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Monthly DNA
The Supreme Court ruled that the concentration of a religious community in a particular area is not a valid reason to deny permission to another religious community to hold events or prayer meetings. The court also ruled that religious processions cannot be rejected based on religious grounds.
05 February, 2024
Judiciary
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared January 24 as the International Day of Education in 2018. The day celebrates the role of education in peace and development and aims to raise awareness of the value and impact of quality education. In 2024, UNESCO is focusing on promoting anti-racist guidelines and addressing racism in textbooks with the theme - ‘learning for lasting peace’.
05 February, 2024
Education
The Kerala Drug Control Department launched Operation Amrith (AMRITH - Anti Microbial Resistance Intervention for Total Health) recently. It is a strategy launched to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The initiative aims to reduce the use of antibiotics by conducting surprise raids on retail medical shops to detect the sale of antibiotics without a prescription.
04 February, 2024
Health
The 2nd edition of the Ministry of Education’s flagship R&D Innovation Fair, IInvenTiv-2024 was inaugurated by Union Education Minister recently. It aims to showcase the holistic impact of the research and innovation carried out by the country's top higher education institutes.
01 February, 2024
Education
BHISHM -Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita and Maitri). It is a project that aims to provide immediate medical assistance during humanitarian crises or natural disasters. It is a joint project of the Indian Navy and the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation). The project also includes the world's first indigenous portable hospital.
01 February, 2024
Health
Universal Basic Income (UBI) can strengthen welfare architecture and unlock the nation’s latent demographic potential. UBI - It is an income support mechanism typically intended to reach all or a very large portion of the population regardless of their earnings or employment status. Objective- To provide enough to cover the basic cost of living and provide financial security. Principles – The fundamental principles of UBI include Universal Unconditional Periodic Cash payment Individual A universal basic income provides a monthly stipend that would ensure that a person would be above the poverty line without any other source of income. A minimum income guarantee, on the…
05 February, 2024
Policies and Programmes
The Annual Status of Education Report 2023 has been published recently by Pratham, a civil society organisation. What is ASER? It is a nationwide citizen-led household survey that provides a snapshot of the status of children’s schooling and learning in rural India. Conducted by- Pratham, a non-governmental organisation. Launched- 2005 Published- It was conducted annually until 2014 and switched to alternate year cycle in 2016. Basic ASER- It collects information about enrolment in pre-school and school for children in the age group of 3 to 16, and assesses children aged 5 to 16 one-on-one to understand their foundational reading and arithmetic abilities. ASER, 2017- For the first…
31 January, 2024
Education
The Ministry of Education's Department of Higher Education recently introduced the "Guidelines for Registration and Regulation of Coaching Center 2024." Guidelines for Registration and Regulation of Coaching Center 2024 According to the guideline, a ‘coaching center’ includes a center established, run, or administered by any person to provide coaching for any study programme, competitive examinations, or academic support to students at the school, college, and university level for more than 50 students. Guidelines: Registration process: Coaching centers are required to submit applications for registration to the competent authority within their local jurisdiction, complying with specified forms, fees, and document requirements outlined by the appropriate government. Notably, if a coaching center…
31 January, 2024
Education
Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is the pool of funds generated by 5% Universal Service Levy that is charged upon all the telecom fund operators on their Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR). This fund is deposited in the Consolidated Fund of India and is dispatched on the approval of the Indian Parliament. The USOF comes under the Indian Telegraph Act 1885. The act was amended in 2003 to give statutory status to the fund. The Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications governs the fund and related provisions. The aim of USOF is to provide a balance between the provision of Universal…
27 January, 2024
Policies and Programmes
Doping is the act of consuming artificial and often illegal substances to gain an advantage over others in sporting competitions (For example: anabolic steroids, human growth hormones, stimulants and diuretics). Doping products are often illegally produced, trafficked and distributed. As they are rarely approved for public use, their consumption is dangerous and poses a serious health risk to both professional and amateur sports people. Anti Doping is opposing or prohibiting illegal doping to improve athletic performance. India’s Initiatives Related to Anti-Doping: National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA): NADA was set up as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 in 2005, with a…
27 January, 2024
Sports
The Asian Games is the biggest sports competition in Asia, held once every four years. The symbol for the Asian Games is the rising sun with interlocking rings. It is recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Background and Inauguration: After the Second World War, many Asian countries gained independence and the Indian International Olympic Committee proposed the idea of Asian Games as a sporting event, where all Asian nations can be represented.The first-ever Asian Games were held in New Delhi in 1951. Regulation: Asian Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from 1951 to 1978. Since 1982, the Olympic Council of Asia has regulated the Asian Games. India as a Host: India is a founder…
27 January, 2024
Sports
12th National Sports Daywas celebrated across India on 29 August. Why is National Sports Day Celebrated? Objective: To commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. First NSD: August 29, 2012. Significance: Encourages people of all ages to embrace physical fitness, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Serves as a catalyst for developing a robust sports culture in India. Highlights of NSD 2023: Theme - "Sports are an enabler to an inclusive and fit society". National Sports Federations portal launched (for good governance). Major Dhyan Chand was a field hockey player who played international hockey from 1926 to 1949. He was a three-time Olympic gold medalist who secured gold in the 1928, 1932,…
27 January, 2024
Sports
Recently, the President of India presided over a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan to bestow the prestigious National Sports and Adventure Awards 2023.The awards are administered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award: India's highest sporting honor established in 1991-92. Named after hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. Given for outstanding performances over 4 years. Notable awardees include MC Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli. 2023: Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy (badminton). Arjuna Award: Instituted in 1961, it was India’s highest sporting honor before the Khel Ratna came into being. Named after the Mahabharata character Arjuna. Awarded for consistent good…
27 January, 2024
Sports
The 6th edition of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) is currently underway, happening from 19th January to 31st January 2024, across four cities in Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, and Coimbatore. About: KIYG is a national-level, multi-disciplinary sports competition for school and college students in India. The games are held annually in January or February and are part of the government's Khelo India initiative. It aims to promote sports culture and identify sporting talent at the grassroots level. The previous 5 editions of the Youth Games have been held in Delhi, Pune, Guwahati, Panchkula and Bhopal. Format: It is held in two categories, namely under-17-year-old school students and under-21…
26 January, 2024
Sports
India achieves historic milestone at Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China clinching 107 Medals including 28 Gold Medals Historic triumph of the Indian contingent at the Asian Para Games with 111 Medals including 29 Gold Medals Exceptional performance of Indian Athletes at the World Athletic Championship India organized FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, Bhubaneswar – Rourkela The First ever MotoGP Bharat organized in India India hosted 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai: Hon’ble Prime Minister announced India’s interest in hosting the Youth Olympics 2030 and the Summer Olympics in 2036 First ever Khelo India Para Games…
26 January, 2024
Sports
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) recently issued instructions for Residential Private Schools interested in joining SHRESHTA Scheme. About Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) The scheme aims to provide access to the best private residential schools for meritorious students from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. It will provide scholarships to meritorious students from SC communities to study in private and NGO-run residential schools for Classes 9-12. The scheme is expected to provide admissions to around 3,000 students in Classes 9 and 11 each year. The core objectives of the scheme are to enhance the reach of…
25 January, 2024
Policies and Programmes
The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century in India, which replaces the previous National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986. The Ministry of Education formed a committee under Dr. K Kasturirangan, which outlined this new policy. The National Education Policy 2020 proposes various reforms in school and higher education, including technical education, that are suited to 21st-century needs. 5 foundational pillars of NEP 2020: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. This policy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education…
23 January, 2024
Policies and Programmes
The anti-communal and progressive civic space is under the most serious attack by various restrictions in India. What are the issues faced by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)? A free civic space is the space where CSOs can operate without undue interference from the state or other actors. India is a diverse and vibrant civil society but the constitutional freedom is under siege which provides citizens to participate in public affairs, express their views, and hold the government accountable. As per study, the organisations that were actively fighting against communalism were mostly under attack by various legal and financial instruments. Communalism…
22 January, 2024
Governance
An interim budget serves as a framework for managing provisional expenditures over a short duration, usually spanning a few months, until a new government takes office at the central level. An interim budget generally includes the current state of the economy, plan and non-plan expenditures and receipts, changes in tax rates, revised estimates of the current financial year, and estimates for the coming financial year. Despite being presented for the entire year, similar to a regular budget, the interim budget is subject to constraints imposed by the Election Commission. These constraints aim to prevent the government from implementing policies that could unduly influence the general public before the commencement of voting. The…
21 January, 2024
Governance
"Who are entitled to receive free legal aid? Assess the role of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in rendering free legal aid in India" important for PAPER-2 UPSC examination Mains. Article 39-A of the Constitution in Directive Principle of State Policy mandates universal access to free legal aid, aiming to establish a legal framework that upholds justice without regard to social or economic distinctions. This constitutional provision led to the enactment of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, giving rise to the formation of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). Apart from this Article 14 and Article 22(1) are…
16 January, 2024
Judiciary
The National Sports and Adventure Awards were established in 2002 to honor athletes who contribute to sports and continue to promote sports events after retirement. The 2023 awards included Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awards-2023; Dronacharya Awards-2023; Arjuna Awards-2023; Dhyan Chand Awards-2023; Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards-2022; Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar-2023; and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy-2023.
28 January, 2024
Governance
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was set up as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 on 2005 with a mandate of creating dope-free sports in India.
20 January, 2024
Institutions
Supreme Court judge Justice BR Gavai has been nominated as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC) recently. The SCLSC is a statutory body constituted under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. It gives free legal services to the poor, marginalized, and unprivileged.
17 January, 2024
Judiciary
Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) is an annual event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with students, teachers, and parents. Students of Classes 6 to 12 are eligible to participate in this event. The event is part of the larger movement, 'Exam Warriors', which aims to create a stress-free environment for young people. PPC 2024 is the 7th edition of the event and will take place in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
16 January, 2024
Policies and Programmes
The 3rd edition of Project ‘Veer Gatha’, a joint initiative of Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education will take part in Republic Day celebrations. Project Veer Gatha is a project that was established in 2021 under the Gallantry Awards Portal (GAP). Aim – To disseminate the details of the bravery and sacrifice of the Gallantry Awardees (Soldiers of Armed Forces) among the students so as to raise the spirit of patriotism.
