UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 123 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
14th East Asia and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) summit ARCHIVES Search 4th November, 2019 Spotlight here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General Studies 2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its six FTA partners (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand). These 16 countries account for over a third of world GDP and trade, and are collectively growing at a rate that is double the rest of the world. The Indian economy is large, but the rest of the RCEP is eight times its size. It is by far the most attractive market in the world today, and will be for the next 20 years. The RCEP is ambitious in both scale (the 16 countries combined make up an economic area exceeding the European Union) and scope (going well beyond trade in goods). But, after protracted negotiations that began in 2012, India announced last week that it is not pursuing membership in the RCEP. The 15 remaining RCEP members are going ahead and have committed to signing an agreement early next year. India & RCEP in 2019 Seven years after India joined negotiations for the 16-nation ASEAN (Association for South East Asian Nations)-led RCEP India dropped out of the agreement, citing its negative effects on “farmers, MSMEs and the dairy sector”. “When I measure the RCEP Agreement with respect to the interests of all Indians, I do not get a positive answer. Therefore, neither the Talisman of Gandhiji nor my own conscience permit me to join RCEP.” – Prime Minister Narendra Modi Why did India opt out? The deal requires the gradual elimination of tariffs which may flood Indian markets with Chinese goods and agricultural produce from oceania, harming local producers Lack of access to Indian services- allowing Indian labour mobility to other countries for services – in the RCEP countries (Services is India’s strong area and has huge potential to tap into RCEP market) Another area of hard bargaining for India is our unfulfilled want for exemptions from the Ratchet obligations. As per the Ratchet mechanism, if a country signs a trade agreement with another country where it relaxes tariffs and quotas on merchandise exports and imports, it cannot go back on them and bring in measures that are more restrictive. India wants a clear exemption from the Ratchet obligations, so that in the future, to protect the interests of exporters and importers, it can bring restrictive measures, if required. Why is the Industry apprehensive? India has been the leading producer and consumer of dairy products with a sustained growth over the years. Estimated production of milk in 2018-19 was 187 million tonnes. Milk is equally important to both farmers and consumers. Cheaper dairy products from New Zealand would Worsen the trade deficit Dent the domestic industry – If India signs the RCEP, without exemptions for dairy and its products, it would allow the dairy industry of Australia and New Zealand to unfairly target its huge market. Indian products would start facing stiff competition from Australian and New Zealand products Will lead to unemployment and worse living conditions – There are 70 million households dependent on dairy in India, the corresponding number is just 10,000 in New Zealand and 6,300 in Australia. The unit cost of milk production is relatively low in countries like New Zealand because of extensive grazing lands (which reduce feed costs), mechanised operations and the advantages of economies of large-scale production, and the high productivity of milch animals According to estimations made by Amul, if free imports of skimmed milk powder from New Zealand are permitted, the average price for milk received by an Indian dairy farmer would fall to ₹19/l (presently it is ₹30/l). In turn, that will lead to decline in the cattle rearing and proper care for them which will lead in the decline of population. India will cease to become self-sufficient – India’s dairy sector provides livelihood to about 70 million households. A key feature of India’s dairy sector is the predominance of small producers. In 2017, if the average herd size in a dairy farm was 191 in the U.S., 355 in Oceania, 148 in the U.K. and 160 in Denmark, it was just 2 in India Yet, due to Operation Flood after the 1960s, India’s contribution to world milk production rose from 5% in 1970 to 20% in 2018. As a result, India does not import or export milk in any significant quantity. In 2033, India’s milk production would rise to 330 MMT while its milk demand would be 292 MMT. Thus, India is likely to be a milk-surplus country by 2033 India’s average bound tariff for dairy products is about 63.8% while its average applied tariff is 34.8%. Joining RCEP would have bound India to reduce that level to zero within the next 15 years. RCEP could perhaps end up doing to dairy what the free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) did in palm oil, fear many in the industry in India. Way forward India commands around 1.7 per cent share of the world’s total goods exports ranking 20th as per the WTO 2018 data. For achieving a 5 per cent share in world exports (the government targets $1 trillion exports out of total global exports of $20 trillion), India must build its manufacturing capabilities, and the recent steps by the government are in that direction. How India manoeuvres the geo-political space will determine how successful it is in becoming an export behemoth (in its quest towards a $5 trillion economy). Connecting the Dots What is the RCEP trade pact? How does it affect India’s interests? Comment. Joining RCEP would have had high socio-economic costs on Indian dairy farmers. Elaborate. Economic isolation is not an option for India and It must move towards bilateral trade pacts. Analyse. A trade agreement like RCEP is both an opportunity and a threat. It all depends on what one makes of them. Discuss.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Gamosa Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Culture In News It is rectangular cloth, typically of red and white, used in a variety of ritual actions in Assamese culture. It is valued as a gift for visitors, used as a scarf, anti-dust mask, wrapped around the head as a turban. Conservationists are now banking on this cultural icon to carry forward the message of turtle conservation, with gamosas woven with turtle images. This has been done under a project initiated by the Wildlife Conservation Society/Turtle Survival Alliance and funded by the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. A part of the money from this gamosa would go to conservation of rare turtles such as the Assam Roofed Turtle (Panghshurasylhetensis). Do You Know? Assam’s ‘Gamosa’ and a semi-glutinous winter rice variety Chokuwa have earned the coveted geographical indications (GI) recognition in 2019 as proof of their unique geographical origins, thereby getting legal protection to prevent their unauthorized use. The Muga silk was the state’s first product to get the tag in 2007. In 2015, the pungent KarbiAnglong ginger and the juicy Tezpur litchi got the recognition. Etalin Hydroelectric Project Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In News The Centre has recommended a biodiversity study of the proposed 3,097 MW Etalin Hydroelectric Project in Arunachal Pradesh by a credible international institute since the current environmental impact assessment was found to be “completely inadequate”. It involves diversion of 1,165.66 hectares of forest land for the construction of the mega project in the State’s Dibang Valley district The project, estimated to cost ₹25,296.95 crore, is proposed to be completed in seven years but would entail felling 2,80,677 trees The project threatens the existence of six globally-endangered mammal species. The area also has 680 species of birds, which is about 56% of the total avian species found in India. The project area falls under the “richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone” and would be located at the junction of the Palaearctic, Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan bio-geographic regions. Food Standards & Safety Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Health In News TheData released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on enforcement of norms has noted that 3.7% of the samples collected and analysed were found unsafe, 15.8% sub-standard and 9% samples had labelling defects. 1,06,459 samples were analysed (7% increase compared to previous year), whereby for the first time the data had been compiled for unsafe, substandard and labelling defects separately There has been a 36% increase in civil cases launched and a 67% increase in the number of cases where penalties were imposed Ten States/UTs that have performed well include Uttarakhand, Goa, Bihar, Sikkim, Gujarat and Telangana. Ten States that have performed poorly include Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab. Many of the poorly performing States have not been able to put in place full-time officers and do not have proper testing laboratories The data released would help authorities take precise corrective and preventive action. About FSSAI It is an autonomous statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the administrative Ministry of FSSAI. It lays down science based standards for articles of food and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption. Coal bed Methane Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Energy In News Union Ministry of Coal has asked the state-run coal miner Coal India Limited (CIL) to produce 2 MMSCB (million metric standard cubic metres) per day of coalbed methane (CBM) gas in the next 2 to 3 years India has the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, and CBM has been looked at as a clean alternative fuel. Coal Bed Methane (CBM) is an unconventional form of natural gas found in coal deposits or coal seams. CMB is formed during the process of coalification, the transformation of plant material into coal. The methane is usually held in place by water pressure. The methane is held underground within the coal and is extracted by drilling into the coal seam and removing the groundwater. The resulting drop in pressure causes the methane to be released from the coal. India’s CBM resources are estimated at around 92 trillion cubic feet (TCF), or 2,600 billion cubic metres (BCM) The country’s coal and CBM reserves are found in 12 states of India, with the Gondwana sediments of eastern India holding the bulk. CBM can be used for power generation, as compressed natural gas (CNG) auto fuel, as feedstock for fertilisers, industrial uses such as in cement production, rolling mills, steel plants, and for methanol production. Constitution Day Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-II- Polity In News The yearlong nationwide activities on Constitution Day are being launched to mark the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly, beginning November 26, 2019. On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950. While Constitution Day is not a public holiday, various departments of the Government of India celebrate the day. Earlier, the day was commemorated as National Law Day. This was after a resolution was passed by the Supreme Court Bar Association, a lawyers’ body, in 1979 The day was announced as the Constitution Day on November 19, 2015 by the Government of India. The announcement came while laying the foundation stone of the B. R. Ambedkar’s Statue of Equality memorial in Mumbai. It is aimed at reiterating and reorienting the citizens towards the values and principles expressed in the Constitution and to create awareness of Fundamental Duties as enshrined in the Constitution. The year 2015 also celebrated the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar. According to the government notification, Constitution Day was also a tribute to Ambedkar. Bodoland Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – Internal Security In News The central government extended the ban on the Assam-based insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by five more years for its involvement in violent activities and for joining hands with anti-India forces. Bodos are the single