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Monthly DNA
07 Jan, 2024
38 Min Read
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The Ministry was carved out of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in 2006.
Objective- To ensure a more focused approach towards issues relating to the notified minority communities - Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikhs, Parsis and Jain.
As per Census 2011, around 19.3% of the population belongs to minorities.
Constitutional Safeguards for Linguistic Minorities
The term "minority" is not defined in the Indian Constitution. However, the Constitution recognises religious and linguistic minorities.
Key Initiatives
Scholarship Schemes
|
Scheme |
Description |
|
Pre- Matric Scholarship |
Availed for education in both private and government schools from class 9 and 10. |
|
Post-Matric Scholarship |
Provided to support the education of students studying in Class 11 to PhD. |
|
Merit cum Means Based Scholarship |
Targets professional & technical courses at UG & PG levels. |
|
Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship |
Provided to recognize, promote and assist girl students belonging to national minorities who cannot continue their education due to lack of financial status. |
PM Vikas Scheme
Pradhan Mantri VIrasat Ka Samvardhan Scheme has subsumed 5 existing schemes of the Ministry namely
Aim- To cover the life cycle of under privilege segment of minority community and focus on providing livelihood opportunities.
|
Component |
Earlier Schemes |
|
Traditional Training |
Hamari Dharohar and USTAAD |
|
Non- Traditional Skilling |
Seekho Aur Kamo |
|
Leadership and Entrepreneurship |
Nai Roshini |
|
Education |
Nai Manzil |
|
Infrastructure Development |
Implemented through Hub and Spoke Villages |
Seekho Aur Kamao scheme(Learn and Earn)
USTTAD scheme
Hamari Dharohar
Nai Roshini
Nai Manzil scheme
|
Beneficiary Specification |
|
|
% of seats |
Category under minority community |
|
30% |
Girl/Women |
|
5% |
Persons With Disability |
Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)
National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC)
Haj Pilgrimage 2023
Naya Savera
Jiyo Parsi
|
Components |
About |
|
Medical |
Financial assistance is provided to Parsi Couples for medical treatment under standard medial protocol |
|
Health of Community |
Financial assistance is provided to Parsi Couples for child care and assistance of elderly people |
|
Advocacy |
Outreach programmes are conducted to generate awareness among the Parsi population |
Padho Pardesh
Nai Udaan
Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS)
Cyber Gram
Garib Nawaz Employment Scheme
Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Program
National Commission for Minorities
The first statutory National Commission was set up in 1993.
National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities
Sachar Committee
Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955
Central Waqf Council
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The Supreme Court has delivered several landmark judgments in 2023.
|
S.No |
Name of the Case |
Judgement |
|
1 |
Vivek Narayan Sharma v. Union of India |
Upheld the decision taken by the Union Government to demonetise currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs.1000 denominations and held that it satisfies the test of proportionality. |
|
2 |
Joseph Shine v Union of India |
Armed forces can take action against their officers for adulterous acts. Joseph Shine v Union of India, 2018 that decriminalised adultery does not prevent court martial proceedings initiated against members of the armed forces for adulterous conduct. |
|
3 |
Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India |
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) will be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha or the leader of the single largest party in opposition. |
|
4 |
Subhash Desai versus Principal Secretary, Governor of Maharashtra and Ors
|
Opened the doors for disqualification proceedings against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for defection from the Shiv Sena party, and held that the then-Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari “erred” in calling for a trust vote which triggered the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in mid-2022. |
|
5 |
Animal Welfare Board v. Union Of India
|
Upheld the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017, saying that the traditional bull-taming sport ‘Jallikattu’ has been going on in Tamil Nadu for the last century. |
|
6 |
Revanasiddappa v. Mallikarjun |
A child born of a void or voidable marriage can inherit the parent’s share in a joint Hindu family property governed by the Mitakshara law. However, such a child would not be entitled to rights in or to the property of any other person in the family. |
|
7 |
X v. Union of India
|
Declined a married woman’s plea to medically terminate her 26-week pregnancy, and it opposed to order doctors to stop the heartbeat of the foetus when medical reports say she will give birth to a viable baby. |
|
8 |
Supriyo v. Union of India |
Non-heterosexual couples cannot claim an unqualified right to marry. |
|
9 |
Temple of Healing v. Union of India |
Issued directions to expedite adoption processes and directed States to conduct drives to identify adoptable children and establish adoption agencies. |
|
10 |
Re Article 370 of the Constitution of India |
Unanimously upheld the power of the President to abrogate Article 370 via an executive order in August 2019, leading to the reorganisation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into 2 Union Territories and denuding its special privileges under the Constitution. |
|
11 |
Ritu Chhabaria v.Union of India
|
Central agencies cannot deny accused persons their right to default bail by filing multiple supplementary chargesheets and seeking renewed custody. Later, the Supreme Court, in a rather unusual order, directed lower courts to decide pending default bail applications without relying on its own judgment. Article 141 of the Constitution provides that the law declared by the Supreme Court shall be binding on all courts within India. |
|
12 |
Shilpa Sailesh v. Varun Sreenivasan |
The Supreme Court can exercise its plenary power to do ‘complete justice’ under Article 142(1) of the Constitution to dissolve a marriage on the ground that it had broken down irretrievably. |
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The Global Nuclear Order refers to the international system, agreements, norms, and structures that govern and regulate the use, possession, proliferation, and control of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy worldwide.