16 January, 2024
Policies and Programmes
Transporters and commercial drivers from States like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Punjab have staged protests against the recent legislation concerning hit-and-run incidents. Road Accidents in India in 2022 India witnessed a year-on-year increase of 12% in road accidents and 9.4% in fatalities in the same year while there is a 5% global decrease in road crash deaths. It registered the highest count of road crash fatalities, exceeding 1.68 lakh deaths. An average of 462 deaths daily and 19 deaths every hour which amounts to nearly 1 death every 3 and a half minutes. Over 50% of all road fatalities occurred on national and…
13 January, 2024
Road accidents
Recently, Department of Justice have announced nomination of Supreme Court judge Justice BR Gavai as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC). Constituted under - Section 3A the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 which states that the Central Authority (NALSA) shall constitute the committee. Legal Services Authorities Act was constituted in 1987 to give a statutory base to legal aid programmes and to provide free and competent legal services to eligible groups. National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was constituted in 1995 to monitor and evaluate the implementation of legal aid programmes and to lay down policies for making them available. Objective – To…
13 January, 2024
Governance
Recently the Kerala High Court ruled that a customer in a brothel can be charged under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. What is the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956? Human trafficking – Forced or illegal transfer of people for the purpose of labour or other illegal activities. Under Article 23 (1) of Indian constitution, trafficking in human beings or persons is prohibited in India. Passed in – 1956, as All India Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (SITA) in pursuance of the International Convention signed by India in 1950, for the prevention of immoral traffic. Objective – To prevent the commercialisation of vices and the trafficking of females.…
08 January, 2024
Law and Order
Cooperation ministry recently launched a portal through which farmers can sell tur dal to government procurement agencies at the minimum support price (MSP) or market price, whichever is higher. Govt. Procurement agencies - National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) or National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF).
15 January, 2024
Policies and Programmes
The Union government has now amended the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules of 2021. It is to allow women government servants and pensioners to nominate their children for receiving family pension over their spouse. Conditions – At the time of the women’s death, any proceedings for divorce, domestic violence, or dowry demands happen to be pending against the said spouse. Till now, the rules provided for the family pension to first go to the surviving spouse and the children became eligible to receive it only after the death of the spouse.
08 January, 2024
Governance
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 instance under PM Vishwakarma.
06 January, 2024
Policies and Programmes
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, legal and judicial education and the judicial systems.
06 January, 2024
Judiciary
Centre appoints former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya as Chairman of 16th Finance Commission recently. The Finance Commission of India is a constitutional body that allocates revenues between the central and state governments. It was established in 1951 by the President of India under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution.
03 January, 2024
Finance commission
National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) was registered on 1970 under the Bombay Cooperative Societies Act (VII of 1925). Headquarters - New Delhi. NCDFI is an apex body of cooperative dairies. Members - NCDFI members include federal dairy cooperatives of states and union territories.
01 January, 2024
Institutions
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…
07 January, 2024
Judiciary
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 benefits of the governed. How this scare water resource is to be allocated? How to generate livelihood in the food-energy nexus? How to keep the order of the biosphere balanced. Key aspects of water governance: The key aspects of an effective system of water governance in a water blessed country which includes a comprehensive policy followed by an Action Plan to formulate the policy. Need to…
06 January, 2024
Governance
The Union government recently issued an order for Persons with Disabilities to be considered for reservation in promotions up to the lowest rung of Group A posts in the Central government. The reservation is in retrospective effect from June 30, 2016.
31 December, 2023
Policies and Programmes
The centre recently appointed Nina Singh, the 1st woman IPS officer as the Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). CISF is a federal police organization in India that is part of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). CISF is responsible for providing security and protection to various industrial establishments, government infrastructure projects, and other important installations in India. It is the largest industrial security force in the world.
30 December, 2023
Governance
The Supreme Court recently held that physical training instructors (PTIs) come within the definition of “teachers”. Physical training instructors impart to students the skills and rules of various sports and games.a
30 December, 2023
Governance
The labour welfare and skill development department has constituted the Tamil Nadu Platform Based Gig Workers Welfare Board recently. It will cater to workers in e-commerce services including online food delivery and cab aggregators.
29 December, 2023
Governance
Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) is a program by the Election Commission of India. It aims to educate voters, spread awareness, and promote voter literacy since 2009.
28 December, 2023
Electoral reforms
Competition Commission of India has selected Ansuman Pattnaik as the new head of its investigation’s unit recently. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. It was established in 2003, but became fully functional in 2009. The CCI aims to establish a competitive environment in the Indian economy by engaging with all stakeholders, the government, and international jurisdiction.
28 December, 2023
Governance
Finance Ministry recently announced that States may be able to tap about Rs.2.04 lakh crore as additional borrowings over and above their net borrowing limits for the year. The Centre had allowed 22 States to raise additional borrowings of almost Rs.61,000 crore this year on top of their net borrowing ceilings of 3% of Gross State Domestic Product. The extra borrowing ceiling was granted to States who met their pension liabilities by making required contributions to the National Pension System (NPS).
27 December, 2023
Governance
Recently, the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, was passed in the Lok Sabha that seeks to repeal the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. Why was this Bill brought in? Objective - To remove the legacy of the British Raj. The 1867 Act exercise complete control over the press and the printers and publishers of newspapers and books along with heavy fines and penalties including imprisonment for various violations. In today’s age of free press and the Government’s commitment to uphold media freedom, the 1867 law was archaic and outdated. A periodical means any publication, barring books or journals that is printed at…
31 December, 2023
Governance
President gives assent to 3 Criminal Law amendment bills, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. What are the significant take aways from the new act? Addition – 20 new offences have been added. Deletion – 19 provisions that existed in IPC have been deleted. Punishment of imprisonment – It has been increased in 33 offences. Punishment of fine – It has been enhanced in 83 offences. Punishment of 'community service' – It has been introduced in 6 offences. Mandatory minimum punishment – It has been introduced in 23 offences. Reorganisation of offences are made wherein similar provisions have been clubbed together. What are the major changes in the…
30 December, 2023
Law and Order
Recently, Indian government has launched new learning programmes for government servants in line with good governance day. December 25 is celebrated as the ‘Good Governance Day’ to mark former PM Vajpayee’s birth anniversary since 2014. It is meant to foster awareness among citizens about government accountability and administration, and inculcate “good governance” as a habit for civil servants. Vikas – Variable and Immersive Karmayogi Advanced Support. It is a blended programme with iGOT (integrated government online training) Karmayogi platform. Aim – For capacity building of Middle management civil servants in Central Secretariat. Program duration – It consists of 33 hours complemented by 30 hours of offline training at ISTM. Focus – On development of functional, behavioural and…
29 December, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Under new law, doctors face two years of imprisonment for death due to negligence. Section 106 (1) - Section 106 (1) of the BNS Bill, 2023 deals with causing death by negligence. This makes a differentiation between a doctor and any other person causing death by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide. The amended Section 106 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill does not provide a blanket exemption to doctors in cases of death due to negligence. A registered medical practitioner is person who possesses any medical qualification recognised under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 and…
28 December, 2023
Governance
Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the welfare of Scheduled Caste (SC) population. Launched in – 2021-22. Launched by – Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. It has been framed after merging the 3 erstwhile schemes Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP) Babu Jagjivan Ram Chatrawas Yojana (BJRCY) Objectives To increase the income of SC population by income generating schemes, skill development and infrastructure development. To reduce the poverty among the SC population and bring them above the poverty lines. To increase literacy and enrolment of SCs in schools and higher…
26 December, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Parliament passed the Telecommunications Act , 2023 to reform the country’s century-old telecom law. About Telecommunication Act 2023 It replaced the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950. It lays down provisions that the central government will provide authorisation for telecom-related activities and assign spectrum. It also mandates that the procedure and safeguards related to interception will be prescribed by the Central Government. Provision of stringent punishment has been made for violators, which ranges from three years jail to a punishment of upto 50 lakh rupees. There has been provision of an effective grievance redressal mechanism which is digital by…
26 December, 2023
Governance
Finance Ministry recently announced that States may be able to tap about Rs.2.04 lakh crore as additional borrowings over and above their net borrowing limits for the year. The Centre had allowed 22 States to raise additional borrowings of almost Rs.61,000 crore this year on top of their net borrowing ceilings of 3% of Gross State Domestic Product. The extra borrowing ceiling was granted to States who met their pension liabilities by making required contributions to the National Pension System (NPS).
25 December, 2023
Governance
A case of JN.1, subvariant of COVID19 has been detected in Kerala, as part of surveillance activity by Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) recently. It is a descendant of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86), carries an additional mutation on its spike protein. It is capable of spreading faster and evading immunity.
22 December, 2023
Health
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is a regulatory body that oversees and regulates pensions in India. It was established in 2003 and operates under the Ministry of Finance. In 2003, the PFRDA launched the National Pension Scheme (NPS), which was extended to all citizens in 2009. The PFRDA regulates the NPS ecosystem, which is subscribed to by employees of the Government of India, State Governments, and private institutions.
19 December, 2023
Governance
It is an initiative of the Department of Justice, launched in April 2017. It aimed at enhancing "access to justice" for marginalised sections of the society and the state's constitutional obligation of providing "free legal aid" for all. Pro bono is a Latin phrase that means "for the good of the people".
17 December, 2023
Governance
Union Minister of State for Defence flagged in a team of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling that carried out ‘Mission Antarctica’ in New Delhi Recently. The team hoisted the national flag atop Mt Rhenock in Sikkim Himalayas, recorded in the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. During the expedition, the team also displayed the Tri-colour over Mount Vinson Peak, which is the highest peak of the South Pole.
17 December, 2023
Policies and Programmes
The new National Medical Commission logo has an image of god Dhanvantri, and replaces the word 'India' with 'Bharat' recently. The National Medical Commission (NMC) is India's top regulatory body for medical education and practice. It was established in 2020 by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, replacing the Medical Council of India (MCI). The NMC has 33 members.