largest tribal community in Assam, making up over 5-6 per cent of the state’s population. They have controlled large parts of Assam in the past. The Bodos have had a long history of separatist demands, marked by armed struggle In 1987, the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) renewed the demand. “Divide Assam fifty-fifty”, was a call given by the ABSU The unrest was a fallout of the Assam Movement (1979-85), whose culmination — the Assam Accord — addressed the demands of protection and safeguards for the “Assamese people”, leading the Bodos to launch a movement to protect their own identity The Bodo Accord was signed in 2003 which resulted in the establishment of a Bodoland Territorial Council under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Miscellaneous Rohtang Tunnel The Rohtang Tunnel, when complete (by sep 2020), will cut through the mighty PirPanjal range and become the world’s longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet It would have been completed at least four years earlier, but for a massive torrent of water encountered inside the tunnel. For now, the tunnel provides a temporary winter link to the outside world not only to residents of Lahaul and Spiti but also to those living in Zanskar Valley of Ladakh. The project also has significant strategic implications for the military as it will allow access beyond Rohtang Pass even in peak winters. All-winter connectivity to Ladakh, however, is still some time away as more tunnels will have to be built to tackle the high passes which fall beyond Rohtang. (MAINS FOCUS) ECONOMY TOPIC: General Studies 3: Transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; Consumer Expenditure Survey The government announced that in view of “data quality issues” the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation had decided not to release the results of the all-India Household Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) during 2017-2018. Consumer Expenditure Survey CES is traditionally a quinquennial (recurring every five years) survey conducted by the government’s National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) that is designed to collect information on the consumption spending patterns of households across the country, both urban and rural. How does it helps? The data gathered in this exercise reveals the average expenditure on goods (food and non-food) and services and helps generate estimates of household Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE) as well as the distribution of households and persons over the MPCE classes. Why controversy? The data revealed a decline in the MPCE, making it the first such drop since 1972-73. In real terms (adjusted for inflation) the MPCE slid by 3.7% from Rs 1,501 in 2011-2012 to Rs 1,446 in 2017-2018. While the inflation-adjusted consumption expenditure in rural areas declined by 8.8% over the six-year period, urban households reported a marginal 2% increase Uses of CES: Vital in gauging the demand dynamics of the economy as well For understanding the shifting priorities in terms of baskets of goods and services In assessing living standards and growth trends across multiple strata. Helping policymakers spot and address possible structural anomalies that may cause demand to shift in a particular manner in a specific socio-economic or regional cohort of the population, Providing pointers to producers of goods and providers of services, Used by the government in rebasing the GDP and other macro-economic indicators. 2011 Survey: The survey showed that average urban MPCE (at Rs 2,630) was about 84% higher than average rural MPCE (Rs 1,430) for the country as a whole. Food accounted for about 53% of the value of the average rural Indian household’s consumption during 2011-12, in the case of urban households it accounted for only 42.6% of the average consumption budget. Average protein intake per capita per day was seen to rise steadily with MPCE levels in rural India from 43 g for the bottom 5% of population ranked by MPCE to 91 g for the top 5%, and in urban India from 44 g for the bottom 5% to about 87 g for the top 5%. Education accounted for 3.5% of the rural household’s average spending, an urban household spent almost 7% of its monthly consumption budget on it. [caption id="attachment_53552" align="aligncenter" width="366"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th November 2019[/caption] Src: The Hindu Way forward: The Central government decided to junk the survey findings. Govt also decided to separately examining the feasibility of conducting the next Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) in 2020-2021 and 2021-22 after incorporating all data quality refinements in the survey process. Conclusion: With the Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics also having separately recommended that 2017-18 would not be used as an appropriate year for rebasing of the GDP series, the very credibility of GDP data going forward could come under greater scrutiny. Connecting the dots: How do consumer spending surveys help gauge demand and growth trends?Analyse INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TOPIC: General Studies 2: India and its neighbourhood- relations. 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. Hong Kong protests Context: The Hong Kong administration led by Carrie Lam suffered a stinging setback on Sunday when voters rejected outright establishment candidates in elections to the city’s 18 district councils. Ms. Lam herself had indicated that the vote would be a proxy referendum on the way she handled months-long street protests, saying that a silent majority backed her administration. The protesters asked voters to express their support for the agitation through the vote to the district councils, the only authority in the city being selected by full universal suffrage. Protests: The 2019 Hong Kong protests, also known as the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) movement, are an ongoing series of demonstrations in Hong Kong triggered by the introduction of the Fugitive Offenders amendment bill by the Hong Kong government Critics feared this could undermine judicial independence and endanger dissidents. Background: The law would have allowed for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China under certain circumstances. Opponents said this risked exposing Hong Kongers to unfair trials and violent treatment. They also argued the bill would give China greater influence over Hong Kong and could be used to target activists and journalists. Until 1997, Hong Kong was ruled by Britain as a colony but then returned to China. Under the "one country, two systems" arrangement, it has more autonomy than the mainland, and its people more rights. The bill was withdrawn in September but demonstrations continue and now demand full democracy and an inquiry into police actions. What protesters want? Amnesty for arrested protesters An independent inquiry into alleged police brutality Implementation of complete universal suffrage Hong Kong's status: It was a British colony for more than 150 years - part of it, Hong Kong island, was ceded to the UK after a war in 1842. Later, China also leased the rest of Hong Kong - the New Territories - to the British for 99 years. It became a busy trading port, and its economy took off in the 1950s as it became a manufacturing hub. The territory was also popular with migrants and dissidents fleeing instability, poverty or persecution in mainland China. In the early 1980s, as the deadline for the 99-year-lease approached, Britain and China began talks on the future of Hong Kong - with the communist government in China arguing that all of Hong Kong should be returned to Chinese rule. The two sides reached a deal in 1984 that would see Hong Kong return to China in 1997, under the principle of "one country, two systems". This meant that while becoming part of one country with China, Hong Kong would enjoy "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years. As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system and borders, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected. For example, it is one of the few places in Chinese territory where people can commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, where the military opened fire on unarmed protesters in Beijing. Changing trend: Hong Kong still enjoys freedoms not seen on mainland China - but critics say they are on the decline. Rights groups have accused China of meddling in Hong Kong, citing examples such as legal rulings that have disqualified pro-democracy legislators. They've also been concerned by the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers, and a tycoon - all eventually re-emerged in custody in China. Hong Kong's leader, the chief executive, is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee - a mostly pro-Beijing body chosen by just 6% of eligible voters. Not all the 70 members of the territory's lawmaking body, the Legislative Council, are directly chosen by Hong Kong's voters. Most seats not directly elected are occupied by pro-Beijing lawmakers. Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, says that ultimately both the leader, and the Legislative Council, should be elected in a more democratic way - but there's been disagreement over what this should look like. The Chinese government said in 2014 it would allow voters to choose their leaders from a list approved by a pro-Beijing committee, but critics called this a "sham democracy" and it was voted down in Hong Kong's legislature. Conclusion: In 28 years' time in 2047, the Basic Law expires - and what happens to Hong Kong's autonomy after that is unclear. Connecting the dots: Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Chinese meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Analyse (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 Etalin Hydroelectric Project It is being planned in State of Mizoram The project area falls under the richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone and would be located at the junction of the Palaearctic, Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan bio-geographic regions Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Gamosa is predominantly the cultural item of which State in India? Rajasthan Karnataka Assam Himachal Pradesh Q.3) Consider the following statements about Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) It is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Ministry of Food processing is the administrative Ministry of FSSAI. 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 Coal Bed Methane (CBM) It is an unconventional form of natural gas found in coal deposits or coal seams CBM can be used for only power generation but not as compressed natural gas (CNG) auto fuel. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Consider the following statements about Constitution Day It is celebrated on 26th November as it was on this day in 1949 the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution Earlier 26th November was celebrated as National Law Day, but it was declared as Constitution day through government notification in 1999 to mark the 50th anniversary of adoption of Constitution. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS FOR 25 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 B 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 C MUST READ India’s enduring document of governance The Hindu Helping 10-year-olds to read by 2030 The Hindu What’s wrong with deep humiliation The Hindu Preventing political coalitions of convenience The Hindu Need to remember our fundamental duties as we remember our fundamental rights IE We owe it to freedom movement to protect ideals of democracy, secularism IE
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 122 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