It encompasses a complex network of treaties, agreements, and norms that have evolved over time to manage the risks associated with nuclear weapons and promote nuclear stability, non-proliferation, disarmament, safety, and peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
About Global Nuclear Order (GNO)
Though the Soviet Union and India enjoyed close relations with the Indo-Soviet Friendship Treaty in 1971, the USSR was committed to upholding the GNO, and a founding member of the London Club. |
Significance of the Global Nuclear Order (GNO)
Key components of the Global Nuclear Order?
The key components of the Global Nuclear Order are as follows:
1. Non-Proliferation- Efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to additional states.
2. Disarmament- Initiatives aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating nuclear arsenals globally.
3. Nuclear Material Security- Measures to safeguard nuclear materials, facilities, and technologies from theft, sabotage, or unauthorized access.
4. Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy- Promotion of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes such as electricity generation, medicine, agriculture, and industry.
5. International Agreements and Treaties- Frameworks like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and others that establish norms, regulations, and obligations related to nuclear activities.
6. International Organizations and Agencies- Bodies like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that oversee nuclear activities, inspections, and promote nuclear safety and security worldwide.
What is the current status of Nuclear Weapons?
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the global nuclear arsenal is witnessing the following developments:
1) Modernization and Expansion- The 9 nuclear-armed states, including the United States, Russia, and China, continue to modernize and expand their nuclear arsenals. Other nuclear-armed countries are the UK, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
2) Total Global Inventory- As of January 2023, the total global inventory of warheads is estimated at 12,512, with approximately 9,576 warheads held in military stockpiles for potential use.
3) Dominance of Russia and U.S.- Russia and the United States possess almost 90% of all nuclear weapons, with relatively stable sizes of their respective nuclear arsenals.
4) Arms Control Concerns- The suspension of the strategic stability dialogue and the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) has halted discussions for a follow-on treaty.
Changing Geopolitics From Bipolarity to Multipolarity: A New Era in Nuclear Politics
What conventions regulate the Global Nuclear Order?
1) Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), 1968- It was put forward by the USA, UK and USSR. It was signed in 1968 and came into force in 1970. The treaty has 3 pillars:
(a) Non-proliferation- Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) pledge not to transfer nuclear weapons and technology and Non-nuclear Weapon States pledge not to acquire nuclear weapons;
(b) Disarmament- All parties to pursue good-faith negotiations on effective measures to control nuclear arms race, and to general and complete disarmament;
(c) Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy- The Treaty recognizes the right of all Parties to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
India considers the treaty discriminatory as it creates a club of ‘nuclear haves‘ and a larger group of ‘nuclear have-nots‘ by restricting the legal possession of nuclear weapons to those states that tested them before 1967. India hasn’t signed the treaty.
2) Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)- Seeks to ban all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes. It prohibits nuclear testing, thus preventing further advancement of nuclear weapons capabilities.
3) Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, 2017- It prohibits and makes it illegal to possess, use, produce, transfer, acquire, stockpile or deploy nuclear weapons. States are also prohibited from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices. It came into force in 2021.
4) Export Control Groupings- Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Missile Technology Control Regimes (MTCR) are some of the nuclear export control groupings. These ensure that nuclear fuel export doesn’t result in nuclear weapons development.
5) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safeguards Agreement- Governs the verification and inspection of nuclear facilities to ensure they are used for peaceful purposes and not for the development of nuclear weapons.
What is India’s position in the Global Nuclear Order?
1) Non-Signatory to NPT- India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which distinguishes it from many other nuclear-armed nations.
2) Nuclear Weapons Possession- India possesses nuclear weapons and conducted nuclear tests in the past, facing sanctions but later negotiating agreements for civilian nuclear cooperation.
3) Advocate for Global Disarmament- India advocates for global nuclear disarmament while seeking recognition as a responsible nuclear power.
4) Complex Position- India’s stance is complex due to its pursuit of civilian nuclear energy for development and maintaining a nuclear deterrence policy.
5) International Engagement- Despite not being a signatory to the NPT, India engages in international nuclear forums, emphasizing its non-proliferation track record and commitment to global security.
6) Nuclear Disarmament- India supports complete disarmament within a specified timeframe which distinguishes its stance from Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) which have an ambiguous stand regarding timeline for disarmament. India also insists that disarmament must be ‘non-discriminatory’ and pursued ‘on the basis of equality’ i.e., there must be no discriminatory provisions in favor of NWS as is the case with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
How GNO has performed?
Since the late 1980s, the U.S. and Soviet arsenals have declined sharply, to below 12,000 bombs today mostly due to the end of the Cold War rivalry and the breakup of the U.S.S.R.
What are the issues with the Global Nuclear Order?
The Global Nuclear Order faces several significant challenges and issues:
1) Proliferation- One of the most critical issues is the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries. This creates concerns about regional stability, as more nuclear-armed states increase the risk of conflict and the potential for catastrophic consequences.
For instance, the AUKUS deal includes providing nuclear submarines to Australia (a non-nuclear state).
2) Arms Control and Disarmament- The existing arms control agreements, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), face challenges in implementation and adherence. Additionally, there’s a lack of progress in further disarmament efforts by nuclear-armed states, which leads to concerns about the global disarmament agenda.
3) Modernization and Technology- Nuclear-armed states continue to modernize their arsenals, developing more advanced and potentially destabilizing technologies. Advancements in missile defense systems, hypersonic weapons, and other emerging technologies contribute to uncertainties in strategic stability.
4) Emerging Threats and Actors- Non-state actors or rogue states acquiring nuclear materials or technology pose significant risks. The potential for cyberattacks targeting nuclear facilities or command systems adds a new dimension of concern.
5) Geopolitical Tensions- Tensions between nuclear-armed states, such as those between the US, China, Russia, and other countries, create instability. Proxy conflicts, territorial disputes, and geopolitical rivalries heighten the risk of nuclear confrontation.
For instance, Russia de-ratifying CTBT; Withdrawal of USA and Russia from bilateral treaties.
6) Safety and Security- Ensuring the safety and security of nuclear materials, facilities, and technologies remains a persistent challenge. Accidental or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons due to technical failures, human error, or terrorist actions is a significant concern.
What are the issues with the Global Nuclear Order in the context of India?
India’s position within the Global Nuclear Order presents specific challenges and concerns:
1) Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) status- India is not a signatory to the NPT, which creates complexities in its relationship with the global nuclear order. India’s nuclear program was developed independently, leading to its status as a nuclear-armed state outside the NPT framework.
2) Nuclear Arsenal Expansion- India continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal. This expansion raises concerns about regional stability, especially given the long-standing tensions with Pakistan and the strategic rivalry with China.
3) Relations with Pakistan- The nuclear dynamics between India and Pakistan pose significant challenges. Both countries possess nuclear weapons, and historical animosities and frequent border disputes elevate the risk of a nuclear conflict, creating instability in South Asia.
4) China Factor- India’s nuclear policy is also shaped by its relations with China. As China continues to modernize its nuclear capabilities, India might feel compelled to bolster its own arsenal, leading to an arms race and heightened tensions in the region.
Maintaining stability in its volatile region, engaging in dialogue with Pakistan and China, and ensuring the safe and responsible management of its nuclear arsenal are crucial steps for India within the Global Nuclear Order. Additionally, India’s active participation in global non-proliferation initiatives and strengthening regional cooperation mechanisms can contribute to stability and security in South Asia.
What should be the way forward?
