gets its first Elephant Colony Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III- Environment Conservation In News Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh. It is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the Tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. Bandhavgarh National Park consists of mixed vegetation ranging from tall grasslands to thick Sal forest and so is the perfect habitat of variety of animals and birds. Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993. The word Bandhavgarh is a combination of two words: Bandhav+ Garh where Bandhav means brother and Garh means Fort. The name Bandhavgarh given to the reserve is due to the presence of an ancient fort in the hillock of the Vindhya ranges of Umaria. It has been believed that Lord Rama gifted this amazing fort to his younger brother Lakshmana. In the 2019 census Madhya Pradesh state recorded the most number of estimated tigers at 526, thus earning the title “Tiger State” Red sand boa snake: Rare Snake rescued in Madhya Pradesh Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Environment In News Red Sand Boa Snake which worth around ₹1.25 crore, was rescued from five persons, who were trying to sell it in Madhya Pradesh The rare non-poisonous snakes are used for making certain medicines, cosmetics and in black magic, and are in huge demand in the international market They are also believed to bring good luck and wealth. Persons were charged under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Value addition for Prelims The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species. Article 48-A of the Constitution says that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forest and wildlife of the country. Article 51A (g) imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen of India to protect and improve the environment and have compassion for living creatures. Poshan Abhiyaan: Merely 30% of the funds used after 3 years Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Governance & Health In News Barring Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar, none of the state governments used even half of the sum granted in the past three years, according to an analysis of the data shared in Parliament. Average utilization of the funds allotted under the scheme, in the country is 29.97% Value addition for Prelims The Poshan Abhiyaan, the Centrally sponsored scheme, is aimed at improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers and children 50% of the funding comes through budgetary support while remaining 50% is from the World Bank or other multilateral development banks. POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India by 2022. Target:Reducing stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively. US astronaut Christina Koch Part of: GS Prelims and GS III- Science & Technology In News US astronaut Christina Koch set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman when she reached, and crossed, 289 days in her current mission at the International Space Station (ISS). Having reached the ISS in March this year, she is expected to spend a total of 328 days on board before returning to Earth in February 2020. In October 2019, she was part of the first all-female spacewalk, together with Jessica Meir Did you Know? Gennady Padalka of Russia holds the record longest cumulative time spent in space by any astronaut, male or female, accumulating the 878 days (about 2½ years) across five spaceflights between 1998 and 2015. The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station (habitable artificial satellite) in low Earth orbit. The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment Economic crisis: economy in bad shape Context: Growth in the quarter from July to September had slipped to 4.5%.(lowest level recorded in six years) 6.1% nominal GDP growth (real growth plus inflation) the slowest in a decade. Fixed investment slumped to 1%, private consumption growth halved year on year, and manufacturing activity contracted by 1%. Evidences for Slowdown: The 12.2% decline in electricity generation( it is a good barometer of demand generated by all economic activity, not just industrial production.) Metrics one would usually look at to assess economic activity and consumption such as Imports, merchandise exports, automobile sales, bank credit…, are indicating warning Bank credit growth is expected to hit a 58-year low in 2019-2020. Stagflation: With retail inflation hitting a 40-month high of 5.54% in November and Food inflation hit 10%, vegetables (onions) and pulses. This has led to worries about India entering a phase of stagflation, (persistent high inflation combined with high unemployment and stagnant demand in a country's economy) Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th December 2019 SRC: Wall street Concerns: The current slowdown is closer in nature to what was faced as far back as 1991 — the year India liberalised. India’s current crisis is driven by both cyclical and structural factors Problems in finance have exacerbated the slowdown. The World Bank has said this cyclical slowdown is severe. Demand collapsing due to reasons ranging from poor rural income growth, The ghosts of demonetisation and a hastily implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST). Point to be noted: India’s growth recovered after global financial crisis 2008 without fixing the problems Series of fortuitous developments such as lower oil prices and a boom in credit from non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) which may be partly driven by demonetisation sending more cash into the formal financial system. With the collapse of IL&FS in late 2018,this support also ended . Now the twin balance sheet crisis (of stressed banks and corporates with infrastructure bets) raised Way forward: Reserve Bank of India must cut interest rates for spurring growth out of the equation. Increase public expenditure by investing in agriculture raise funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Investment in Skill , Education and Health Conclusion: This is a cyclical phenomenon and will pass like the circle of life… what goes up, must come down, but govt must also address the concerns of economy Connecting the dots: Do you think economy seems headed for the intensive care unit? Do you think Demonetisation is responsible for the current slowdown? INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora. Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): Pakistan to host OIC meet on Kashmir, CAA Context: Pakistan will hold a ministerial meeting with Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir in April 2020, The development is linked to a broader Saudi-Pakistan deal. Focus on the “human rights situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and enactment of an CAA in India” Recent developments: The announcement came days after recently-appointed Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud visited Islamabad and met with the Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad had convened the “Kuala Lumpur” summit, with the leaders of Turkey, Iran and Qatar, calling for reforms in the Muslim world. About OIC: Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th December 2019 Src: MOW The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations It has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. It is an organisation of the collective voice of the Muslim world. Objectives: The main motive of the organisation is to the safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco 25 September 1969 as a result of criminal arson of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. India and Islamic World In the last few years, India has improved ties with the Islamic world from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia, while building on good relations with countries like Qatar and Oman. While it was Bangladesh that floated the idea of India becoming an observer at the OIC in 2018, the UAE invite offered India an opportunity to address the forum. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), was a very special Chief Guest at the 68th Republic Day celebrations in 2017, the first time that India laid out the Republic Day red carpet for a leader who was neither a Head of State nor Head of Government. The Crown Prince MBZ had earlier visited India in February 2016, following a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015. Recently, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman visited India. India – OIC Relation: India’s relationship with Pakistan has always been tense and has a direct impact on India-OIC relations, with Pakistan being a founding member of the OIC. India has pushed for the OIC to accept India as a member, Pakistan opposes India’s entry into the OIC For the first time in five decades, the United Arab Emirates invited foreign minister of India Sushma Swaraj to attend the inaugural plenary 46th meeting of OIC foreign ministers. (Pakistan boycotted the meet) From the mid-1990s, when this Contact Group was formed, it has issued several statements on behalf of Pakistan (on Kashmir issue) The United Arab Emirates, for instance, conferred the Order of “Zayed”, its highest civilian award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than a week after New Delhi’s moves on Article 370, and declared that Kashmir was India’s internal matter. Conclusion: Saudi Arabia leads OIC nations to showcase its control of the Islamic world, while allowing its members to use the forum to attack their own rivals, While OIC resolutions mean very little in real terms, Pakistan wants to use the forum against India Connecting the dots: Do you think CAA impacts India- Saudi relations? Do you think Pakistan will get any support from OIC on Kashmir issue? (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”. Q.1) Consider the following statements The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of only animal species Article 51A (g) imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen of India to protect and improve the environment and have compassion for living creatures. Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Consider the following statements Dadasaheb Phalke award is given to people for their outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. The award first presented in 1951 is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Which of the following are the participating space agencies of International Space Station ISRO(India) NASA (USA) Roscosmos (Russia) JAXA (Japan) Canadian Space Agency Select the correct answer from the codes given below 1,2,3 and 4 only 2,3,4 and 5 only 2,3 and 4 only 1,2,3,4 and 5 Q.4) Consider the following statements about Poshan Abhiyan It is a Central sector scheme aimed at improving nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, lactating mothers and children Average utilization of the funds allotted under the scheme has been high at 89.97%, indicating success of the abhiyan. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 28 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 C 3 A MUST READ Arms and the man: On Gen Rawat's comments The Hindu Governance Index: On study of States on governance The Hindu India needs a bottom-up growth model The Hindu A dangerous new low in state-sponsored hate The Hindu Government does well to constitute panel on economic statistics, and even better to include critics on it IE Atal Bhujal Yojana is a first step towards recharging groundwater. There is a need to move to more long-term solutions IE Cadre merger at the Railways welcome ET
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 146 Archives Important Note Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :) To take the Test - Click Here
Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 22nd to 29th December, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-2 ‘Good Governance Index’ launched on Good Governance Day - 25th Dec (Topic: Governance) The Good Governance Day is observed on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Good Governance Index is a uniform tool across States to assess the Status of Governance and impact of various interventions taken up by the State Government and UTs. Objectives of GGI – To provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and UTs, Enable states and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance Shift to result oriented approaches and administration. Various principles have been kept in mind while selecting the indicators, i.e. it should be easy to understand & calculate, citizen-centric & result driven, leading to improved results and applicable to all states and UTs, among others. The GGI takes into consideration ten sectors: 1). Agriculture and Allied Sectors, 2). Commerce & Industries, 3). Human Resource Development, 4). Public Health, 5). Public Infrastructure & Utilities, 6). Economic Governance, 7). Social Welfare & Development, 8). Judicial & Public Security, 9). Environment 10). Citizen-Centric Governance These ten Governance Sectors are measured on total 50 indicators. Difference indicators are given different weightage under one Governance Sector to calculate the value. E.g. Under Agriculture & Allied Sector, there are 6 indicators with different weightage, namely: Growth rate of agriculture and allied sector (0.4), growth rate of food grains production (0.1), growth rate of horticulture produce (0.1), growth rate of milk production (0.1), growth rate of meat production (0.1) and crop insurance (0.2). The states and UTs are divided into three groups: a). Big States, b). North-East & Hill States and c). UTs. The states and UTs are ranked on all indicators separately, at the same time composite ranking is also calculated for these states and UTs under their respective groups based upon these indicators. Year End Review 2019 Ministry of Home Affairs Important Bills Passed by Parliament Jammu and Kashmir - Abrogation of Article 370 and 35A ; The Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Act, 2019; The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2019 National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 – aims to increase operational efficiency of SPG in ensuring the security of the Prime Minister of India. Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 – focus on granting Indian Citizenship to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities on ground of religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Marathon deliberations held by Union Home Minister with various stakeholders from North East and their concerns against the CAB 2019 addressed in the final Amendment Act. Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 – enhances the punishment for existing offences like illegal manufacture, sale, transfer and illegal acquiring, possessing or carrying prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition; illicit trafficking of firearms; celebratory gunfire endangering human life. Arms licenses to be issued for 5 years in electronic form, which would prevent forgery. The Amendment would reduce possession of illegal firearms and commission of criminal offences by limiting 2 licenses per person. Ownership of arms by retired and serving personnel of armed forces and sportspersons remains unaffected by the Amendment. Further, Ancestral guns may be retained in a Deactivated State. Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 - to make the constitution of NHRC and SHRCs broader and more inclusive. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019 - Administrative efficiency, better service delivery and effective implementation of Central and State Government Schemes to be the focus. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Abrogation of Article 370 and 35A Historic step to remove Article 370 and 35A of Constitution of India Brought JK & Ladakh at par with other States and UTs All provisions of Constitution of India, without any modifications or exceptions, to now apply to JK & Ladakh Laws of Union Government wrt education, empowerment of SC, ST, Minorities etc to be applicable to JK & Ladakh Boost to local economy and employment opportunities by increasing investment; Reservation to EWS of society in jobs & educational institutions to apply in JK & Ladakh Betterment of socio-economic infrastructure in JK & Ladakh The Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Act, 2019: Jammu and Kashmir reorganised into Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with legislature, and Union Territory of Ladakh without Legislature Formally came into force on 31st October, 2019 Maps of newly formed UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh released 1st Winter-grade Diesel outlet for Ladakh inaugurated by Union Home Minister; move to boost tourism in extreme weather conditions The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2019: 3% reservation in services and educational institutions extended to people living near the International Border (IB) in J&K, in line with reservation given to people living near the Line of Control (LoC) Amarnath Yatra 3,42,883 yatris had safe and secure Darshan Higher by nearly 20%, as compared to 2018 Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Union Cabinet passed a resolution on 22nd November 2018 to celebrate the historic occasion of 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Devji in a grand and befitting manner, throughout the country and across the globe India signed the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement with Pakistan on 24th October, 2019 Indian pilgrims of all faiths to undertake year-round Visa-free travel to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib through Kartarpur Sahib Corridor – a long standing demand of followers of Guru Nanak Dev ji State of art Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) developed (estd. project cost – Rs. 400 crore), having modern public amenities and security features; architecture reflecting cultural heritage of Punjab Strict Action on Terror and Insurgency National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 NIA empowered with extra territorial jurisdiction for investigation of terrorism related offences taking place outside India, in which Indian property/citizens are victims The mandate of NIA is expanded by inclusion of new offences viz. explosive substances, human trafficking, manufacturing/sale of prohibited arms and cyber terrorism, to its Schedule Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019 Central Government empowered to designate individual as terrorist NIA empowered to seize/forfeit property representing proceeds of terrorism in cases investigated by NIA After recent amendment, 4 Individuals viz., Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim proscribed as Terrorists Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) banned for another five years under sub-sections of UAPA, 1967 Cyber Crime Control National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) launched as a citizen centric initiative to facilitate public for reporting of all types of Cyber Crimes without visiting Police Station The complaints reported on this portal are accessible online to the law enforcement agencies of respective States/UTs for taking appropriate action as per law 12th India Security Summit on ‘Towards New National Cyber Security Strategy’ held in New Delhi Review Meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Incidents of LWE violence down from 2258 in 2009 to 833 in 2018 Number of deaths dropped from 1005 in 2009 to 240 in 2018 Districts affected by naxal violence reduced from 96 in 2010 to 60 in 2018 Smart Fencing - Union Home Minister launched BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) under Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) on