Strengthening Parliamentary Institutions Archives TOPIC: General Studies 2 Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In News: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu pushed for the Women’s Reservation Bill and reforms in the way Parliament works including a code of conduct for lawmakers and greater powers to the presiding officer to deal with disruptive legislators. The Vice President also suggested a list of broad framework of reforms for parliamentary institutions to “enhance the trust of the people in them. He unveiled a reform charter as the basis for a new political normal to enable effective functioning of the Parliament and State Legislatures. He dwelt at length on the present pitfalls of parliamentary democracy in the country while delivering the first ‘Arun Jaitely Memorial Lecture on Strengthening of Parliamentary Institutions in the Country’ at Delhi University. Called for a new political consciousness urging all the stakeholders to review their mind-set with regard to their roles and responsibilities – A. Over poor attendance in the legislatures and the quality of debates: Urged the political parties to ensure attendance of at least 50% of their legislators all through the proceedings of the Houses by adopting a roster system. This suggestion came in the context of Parliament being forced to be adjourned due to lack of quorum of the required presence of 10% of the strength of the Houses. Responding to the concerns over stifling of the freedom of expression of the legislators due to issuance of ‘Whip’, Shri Naidu called for a review of the same so as to enable reasonable degree of dissent without impacting the stability of the government. The Vice President also advocated a thorough review of the Anti-Defection Law to rectify the grey areas like incentivising legislators to resort to actions inviting expulsion from the party besides providing for time bound disposal of defection cases by the Presiding Officer. B. Functioning of the Department Related Standing Committees: Surfacing of issues like – Declining attendance Lack of specialisation Limited tenure of one year Frequent hopping of Committees Shri Naidu said that measures are needed for effective functioning of these committees with longer tenure instead of the present one year, promoting specialisation by nominating the Members for a longer period etc. C. Need for well-thought out and focused legislation with the participation of stakeholders: Proposed a detailed framework based pre and post Legislative Impact Assessment He stressed that every legislative proposal shall incorporate a detailed account of social, economic, environmental and administrative impact for wider awareness and subsequent assessment of the effect of legislation on ground. D. ‘First Pass The Post (FPTP)’ system of electing people’s representatives is faulty to the extent that MPs and MLAs are being elected with substantially less than 50% of voter support: The proportional representation being advocated in some quarters would lead to promotion of further social and political cleavages besides being not practical due to implementation issues. In the recent elections to the 17th Lok Sabha, a large number of Members were elected with more than 50% voter support which would further increase with the changing preference of voters based on developmental concerns. E. ‘Parliamentary form of Government’ is one of the features of the ‘Basic structure of the Constitution’ and is accordingly beyond the power of Parliament to be amended as per the settled position in the matter. He said that the alternative of ‘Presidential form of Government’ for India is no option by virtue of the same. F. On role of caste, community, region and religion in influencing the voting preferences in the country: There is growing evidence to suggest the decline of such identity based voting but it needs to be completely stamped out. While the Indian public has been steadfast in patronising democracy since the first General Elections in 1952 with ever rising turnout, there is a need for new consciousness in the form of moving away from the remnants of identity based voting to that of development oriented exercise of voting preferences. G. Government & Opposition: There is a need for the governments to be responsive to the concerns of the Opposition and the Opposition to be responsible and constructive during the debates and while criticising the government and opposing legislation. Frequent disruptions, Points of Order without a point, Adjournment Motions and interruptions betray political immaturity, exhibitionism, excessive fondness for the limelight and inadequate appreciation of the need to utilise the opportunity of serving the public interest. H. Building consensus on simultaneous polls to let unfettered governance I. Enacting for reservation of women in legislatures: At present, women’s representation in Parliament is 13% only. Lok Sabha did not pass the Geeta Mukherjee Committee’s report which was presented in 1996 talked about it. In 2010, the Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha. J. Making rules that automatically take effect against erring members in case of interruptions and disruptions K. Regular publication of reports by the Secretariats of Legislatures on the attendance of Members and their participation in debates L. Doing away with the winnability as the sole criterion for selecting contestants by the parties to address the concern of rising number of legislators with criminal record Must Read: Strengthening departmentally related standing committees (DRSCs) Connecting the Dots: Do you think India’s democratic institutions got further strengthened post emergency? Analyse. Legislature reforms will trigger executive and judiciary discipline. Critically analyse. The departmentally related standing committees are rightly called as “mini-parliaments”. Strengthening their working will improve Parliament’s overall effectiveness. Analyze. Also discuss ways to strengthen these committees. Explain the concept of ‘doctrine of separation of powers’. Also examine its significance in a parliamentary democracy.
IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th November 2019 Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) NSO survey debunks Swachh Bharat ODF claims Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Sanitation In News In the first week of October 2018, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Grameen) said 25 States and Union Territories had been declared ODF, while toilet access across the country touched 95%. In reality, the NSO has said 28.7% of rural households had no toilet access at the time. The 71% access to toilets was still a significant improvement over the situation during the last survey period in 2012, when only 40% of the rural households had access to toilets. The NSO survey was carried out between July and December 2018, with a reference date of October 1. Large States which had been declared ODF — that is, 100% access to toilets and 100% usage — even before the survey began included Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. According to the NSO, almost 42% of the rural households in Jharkhand had no access to a toilet at that time. In Tamil Nadu, the gap was 37%, followed by 34% in Rajasthan. In Gujarat, which was one of the earliest States declared ODF, back in October 2017, almost a quarter of all rural households had no toilet access, the NSO data showed. Possible reason for divergence in survey results: There may be respondent bias in the reporting of access to latrine as question on benefits received by the households from government schemes was asked prior to the question on access of households to latrine. Do You Know? However, 95% of people with access to toilets in rural India used them regularly, indicating that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’s efforts to change behaviour had borne fruit. Ken-Betwa interlinking Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II - Federalism In News Union government is pushing Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to make progress on the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project. The project involves transferring surplus water from Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa in Uttar Pradesh and irrigate 3.64 lakh hectares in the Bundelkhand region of both States. The project involves building a 77-metre-tall and a 2 km wide Dhaudhan dam and a 230 km canal. Originally, this phase envisaged irrigating 6,35,661 hectares annually (3,69,881 ha in M.P. and 2,65,780 ha in U.P.) In addition, the project was to provide 49 million cubic metres for drinking water supply en route. The ₹18,000 crore project has been mired in several controversies. The most recent one is a disagreement between the States on the share of water. While there is a 2005 agreement between the two States on how water would be shared, Madhya Pradesh says these assumptions are no longer valid and the only way to meet the increased water requirements would be to include local management projects — the Kotha barrage, Lower Orr and Bina complex that were envisaged in the second phase of the project — in the first phase. Other than differences between the States, there are outstanding environmental obstructions too. Chhattisgarh panchayats to have disabled quota Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Polity In News The Chhattisgarh Cabinet has approved the nomination of at least one differently abled member to each panchayat, if not elected, making it the only State to have such members in all panchayat Every panchayat will now have differently abled members, either elected or nominated. If differently abled members are not elected through the electoral process, then one member, either male or female, would be nominated as a panch. And as for janpads and zilla panchayats, the State government would nominate two such members, one male and one female, to them This means the State would have 11,000 people with special needs as members of panchayats Differently abled people constitute 6% of the population of Chhattisgarh The Cabinet also decided to drop the educational qualifications eligibility criterion for contesting panchayat elections. In the three-tier panchayati raj system, only being literate would be enough to contest elections. However, it is mandatory for a contestant for the position of a panch to be at least a Class V pass, and above that Class VIII pass. PLASTIC PARKS Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III - Environment In News Union government has approved setting up of six plastic parks in different parts of the country. These parks will have an ecosystem with infrastructure building and enabling the common facility to consolidate and synergize the capacities of the domestic downstream plastic processing industry. These parks are located in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. Out of them, the plastic park at Tamot in Madhya Pradesh is functional. Four new plastic parks have also been given in-principle approval for establishment in West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh. Under the scheme, the Union government provides grant funding up to 50 per cent of the project cost. The remaining project cost is to be funded by State Government beneficiary industries and by a loan from financial institutions GENERAL SECURITY OF MILITARY INFORMATION AGREEMENT (GSOMIA) Part of: GS Prelims and Mains GS-III- International Affairs In News South Korea has decided to continue a 2016 military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan that it previously said it would terminate amid ongoing tensions over wartime history and trade. Previously, South Korea had decided to discontinue the intelligence pact GSOMIA by November 22, unless Japan decided to review its export control measures. The need for GSOMIA was felt amidst a growing threat from North Korea, especially when it started conducting nuclear tests and developing ballistic missiles. The agreement was eventually signed in November 2016. The US’ interest in this agreement stems from its need to forge alliances in the northeast to be able to analyse and respond to any threats from North Korea. Significantly, it may be China’s perception that GSOMIA is an attempt by the US-Japan-South Korea trilateral alliance to contain Beijing, thereby maintaining a degree of opposition between this trilateral alliance and that of China-North Korea-Russia. In recent years, the relationship between South Korea and Japan has deteriorated, given the territorial dispute over the Dokdo islands — known as Takeshima in Japan. While South Korea controls them, the islands are claimed by