Creating a just, safe, and improved Global Nuclear Order involves a multifaceted approach that integrates various elements of diplomacy, technology, governance, and international cooperation. Here are some key steps that could contribute to achieving such a vision:
1) Disarmament and Reduction of Nuclear Weapons-
a. Encourage nuclear-armed states to commit to significant and verifiable reductions in their nuclear arsenals through bilateral or multilateral agreements.
b. Support dialogue and negotiations among nuclear-armed states to create a conducive environment for disarmament efforts.
2) Strengthening Non-Proliferation Efforts- Strengthen international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons technology and materials.
3) Inclusive Dialogue and Multilateral Diplomacy- Encourage open and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, including nuclear-armed and non-nuclear-armed states, to address concerns and build trust.
4) Engagement with Emerging Technologies- Monitor and address potential risks associated with emerging technologies, such as cyber threats to nuclear facilities, to ensure a secure nuclear order.
5) Support for New Treaties and Agreements- Advocate for and support initiatives like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) while engaging nuclear-armed states to participate in discussions toward a world without nuclear weapons.
6) Education and Public Awareness- Foster awareness and education regarding the risks and consequences of nuclear weapons, promoting public support for disarmament and non-proliferation efforts.
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The Performance of Indian Railways in 2023 showed significant strides in infrastructure but reveals underwhelming freight loading and financial performance.
How Indian Railways performed in 2023?
|
Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) |
|
Indian Railways has launched theme - based Tourist Circuit trains (Bharat Gaurav Trains) to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places. 1st Bharat Gaurav Train (Shirdi Yatra) was launched in 2022.
Indian Railway has set a target of becoming Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030.
What should be focused in 2024?
PM Gati Shakti is a National Master Plan for Multimodal Connectivity launched in 2021 to transfer India into a hub of world class infrastructure by providing integrated and seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.
Source: pib
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Police opened fire on a crowd of Adivasis, killing hundreds or possibly thousands.
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Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Indonesia has erupted several times recently.
Recently, India released a document titled ‘Re-examining Narratives: A Collection of Essays’ to present alternate perspectives on economic policy that have long-term implications for India’s growth and development priorities. What are credit rating agencies? Credit Rating Age
Recently, the Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU IND) issued show-cause notices to 9 offshore virtual digital asset service providers (VDA SPs) like Bitfinex and MEXC Global, among others. What is FIU-IND? Established in – 2004 under the Finance Ministry. Aim – T
Water Governance poses one of the biggest challenges in modern-day India that looks out for definitive solutions. Every place and every community have their unique stories and problems associated with water, wherein the governance addresses complications of the governor than the be
The Ministry is charged with health policy in India, which is also responsible for all government programs relating to family planning in India. Departments Department of Health and Family Welfare Department of Health Research Union Minister- Mansukh L. Mandaviya Hea
Nearly 1/5th of the district courts in India lack separate toilets for women, according to a report published by the Centre for Research and Planning of the Supreme Court recently. The Centre for Research and Planning will serve as a bridge between academic research,
Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory (UT) to implement the PM Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY) recently. It is an initiative that aims to empower and enhance the skills of the craftsman community (Vishwakarmas). 18 traditional trades will be covered in the first instan
ISRO's XPoSat was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. About- India's inaugural scientific satellite to measure space-based polarization of X-ray emissions from celestial sources such as black holes and neutron stars in the medium
South Africa has moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to declare that the Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The convention was officially called as the UN’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It is a
Over 5,000 tourists visited Sula Vineyard facilities in Bengaluru and Nashik on December 24th 2023, the most on a single day sale of ?85 lakh. Wine – An alcoholic beverage with alcohol content from 12% or more so of distilled spirits (all by volume). Production
National Research Centre on Litchi (NRCL) has successfully expanded litchi cultivation in India by providing technical help, plants and training to farmers. It is a sweet juicy fruit which is also known as lychee or lichee. Scientific name – Litchi chinensis&nb
A savings or current account is treated as inoperative, if there are no ‘customer induced transactions’ in the account for a period of over 2 years. A customer induced transaction can be a financial transaction initiated by or done at the Behest of the account h
RGIA in Hyderabad was ranked 2nd among the top 20 global airports with the highest On-Time Performance (OTP), according to Cirium’s annual report released recently. On-time performance (OTP) is a measure of how punctual an airline's flights are compared to their schedul
06 Feb, 2024
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