Indo-Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of Assam, as an effective deterrence against illegal infiltration. Two pilot projects covering about 71 Kms on Indo-Pakistan Border (10 Kms) and Indo-Bangladesh Border (61 Kms) of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) have been completed. International Drug Syndicate busted - largest seizure of contraband drugs by NCB in India - 20 Kgs of Cocaine, worth Rs. 100 crores, seized. National Register of Citizens (NRC), Assam published on 31.08.2019 A machinery created for detection and deportation of illegal immigrants ‘In-principle’ approval given for setting up of 1000 additional Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) ‘In-principle’ approval given to Assam Government for creation of e-FT platform (estd. cost – Rs. 99 crores) International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) launched by Prime Minister during the UN Climate Action Summit in New York on 23rd September, 2019 Knowledge exchange platform on different aspects of disaster and calamity resilience of infrastructure Assist countries for Infrastructure Development based on risk context and economic needs Pooling of Technological Expertise of stakeholders Bilateral Agreements/MoUs India and Uzbekistan signed Security Cooperation Agreement MoU between India and Indonesia on combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and its precursors MoUs signed between India and Saudi Arabia in the field of combating illicit trafficking and smuggling of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors MoU signed between India and Myanmar on bilateral cooperation for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons MoU between India and USA to access tip line reports on Missing and Exploited Children Cabinet approves Atal Bhujal Yojana (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services – Water) The scheme aims to improve ground water management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven States, viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8350 Gram Panchayats in 78 districts in these States. ATAL JAL will promote panchayat led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management. The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has taken a pioneering initiative for ensuring long term sustainability of ground water resources in the country through the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) by adopting a mix of 'top down' and 'bottom up' approaches in identified ground water stressed blocks in seven states, representing a range of geomorphic, climatic and hydrogeologic and cultural settings. ATAL JAL has been designed with the principal objective of strengthening the institutional framework for participatory ground water management and bringing about behavioral changes at the community level for sustainable ground water resource management. The scheme envisages undertaking this through various interventions, including awareness programmes, capacity building, convergence of ongoing/new schemes and improved agricultural practices etc. ATAL JAL has two major components: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Componentfor strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable ground water management in the States including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, strengthening of Water User Associations, etc. Incentive Componentfor incentivising the States for achievements in improved groundwater management practices namely, data dissemination, preparation of water security plans, implementation of management interventions through convergence of ongoing schemes, adopting demand side management practices etc. ATAL JAL will result in: Institutional strengthening for improving ground water monitoring networks and capacity building of stakeholders at different levels which will enhance ground water data storage, exchange, analysis and dissemination. Improved and realistic water budgeting based on an improved database and preparation of community-led Water Security Plans at Panchayat level Implementation of Water Security Plans through convergence of various ongoing/new schemes of the Government of India and State Governments to facilitate judicious and effective utilization of funds for sustainable ground water management. Efficient use of available ground water resources with emphasis on demand side measures such as micro-irrigation, crop diversification, electricity feeder separation etc. Impact: Source sustainability for Jal Jeevan Mission in the project area with active participation of local communities. Will contribute towards the goal of doubling the farmers' income. Will promote participatory ground water management. Improved water use efficiency on a mass scale and improved cropping pattern; Promotion of efficient and equitable use of ground water resources and behavioural change at the community level; Background: Ground water contributes to nearly 65% of total irrigated area of the country and nearly 85% of the rural drinking water supply. The limited ground water resources in the country are under threat due to the increasing demands of growing population, urbanization and industrialization. Intensive, and unregulated ground water pumping in many areas has caused rapid and widespread decline in ground water levels as well as reduction in the sustainability of ground water abstraction structures. The problem of reduction in ground water availability is further compounded by deteriorating ground water quality in some parts of the country. The increasing stress on ground water due to over- exploitation, contamination and associated environmental impacts threaten to endanger the food security of the nation, unless necessary preventive / remedial measures are taken on priority. POSHAN Maah (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health) September 2019 – POSHAN Maah Goal: To achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children (0-6 years) and Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) in a time bound manner in next three years period beginning 2017-18 with fixed targets S. No Objective Target 1. Prevent and reduce Stunting in children (0- 6 years) By 6% @ 2% p.a. 2. Prevent and reduce under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years) By 6% @ 2% p.a. 3. Reduce the prevalence of anemia among young Children(6-59 months) By 9% @ 3% p.a. 4. Reduce the prevalence of anemia among Women and Adolescent Girls in the age group of 15-49 years. By 9% @ 3% p.a. 5. Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW). By 6% @ 2% p.a. For achieving the above targets, Poshan Abhiyaan is to ensure convergence of all nutrition related schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development on the target population. This includes convergence of Anganwadi Services, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Scheme for Adolescent Girls of Ministry of Women & Child Development; Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), National Health Mission (NHM) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Swachh Bharat Mission of Ministry of Jal Shakti; Public Distribution System (PDS) of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (CAF&PD), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) of Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and other programmatic interventions of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Convergence Action Plan guidelines in this regard have been issued to all the States/UTs and line Ministries. Software and dashboard for POSHAN Abhiyaan POSHAN Abhiyaan empowers the frontline functionaries like Anganwadi Workers and Lady Supervisors by providing them with smart phones. ICDS-Common Application Software have been developed under POSHAN Abhiyaan which enables data capture, ensures assigned service delivery and prompts for interventions wherever required. This data/information is then made available on web-based ICDS-CAS dashboard on a near real time basis, for monitoring, to the supervisory staff at Block, District, State and National level, for action and decision making at their end. The dashboard displays data and provides reports on various programme areas to the administrative officers to interpret and use the information for improving service delivery. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services) Section 28 of the POCSO Act 2012 provides for establishment of Special Courts for the purpose of providing speedy trial. Further, Section 35 of the POCSO Act provides that the evidence of the child shall be recorded within a period of thirty days of the Special Court taking cognizance of the offence and reasons for delay, if any, shall be recorded by the Special Court. Section 35 also lays down that the Special Court shall complete the trial, as far as possible, within a period of one year from the date of taking cognizance of the offence. The Government of India has taken the following steps to ensure speedy dispensation of justice: In furtherance to The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, the Government has finalized a scheme in August, 2019 for setting up of total of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country for expeditious trial and disposal of pending cases pertaining to rape and POCSO Act, 2012, in a time-bound manner under Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The Scheme is for one year spread over two financial years i.e.2019-20 and 2020-21. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 was enacted for effective deterrence against sexual offences. Further, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 was enacted to prescribe even more stringent penal provisions including death penalty for rape of a girl below age of 12 years. The Act also inter-alia mandates completion of investigation and trials within 2 months each. A “National Database on Sexual Offenders” has been launched on 20th September, 2018 to facilitate investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies. An online analytic tool for police called “Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences” has been launched on 19.02.2019 to monitor and track time-bound investigation on sexual assault cases in accordance with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018. In order to improve investigation, steps have been taken to strengthen DNA analysis units in Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories. This includes setting up of a State-of-the-Art DNA Analysis Unit in Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh. Guidelines have been notified for collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases and the standard composition in a Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit. A scheme namely Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) has been approved under which an online cybercrime reporting portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched on 20th September, 2018 to enable public to report complaints pertaining to child pornography/ child sexual abuse material, rape/gang rape imageries or sexually explicit content. Digital Initiatives of Aviation Ministry eGCA: The function & process of DGCA is being moved to an online platform to provide faster delivery of services & regulation oversight. The first module on pilot licensing shall be launched in December 2019. DigiSky: DigiSky online portal has been launched for flying Civil Drones. The Beta version of DigiSky is available and captures the entire gamut of activities relating to drones viz. registration of drones and pilots, approval of flight path, post flight analysis etc. based on the distinctive features of No Permission No Take off (NPNT). E-sahaj: 100% security clearances pertaining to the Ministry have been made online on E-sahaj online portal launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The portal is operational for granting clearances in respect of 24 categories. DigiYatra: Trial for rollout of DigiYatra has been started at Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports. It envisages seamless and hassle free passenger travel using biometric technologies to improve passenger experience, reduce queue waiting time as passengers can walk through e-gates. It will remove redundancies at check points and enhance resource utilization. Dashboard of MoCA: The Dashboard of Ministry of Civil Aviation was developed on17 August 2019. It provides real-time data across a number of parameters on air transportation, including RCS-UDAN. Aviation Job Portal (https://aviationjobs.co.in): A unique web-based portal, which seeks to bring together job seekers and prospective employers in the Indian civil aviation sector. Air Sewa: An initiative by MoCA to bring all aviation stakeholders to a common platform so as to address the grievances of the air travellers. The status of the issues raised can be tracked online. The platform also provides updated flight status and is linked to social media. Lost & Found online portal (https://www.aai.aero/en/lost-found/item-list): Lost & Found online portal has been commissioned in June 2019 to ease out the passenger claiming process for Lost & found Property. Cabinet approves Strategic Tunnel under Rohtang Pass to be renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee: The 8.8-kilometre long tunnel is the world's longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres. It will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres and save crores of rupees in transport costs. It is a 10.5-metre wide single tube bi-lane tunnel with a fire proof emergency egress tunnel built into the main tunnel itself. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) worked relentlessly to overcome major geological, terrain and weather challenges that included the most difficult stretch of the 587-metre Seri Nalah Fault Zone. Ex-post facto agreement on Security Cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia: The Agreement aims to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the prevention and suppression of crimes including crime relating to terrorism and its financing and organized crime and to establish a framework for enhancing cooperation between the officials of intelligence and law-enforcement agencies of the two countries, in line with national and international obligations. Ex-post facto the agreement between India and Uzbekistan on Cooperation in the field of Combating Transnational Organized Crime and International Terrorism: The agreement aims to improve the effectiveness of both countries in prevention and suppression of crimes including crime relating to terrorism and its financing, organized crime and to establish a framework for enhancing cooperation between the officials of intelligence and law-enforcement agencies of the two countries, in line with domestic laws and international obligations. MoU between India and Bangladesh on cooperation in Youth matters: Exchange programmes in the field of Youth Affairs between India and Bangladesh will help in promoting exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst Youth and in consolidating friendly relations. It will help in developing international perspective among the Youth and expanding their knowledge and expertise in the areas of youth affairs. Promulgation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019: The Amendment will remove certain ambiguities in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 and ensure smooth implementation of the Code. Under the Amendments, the liability of a corporate debtor for an offence committed prior to the commencement of the corporate insolvency resolution process shall cease, and the corporate debtor shall not be prosecuted for such an offence from the date the resolution plan has been approved by the Adjudicating Authority, if the resolution plan results in the change in the management or control of the corporate debtor to a person who was not: A promoter or in the management or control of the corporate debtor or a related party of such a person; or A person with regard to whom the relevant investigating authority has, on the basis of material in its possession, reason to believe that he had abetted or conspired for the commission of the offence, and has submitted or filed a report or a complaint to the relevant statutory authority or Court. Subject to relevant provisions the corporate debtor shall, as required, extend all assistance and co-operation to any authority investigating an offence committed prior to the commencement of the corporate insolvency resolution process. 6. Ex-post facto approval to Agreement between India and Sweden on Recognition of Seafarer Certificates: The Agreement will pave the way for recognition of maritime education and training, certificates of competency, endorsements, training and documentary evidence and medical fitness certificates for seafarers issued by the Government of both the countries, in accordance with the provision of regulation 1/10 of the STCW Convention, and cooperation between the two countries in the training certification and management of seafarers. The Agreement will be beneficial to both the countries as Sweden is a ship owning nation while India is a net seafarers supplying nation. 7. MoU between India and Saudi Arabia for cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy: The MoU aims at setting up a framework for cooperation between the two parties in the field of renewable energy in the following areas:- Upgrading the level of technologies and their applications in the field of renewable energy Contributing to the field of renewable energy to raise its efficiency in the national energy combination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Developing the Renewable energy projects in Solar, Wind, Biogas, Geothermal and other fields of renewable energy Development and localization of value chain in the field of renewable energy Developing and boosting uses of solar energy small applications for buildings, homes and others 8. Signing of MoU between India and Brazil on Bioenergy Cooperation: India and Brazil are major consumers of energy in the world and Brazil is one of the most important trading partners of India in the entire LAC (Latin America and Caribbean) region. Brazil is currently the world's second largest producer and consumer of biofuels and biofuels and bioelectricity accounted for 18% of Brazil's energy mix. India also has a strong focus in the area of bio-fuels and has set a target to achieve 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030 with the announcement of new policy on Biofuels in 2018. In this regard, the MoU provides a framework to cooperate and promote investment in biofuel, bioelectricity and biogas supply-chains, including feedstock, industrial conversion, distribution and end use sectors. Few other salient features of the MoU include Exchange of information on agricultural practices and policies regarding biomass for bioenergy, including sugarcane, corn, rice, oil-crops, and lignocellulosic crops; policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions levels based on the use of biofuels, using cycle analysis and the issuance of emissions reduction certificates traded in an organized market; trade aspects and the promotion of a joint position to address market access and sustainability of biofuels, including advanced biofuels; Engine and fuel modifications / adjustments that may be necessary for different percentages of biofuels blended with fossil fuels 9. Signing of Protocol to amend the Air Services Agreement between India and Switzerland: The amendments in the Air Services Agreement between India and Switzerland will bring it in tune with the developments in the civil aviation sector. It will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security. 