Japan. Bougainville Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains III – International Relations In News Australia could soon have a new nation right on its doorstep, as the people of Bougainville start to cast their votes in a referendum on whether they should seek independence from Papua New Guinea. Between 1988-1998, political factions in Bougainville were involved in an armed conflict with the government of Papua New Guinea, in an attempt to force Papua New Guinea to divest control of the resource-rich island. The conflict in Bougainville and the desire of Bougainvillean people for independence is rooted in the historic plunder of the resource-rich island that has large deposits of copper and the unequal distribution of wealth that followed. Politically, Bougainville is currently an autonomous region within Papua New Guinea. This autonomy was a key part of the 2001 peace agreement signed after the conflict. People voting in the referendum will be given two options to choose from: greater autonomy from Papua New Guinea or complete independence However, the referendum is not binding and would still have to be passed by the Government and the Parliament of Papua New Guinea, in consultation with the Autonomous Bougainville Government. [caption id="attachment_53459" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th November 2019[/caption] Src:Click here (MAINS FOCUS) POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. General Studies 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it. Wages Act, 2019 Context: Central government has proposed the rules to the Labour Code on Wages Act 2019 Background Wages had always been the central concern of workers. The provisions of the Minimum Wages Act and the Payment of Wages Act do not cover substantial number of workers, as the applicability of both these Acts is restricted to the Scheduled Employments / Establishments. On the other hand, the biggest issues faced by employers in India is the number of laws governing the employer-employee relationship. This issue has been on the government’s radar for a very long period of time. The government has thus introduced four codes that would subsume 44 labour laws, which are (i) industrial relations, (ii) wages, (iii) social security, (iv) safety, welfare and working conditions. This would also allow for uniformity in the coverage of various labour laws that are in force. Notably, the Centre started notifying a uniform national floor level minimum wage from 1996, which is non-binding on states. The national floor level was last revised by 10% to Rs 176 a day in July 2017. Features of the Labour code of Wages Act, 2019 The Code consolidates, subsumes & transforms four central labour laws relating to wages, namely: (a) the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976; (b) the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 ("MWA"); (c) the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 ("PWA"); and (d) the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 ("PBA") Earlier there were 12 definitions of wages in various labour laws, leading to litigation besides difficulty in its implementation. Under the Code, the definition has been simplified The labour code on wages has a provision for a minimum wage. Hence, it brings uniform standard of living across the country. It is expected to treat contract labour on par with regular employee to have dignified life. The wage conditions of unskilled workers will also improve. The Code introduces a new concept of "floor wages", which rates will be fixed by the Central Government taking into account the minimum living standards of a worker. Once the Code is enacted, the minimum rates of wages fixed by the State Government cannot be less than floor wages as determined by the Central Government. A tripartite committee comprising representatives of trade unions, employers and the state government would fix floor wages for workers throughout the country. It would also ensure that there is no discrimination between men and women as well as transgenders in getting wages. Also, the minimum wages across the country would be only linked to factors of skills and geographical regions, while the rest of the factors have been removed. Bill provides appointment of a Facilitator to carry out inspections, and information to employers and employees for better compliance. Inspection will be done on the basis of an inspection scheme, which will include a web-based inspection schedule. The inspection scheme will be decided by the central or state governments. Merits of the Act The act is expected to benefit over 50 crores employees across the country Simplified definition of labour is expected to reduce litigation and also reduce compliance cost for employers. The Act would be a ‘game-changer’ to the status quo as far as the lives of workers in the informal sector are concerned. It was believed that informal workers account for 93% of the total working population and contribute to over 60% of India’s GDP The act would revive the crisis of the current economic slowdown, as the law proposes to increase income capacity and the purchasing power of the informal workers. The act promotes digitization which will also lead to formalisation of economy. Multiplicity of laws are removed which thus facilitates easier compliance by establishments. Criticism of the rules proposed under the Act The floor wages in effect would mean that “starvation wages” which currently guarantees just ₹178 per day, will continue to exist. Instead States should have been incentivized to follow uniform standards across India ‘Need-Based Minimum Wage’ (covering nutrition, health care, education, housing and provisions for old age as well) should have been treated as a fundamental constitutional right for every citizen of India, in the draft rules. Another huge concern with the law is in its provision of an arbitrary deduction of wages (up to 50% of monthly wages) based on performance, damage or loss, advances, etc. Draft rules also do not clarify the governance and institutional structure for the “labour inspection system” in the law. The International Labour Organisation’s Labour Inspection Convention of 1947 (Convention C081) — it has been ratified by India — provides for a well-resourced and independent inspectorate with provisions to allow thorough inspections and free access to workplaces. Ignoring these provisions, the draft rules propose another ad-hoc and unclear mechanism called the “inspection scheme” Also, since the act impacts the lives of millions of workers, the act should have been discussed in detail in Parliament, however it was passed in haste without much discussion Connecting the dots: Critically examine the provisions of the Labour code of Wages Act, 2019. POLITY TOPIC: General Studies 2: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. Illegal non-citizens Context: The Home Minister Amit Shah’s had announced in the RajyaSabha earlier this week that a National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be implemented across India, and repeated again in Assam. It has ignited interest in the existing legal framework in India for illegal migrants. The first enactment made for dealing with foreigners was the Foreigners Act, 1864, which provided for the expulsion of foreigners and their arrest, detention pending removal, and for a ban on their entry into India after removal. Do you know? NRC :The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register maintained by the Government of India containing names & certain relevant information for identification of Indian citizens First started in Assam state of India. Who are illegal migrants? Migration of people into a country in violation of the immigrationlaws of that country, or the continued residence of people without the legal right to live in that country. What is the Passport Act? The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, was one of the early set of rules made against illegal migrants, It empowered the government to make rules requiring persons entering India to be in possession of passports. It also granted the government the power to remove from India any person who entered without a passport. The concept of “burden of proof” was introduced in Foreigners Act, 1940. Section 7 of the Act provided that whenever a question arose with regard to the nationality of a person, the onus of proving that he was not a foreigner lay upon the person. When was the Foreigners Act made more stringent? The legislature enacted the Foreigners Act, 1946, by repealing the 1940 Act. It conferred wide powers to deal with all foreigners. It empowered the government to make provisions for prohibiting, regulating or restricting the entry of foreigners into India. It also restricted the rights enjoyed by foreigners in terms of their stay in the country if any such orders are passed by the authority. The 1946 Act empowered the government to take such steps as are necessary, including the use of force for securing compliance with such directions. The ‘burden of proof’ lies with the person, and not with the authoritiesis still applicable in all States and Union Territories. This has been upheld by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court. What about the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order? In 1964the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order was brought in. The tribunal has the authority to decide whether a person is a foreigner within the ambit of the Foreigners Act, 1946. The tribunal has powers similar to those of a civil court. It gives reasonable opportunity to the person alleged to be a foreigner to produce evidence in support of his case, before passing its order. In June this year, the Home Ministry made certain amendments in the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964. It was to empower district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not. Why did the IMDT Act fail? The Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983, was also referred to as the IMDT Act. It was introduced for the detection and deportation of illegal migrants who had entered India on or after March 25, 1971. It was unsuccessful. One factor for its failure was that it did not contain any provision on ‘burden of proof’ similar to the Foreigners Act, 1946. This put a very heavy burden upon the authorities to establish whether a person is an illegal migrant. The result of the IMDT Act was that a number of non-Indians who may have entered Assam after March 25, 1971 without possession of valid documents, continue to reside in Assam. In the Supreme Court landmark verdict on a petition by SarbanandaSonowal (now the Chief Minister of Assam), challenging the IMDT Act in 2005 the top court quashed the IMDT Act. The verdict also closed all tribunals in Assam functioning under the Act. It transferred all pending cases at the IMDT tribunals to the Foreigners Tribunals constituted under the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964. Any person excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) recently concluded in Assam can approach The Foreigners Tribunals, established only in Assam, within 120 days of receiving a certified copy of rejection. In other States, a person suspected to be a foreigner is produced before a local court under the Passport Act, 1920, or the Foreigners Act, 1946. Connecting the dots: The NRC mess in Assam should serve as a cautionary tale for a nationwide exercise. Comment. (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 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan It is being implemented directly by Prime Minister’s Office so as to enable better monitoring and quick implementation of the scheme. Only 40% of people with access to toilets in rural India used them regularly, indicating that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’s efforts to change behaviour was a failure. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2) Bougainville island often seen in the news is located in which ocean? Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Antarctic Ocean Q.3) Consider the following statements about Ken-Betwa river linking project The project involves transferring surplus water from Ken river in Madhya Pradesh (MP) to the Betwa in Uttar Pradesh (UP) The aim of the project is to provide irrigation and drinking water facilities to Malwa region in both these (MP & UP) states 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 Plastic Parks These parks will have an ecosystem with infrastructure building and enabling the common facility to consolidate and synergize the capacities of the domestic downstream plastic processing industry. Union government would provide grant funding up to 90 per cent of the project cost. The remaining project cost is to be funded by State Government &beneficiary industries Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.5) Which state has approved the nomination of at least one differently abled member to each panchayat (if not elected), making it the first state to have such a policy? Jharkhand Bihar Chhattisgarh Uttar Pradesh ANSWERS FOR 23 Nov 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 C 3 A MUST READ Tiruvalluvar is un-striped, un-coloured, un-ageing The Hindu The broken promise of decent and fair wages The Hindu An ill-advised proposal The Hindu Unreliably variable employment numbers ET For a new breed of public enterprises ET All crop loans should be routed through Kisan Credit Cards to ensure farmers don’t use loans for non-agricultural purposes IE