14 December, 2023
Institutions
Recently Rajya Sabha passed The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Office and Terms of Office) Bill, 2023. Constitutional Provisions for Election Commission About Description Election Commission It is a permanent and an independent body established by the Constitution of India directly to ensure free and fair elections in the country. Article 324 It provides the power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to parliament, State legislatures, the office of President of India and the office of Vice-President of India shall be vested in the Election Commission. Composition It consists of the Chief Election Commissioner…
24 December, 2023
Governance
The Centre withdraws all three criminal law Bills and introduces new set of draft legislations. Why the criminal Bills are revised? In August 2023, three Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha. Introduced bills Replaced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023 (BNSB) Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973 Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 (BSB) Indian Evidence Act 1872 Aim- To overhaul the existing criminal laws and make them more contemporary and comprehensive. The three Bills were referred to the standing committee, they proposed key changes to the Bills. Subsequently, the centre revamped criminal law Bills. What were the revised…
24 December, 2023
Governance
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the power of the President to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to the former State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). History of J&K’s Accession to India Pre-Independence- Under British rule, from 1846 to 1858, J&K was a princely state in a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company and subsequently came under the British Crown until 1947. The East India Company, which had annexed the Kashmir Valley from the Sikhs as war indemnity, sold it to the Maharaja of Jammu, Gulab Singh. J&K remained a part of…
22 December, 2023
Governance
Rajya Sabha has recently passed the Post Office Bill, which repeals and replaces the Post Office Act, 1898. Why there is a need for new bill? To provide a simple legislative framework for post offices, facilitating their evolution into a network for citizen-centric services. To ensure the effective functioning of the Postal Department as a messenger service. To enhance the post offices as a provider of banking facilities. 660 post offices were closed earlier but 5,000 offices were opened between 2014 and 2023, and about 5,746 new ones are in the process of being opened. Features Existing Provisions (Post Office Act, 1898) New Provisions (Post…
20 December, 2023
Policies and Programmes
After Supreme Court upheld the validity of abrogation of Article, certain features of asymmetric federalism like Article 371 and Article 239A in Indian Constitution have come to limelight. What is the nature of relationship between the centre and states in India? Quasi-federal – While states do have autonomy, the Constitution tilts towards the Centre on certain areas. 7th Schedule of the Constitution – It contains the Union, State and Concurrent lists that prescribe subjects that the Centre and states are empowered to legislate upon. Both the Centre and state can legislate upon those in the concurrent list, the Union law would prevail in case of a…
20 December, 2023
Governance
The Indian government has ordered a probe into an allegation that poor Myanmarese villagers were being lured into giving their kidneys to rich patients. Regulated by– Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994. A transplant can be either From organs of deceased persons donated by their relatives From a living person the recipient knows Only 16% of the total transplants in the India use deceased organs. Types of donations Donations from close relatives Donations from unrelated persons (Altruistic donations) Donations from close relatives Donations from unrelated persons The 1994 Act allows living donations, in most cases, from close relatives (parents, siblings, children, spouse, grandparents, grandchildren).…
17 December, 2023
Health
Recently, A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said it will first take up for preliminary determination whether Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 suffers from any “constitutional infirmity”. About: Section 6A was a special provision inserted into the 1955 Act in furtherance of a Memorandum of Settlement called the ‘Assam Accord’ signed on August 15, 1985. The accord was a tripartite agreement between the Centre, the Assam government and the All Assam Students Union, and came after years of protest against perceived demographic change and outsiders in the state. Section 6A It created a special provision for…
13 December, 2023
Citizens and citizenship
Recently Lok Sabha has passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill. What is Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill? It amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019- It provides for the reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature). Number of seats in Legislative Assembly- 2019 Act amended the 2nd Schedule of the 1950 Act to specify the total number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to be 83. It reserved six…
12 December, 2023
Governance
Operation Nanhe Farishte is a Railway Protection Force (RPF) initiative to reconnect children who have been lost or separated from their families. The operation also rescues children who come into contact with Indian Railways and need care and protection. The children are then handed over to authorities and returned to their families.
06 December, 2023
Policies and Programmes
It is an initiative of creating mini forests in urban areas for the afforestation programme. Named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, this method involves planting 2 to 4 different types of indigenous trees within every square metre. In this method, the trees become self-sustaining don’t require regular manuring and watering and they grow to their full length within 3 years. The methodology was developed in the 1970s, with the basic objective to densify green cover within a small parcel of land.
06 December, 2023
Urban Governance
Ministry of Panchayati Raj recently launched Geographic Information System application “Gram Manchitra”. Aim - To encourage the Spatial Planning by the Gram Panchayat. It uses the National Informatics Centre's (NIC) Geographic Information System (GIS) platform of Bharat Maps.
04 December, 2023
Urban Governance
Human Rights 75 is an initiative to mark the 75th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human Rights 75, an initiative whose 3 main goals focus on universality, progress and engagement under the leadership of UN Human Rights, together with its partners. UDHR – A global document that establishes the human rights and civil liberty of every person in the world. It consists of a preamble and 30 articles setting out fundamental rights and freedoms. Basis – Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of 1993. Proclaimed by – The United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (UNGA resolution 217 A). UDHR sets out, for the 1st time, fundamental…
11 December, 2023
Human rights
Recently, Advocate amendment bill 2023 was passed in Lok Sabha which amends the Advocates Act 1961 and Legal Practitioners Act 1879. What is Legal Practitioners Act 1879? Aim- To consolidate and amend the law relating to Legal Practitioners in certain provinces. Application- The Act initially extended to areas in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Orissa, and Delhi. Any state government could, by notification in the Official Gazette, extend it to their States. Legal practitioner- Section 2 of the 1879 Act defined the term “legal practitioner” to include advocates, vakils, or attorneys of any High Court. Tout- It also introduced…
10 December, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Article 312 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of All India Judicial Service (AIJS), which shall not include any post inferior to that of a District Judge. The constitutional provision enables creation of the AIJS at District Judge level. In Government's view, a properly framed All India Judicial Service is important to strengthen overall justice delivery system. This will give an opportunity for induction of suitably qualified fresh legal talent selected through a proper all-India merit selection system as well as address the issue of social inclusion by enabling suitable representation to marginalized and deprived sections of society. A…
08 December, 2023
Judiciary
After COVID break, Centre approves 4th phase roll-out of GIAN scheme as recommended by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA). It was launched in 2015-16 by Ministry of Education (MoE). Objectives – To increase the footfalls of international faculty in the Indian academic institutes and to create avenue for possible collaborative research. To develop high quality course material in niche areas, both through video and print mediums. GIAN Implementation Committee – It is headed by Secretary (HE), MoE to finalize and approve courses and also decide on budget allocation. Coverage – Initially, it will include all IITs, IIMs, Central Universities, IISc Bangalore, IISERs, NITs and IIITs subsequently cover good…
08 December, 2023
Education
NITI weighs discontinuing key water report launched 5 years ago. Released by – Niti Aayog Prepared by – Niti Aayog in association with 3 ministries of central government (Water Resources, Drinking Water & Sanitation, and Rural Development). Objective – It ranked states in terms of efficacy of water management on the basis of 28 parameters. Reports – The 1st edition provided data for 2015-16 and 2016-17 in 2018 and the 2nd edition was launched in 2019 for 2017-18. SDG 6 of UN encompasses ‘to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’. Unpublished reports – The performance of states for 2018-19 and 2019-20 (CWMI 3.0 and…
06 December, 2023
Governance
According to the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2022 report, India reported over 1.7 lakh suicides in 2022. Released by – National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) Maximum suicides – Maharashtra tops followed by Tamil Nadu Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana. No suicides of Farmers & Agricultural Laborers – 8 states and 4 UT’s. Women status – Around 48,000 women died by suicide. Among women suicides, homemakers were highest (about 14% of in total suicides) followed by students and daily wage earners.. Trans-persons – 28 were reported to have died by suicide. Causes – Family problems and illness together accounted for almost 50% of all suicides followed by drug abuse, alcohol addiction, marriage related issues,…
06 December, 2023
Law and Order
In Lok Sabha, the Minister of Education has highlighted several key initiatives taken by the government in promoting the gender quality in education. Samagra Shiksha – To bridge gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education. Opening schools for easier access to girls and separate toilets for girls. Appointing additional teachers including women teachers. Teacher’s sensitization programmes like gender-sensitive teaching-learning materials. NISHTHA – To cover relevance of gender dimensions in teaching and learning process. Help teachers to use and adopt learning activities that foster gender sensitive classroom environment. Orient teachers on counseling, provisions of POCSO Act, Juvenile Justice Act, School Safety guidelines, helpline and emergency…
04 December, 2023
Education policy
Electoral reforms refer to the changes or improvements made to the electoral process to ensure the integrity and transparency of the electoral system. These reforms are necessary to maintain the credibility of the electoral process and to ensure that every vote counts. Ensuring free and fair elections (Article 324): Electoral reforms aim to address the issues of electoral malpractices and ensure that elections are conducted in a free and fair manner. Enhancing voter participation: Electoral reforms aim to increase voter turnout and to address the issue of voter apathy, difficulty in accessing polling booths, etc. Reducing the influence of money and muscle…
02 December, 2023
Electoral reforms
On June 13, 2022, the West Bengal government passed a Bill to replace the Governor with the Chief Minister, as the Chancellor of 31 state public universities (such as Calcutta University, Jadavpur University). As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (2019-20) state public universities provide higher education to almost 85% of all students enrolled in higher education in India. What is the role of the Chancelalor in public universities? State public universities are established through laws passed by state legislatures. In most laws the Governor has been designated as the Chancellor of these universities. The Chancellor functions as the…
01 December, 2023
Governance
NCC celebrated its 75th Anniversary on November 26, 2023. It was established in 1948 as a largest uniformed youth organization of Indian Armed Forces with its headquarters in New Delhi. It aims at developing character, comradeship, discipline, secular outlook, the spirit of adventure and ideals of selfless service amongst young citizens. It is open to school and college students on voluntary basis as a Tri-Services Organization, comprising the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
26 November, 2023
Governance
The Central government recently exempted the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) from the ambit of the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005. CERT-In, established in 2004, is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur. It functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. According to RTI Act, organisations listed under Schedule II of RTI Act are exempted. With this, there are 27 other intelligence and security organisations such as the IB, R&AW, Directorate of Enforcement, National Technical Research Organisation that are exempt under RTI.
25 November, 2023
RTI
SATHEE is an open learning platform to help students prepare for competitive exams at no cost. It has been launched by the Ministry of Education and IIT-Kanpur. The preparation material will be available in English, Hindi and other regional languages
23 November, 2023
Education
Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) is India's first national assessment regulator. PARAKH was established in 2020 as a standard-setting body in line with the National Education Policy (NEP). It will create standards and criteria for student assessment and evaluation for all nationally recognized educational boards. It aims to help remove disparities in scores of students enrolled with different State boards.
22 November, 2023
Education
Union Defence Minister has approved a proposal to grant maternity, child care and child adoption leave to women soldiers, sailors and air warriors on par with their officer counterparts. At present, the women officers get maternity leave of 180 days with full pay for each child, subject to a maximum of 2 children. Childcare leave of 360 days is granted in total service career (subject to the child being less than 18 years of age) to women officers. Child adoption leave of 180 days is granted after the date of the valid adoption of a child below 1 year of age.