10. Ex-post facto approval to amend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations: The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to the Adaptation of Laws (Amendment) Order, 2019 issued by the President of India under clause (2) of article 372 of the Constitution to amend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations (BEFR), 1873. The notification will extend BEFR to the State of Manipur to give its indigenous people protection from the provisions of Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and make necessary changes in the said Regulation. 11. Conduct of Census of India 2021 and updation of National Population Register: Census of India will cover the entire population in the country while NPR will also cover all the population except in the state of Assam. The Indian Census is largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world. The next decennial Census is due in 2021 and would be conducted in two phases: House listing and Housing Census - April to September, 2020 and Population Enumeration - 9th February to 28th February, 2021. The National Population Register (NPR) will also be updated along with House listing and Housing Census except in Assam. 30 lakh field functionaries will complete this gigantic exercise of national importance, up from 28 lakh in 2011. Use of mobile app for data collection and the Central portal for monitoring purpose will ensure early release of Census data with improved quality. Data dissemination will be much better and in a user friendly way so that all the queries on required parameters for policy making will be made available on the click of a button. Census-as-a-service (CaaS) will deliver on-demand data to ministries in a clean, machine-readable and actionable format. Prelims oriented News Country’s tallest Air Traffic Control tower: Delhi Air Traffic Service Complex (DATS- Complex) Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh: Will be a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones in India for better nutritional outcomes At the behest of the Ministry of WCD the Harvard Chan School of Public Health through its India Research Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will document and evaluate promising regional dietary practices and the messaging around them and develop a food atlas on regional agro-food systems. Both efforts are aimed at mobilizing the diverse sectors of the society. In consultation with Ministry of WCD and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project team will select around 12 high focus states which are representative of the geographical, social, economic, cultural and structural diversities of India. In each of the states or group of states the team will identify a local partner organization which has relevant work experience in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) and nutrition for developing the food atlas. NITI Aayog to Launch SDG India Index & Dashboard 2019–20 The SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019–20 have been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the United Nations in India, and the Global Green Growth Institute. NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs in the country, at the national and sub-national level. The SDG India Index, whose first edition was launched in December 2018, was the first tool developed by any large country to monitor the progress towards achieving SDGs at the sub-national level. The SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019 tracks the progress of and ranks all States and UTs on 100 indicators drawn from MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework, comprising 306 indicators. It indicates where the country and its States and UTs currently are on SDG implementation, and charts the distance to be travelled to reach the SDG targets. The Index covers 16 out of 17 SDGs and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17. This marks an improvement over the 2018 Index, which covered only 13 goals. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: A flagship scheme of the Government for pregnant women and lactating mothers has achieved a significant milestone by crossing one crore beneficiaries. The total amount disbursed to the beneficiaries under the scheme has crossed Rs. 4,000 crores. PMMVY is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme under which cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss. Under the ‘Scheme’, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000 in three instalments on fulfilling the respective conditionality, viz. early registration of pregnancy, ante-natal check-up and registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family. The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000. One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme: The One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme provides a range of services including police facilitation, medical aid, psycho-social counselling, legal counselling and temporary shelter to women affected by violence in an integrated manner under one roof. Nirbhaya Fund: Government of India has set up a dedicated fund called Nirbhaya Fund for implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security of women in the country. Under the Nirbhaya Fund, the proposed projects should have the features like Direct impact on safety and security concerns of women Optimum use of existing infrastructure Innovative use of technology No duplication of existing government schemes/ programmes Provision for real time intervention as far as possible Strict privacy and confidentiality of women’s identity Information and defined monitoring mechanism Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box): Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has developed an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace by women, including government and private employees. Once a complaint is submitted to the SHe-Box portal, it directly reaches to the concerned authority having jurisdiction to take action in the matter. A total number of 203 cases have been disposed of so far which includes cases under Central Government, State Government and Private sector. The SHe-Box portal has been developed with the objective to facilitate the registration of complaints related to sexual harassment of women at workplace. Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): PMEGP is a major credit-linked subsidy programme being implemented by the Ministry of MSME since 2008-09. The Scheme is aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural as well as urban areas. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2019: The Act will make all the stakeholders responsive and accountable for upholding the principles underlying the Act. It will bring greater accountability on the part of the Central Government and State Governments/Union Territories Administrations for issues concerning Transgender persons. The Act will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalized section and bring them into the mainstream of society. It will lead to greater inclusiveness and will make the transgender persons productive members of the society. National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-25 has been prepared and implemented, which aims at reduction of adverse consequences of drug abuse through a multipronged strategy involving education, de-addiction and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their families. Since 2014-15, under the scheme the total number of beneficiaries are 4,98,247. Cabinet has approved the proposal of establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) at Sehore, Madhya Pradesh which has been registered as a society under Madhya Pradesh Society Registration Act, 1973 on 28th May 2019, with the objective to promote mental health rehabilitation using an integrated multidisciplinary approach and developing trained professionals in the area of mental health rehabilitation. India’s First Country Report on Status of Disability and Implementation of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was submitted in November,2015 was considered and successfully adopted by United Nations on 03rd September this year along with certain recommendations. Quotes: The Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah On films Filmmakers should be conscious of the impact this powerful medium has on people. He urged them to use the powerful medium as an instrument of social change and educate people, promote social harmony and bring about an attitudinal change in society in combating various social ills. The focus should be on creating an artistic rendition of challenges and social ills and resolve the conflicts in a way that reinforces social cohesion and ethical principles We must convey a strong message to combat the current trend of violence against women. All of us in society, particularly those from the film industry, must promote and depict women in a respectable manner. On Diplomatic Relations India wants to have peaceful relations will all its neighbors, including Pakistan. The abrogation of Article 370 was the need of the hour and would put the state on a rapid growth trajectory. "Recent changes in the structure of the state are intended to extend all the benefits which other Indians have been enjoying all this while. Terming terrorism as the enemy of humanity and a constant roadblock in the path to progress, the Vice President observed that where tension prevailed, no attention could be paid to development. On conservation of indigenous cattle breeds There is a need to conserve indigenous cattle breeds and strengthen bull mother farms to conserve high merit indigenous breeds. He suggested employing scientific methods in dairying to increase the milk production of dairy animals by scientifically feeding and breeding indigenous nondescript dairy animals. Describing the dairy sector as the backbone of the rural economy after agriculture and plays an important role in the country's socio-economic development, he said that farmers could achieve financial sustainability and value addition by investing in allied activities such as dairy, fisheries and food processing. Given the fact that the economy of milk producers largely depends on the potential of the animals they keep, Shri Naidu stressed the need to improve the genetic-merit of our animals by the introduction of superior germs plasm. He opined that there was an urgent need to invest more and enhance research on sectors such as dairy, poultry, fisheries and other allied activities of agriculture to create an ecosystem where the farmers should not depend only on agriculture of economic sustainability. Opining that enhancing milk production, providing self-employment and sustainable income generation to the rural farmers, enhancing the per capita availability of milk should get special attention from all governments.
Why do we suffer? Suffering is not an act, it is an experience. Suffering can have no meaning without the participation of the self. Suffering cannot happen without the involvement of the self. If one goes deep and looks at the causes of suffering, whether it be their own or someone else’s, they can see that the source of suffering is always within. For example, when you watch a person suffering, it is not just the person who is suffering; it is also you who is suffering. If you aren’t suffering along with that person, then you can’t recognize the suffering of that person. At that very moment when you watch someone being hurt, something in you hurts too. Thus, the source of suffering is not in that person, but it is in you. When you recognize the suffering of somebody, when you recognize the suffering in the world, you are recognizing it through you. We can only identify suffering through suffering. We can’t talk about suffering or think about suffering without suffering. It isn’t possible to objectively talk about suffering while you are in a pleasant state of mind. In the individual realm, the teacher understands that all of our suffering is connected and that there is a deeper connection between events and circumstances. Things happen for a reason, and when you look at it from the mind and body point of view, you are not causing that suffering; it has just happened. It’s all in the way how you look at it. Seen from the mind, everything is separate, and seen from the self, everything is connected. If you make the body the experiencing and observing point, then most of the suffering that happens to the body is circumstantial. The body never desires for suffering, so the source of suffering is not the body. For example, if you are sitting here and suddenly the temperature rises, you get hot, and you become tired. Where is that suffering coming from? You didn’t choose it consciously. It is something that has happened to the body and you are acknowledging it. If the source of suffering is neither in the mind, nor in the body, then where is it? The source of suffering is in your attachment to things. Your suffering proves only one thing - you are attached to something. Understanding the roots of your attachment and going beyond them is the only way to lessen your suffering. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”