Awareness towards vital Health issues: Iodine deficiency disorders ARCHIVES Search 22nd Oct, 2019 Public Speak here: http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx TOPIC: General studies 2 Health What is Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD)? Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) constitute the single largest cause of preventable brain damage worldwide. Iodine is an essential micronutrient required for the synthesis of the hormones - thyroxine and triiodothyronine. What is Iodine? Iodine is a mineral used by the body to regulate metabolism. It also helps regulate bone growth and brain development in children. It is found in seafood, iodized salt, dairy products, and some fruits and vegetables. Iodine deficiency disorders & diseases In the past, iodine deficiency was thought to cause only goitre and cretinism. However, over the last quarter of the century, it has become increasingly clear that iodine deficiency leads to a much wider spectrum of disorders commencing with the intrauterine life and extending through childhood into adult life with serious health and social problems. The spectrum of diseases includes goitre, cretinism, hypothyroidism, brain damage, abortion, still birth, mental retardation, psychomotor defects and hearing and speech impairment. Majority of consequences of IDD are invisible and irreversible but at the same time preventable. What is the situation in India? In India, the entire population is prone to IDD due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the subcontinent and consequently the food derived from it. Due to glaciations, flooding, rivers changing course and deforestation the iodine present in top soil is constantly leached. This in turn leads to deficiency of iodine in crops grown on iodine deficient soil with consequently low iodine in the diet for livestock and humans. The study shows that 76.3% of Indian households consumed adequately iodised salt, which is salt with at least 15 parts per million of iodine. The five worst performers were Tamil Nadu (61.9%), Andhra Pradesh (63.9%), Rajasthan (65.5%), Odisha (65.8%) Jharkhand (68.8%) Rajasthan, which is the second largest producer of salt, also figured among the five worst covered States. Gujarat produces 71% of salt in the country, followed by Rajasthan at 17% and Tamil Nadu at 11%. The rest of the country accounts for a mere 1% of salt produced. The northeastern States are doing very well with respect to iodised salt consumption at the household level because of the distance they have from the three salt producing centres — Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. By and large most States get their salt from Gujarat and Rajasthan and because of the distance, it is sent by rail. This salt is strictly monitored by the Salt Commissioner’s office and if it is inadequately iodised, they don’t allot rakes. Secondly, salt-producing States have access to common (or non-iodised) salt and, therefore, they start consuming it since it is readily available The survey was conducted by Nutrition International in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the Indian Coalition for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD). The survey tested the iodine content in samples of cooking salt from households to estimate the coverage of iodised salt. India made fortification of salt with iodine mandatory for direct human consumption in 1992. This was relaxed in 2000 and then reimposed in 2005. In 2011, the Supreme Court, too, mandated universal iodisation for the control of iodine deficiencies. The Way Forward To combat the risk of IDD, salt is fortified with iodine Sustain the momentum so that iodine coverage does not fall below current levels Fix lack of political commitment: States and the Centre should work together to address the current gaps and look into issues that vary from one State to another, leading to adequately iodised salt not being produced. To ensure the supply of adequately iodized salt, sustained monitoring of the iodine level is required at different stages, namely, at the production stage, before dispatch by rail or road, the wholesale and retail level, and the consumer household level. Monitoring at the production level is a crucial component of the salt iodization program. Public awareness of IDD and its serious consequences remains low, and there is a lack of consumer demand for adequately iodized salt. Most importantly, consumers are not equipped with the tools and skills necessary to assess the quality of the salt they purchase, making them unable to demand only adequately iodized salt. There is a serious need to fix this.
Press Information Bureau (PIB) IAS UPSC – 18th to 24th November, 2019 ARCHIVES GS-1 Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (Topic: Population and associated issues) Jansankhya SthirthaKosh (JSK), an autonomous body under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, implemented the following schemes: Prerna Scheme (for delaying marriage, childbirth and spacing), Santushti Scheme (Public Private Partnership for sterilization services),and National Helpline (for information on family planning) Steps being taken by the government to control population growth Mission ParivarVikas- The Government has launched Mission Parivar Vikas for substantially increasing access to contraceptives and family planning services in146 high fertility districts with Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 3 and above in seven high focus states. These districts are from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam that itself constitutes 44% of the country’s population. New Contraceptive Choices- New contraceptives viz. Injectable contraceptive and Centchroman have been added to the existing basket of choices. A new method of IUCD insertion immediately after delivery i.e. post-partum IUCD (PPIUCD) has been introduced. Redesigned Contraceptive Packaging - The packaging for Condoms, OCPs and ECPs has now been improved and redesigned so as to increase the demand for these commodities. Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors - Under the scheme MoHFW provides compensation for loss of wages to the beneficiary and also to the service provider (& team) for conducting sterilizations. Clinical Outreach Teams (COT) Scheme - The scheme has been launched in 146 Mission ParivarVikas districts for providing Family planning services through mobile teams from accredited organizationsin far-flung, underserved and geographically difficult areas. Scheme for Home delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of beneficiaries. Scheme for ASHAs to Ensure spacing in births. Scheme for provision of Pregnancy Testing Kits in the drug kits of ASHAs for use in communities. Family Planning Logistic Management and Information System (FP-LMIS): A dedicated software to ensure smooth forecasting, procurement and distribution of family planning commodities across all the levels of health facilities. National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme (NFPIS) under which clients are insured in the eventualities of death, complication and failure following sterilization. Ensuring quality of care in Family Planning services by establishing Quality Assurance Committees in all states and districts. Appointment of dedicated RMNCH+A counsellors at high case load facilities. Improved Demand generation activities through a 360 degree media campaign. GS-2 Role of Rajya Sabha in Indian Polity and the Way Forward (Topic: Parliament – Rajya Sabha/Upper House) Chairman: Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu The Upper House has played significant role in the socio-economic transformation of the country during its journey of last 67 years but 'all is not well'. The role of Rajya Sabha in transforming the state of affairs in the country at the stroke of freedom marked by poverty, illiteracy, poor healthcare, low level of industrialization and economic growth, social orthodoxy, poor infrastructure, unemployment etc. to being now a leading engine of economic growth and a voice being heard in the complex global order besides substantially improved quality of life of the people. The Chairman stressed the need for collective reflection over the journey of the House so far and a sincere introspection over the missed opportunities on the landmark occasion of 250th Session of the House, failing which he said 'there is an inherent risk of making ourselves irrelevant'. 10 suggestions for consideration by the Members of the House for making a difference to the functioning of the House, henceforth – Adequacy of the number of the sittings in the context of the House meeting for about 60-70 days in a year now, keeping in view the nature and volume of legislations and time available for discussing issues of public importance; Adequacy of the present Rules of Business of the House and changes required, if any; Adequacy and effectiveness of various instruments presently available for the members to present their views on legislative proposals and raising issues of public concern; Adequacy and effectiveness of the present procedures currently being followed in the House; Norms to be followed for enabling equitable and wider participation of members in the debates; Ensuring that members with right background and abilities to enrich debates are sent to the House; Ensuring self-discipline on the part of the members to ensure compliance with the Rules of the Business for orderly functioning of the House; Requirement of infrastructure support to the members to enable informed contribution to the debates in the House ; Ensuring adequate presence of members in the House all through the proceedings and in the meetings of the Department Related Standing Committees and other Committees of the House; and Technology adoption for improving the functioning of the members and for more lively conduct of the proceedings of the House. On the role of the Upper House, Shri Naidu quoted former President of India and veteran Member of Rajya Sabha and said; "It will be desirable on the part of the Members of Rajya Sabha to remember that they have to maintain a fine balance between becoming obstructionist and redundant. The Rajya Sabha cannot mischievously veto everything and anything that the Lok Sabha passes and become obstructionist, and at the same time, it should not rubber stamp anything and everything passed by the Lok Sabha, lest it becomes redundant." Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by the Parliament (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) It seeks to make apolitical the trust that runs Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial by removing the clause pertaining to the President of INC as a permanent member of the trust. The Bill also amends to include the Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in that House as a member of the trust. 