08 November, 2023
Policies and Programmes
The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of Fast Track Special Court (FTSCs) till March 2026. It is a dedicated court to strengthen the deterrence framework for sexual offenders and to ensure the swift disposal of cases related to rape and the POCSO Act. Launch– 2019 Mandate – Exclusively handle pending cases of Rape and POCSO Act. Implemented by – Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice which has an online monitoring framework for monthly monitoring of case statistics. Financing- Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) Coverage – A total of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts will be set up all over the country Members – 1 Judicial Officer and 7 Staff…
30 November, 2023
Governance
Article 145 – It says that a special bench of SC that comprises of at least 5 judges and deals with matters involving substantial question of law as to interpretation of the Constitution or the power of the President to consult the Court (Article 143). Article 137- It empowers the Supreme Court with the judicial review through which it can declare any law as void when it is unconstitutional or in derogation with the Fundamental Rights. Article 13- The laws which are contrary to the Fundamental Rights are declared as void by the judiciary. Article 50 – It ensures the separation of Judiciary from Executive.…
29 November, 2023
Judiciary
In light of the “Bihar Caste-based Survey, 2022”which showed that almost 33% of Bihar’s people are poor, the State government seeks Special Category Status. What is Special Category Status (SCS)? It is a classification granted by the Centre to assist the development of States that face geographical or socio-economic disadvantages. Launch year- It was introduced in 1969 on the recommendation of the 5th Finance Commission (FC). Gadgil formula- It was named after the then Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Gadgil Mukherjee which earmarked nearly 30% of the total central assistance for States to the SCS States. Authority to grant SCS status- National Development Council.…
28 November, 2023
Governance
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and its implications are being examined by the Indian Armed Forces in order to determine potential employment opportunities for transgenders. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 Legal recognition It recognizes transgender individuals as a third gender and recognizes their right to self-identification based on their gender identity. Social justice It prohibits discrimination against transgenders in education, employment, healthcare, and access to public spaces. Institutional support It mandates the creation of welfare boards at the State levels, which will be responsible for facilitating access to social welfare schemes for transgender persons. Certificate of identity Transgenders can obtain…
25 November, 2023
Rights issue
Ministry of Ayush has launched AGNI Initiative for physicians practicing in the field of Ayurveda. AGNI – Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative Objectives To provide a platform to Ayurveda practitioners for reporting their innovative practices in various disease conditions. To create of a database by identifying and collaborating with interested practitioners. To mainstream pragmatic practices through scientific validation and evidence-based appraisal. Nodal agency – Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS). It will document and publish the reported practices in consultation with National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS) An autonomous body under Ministry of AYUSH. Aim – To undertake, coordinate, formulate, develop…
24 November, 2023
Health
Recently, Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed a law passed by the Haryana government in 2020 that provided 75% reservation in private jobs to residents of the State. What is the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act about? Reservation- The Act requires private sector employers to reserve 75% of jobs that offer a monthly salary of less than Rs. 30,000 for individuals who are domiciled in Haryana. Eligibility- The Act applies to all private companies, societies, partnership firms, trusts and any person employing 10 or more persons in Haryana or any other entity as may be notified by the Government. Tenure- The Act will only have effect for 10…
23 November, 2023
Reservation
Tamil Nadu government recently ordered the creation of a fact check unit to verify the authenticity of information about the government on all media platforms. What are the provisions of fact check unit? Objective- To act as a deterrent to creators and disseminators of fake news. To combat misinformation, disinformation and hate speech. Power- The unit can take suo motu cognisance of any information related to the government for fact-checking or act on complaints from various sources. Key components – It includes Social Media Cell- To propagate the news about the government’s welfare schemes and initiatives. Central task force (CTF)- Based in Chennai, it is the…
22 November, 2023
Governance
The Governor’s appointment, his powers and everything related to the office of Governor have been discussed under Article 153 to Article 162 of the Indian Constitution. The role of the Governor is quite similar to that of the President of India. The Governor performs the same duties as of President, but for the State. Governor stands as executive head of a State and the working remains the same as of the office of President of India. Under the Constitution of India, the governing machinery is the same as that of the Central Government. It is stated that the Governor has a dual…
21 November, 2023
Governance
Unhealthy diets, reduced physical activity and air pollution are posing a greater risk to morbidity and mortality in urban areas. Status of Urban India The number of people who live in places that are closer together and have a higher population density as compared to the rural areas is referred to as the "urban population." The urban population of India attained a value of 475 million people in 2021. India’s urban population is estimated to reach 675 million in 2035, the 2nd highest in the world. What are the multiple risks faced by urban India? Multi-scalar health risks- India’s urban inhabitants…
18 November, 2023
Health
Recently, Chief Economic Adviser of India stressed on the need for the World Governance Index to be more transparent and less subjective as it has been used for ratings assessment by credit ratings agencies. The WGI is developed in 1999 by 2 World Bank researchers and the data will be updated annually every September. It is released by the World Bank (WB). Objective - To help researchers and analysts assess broad patterns in perceptions of governance across countries and over time. It provide a ranking of 215 countries territories. Criteria – It is based on 6 dimensions of governance Data Source – It aggregate data from more…
15 November, 2023
Governance
Recently, the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 was released by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Broadcasting Regulations in India Ministry of Information and Broadcasting- It is the focal point for matters related to private broadcasting, public broadcasting service (Prasar Bharati), multi media advertising, regulation of print media etc., Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) - It regulates the tariffs payable to subscribers of television channels and service providers in the broadcasting sector. Electronic Media and Monitoring Centre- It was established to supervise, monitor and record the content that is broadcast on Television channel in accordance with the government norms…
11 November, 2023
New Laws
RTI Act 2005 Section 2(j) of the RTI Act defines “right to information,” as the right to information accessible under this Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority. Fundamental right- RTI is a part of the fundamental right of Article 19(1)- Freedom of speech and expression Article 21- Right to life and Personal liberty Nodal agency- Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Objective- To provide for a practical framework that allows the citizens to access the information under the control of public authorities To promote transparency and accountability in the working…
11 November, 2023
RTI
Collection of Voice Samples A political figure recently came before the Central Bureau of Investigation to provide voice samples for a speech about his suspected role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. With the ability to identify individuals and verify evidence, voice samples have grown to be a crucial tool in criminal investigations. The procedure for gathering voice samples In order to obtain consent to record someone's voice for the sake of a case, an investigating agency typically goes to court. This type of forensic investigation is employed to support other evidence in the case. For a controlled and noise-free…
19 April, 2023
Law and Order
CERT-in may be exempted from RTI According to information provided to Parliament by the government, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) may soon be immune from having to reply to requests made under the Right to Information Act. About The Second Schedule to the RTI Act, which deals with exempted organisations like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Border Security Force, has been reviewed by the Department of Personnel and Training in relation to a proposal from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to include the CERT-in . The names of the intelligence and security agencies…
05 April, 2023
RTI
Consumer Court The Supreme Court reduced the required professional experience from 20 to 10 years to use its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to attract younger candidates to rule over consumer courts. Principal Points of the Judgment In a judgement, a Bench of Justices additionally introduced written tests and viva voce to verify the candidates' performance. Two papers on topics like current events, the Constitution, consumer legislation, drafting, etc. would be included in the written test. A viva voce would also take place. The court's ruling noted that the Consumer Protection (Qualification for Appointment, Method of Recruitment, Procedure of Appointment,…
13 March, 2023
Consumer rights
Institution Of Eminence Scheme Many institutes that were chosen for Institution of Eminence (IoE) Status are still waiting for the IOE designation after more than three years have passed. Background UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities) 2017 regulations allowed for the creation of the Institute of Eminence Programme. Ten Universities - ten Public and ten Private - were chosen for the programme. To aid in their development as Teaching and Research Institutes of World-Class calibre, these chosen universities will be given additional autonomy. The Institute of Eminence scheme seeks to place a limited group of IoEs in the…
03 April, 2023
Education
India Literacy Programme The "New India Literacy Programme" (NILP), a new centrally sponsored scheme that would be implemented across five years from the FYs 2022–2023 to 2026–2027, has been established by the government. About The program's target population of 5.00 crore nonliterates aged 15 and over The Program consists of five parts: (i) Foundational Reading and Numeracy, (ii) Crucial Life Skills, (iii) Development of Vocational Skills, (iv) Basic Education, and (v) Continued Education. The assessors in the States/UTs identify the beneficiaries of the programme using a door-to-door survey on a mobile app. Non-literate people can also benefit from the programme by…
03 April, 2023
Education
Punchhi Commission Report The Punchhi Commission's report on relations between the federal government and its constituent states will now be reviewed for state responses, according to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Historical Background: A Commission on Centre-State Relations was established by the Indian government, with Judge Madan Mohan Punchhi serving as its head. Goal: To examine and review the operation of the current agreements between the Union and States, as well as various court rulings regarding powers, duties, and obligations in all areas, including legislative relations, administrative relations, the role of governors, emergency provisions, financial relations, economic and…
08 March, 2023
Federal issues
Mob lynching and Cow Vigilantism The recent lynching and burning of two men in Haryana on the basis of allegations of unlawful cow slaughter, smuggling, or transportation bring attention to the problem of mob lynching. About cow vigilantism: Mob attacks carried out in the guise of "cow protection" primarily target Muslims, Dalits, and tribals. Cases of alleged cow vigilantism Rajasthan - A group of accused cow vigilantes killed a dairy farmer from Haryana by beating him to death. A 15-year-old Muslim boy from Haryana was stabbed in a train, allegedly for eating beef. A Dalit family in Gujarat was publicly…
07 March, 2023
Law and Order
Survey of India The Survey of India will continue to be the ultimate authority on maps showing State and federal boundaries, according to the Indian government. About: After the Department of Science and Technology published its rules in 2021, the Survey of India (SoI) lost its exclusive right to produce high-resolution maps. The National Geospatial Policy of India was published by the government in December 2022, allowing any private organization to produce high-resolution maps. The government has now made it clear that Survey of India would continue to be the deciding authority on maps that deal with State and national…
27 February, 2023
Institutions
Special Category Status (SCS) The 14th Finance Commission has explicitly said that no special status can be granted, and the Union Finance Minister has made it clear that the Centre will not take requests for "special category status" for any state into consideration. States that have been pressing for it for a while, like Odisha, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh, are taken aback by this. About special category status: Historical aspect: Fifth finance Commission originally presented the idea of SCS in 1969. The Constitution does not mention it. Because of their fundamental characteristics, limited resource base, and inability to mobilise resources…
25 February, 2023
NITI Aayog