'Make In India' Initiative for Ministry of Defence (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) An innovation ecosystem for Defence titled Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) has been launched: iDEX is aimed at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs, Start-ups, Individual Innovators, R&D institutes and Academia and provide them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs. 24 contracts have been signed so far by the implementing agency -Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO). Separate procedure for ‘Make-II’ category has been notified under Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) to encourage indigenous development and manufacture of defence equipment. Number of industry friendly provisions such as relaxation of eligibility criterion, minimal documentation, provision for considering proposals suggested by industry/individual etc. have been introduced in this procedure. 44 proposals have been accorded acceptance in principle. Government has notified the ‘Strategic Partnership (SP)’ Model which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process, wherein they would tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains. Policy for indigenisation of components and spares used in Defence Platforms with the objective to create an industry ecosystem which is able to indigenize the imported components (including alloys & special materials) and sub-assemblies for defence equipment and platform manufactured in India. Establish two defence industrial corridors to serve as an engine of economic development and growth of defence industrial base in the country. They span across Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and spanning across Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Chitrakoot and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Department has formulated a Policy on ‘Utilisation of Third Party Inspection Services’ for effective administration of inspection Services with involvement of third parties. Creation of “Offset portal”: To bring more transparency and efficiency into the Offset discharge process ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’ aims to provide boost to the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) culture in indigenous defence industry. Defence Investor Cell to provide all necessary information including addressing queries related to investment opportunities, procedures and regulatory requirements for investment in the sector. Defence Products list requiring Industrial Licences has been rationalised and manufacture of most of parts or components does not require Industrial License. Department of Defence Production has notified 112 items under Public Procurement Order 2017 notified by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The Defence PSUs and OFB are thereby required to give preference to domestic manufacturers while procuring these items in accordance with the said policy. This is expected to provide greater opportunities to domestic industry catering to these organizations and reduce dependence on imports. National Policy on Biofuels (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) Categorization of biofuels as “Basic Biofuels” and “Advanced Biofuels”, Incentives, off-take assurance and viability gap funding for advanced biofuels, Allowing B-molasses, sugarcane juice, damaged food grains and surplus food grains for ethanol production, Setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops, and Synergy of efforts by defining roles and responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries/Departments with respect to biofuels. In line with National Policy on Biofuels, Government has approved “Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool FasalAwashesh Nivaran) Yojana” for providing financial support to Integrated Bio-Ethanol Projects using lignocellulosic biomass & other renewable feedstock, with a total financial outlay of Rs 1969.50 crore for the period 2018-19 to 2023-24. For reopening of closed public and cooperative sugar mills, responsibility lies with concerned State Governments/Union Territories. In case of private sugar mills, the entrepreneur has to take steps to reopen closed sugar mills. The Government through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is implementing the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme under which, OMCs sell ethanol blended petrol with percentage of ethanol upto 10% subject to its availability. OMCs procure ethanol for blending in petrol. National Gas Pipeline To increase the availability of natural gas across the country, the Government has envisaged to develop the National Gas Grid. At present about 16,500 km natural gas pipeline is operational. Apart from that, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has authorized pipeline which are at various stages of execution. PNGRB is taking steps for development of natural gas pipeline in order to cover additional area of the country through National Gas Grid. Cabinet approves Patent Prosecution Highway programme Reduction in time to dispose patent applications. Reduction in pendency of patent applications. Improvement in quality of search and examination of patent applications. An opportunity for Indian inventors including MSMEs and Startups of India to get accelerated examination of their patent applications in Japan. Establishment of the National Institute of Sowa Rigpa (NISR) at Leh Sowa-Rigpa is a Traditional Medical system of the Himalayan belt in India. It has been popularly practiced in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory of Ladakh and now all over India. The setting up of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa would provide an impetus for the revival of Sowa-Rigpa in the Indian Sub-continent. The Institute will also provide opportunities for students of Sowa-Rigpa not only in India but also from other countries. MoU between India and Finland for strengthening cooperation in the field of Tourism Establish the basis for a cooperative relationship to encourage and promote successful bilateral cooperation in the field of tourism Sharing data; knowledge, expertise etc. related to tourism Sharing experiences in making polices, regulation and standards in planning, implementation and development of tourism policy Facilitating the identification and expansion of joint projects, pilots and partnerships between companies and organizations through visits, meetings, workshops, co-creation sessions and site evaluations Exchanging best practices through workshops and study visits for experts of Finland and India on the field of cooperation Encouraging development of partnerships in the context of multilateral development programs and projects of international Financial Institutions, in which both Participants have common interests Proposal for Mitigating financial stress being faced by the Telecom Services Sector Department of Telecommunication will give an option to the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to defer payment of the spectrum auction instalments due for 2020-21 & 2021-22, either for one or both years. These deferred amounts bill be spread equally in the remaining instalments to be paid by TSPs. Interest as stipulated while auctioning of the concerned spectrum will however be charged so that NPV is protected. Deferment of spectrum auction instalments will ease the cash outflow of the stressed TSPs and facilitate payment of statutory liabilities and interest on bank loans. Continued operation by TSPs will give a fillip to employment and economic growth. Improved financial health of TSPs will facilitate maintenance of quality of services to consumer. Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2019 Setting up of two-member tribunal (in place of one member) introducing a concept that some of the important cases will be adjudicated jointly and the rest by a single member resulting speedier disposal of cases. To impart flexibility to the exit provisions (relating to retrenchment etc.), for which, the threshold for prior approval of appropriate Government has been kept unchanged at 100 employees, but added a provision for changing ‘such number of employees’ through notification. The re-skilling fund, is to be utilised for crediting to workers in the manner to be prescribed. Definition of Fixed Term Employment and that it would not lead to any notice period and payment of compensation on retrenchment excluded. Vesting of powers with the government officers for adjudication of disputes involving penalty as fines thereby lessening the burden on tribunal. Prelims oriented News 14th November: World Diabetes Day 10th October: World Mental Health Day; Theme: Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention "Relief of the disabled and unemployable": State subject Census 2021 It will have a mix mode approach is being adopted for data collection. Census will be conducted in two phases, viz., House-listing & Housing Census during April to September, 2020 and Population Enumeration during February 09-28, 2021. Enumerators can collect and submit data directly through Mobile App using his /her smart phone or they can use paper schedule to collect data and submit the same through Mobile App. Alternatively, the enumerators can also use paper schedule only to collect and submit the data. The State Government appointed enumerators will only be able to use the App for collection of data. Report on ‘Health Systems for a New India: Building Blocks—Potential Pathways to Reforms’: NITI Aayog It focuses on breaking silos in the health space and removing fragmentation between various initiatives, ensuring greater convergence between ministries as well as the Centre and states, as already initiated under Ayushman Bharat. At a systems level, overcoming the challenges of fragmentation, across healthcare financing and service delivery, will help us optimize both quality and access. India now needs to build on its many opportunities to achieve further progress on the health of its citizens and respond to the growing aspirations and needs of a new India National Bamboo Mission Focuses on the development of complete value chain of bamboo sector to link growers with consumers starting from planting material, plantation, creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing, micro, small & medium enterprises, skill development and brand building initiative in a cluster approach mode. NBM interventions includes support to industries for establishment of bamboo treatment and seasoning plants, establishment of carbonisation plants and establishment of livelihood business incubators and establishment of processing units for value addition. Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises is implementing a scheme called ‘Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) in seven districts of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Assam for need-based assistance, replacement of production equipment, setting up of Common Facility Centres (CFC), product development, quality improvement, improved marketing, training and capacity building. Steps taken by govt to promote vocational educational in backward regions Developing internship/apprenticeship based degree courses in sectors like Retail, Logistics, Media and Entertainment, etc. Increasing number of institutions offering B.VoC courses in the country Aligning the content of existing skill courses with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Samagra Shiksha Provisions have been made for library grant to government schools so as to inculcate reading habit among students of all ages and to strengthen school libraries, including purchase of books. To promote the habit of reading in students, States and UTs have been advised to set up Reader’s club with the help of National Centre for Children’s Literature (NCCL) which is a wing of National Book Trust (NBT). National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the Elementary level through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme To improve learning outcomes at Elementary level through a massive Teacher Training Programme The aim of this training is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students, handle diverse situations and act as first level counsellors. They will be oriented on and develop their skills on various aspects related to Learning Outcomes, Competency Based Learning and Testing, Learner-centered Pedagogy, School Safety and Security, Personal-social qualities, Inclusive Education, ICT in teaching-learning including Artificial Intelligence, Health and well-being including yoga, Initiatives in School Education including library, eco club, youth club, kitchen garden, School Leadership qualities, Environmental Concerns, Pre-school, Pre-vocational Education and School Based Assessment in a joyful learning manner. The ‘Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat’ (PBBB) It is a sub-programme of erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) which is continued under the new integrated scheme Samagra Shiksha to ensure quality at the foundational years of schooling. The objectives of the programme are to promote early reading and writing with comprehension skills in children, and also basic numeracy skills. States/ UTs are implementing PBBB in their respective States/UTs using multiple strategies and approaches. These include adoption of NCERT model of early reading, provision of supplementary reading material, development of State specific models for early Maths and early reading, collaboration with organizations like UNICEF etc. Atal Innovation Mission To cultivate 1 million children in India as Neoteric Innovators Government has setup the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog. The objective of establishing AIM is to create scientific temper and cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation among young minds In schools, AIM facilitates to set up network of Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) in India. The vision of Atal Tinkering Lab initiative is to ‘Cultivate 1 Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’. The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds and inculcate skills such as design mind-set, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, rapid calculations, measurements etc. New Mission of National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) Set up by the Ministry of Culture in 2017 Mission will compile data of artists, art forms & geo location with inputs from Central Ministries, State Governments & art/culture bodies. Specially designed data capture form with technical collaboration of National E-Governance Division (NEGD)/Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has been formulated for data collection. Data from art & culture Academies of the Ministry of Culture has been collected and will be entered into database after due correction. Mental Health Awareness Initiatives To address the burden of mental disorders, the Government of India is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) since 1982. With the objective to address the shortage of qualified mental health professionals in the country, the Government, under NMHP is implementing Manpower Development Schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and strengthening/ establishment of Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health specialties. Enactment of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which aims at protection and promotion of the rights of persons with mental illness during the delivery of health care in institutions and in the community. It also ensures health care, treatment and rehabilitation of persons with mental illness within a rights based framework to achieve the greatest public health good. As per the guidelines for implementation of DMHP, funds upto Rs. 12 lakhs per annum are provided to each district supported under the programme for targeted interventions with the following objectives: To provide class teachers with facilitative skill to promote life skill among their students. To provide the class teachers with knowledge and skills to identify emotional conduct, scholastic and substance use problems in their students To provide class teachers with a system of referral for students with psychological problems to the District Mental Health Team for inputs and treatment. To involve other stakeholders like parents, community leaders to enhance development of adolescents etc. Schemes to support handloom weavers National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS): Under the scheme, components like conducting Diagnostic Study, engaging Designer, Product Development, Corpus for raw material, Construction of Worksheds (for BPL/SC/ST/Women weavers), Skill up-gradation etc. are fully funded by Government of India, while the components like Technology up-gradation, lighting units funded 90% andother common infrastructural projects like Design Studio, Marketing Complex, Value Addition Centres, Publicity etc., are funded by the GOI to the extent of 80%. Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS): Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS) is providing life, accidental and disability insurance coverage under the components Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Converged Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY). Yarn Supply Scheme (YSS): Yarn Supply Scheme is being implemented throughout the country to make available all types of yarn at Mill Gate Price. The scheme is being implemented through National Handloom Development Corporation. Under the Scheme freight is reimbursed and depot operating charges at 2% is given to depot operating agencies. A component of 10% price subsidy also exists on hank yarn, which is applicable on cotton, domestic silk, wool and linen yarn with quantity caps. To protect handloom weavers from private players in India, Handloom (Reservation of Articles for Production), Act, 1985 was enacted which has reserved 11 articles for exclusive production by handlooms. For enforcement of the Act, enforcement machineries exist at Centre and at States/UTs level, which carry out regular inspections and take action under the provisions of the Act. Under these schemes, financial assistance is provided for raw materials, purchase of looms and accessories, design innovation, product diversification, infrastructure development, skill upgradation, lighting units, marketing of handloom products and loan at concessional rates. To protect imitation of products by others, following handloom products of Kerala have been registered under Geographical Indications Act: Kothampally dhoties and set Balaramapuram saree and fine cotton fabrics Kasargod saree Kothampally saree Chendamangalam dhoti Cannanore Home furnishing Update: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY): To provide social security net for the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in the event of consequent loss of livelihood Under this Scheme, a minimum fixed pension of Rs.3,000/- is provided to the eligible small and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60 years. It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, with entry age of 18 to 40 years. The beneficiary can opt to become member of the Scheme by subscribing to a Pension Fund managed by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The beneficiary is required to make a monthly contribution of between Rs.55/- to Rs.200/- to the Pension Fund, depending on the age of entry into the Scheme, with provision of equal contribution by the Central Government. Exit from the scheme may be voluntarily or on failure of contribution or on demise. A total area of 27.77 lakh hectares is covered under organic farming in the country Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY- Centrally Sponsored scheme, in all states & UTs) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development of North East Region (MOVCDNER -Central Sector scheme for North Eastern Region) Both the schemes aim at promotion of cluster/ Farmers Producer Organization (FPO) based chemical free, low input cost, sustainable organic farming and support farmers from input procurement to market linkages. Organic Farming has also been supported under other schemes viz. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Network Project on Organic Farming under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). National Food Security Mission (NFSM) – Oilseeds and Oil Palm to increase production of oilseeds and domestic availability of edible oils. Steps taken by government for promotion of organic / biofertilisers Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): Assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare/ 3 years is given, out of which Rs. 31,000 (62%) is provided to the farmers directly through DBT, for inputs (bio-fertilizers, biopesticides, vermicompost, botanical extracts etc) production/ procurement, post-harvest management etc Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): Farmers are given assistance of Rs25000/ ha/ 3 years for both onfarm & off-farm organic inputs, and seeds/ planting material. National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP): Financial assistance@ 50% subsidy to the tune of Rs. 300/- per ha is being provided for different components including bio-fertilizers, supply of Rhizobium culture/Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB)/ Zinc Solubilising Bacteria(ZSB)/ Azatobacter/ Mycorrhiza and vermi compost National Food Security Mission (NFSM): Under NFSM, financial assistance is provided for promotion of Bio-Fertilizer (Rhizobium/ PSB) @50% of the cost limited to Rs.300 per ha INM &IPM: Government of India has also been promoting soil test based Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) under Soil Health Card Programme and Integrated Pest management (IPM) practices such as including cultural, mechanical, biological control of pests along with judicious use of pesticides to control excess use of fertilisers and pesticides respectively. Government has been implementing several schemes aiming at meeting the target of doubling of farmer’s income by 2022. The major schemes include: National Food Security Mission – for improved production and productivity of food grains and oilseeds. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture(MIDH)- to enhance production and productivity of horticultural crops Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Mission organic Value Chain Development for North East Region –to reduce cost of cultivation and ensure chemical free quality products that can fetch premium prices to farmers Soil health Cards- Aims at promotion of judicious use of fertilisers through soil test based recommendations there by reducing excess use of fertilisers PMKSY-PDMC (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana-Per Drop More Crop)- to promote water conservation and reduction in use of inputs through drip and sprinkler irrigation Bamboo Mission and Agro forestry e-NAM – for transparent competitive markets for improved remuneration to the farmers. Crop loans-Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) , Kisan Credit Card(K CC) Assured Prices-Minimum Support Price (MSP) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN) National Food Security Mission Government enacted that National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) in July 2013 with an intended coverage of upto 75% of rural population and upto 50% of urban population for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System. One of the guiding principles of the Act is its life cycle approach wherein special provisions for supplementary nutrition have been made for pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years. Every pregnant woman and lactating mother is entitled to meal, free of charge, during pregnancy and six months after the child birth, through the local anganwadi, so as to meet the specified nutritional standards and also maternity benefit of not less than rupees six thousand to partly compensate for the wage loss during the period of pregnancy and also to supplement nutrition. Every child in the age group of six months to six years, is entitled to age appropriate meal, free of charge, through the local anganwadi so as to meet the specified nutritional standards In the case of children, up to class VIII or within the age group of six to fourteen years, whichever is applicable, one mid-day meal, free of charge is provided every day except on school holidays, in all schools run by local bodies, Government and Government aided schools, so as to meet the specified nutritional standards. State Government through the local anganwadi, also identify and provide meals, free of charge, to children who suffer from malnutrition, so as to meet the specified nutritional standards. National Food Security Mission (NFSM) was launched in 2007-08 to increase the production of rice, wheat and pulses through (i) area expansion and productivity enhancement, (ii) restoring soil fertility and productivity, (iii) Creating employment opportunities and (iv) enhancing farm level economy. Coarse cereals were also included in the Mission from 2014-15 under NFSM. UPDATE: Ministry of Women and Child Development The Anganwadi Services {under Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme} Envisages the Anganwadi Workers & Helpers as honorary workers from local community who come forward to render their services, on part time basis, in the area of child care and development. Being honorarium workers, they are paid monthly honoraria as decided by Government from time to time. POSHAN Abhiyaan empowers the frontline functionaries i.e. Anganwadi Workers and Lady Supervisors by providing them with smart phones. ICDS-Common Application Software /(ICDS-CAS) have been developed under POSHAN Abhiyaan which enables data capture, ensures assigned service delivery and prompts for interventions wherever required. It enables collection of information on ICDS service delivery interventions and its impact on nutrition outcomes in beneficiaries. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) Crime against Women As per the data provided by National Crime Records Bureau, in Delhi, the crime committed against women and children are on decrease since the last two years; however, the same is on increase in Mumbai. One Stop Centre Scheme provides integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence under one roof through a range of services including medical, legal, police, psycho-social counselling and temporary shelter. In addition, this Ministry also provides 24-hours toll-free telecom service through short code 181 to women seeking support and information through its Universalisation of Women Helpline scheme. Enacted the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act), which applies to all matters concerning children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law. The Ministry is also implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) scheme (erstwhile Integrated Child Protection Scheme) for supporting children in difficult circumstances, as envisaged under the JJ Act, 2015. Poshan Abhiyaan is 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 Prevent and reduce Stunting in children (0- 6 years) Prevent and reduce under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years) Reduce the prevalence of anemia among young Children(6-59 months) Reduce the prevalence of anemia among Women and Adolescent Girls in the age group of 15-49 years. Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW) 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 MatruVandanaYojana, 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. Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) Scheme: To empower rural women through community participation To address malnutrition Promotion of appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices Anaemia Mukt Bharat Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation De-worming Promotion of iodized salt Vitamin-A supplementation Mission Indradhanush to ensure high coverage of vaccination in children Conducting intensified diarrhoea control fortnights to control childhood diarrhea Management of sick severely malnourished children at Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers, Monthly Village Health and Nutrition Days Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC) Home Based Young Child care (HBYC) programmes Rashtriya Bal SwasthyaKaryakram States are maintaining Kishori Health Cards for Adolescent Girls in Angawadi Centres (AWCs) to record the information about the weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI) along with other services provided under the scheme. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 which came into effect in October, 2006 aims to provide protection and support to victims of domestic violence. The Act provides for appointment of Protection Officers and registration of Service Providers by State Governments for carrying out various duties and functions relating to protection and relief to women suffering from domestic violence. ‘Martyrdom Day’ of Guru Teg Bahadur The ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur dedicated his life to the betterment of humankind and to promote a sense of unity, service and fraternity in the society. He worked to alleviate the sufferings of the people and fought against oppression. For this reason, Guru Teg Bahadur is aptly called ‘Hind Di Chadar’. Quotes Dr. M. S. Swaminathan To make India nutrition secure a five-point action programme has to be implemented: Ensure calorie rich diet for women, expectant mothers and children Ensure intake of proteins in the form of pulses to eradicate protein hunger in women and children Eradicate hidden hunger due to deficiency of micro nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin B, Iron and Zinc Ensure clean drinking water supply Spreading nutrition literacy in every village particularly in mothers with children less than 100 days’ old The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Scheme (PMMVY) has reached out to 10 million beneficiaries by compensating for wage losses and since 2013 maternal mortality rate has come down by 26.9%. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh On Terrorism Called upon the international community to eliminate terrorist safe havens, disrupt their networks & financing and thwart their cross-border movement to ensure sustainable regional security. Described terrorism as the most obvious & heinous of cross-border crimes, adding that some States use terror to pursue political goals making regional security vulnerable - It is so much worse when terrorists are aided, abetted, armed, financed and sheltered by States. The interplay between states and non-state actors, used as proxies to foment violence, has worsened this menace. The persistence of State-sponsored terrorism is not just a painful cancer, it is also the leading reason for unsustainable security. Security is only effective when it is sustainable and it is sustainable only when the interests of all in the region are taken on board. He stressed upon the need for a more cooperative, equitable and consultative paradigm to deal with broad & complex security challenges to find sustainable solutions. India’s Indo-Pacific vision is based on the idea of sustainable security as it focuses on a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific; one in which there is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of everyone involved. He added that sustainability implies prioritisation of peaceful resolution of disputes, avoidance of use or threat of use of force and adherence to international laws. On Govt’s commitment to achieve USD 26 billion defence industry by 2025 The defence sector has been given prominence under the ‘Make in India’ initiative to reduce dependence on imports and make India a major defence manufacturing hub & net exporter of defence equipment and platforms. Government has set a target of taking India’s defence exports to USD five billion by 2025 under the ‘Draft Defence Production Policy 2018’. Various initiatives taken by Ministry of Defence (MoD) that led to rapid increase in exports. Simplification of procedures for exports Simplification of industry licensing process Increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap Streamlining of defence offset policy Making government trial and testing facilities available to the private sector ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’ was revised in 2016 to encourage the domestic defence industry A new category ‘Buy Indian - IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) was introduced to promote indigenous design and development of defence equipment. Work is on to introduce a common testing and certification scheme under a Public Private Partnership model to create an enabling environment. A new Transfer of Technology (ToT) policy is being created to simplify the way of transferring technology developed by DRDO to the industry. So far, more than 900 ToT licensing agreements have been signed with industries which is a major step towards making the defence manufacturing sector self-sufficient + other points from the above-covered article on defence Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The biggest challenge today is climate change at a time when we need to increase production & food availability. The work that statisticians do is very critical to face this challenge. Understanding how climate change is affecting crops, the productivity and how we can adopt & adapt to these changes is going to require the best statistics, including use of new digital tools. Everyone here is part of humanity’s strive to adapt to the changing climate and to make sure that particularly the poorest farmers of the world get all the available information. Climate change is complicated and requires learning different interventions including the development of new seeds suiting the changed climatic conditions and make them more available to poorest farmers. Small land holding farmers are over 2 billion people out of the whole 7 billion of the planet, this is a huge group requiring support. The small holding farmers‘ agricultural output is diminishing, low production because of the climate change effects. They drain out of their savings especially due to unexpected climatic disasters like droughts and floods. The good news is that there are lots of innovations to face these challenges. Today in order to tackle the issues of climate change we need to double the investment in developing innovative seeds and particularly the seeds publicly available. Data revolution promises to change how statistics is gathered, not only for the farmers but for the whole world. .In many cases new techniques predict productivity well in advance. Rich information is not available to the farmers.
UPSC Quiz - 2020: IAS Daily Current Affairs Quiz Day 121 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
State of Mind: At any given point in time you are either in a positive or a negative state of mind. When you observe this, you will realize that you are off balance throughout the day, because you can’t remain in one stable emotional state. Sometimes you’re happy, sometimes you’re sad, and sometimes you are frustrated or disappointed. Emotional swings are simply the products of your circumstances, your expectations, and your reactions to them. You can’t be in control of your emotions all the time; trying to control an emotion is like trying to stop a boulder that is rolling downhill. Before you make any decision, it’s important to recognize the state of mind you are in. A decision made from a negative state of mind could be a decision that you will eventually regret. You can build something for years while in a positive state of mind and in a single moment of frustration you can throw it all away. The problem is not the constant swinging between positive and negative states; the real problem lies in not knowing how to recognize and control these swings. This is where silence comes in. Silence doesn’t care about your emotional swings. It is an empty space where you don’t need to be happy or sad, excited or depressed – in silence, you can simply be. When you enter that empty space and experience its serenity and calmness, you will know that silence is the most beautiful thing that could have happened to you. Mindfulness is another very important practice that needs to be developed. Being mindful of every action throughout the day totally transforms your day. You can start with something simple, like taking a walk. When walking, instead of drifting in thoughts, calmly watch your steps. Letting the mind drift allows fears, worries, and frustrations to enter. Being mindful of the present moment allows you to relax and not be bothered with too many thoughts. “This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Meditation Farm and IASBABA.”