SUPOSHIT MAA Initiative The Lok Sabha Speaker's efforts to advance mother and child health as part of the "Suposhit Maa" initiative have been commended by the Prime Minister of India. About Suposhit Maa: The Lok Sabha Speaker started the "Suposhit Maa Abhiyan" in Kota, Rajasthan, in March 2020 with the goal of making India malnutrition-free. The ceremony was overseen by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha announced that 1,000 women would receive food supplies for one month as part of this Abhiyan. The child's health would also be covered at the same…
24 February, 2023
Health
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Report Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chairperson of Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) announced the publication of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) report's second edition. Regarding the FLN report: It is the capacity of a young child (between the ages of 3 and 8 years old) to read and solve simple addition and subtraction mathematical equations. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 includes it as one of its primary components. It serves as a benchmark to measure how well states and UTs are doing in providing universal basic education by 2026–2027. Its conclusions address…
01 March, 2023
Education
National Strategy Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023–2027 To achieve zero cases of leprosy infection by 2030, the Union Health Ministry has created the National Strategy Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023–2027. More on the news: India still accounts for around 52% of the world's new leprosy sufferers, despite being designated "Leprosy Eliminated" in 2005, according to the Union Health Ministry. It should be mentioned that past successes in India's leprosy treatment were undone by the COVID-19 pandemic, when case identification drastically decreased, which resulted in a rise in patients with grade 2 disabilities. Almost 90% of leprosy cases in…
20 February, 2023
Health
Framework for Maritime Spatial Planning As part of an agreement under the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative, Puducherry has unveiled the nation's first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework. After a 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Norway, Puducherry and Lakshadweep were selected as the coastlines to launch the MSP program. About Marine Spatial Planning (MSP); MSP, an ecosystem-based spatial planning process, analyses present and future ocean and coastal uses to determine the locations most conducive to different activities. It gives society a way to more effectively decide how the ocean and coasts are utilised and protected in a way…
20 February, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Strengthening Cooperative Movement in India The formulation of a strategy to create functional grass-roots organizations in each untapped Panchayat has been given the Union Cabinet's approval as a way to enhance the cooperative movement in the nation. To promote the cooperative movement, the Centre authorized a plan to establish 2 lakh Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy, and fishery cooperatives nationwide during the following five years. More On the news: A plan to establish functional Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in each untapped Panchayat has been approved by the Union Cabinet. Each uncovered Panchayat/village should have functional dairy cooperatives, and…
18 February, 2023
Decentralized governance
Uttarakhand’s Anti Cheating Law On February 11, 2023, a demonstration in Dehradun against paper leaks and recruiting scams descended into violence. The Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Measures for Control and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance, 2023, which prohibits the use of unfair means in tests, received the governor's approval the following day. What are the provisions pertaining to the anti-cheating laws in Uttarakhand? The rule includes provisions for fines of up to 10 crore rupees and life in jail for those who violate it. The regulation aims to stop offences involving disrupting the integrity of exams, using unfair methods,…
17 February, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Custodial Death in India Gujarat reported 80 custody deaths during the course of the last five years, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Difference between custody and arrest: When someone is kept in protective custody, it is because authorities fear they will pose a risk to society it is known as custody. When someone is officially brought into police custody on suspicion of committing a crime, it is referred to as an "arrest." Custody exists in every arrest, but the reverse is not true. Judicial custody vs police custody: Police custody: It is the term used to describe…
16 February, 2023
Custodial Crime
Three-Capital Plan of Andhra Pradesh Vishakhapatnam will be the future capital of Andhra Pradesh, according to the state’s Chief minister. Historical aspect: Andhra Pradesh was divided into Telangana in 2014, with Hyderabad designated as the state's capital. The 2014-appointed Sivaramakrishnan Committee advocated for decentralization and identified the Vizag sub-region as a suitable location for the capital. The state government of Andhra Pradesh approved the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014 in 2015 to designate Amaravati as the state's future capital. Hyderabad, the former capital of undivided Andhra Pradesh, is now part of Telangana, hence Andhra Pradesh needs…
06 February, 2023
Federal issues
5th Khelo India Youth Games The fifth Khelo India Youth Games 2022 was opened by the Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs at the Tatya Tope Nagar Stadium in Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal). In 27 sports competitions, almost 6000 athletes from all over the nation will compete for more than 900 medals. The Khelo India Youth Games will feature fencing, canoe slalom, kayaking, and canoeing for the first time. This edition's subject is "Hindustan Ka Dil Dhadka Do." Under the name Khelo India School Games, the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) were launched in 2018. These competitions are designed to…
04 February, 2023
Youth development
Grievance Appellate Committee Under the recently updated Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, (IT Rules, 2021) the Center recently created three grievance appellate committees. Goal: Safety and trust of every Digital Nagrik Strong complaints process to ensure that all Internet platforms providing a service or good are held accountable About Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC): The Ministry of Electronics and IT announced the Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs), which were established by the government to investigate user complaints against major social media companies including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The GAC will be a virtual digital platform that…
03 February, 2023
IT act
All India Higher Education Survey According to the most recent All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), significant progress made in bridging the gender gap across several undergraduate programs suffered a setback in the current year. The poll also found that enrollment in distant education programs increased by 7% in 2020–21, the year the Covid–19 epidemic started. The major highlight of the survey: From 3.85 crores in 2019–20, the total number of students enrolled in higher education has climbed to over 4.14 crores in 2020–21. The number of students enrolled has increased by almost 72 lahks (21%) from 2014–15. From…
03 January, 2023
Education
Eklavya Model Residential Schools Tableau in the Republic Day Parade created by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs demonstrates how Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRs) promotes tribal wellbeing by providing high-quality education. More about the news: The Ministry's focus on "Nari Shakti," a symbol of girl education that ensures equal enrollment of tribal boys and girls at EMRSs, was highlighted in the tableau's front section. Eklavya's bow and arrow-shaped archetypal pen, representing learning, depicts the one-eyed mission with which tribal students of EMRSs construct their future and achieve their ambitions. About Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRs) The EMRS program creates model residential…
26 January, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Indianisation of the Judiciary The Chief Justice of India (CJI) recently announced that the Supreme Court's decisions will henceforth be translated into four languages: Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, and Odia, at the launch of online e-inspection software. It is a step toward the judicial system becoming more Indian. What is the Indianisation of the Judiciary? The world's oldest judicial system is found in India. Our history as a legal and judicial system goes back 5,000 years. In actuality, no other legal system has a more illustrious and illustrious history than Bharat-Varsh. Courts must put the interests of litigants first, and the…
26 January, 2023
Judicial reforms
Schools of Eminence Project The Schools of Eminence were recently introduced by the Punjab Chief Minister. Major Points: With a focus on grades 9 to 12, the project will improve 117 state-run schools in 23 districts. Along with using cutting-edge teaching techniques, students will receive coaching for professional tests in addition to career-related counseling. Aim: Rethinking education in public schools, focusing on kids' overall development and training them to be responsible citizens. Built upon five pillars: Modernized infrastructure, Academics, Management of human resources, Co-curricular pursuits, sports, and Community engagement. Finances: The project would be funded with 200 crore rupees from…
20 January, 2023
Education
National Girl Child Day India observes National Girl Child Day on January 24 each year. About National Girl Child Day: The purpose of National Girl Child Day is to increase public awareness of the injustices, discrimination, and exploitation that girls suffer in society. The Ministry of Women and Child Development originally established National Girl Child Day in 2008. The major goals are to alter how society views females, reduce female feticide, and raise awareness of the declining sex ratio. National Girl Child Day's goals: National Girl Child Day is intended to raise awareness of the rights that girls possess, to…
24 January, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Trans-fats in Foods and their Risks According to the WHO, exposure to trans fats puts nearly 5 billion individuals at risk of developing heart disease. About the report: Trans fats, like saturated or animal fats, cause clogged arteries. Your chance of having a heart attack and a stroke increases if you have clogged arteries, an indication of heart disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a new analysis that revealed that nearly 5 billion people worldwide are still in danger from hazardous trans fats, which can raise their chance of developing heart disease and dying from it. WHO first…
25 January, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Prison Reforms During the annual police meeting in New Delhi, Prime Minister proposed prison reforms. What were the Prime Minister's Speech's Main Highlights? He made a point of highlighting the value of the National Data Governance Framework for facilitating smooth data interchange between agencies. Additionally, developing the police forces' sensitivity and giving them training in cutting-edge technology He discussed using technological tools like biometrics and other similar ones as well as the requirement to further improve established policing practises like foot patrols. Additionally, he emphasised the need for improved collaboration between the State Police and Central Agencies in order to take advantage…
24 January, 2023
Police reforms
Chargesheet is not a “Public Document”: SC Chargesheets are deemed to be private documents as declared by the Supreme Court bench. About the news: The Supreme Court ruled that the government is not required to post chargesheets on police or official websites in order to give the public unrestricted access to them. According to the Court, posting chargesheets for public review would be against the rights of the accused, victims, and investing agency. A chargesheet: What is it? A chargesheet is the final report created by a police officer or investigating agency following the conclusion of their investigation into a case,…
23 January, 2023
Police reforms
Passive Euthanasia Recently, the country's honourable Supreme Court decided to simplify the process of passive euthanasia. Guideline by the court: A five-judge Constitutional bench, led by Justice KM Joseph, decides to greatly simplify the country's passive euthanasia process. The document must now be signed by the "living will" executor in the presence of two attesting witnesses, preferably unrelated, and attested before a notary or Gazetted Officer, following new regulations. The Supreme Court previously held that a terminally ill patient or a person in a persistent vegetative state may execute an advance medical directive or a "living will" to refuse medical…
23 January, 2023
Rights based issues
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 ASER, a comprehensive citizen-led household survey, has been published. It offers a picture of children's education and learning in rural India. The pandemic's effects on education are highlighted in the NGO Pratham's 17th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022. Findings of report: Enrollment overall: For the past 15 years, the enrollment rate for students aged 6 to 14 years has been above 95%. Despite the pandemic-related closure of some schools, overall enrollment climbed from 97.2% in 2018 to 98.4% in 2022. Enrollment in government schools: From 65.6% in 2018 to 72.9% in…
20 January, 2023
Education
Remote Voting for Migrants A new Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM) that would enable domestic migrants to participate in local and national elections was recently proposed by ECI. What is RVM? A modified version of the current electronic voting machine (EVM) is known as an RVM. India's proposed new voting method, the Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM), will enable domestic migrants to participate in national and local elections. The Indian Election Commission is creating the RVM. When elections are held in migrant workers' home states, special remote polling places are set up in other states. From a single remote polling…
18 January, 2023
Electoral reforms
Kerala announces menstrual leave for students As part of the government's "aim to realize a gender-just society," the Kerala government announced that it will provide menstruation leave for female students in all state universities under the Department of Higher Education. A girl who has reached the age of 18 or older is qualified to use 60 days of menstrual leave per year, according to the ruling. With this, the attendance rate for female students is set at 73% rather than the customary 75%. Menstrual cycle: Each month in females, one of the ovaries releases an egg for fertilisation. The uterine…
17 January, 2023
Health
Conflict over Control of Services between the Delhi Government and the Centre A recent disagreement over service control between the Delhi government and the Centre is being heard by a five-judge Supreme Court Constitution Bench. Details about the news: The Supreme Court is now hearing a case involving disagreements between the Union and the Delhi government about the management of transfers and the general operation of administrative services in Delhi's National Capital Territory (NCT). What is the conflict? Few believe that the Delhi government has any control whatsoever over administrative services. While other sources claim that the Lieutenant Governor can…
13 January, 2023
Federal issues
National Medical Commission & NExT The National Exit Test would be administered by a fifth autonomous agency, the Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, that will fall under the country's top medical education regulator, according to the draft National Medical Commission (NMC) bill 2022. The National Exit Test is what? A medical licence test called the NExT is used to evaluate medical graduates' proficiency. Students who acquired their medical degrees from schools recognised by the NMC as well as international students must pass the National Exit Test. This occurs at a time when the government is attempting to deploy NexT and the role…
05 January, 2023
Education
Vokkaligas, Lingayats share in Karnataka Reservation Vokkaligas and Lingayats, the two largest communities, have recently been moved from the "backward" category to "moderately backward" by the Karnataka Cabinet in a move that could raise their share of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC). More on News: Karnataka currently has a 32% OBC quota, 17% Scheduled Castes quota, and 7% Scheduled Tribes quota, bringing the total to 56% quota. Veerashaiva Lingayats' Panchamasali sub-sect has sought to be moved from their present 3B category, which has 5% quota, to the 2A category, which has 15% quota. The Vokkaliga community will be transferred…
01 January, 2023
Reservation
Convention for the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas On January 9, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is observed to recognise the contribution of the community of Overseas Indians to the advancement of India. In Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the Prime Minister opened the 17th three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention as well as a digital display on the role of the diaspora in the freedom movement. On this occasion, he also issued the commemorative stamp "Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen." What is Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas? Background: The day of PBD was chosen because Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa on…
09 January, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Village Defence Committees Kashmir and Jammu L-G Manoj Sinha have declared that the UT would establish Village Defense Guards(VDG). The Union Ministry of Home Affairs gave its approval to the plan to establish VDGs in J&K's at-risk districts. JK Village Defense Committee (VDC): What Is It? As a force multiplier against militant attacks, the Village Defense Committees were first established in the former Doda district (now Kishtwar, Doda, and Ramban districts) in the middle of the 1990s. The Village Defense Committee (VDCs) have now been renamed as Village Defence Guards(VDG). The Village Defence Guards (VDG) will receive a gun and…
09 January, 2023
Law and Order
Hockey World Cup, 2023 The Odisha Chief minister officially opened Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, one of Rourkela's largest hockey arenas, in advance of the Men's Hockey World Cup in 2023. From January 13 to January 29 in 2023, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela will host the 15th edition of the Hockey World Cup organized by the International Hockey Federation. What are the Hockey World Cup's Key Points? It took 13 long years and four editions of the event before it was finally held in the Indian subcontinent for the first time. The event was created jointly by India and Pakistan as the…
06 January, 2023
Sports
Foreign Higher Educational Institutes In India: UGC The proposed UGC (Setting up and Operating of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations 2023 were published by the University Grants Commission (UGC). About the draft regulation: It aims to permit international universities to establish campuses in India. Determine the admissions procedure, the reasonableness of the cost structure, etc. Must transfer money back to their parent campuses in accordance with the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 1999. Foreign higher education institutions' operations must not conflict with India's sovereignty or integrity, State-wide security, amiable interactions with foreign countries, public decency, morality,…
06 January, 2023
Education
Right to Strike Government employees who take part in general strikes that disrupt daily life for the general public and the public purse are not entitled to protection under Article 19(1)(c) of the Constitution and are also in violation of the Kerala Government Servants' Conduct Rules, 1960, according to the Kerala High Court. What does the Right to Strike mean? It is the most practical and last option available to workers to achieve economic fairness. Around the world, the definition of a strike has changed considerably, and most countries now grant workers the freedom to strike. Employees who are on…
06 January, 2023
Rights based issues
Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2023 Human Rights Watch's recently issued World Report 2023 stated that Indian authorities had "intensified and extended" their crackdown on social activist groups and the media. The report examines human rights practices in nearly a hundred nations. It further stated that the present Central government party repressed minorities through abusive and discriminatory measures. The following are the report's key points on India: Authorities arrested activists, journalists, and other government critics on false and "politically motivated" criminal charges, including terrorism. Authorities encourage discrimination and, in some cases, violence against religious minorities. Many states have demolished the…
11 January, 2023
Human rights
Obscenity Laws in India The Advocate recently filed a police report against Urfi Javed for roaming the streets of Mumbai and exposing her body. India's Obscenity Laws: Sections 292, 293, and 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deal with the offense of obscenity. According to Section 292, any content is declared obscene if it is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest, or if its effect is to deprave and corrupt persons likely to read, view, or hear the content. This provision makes it illegal to sell or publish any indecent booklet, book, paper, painting, or other media. Section…
10 January, 2023
Law and Order
Vishwa Hindi Diwas Every year on January 10th, Vishwa Hindi Diwas (VHD) or World Hindi Day (WHD) is observed to promote the Hindi language throughout the world. Whereas Hindi Diwas is observed annually on September 14th and focuses primarily on the recognition of the Hindi language in India. What is Vishwa Hindi Diwas? It was established in 2006 to mark the 10th anniversary of the inaugural World Hindi Conference, which was held in Nagpur on January 10, 1975. It commemorates the first time Hindi was spoken at the United Nations General Assembly in 1949. It is also observed by Indian…
10 January, 2023
Policies and Programmes
Court Vacations The Supreme Court will not have a holiday bench when it takes its yearly winter vacation, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) recently stated. Although this court calendar has colonial origins, it has been the target of criticism for a while. How do Court Vacations work? Approximately: The High Court functions for about 210 days per year, the Supreme Court for 193 working days, and trial courts for 245 working days. High Courts have the authority to organise their schedules in accordance with the service regulations. The summer and winter recesses, which the Supreme Court takes twice a…
23 December, 2022
Judiciary
India Internet Governance Forum 2022 The India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2022 was recently addressed by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. “Leveraging technology for empowering Bharat” is the theme for 2022. The purpose of the event is to discuss the roadmap to the digitization and to reaffirm India's position on the international stage by highlighting its significance in the development of global internet governance policies. What is India Internet Government Forum (IIGF)? The India Internet Government Forum is an initiative associated with the UN Internet Governance Forum (UN-IGF) project. The UN-IGF…
20 December, 2022
e-Governance
Manual Scavenging in India The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E) recently informed Lok Sabha that there had been no fatalities associated with manual scavenging in the previous three years (2019 to 2022). In this time frame, "accidents while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks" had resulted in the deaths of 233 people. What is Manual scavenging ? "The removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines, cleaning septic tanks, gutters, and sewers" is the definition of manual scavenging. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Rehabilitation Act of 2013 outlawed the practice in…
20 December, 2022
Human rights
National Telemedicine Service Of India: eSanjeevani eSanjeevani, India's national telemedicine service, recently attained 8 crore teleconsultations. By registering 1 crore consultations in roughly 5 weeks, it broke all previous records. About eSanjeevani: This is a national doctor-to-doctor telemedicine service that aims to give patients a digital platform alternative to traditional in-person consultations. The eSanjeevani application has generated more than 45,000 ABHA IDs as a part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission (ABDHM). Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, and Gujarat are the top ten states for using this platform. Two Verticles:…
12 December, 2022
Health
Nai Chetna- Pahal Badlav Ki The Ministry of Urban Development recently launched "Nai Chetna-Pahal Badlav Ki," a community-led national campaign against gender discrimination. The campaign was also launched in Kerala under the auspices of the Kudumbashree Mission. What is the Nai Chetna-Pahal Badlav Ki Campaign all about? It is a four-week campaign aimed at empowering women to recognise and prevent violence, as well as making them aware of their rights. The theme of the activities will be 'Gender equality and gender-based violence.' Aim: This will be an annual campaign that will focus on a different gender issue each year. This…
09 December, 2022
Policies and Programmes
Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme The majority of economists advocate converting all agricultural subsidies into direct income support, also known as Direct Benefit Transfer to Farmers. What is the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme? Aim: It is envisioned as a tool to help with the simpler/faster flow of information and funds to beneficiaries, as well as to reduce fraud in the delivery system. Implementation: It is a mission or initiative launched by the Indian government on January 1, 2013, to reform the government delivery system. The Central Plan Scheme Monitoring System (CPSMS), an earlier version of the Office of Controller General of…
09 December, 2022
e-Governance
First E-Collectorate In Bihar In an effort to reduce the Great Indian Red Tape, Saharsa became the first district in Bihar to be designated an electronic office (e-office). What is an e-Office Initiative? A project in the Mission-Mode category of e-Governance Initiatives is called E-Office. The e-office idea dates back to 2009, but the enormous amounts of paper were and continue to be a barrier. In 2012, Idukki in Kerala and Hyderabad went paperless. By enhancing the workflow system and office procedure manuals, it seeks to considerably increase the operational effectiveness of Government Ministries and Departments. What is red tape?…
08 December, 2022
e-Governance
Women’s Representation in the Courts It was only the third time in the Supreme Court's history that a bench comprised entirely of female justices heard cases. More on the news: Apex Court's all-woman bench: Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has appointed Justices Hima Kohli and Bela M Trivedi to the bench. The Supreme Court had an all-woman bench for the first time in 2013, and the second time in 2018. Women in the Supreme Court: Justice M Fatima Beevi was appointed as the Supreme Court's first woman judge in 1989, following her retirement as a judge of the…
07 December, 2022
Judicial reforms
World AIDS Day Every year on December 1st, World AIDS Day is observed. World AIDS Day 2022 On December 1, 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) established World AIDS Day. Its goal is to encourage information sharing among local and national governments, international organisations, and private citizens. This year's World AIDS Day theme is "Equalize." Importance: The HIV virus infects approximately 38 million people worldwide. Despite the fact that the virus was discovered in 1984, it has claimed the lives of nearly 35 million people. About Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS): Meaning: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS is caused by the…
01 December, 2022
Health
Delimitation exercise of J&K The Supreme Court recently questioned petitioners about their decision not to challenge the constitutionality of a specific provision in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. More on the news: A provision in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which gives the Delimitation Commission the authority to "carry out" the re-adjustment of constituencies in the Union Territory formed after the repeal of Article 370 in the erstwhile State, was in question. Who has the authority to conduct delimitation? The petitioners claimed that Sections 60 and 61 of the 2019 Act, which defined the role of the…
03 December, 2022
Delimitation
FIFA World Cup Ball History The official match ball for the Qatar World Cup, according to FIFA, travels more quickly than any other in the competition's history. Regarding Al Rihla: Al Rihla means "the voyage" in Arabic, and so does its name. The name is thought to be a nod to a travelogue authored by Ibn Battuta, an explorer from the 14th century who explored Asia, Europe, and Africa. Because sustainability was a top concern for the designers, Al Rihla is the first World Cup ball to be created completely with water-based inks and glues. Its vivid colour was inspired…
02 December, 2022
Sports
Dispute on the Assam-Meghalaya Border The killing of six people in an Assam police shooting comes ahead of the second phase of talks between the two states to resolve their boundary dispute, and there are fears that it will cast a long shadow over the talks. Background During the British colonial era, undivided Assam included modern-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. Meghalaya was formed in 1972. Its borders were drawn according to the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969, but the border has been interpreted differently since then. Meghalaya's government identified 12 areas of difference with Assam in 2011,…
02 December, 2022
Federal issues
Norms to Prevent False Online Reviews The Department of Consumer Affairs recently announced new regulations to protect consumers from "false and misleading reviews." It is part of the Bureau of Indian Standards norms, which will go into effect on November 25. Important Guidelines: E-commerce platforms will be required to voluntarily disclose paid customer reviews of products and services. The e-commerce company or restaurant must create a code of conduct, as well as the necessary terms and conditions for accessibility, and ensure that the content does not contain financial information. Identity: Reviews should not be misleading, and reviewers' identities should not…
29 November, 2022
e-Governance
The Country's First Suicide Prevention Policy Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently announced the "National Suicide Prevention Strategy." It is the country's first of its kind, with time-bound action plans and cross-sector collaborations aimed at reducing suicide mortality by 10% by 2030. The strategy is consistent with the World Health Organization's South East Asia Region Suicide Prevention Strategy. The Country's First Suicide Prevention Policy More information on the policy The newly launched National Suicide Prevention Strategy is the country's first of its kind. The suicide prevention policy includes time-bound action plans and cross-sector collaborations to reduce suicide mortality by…
29 November, 2022
Health
Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 The Union Government has released a new version of the Personal Data Protection Bill, now known as the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. The bill was introduced three months after the Personal Data Protection Bill of 2019. What is the Bill's Seven Principles for 2022? Organisations must use personal data in a way that is legal, fair to the individuals involved, and transparent to individuals. Second, personal information must be used only for the purposes for which it was collected. The third principle emphasises data minimization. When it comes to data collection, the…
28 November, 2022
Data Privacy
Narco Test It has recently come to the spotlight after a Delhi Court ordered a Narco Test for Aaftab Amin Poonawala in the bone-chilling Shradha Walkar killing case. The Court took into consideration international norms on human rights, the Right to a fair trial, and the Right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Constitution. What is a Narco Test? In a narco or narco-analysis test: a drug called sodium pentothal is injected into the body of the accused, which transports them to a hypnotic or sedated state, in which their imagination is neutralised. In this hypnotic state, the accused…
25 November, 2022
Law and Order
Old Pension Scheme In various jurisdictions, a few political parties have pledged to reinstate the Old Pension Scheme. About The Old Pension Scheme: The plan guarantees a post-retirement income for life. Employees under the previous plan receive a pension based on a pre-established formula that is equal to 50% of the last wage received. Additionally, they benefit from the twice-yearly modification of the Dearness Relief (DR). There was no salary deduction and the compensation is predetermined. Additionally, the General Provident Fund(GPF) was a provision of the OPS Only Indian government personnel have access to GPF. In essence, it permits all…
25 November, 2022
Policies and Programmes
Arvind Virmani: Full-time Member of NITI Aayog Dr. Arvind Virmani, a senior economist, was recently appointed as a full-time member of the NITI Aayog by the government. Dr V K Saraswat, Professor Ramesh Chand, and Dr V K Paul are the current members. About the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) It was established in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission. It is an Executive Body (acts as a think tank and advisory body) with the goal of continuously fostering the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism through structured support initiatives. NITI Aayog's membership is as follows: Chairperson: India's…
22 November, 2022
NITI Aayog
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) The Union government is pushing for the establishment of 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) for tribal children. Issues with Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): In 1997-98, the EMRS model was first introduced. Aim: To provide tribal students with quality education and residential facilities in remote areas. To construct schools comparable to Jawahar Navoday Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas. Prior to 2018-19, the scheme was overseen by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, with state governments having complete control over identifying new schools, recruiting, management, and admissions. The scheme's guidelines stated that states and union territories would…
19 November, 2022
Policies and Programmes
All About DATA LOCALISATION In order for economies to safeguard data during cross-border transfers, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recently emphasized the significance of data localization. In its analysis, the UNCTAD discovered that companies that use the internet for international trade do better than those that do not. Data localization: What is it? Data localization refers to the storage of both important and non-critical data within the national borders. Having control over our own data, which makes the nation more resistant to problems with privacy, information leaks, identity theft, security, etc., is the most crucial feature…
19 November, 2022
Data Privacy
Asian Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition Conference Union Minister recently spoke at the 16th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD) in Kolkata. Delegates from India and other South East Asian countries, African countries, the United States, and Europe participated virtually in the conference. What are the Conference's Key Highlights? The theme of the ASCODD was "Community participation in the prevention and control of cholera, typhoid, and other enteric diseases in low and middle-income countries: beyond the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic." What is Diarrhoeal Disease? Diarrhoea is defined as having three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent…
18 November, 2022
Health
Status of Indian judiciary Some experts recently suggested that India's judicial system be overhauled. Introduction British colonial legacy: The Indian judicial system is based on recorded judicial precedents that were inherited from the British colonial legacy. The Indian court system is hierarchical, with the Supreme Court of India, High Courts, and subordinate courts at the district, municipal, and village levels. Article 141: The Supreme Court's decisions on the constitutional validity of enacted legislation, including constitutional amendments, are binding on all other courts and authorities in the country (Article 141). There is no area of legislative or executive activity that escapes…
17 November, 2022
Judiciary
India's Mother Tongue Survey The Ministry of Home Affairs recently completed the Mother Tongue Survey of India (MTSI), which included a field video of all 576 languages in the country. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIC) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) will document and preserve the linguistic data of the surveyed mother tongues in audio-video files. About the MTSI: The Mother Tongue Survey of India is a project that surveys the mother tongues that are consistently reported during two or more Census decades. It also documents the linguistic characteristics of the languages chosen. The respondent provided…
12 November, 2022
Rights issue
National Population Register (NPR) The National Population Register (NPR) database has to be updated nationwide, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Demographic information about each family and person has to be gathered in order to account for changes brought on by birth, death, and migration. Describe NPR. NPR is a database that has a list of all regular citizens of the nation. For the purposes of NPR, a person who has lived somewhere for at least six months and plans to stay another six is referred to as a typical resident. Its goal is to compile a…
11 November, 2022
Census
Collegium System The Supreme Court Collegium system has recently come under fire from the Union Minister of Law and Justice for being opaque and without accountability. The Indian Constitution's Articles 124(2) and 217 address the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts, respectively. How Did the Collegium System Develop? Rather than being established by a law passed by Parliament or a clause in the Constitution, the Collegium system for the appointment and transfer of judges has developed as a result of Supreme Court decisions. Changes to the System: 1981's First Judges Case: It stated that "cogent reasons"…
10 November, 2022
Judiciary
Ganga Utsav 2022 The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Ministry of Jal Shakti recently organised Ganga Utsav—The River Festivals 2022. What is the 2022 Ganga Utsav? To improve the Public - River Connection, the NMCG celebrates the event each year. The National Ganga Council (NMCG) was established in 2016 to take the role of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NRGBA). On the first day of Ganga Utsav 2021, the NMCG was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for posting. With a focus on promoting stakeholder engagement and public participation towards the rejuvenation of the…
09 November, 2022
Policies and Programmes
Supreme Court Verdict on EWS Quota EWS quota does not go against the basic structure: SC The 103rd amendment to the Constitution, which added a 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections, was recently upheld by the Supreme Court (EWS). More information about the Supreme Court's ruling Concerning "Exclusion of the Reserved Categories from the EWS Quota": Issue: Critics contend that by excluding (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes)/OBCs (Other Backward Classes)/SCs (Scheduled Castes)/STs (Scheduled Tribes) from the scope of EWS reservation, the act violates the fundamental principles of the Constitution. According to the court, leaving the reserved categories out of…
09 November, 2022
Reservation
Criminalization of Politics Two lawmakers from the state of Uttar Pradesh were recently found guilty on criminal charges, but only one of them has been disqualified and had his seat proclaimed empty by the secretariat of the Legislative Assembly of the State. What is political criminalization? The criminalization of politics refers to the involvement of criminals in politics, including their ability to run for office and be elected to the State and Federal legislatures. It occurs mostly as a result of the connections between politicians and criminals. Legal Aspects of Criminal Candidates' Disqualification: The Indian Constitution is ambiguous regarding what…
05 November, 2022
Issues related to Indian Democracy
Performance Grading Index 2020-21 The Ministry of Education recently released its Performance Grading Index (PGI). About the Index: Previous Editions: The PGI report for 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 has been released by the department. Objective: PGI's primary goal is to promote evidence-based policymaking and emphasize course correction to ensure quality education for all. PGI 2020-21 graded the states/UTs into ten categories: Level 1 is the highest achievable grade, which is for a State/UT scoring more than 950 points out of a total of 1000 points. Level 10 is the lowest grade available for scores less than 551. It is a…
05 November, 2022
Education
Voting Rights for Prisoners Pending Trial The Supreme Court recently decided to consider a petition challenging an election law clause that puts a blanket ban on voters who are awaiting trial, are housed in civil prisons and are serving jail sentences. What Consequences Follow from This? Disenfranchises a Significant Part of the Population According to the most recent National Crime Reports Bureau (NCRB) data from 2021, 5,54,034 convicts were housed in different jails across the nation as of December 31st. At the end of 2021, there were 1,22,852, 4,27,165, and 3,470 reported detenues, undertrial detainees, and convicts, representing 22,2%, 77.1%,…
03 November, 2022
Judicial Activism
Decentralising MGNREGS The decentralisation of MGNREGS has recently been recommended by an internal study that the Ministry of Rural Development had commissioned. Significant findings of the study The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) should be decentralised, according to the study, as this will give local officials more "flexibility." •It was the sixth Common Review Mission's report. •The report examined Jammu and Kashmir's Union Territory as well as seven States, including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Nagaland, Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh. •The goal of the report was to evaluate how well all rural development programmes, including the…
02 November, 2022
Decentralized governance
The largest Hyperscale Data Center in India The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister stated that the state fulfilled its goal of establishing 250 MW of storage capacity with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore within a year of initiating its data center program while officially opening north India's first hyperscale data center, "Yotta D1." Yotta D1: What is it? Yotta D1, the largest data centre in the nation and the first in UP, was constructed at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore. It is situated in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, on a 3 lakh square foot plot of land in the…
01 November, 2022
e-Governance
Football4Schools Initiative In order to implement the "Football4Schools" concept in India, the Ministry of Education has inked an MoU with FIFA and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Football4Schools Initiative: What is it? The Prime Minister's goal of making athletics a way of life and raising well-rounded citizens is being realized through the Football4Schools program. Through sports-integrated learning, it seeks to empower 25 million young boys and girls in India. It supports the goals of the 2020 National Education Policy (NEP). Goals: Give students (boys and girls) useful life skills and competencies. Give coach-educators the tools and training they…
01 November, 2022
Sports
Anti-superstition laws The state of Kerala has emphasized the need for new legislation to stop such superstitious practices and recommended rigorous application of the current laws in this area in the wake of the alleged human sacrifice of two women in Kerala. Introduction It is an unfounded conviction stemming from "ignorance or terror and characterised by obsessive veneration for omens, charms, etc." or "reverence for the supernatural." The word "superstition" comes from the Latin word "Superstitio," which denotes a ferocious fear of the deity. Superstitions are pervasive and can be found all over the world; they are not specific to…
31 October, 2022
New Laws
Global Tuberculosis Report 2022: WHO Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its 2022 version of the Global TB report. It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic, and of progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease, at global, regional, and country levels. Significant Points from the 2022 Report In 2021, an estimated 10.6 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), a 4.5% increase from 2020, and 1.6 million died from the disease (including 1,87,000 among HIV-positive people). Country-specific evaluation According to the report, India, with 28% of cases, was one of the eight…
29 October, 2022
Health
One Country, One Uniform for the police One nation, one police uniform is a recent idea put forth by the Prime Minister. Terrorism & Naxalism: The PM also reiterated the necessity of eradicating the underground network of terrorism, saying that it is urgent for everyone to band together and take control of the situation. The number of Naxal-affected districts in the nation has significantly decreased, he added, over the past eight years. We now need to concentrate on achieving rapid growth in each of these sectors, including infrastructure. Appeal of Nagaland: The Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland expressed his hope…
29 October, 2022
Law and Order
NIA Offices by 2024 Recently, the Union Home Minister announced at the two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ (brainstorming session) in Faridabad that all states in the country will have National Investigation Agency (NIA) offices by 2024 as a strategy to counter-terrorism. About National Investigation Agency (NIA) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the primary counter-terrorist task force of India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written proclamation from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Agency came into existence with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency…
27 October, 2022
Federal issues
National Credit Framework A document "National Credit Framework" (NCrF) has recently been made public by the Ministry of Education with the intention of integrating the entire educational system—from elementary schools to universities—under the "credit" system. About The National Credit Framework (NCrF) : The National Education Policy includes the new framework. The framework states that the quantity of hours a student works will be used to determine how long an academic year is. They will receive credits in accordance at the conclusion of each academic year. The University Grants Commission (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education)…
26 October, 2022
Education
Drug Menace The Supreme Court has stated that drug abuse has captured society and requested some modules that may convert into an Order to address the issue. More on the news The Court's View on the Drug Problem: It is an issue of demand and supply, according to the court's counsel in the case. It admitted that the drug mafia is making inroads into society, particularly among young people, posing a "dangerous scenario." Order of the Court: The Supreme Court directed that some common limits be established and an acceptable solution to the matter be found. The government's reaction: The…
21 October, 2022
Health
Kashi-Tamil Sangamam - Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat The Government of India recently launched the 'Kashi-Tamil Sangamam,' a month-long initiative designed to "strengthen" and "rekindle" the cultural and civilizational tie between Tamil Nadu and Varanasi. This programme would be part of the project Ek Bharat Sreshtha Bharat. What is the meaning of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat? It was started in 2015 to promote participation among the people of various States/UTs in order to improve mutual understanding and connecting amongst people of distinct cultures, hence securing India's stronger unity and integrity. It is a Ministry of Education initiative. Activities Under the Scheme: each state…
20 October, 2022
Policies and Programmes
Right to Privacy WhatsApp and Meta's appeals against the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) investigation into the privacy policy of 2021 were rejected by the Supreme Court. The anti-trust agency cannot look into the privacy policy because it has been put on hold pending the introduction of the updated Data Protection Bill, according to both WhatsApp and Meta. The CCI is an independent body with the jurisdiction to examine any claimed infringement of the Competition Act of 2002's provisions and cannot be persuaded to stop looking into such claims. What are the problems with WhatsApp's privacy policies? The mobile phone…
20 October, 2022
Rights based issues
World Health Summit: Polio Eradication At the World Health Summit in Berlin recently, world leaders announced USD 2.6 billion in funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative's (GPEI) 2022–2026 Strategy to eradicate polio. About polio: The neurological system is harmed by the debilitating and potentially fatal viral infection known as polio. There are three separate wild poliovirus strains that are each unique and immunologically diverse: Type 1 wild poliovirus (WPV1) Type 2 wild poliovirus (WPV2) Type 3 wild poliovirus (WPV3) All three strains exhibit the same symptoms, which include irreversible paralysis or even death. These three strains are distinct viruses…
18 October, 2022
Health
Uniform Civil Code (UCC): Explained Recently, the Central Government petitioned the Supreme Court for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), arguing that different laws are an affront to the nation's unity. About The Centre responded to petitions filed in the Supreme Court seeking uniformity in laws governing divorce, succession, and inheritance, as well as adoption and guardianship for all people, regardless of gender or religion. However, the government has not directed the Legislature to enact specific UCC legislation. It is up to the elected representatives of the people (legislature) to decide whether or not to pass legislation. Arguments in favour of…
17 October, 2022
Uniform Civil Code
Population Policy in India India will overtake China as the world's most populated nation by 2023, according to figures just published in the United Department of Economic and Social Affairs World Population Prospects, 2022 report. Present National Population Policy (NPP) 2000 It was founded on the tenets of free will, informed consent, and achieving a level of fertility equivalent to replacement. It attempted to tackle the problems of contraception, maternal health, and child survival all at once. The National Family Planning Programme of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare directs and coordinates the execution of the National Population Policy…
13 October, 2022
Human Resource
SC’s Split Verdict on Karnataka Hijab Ban The Supreme Court's two-judge panel recently rendered a divided decision on the Karnataka government's ban on the hijab on state pre-university campuses. Details about the news Controversy: A dispute sprang out at the Government College in December 2021 after students wrote the principal a memo requesting permission to wear hijabs (headscarves) in class. They were refused authorization. Since then, numerous Karnataka schools and colleges have prohibited students from entering their buildings while donning hijabs. Petitioners' Defenses They choose to wear the "hijab," which is essential to their religious practice. How a student's decision…
13 October, 2022
Rights issue
Times World University Rankings 2022 The 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) rankings were recently made public. The QS World University Ranking for 2022 was previously published. What are the Ranking's Key Highlights? Teaching (30%), research (30%), citations (30%), international outlook (7.5%), and industrial output (2.5%) are the criteria used to rank the institutes. 15% of the weight given to teaching and research is based on reputational surveys. Top Performer Globally: Out of 1,799 universities from 104 countries, The University of Oxford has emerged as the top institution. Rankings for Indian institutions: With 75 ranked universities, India is the sixth most represented nation in…
11 October, 2022
Education
Rising pending cases Under RTI Nearly 3.15 lakh complaints or appeals have been filed with 26 Information Commissions across India regarding the transparency system established by the Right to Information (RTI) Act. RTI Backlog in India Pendency and delays: According to statistics gathered from a number of Information Commissions (ICs), the backlog of appeals or complaints with them is rapidly growing every year (reference period 2019–2022), leading to a protracted waiting period for disposition. States like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, etc. have the most cases and appeals pending at any given time. 4.2 billion RTI requests have been made…
11 October, 2022
RTI
Mental Health and India’s initiative The Lancet published a paper titled "Ending Stigma and Prejudice in Mental Health" on October 10 in honor of World Mental Health Day. The research urged drastic action to eradicate stigma and discrimination related to mental health. What are the Report's Findings? Globally, about a billion people struggle with a mental illness. In the group of young people aged 10 to 19, one in seven is affected by a mental illness. Both the effects of the disease itself and the negative social repercussions of stigma and prejudice threaten these people. The Covid-19 pandemic contributed to…
10 October, 2022
Health
Quality Council Of India (QCI) The Quality Council of India (QCI) recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The QCI has also started a campaign called "Gunvatta Se Atmanirbharta: India's Quality Movement" to highlight India's quality centres, raise awareness of India's historic accomplishments, and let people know about programmes designed to improve everyone's quality of life. The Quality Council of India (QCI) is what, exactly? History: In 1996, the Quality Council of India (QCI) was founded as a National Organisation for Accreditation. As a result, QCI was established through a PPP model as a free-standing organisation with the backing of the Indian…
06 October, 2022
Institutions
The criterion for Schedule Caste status Recently, the Supreme Court requested the government's opinion on petitions contesting the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950, which restricts Schedule Caste recognition to the Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist religions. About the Petition Many independent Commission findings that have established the presence of caste and caste inequities among Indian Christians and Indian Muslims are highlighted in the petitions calling for the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Muslims. The petitions have argued against the idea that caste identity is lost upon conversion, pointing out that despite the absence of casteism in Sikhism and Buddhism, these…
05 October, 2022
Reservation
Midday Meal Scheme The Ministry of Finance has approved an increase in the cost of cooking for each child participating in the Mid-Day Meal Program by 9.6%. Cooking expenses per kid have been Rs 4.97 in primary classes (class I–V) and Rs 7.45 in upper primary schools (class VI-VIII) since the recent increase in early 2020. The allocation at the primary level and higher primary levels will be Rs 5.45 and Rs 8.17, respectively after the increases take effect. What is the Midday Meal Program? Launched in 1995, the Ministry of Education's Midday Meal Program is a centrally funded initiative.…
03 October, 2022
Policies and Programmes
36th National Game The Prime Minister recently opened the 36th National Games in Gujarat. About National Games The National Games are a part of the Olympic movement, which captured the nation's attention in the 1920s. To advance Olympic sports in the country, the National Games in India were originally intended to be the Indian Olympic Games. The first Indian Olympic Games, held in Lahore in 1924 in United Punjab. Beginning in 1940, the Indian Olympic Games were referred to as the National Games. Athletes from several Indian states compete against one another in a range of sports disciplines in this…
01 October, 2022
Sports
PFI ban under UAPA The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared the Popular Front Of India, and its front organizations as an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). About UAPA The UAPA is India’s main law against terrorism and terrorist activities. It allows the government to declare an organisation an “unlawful association” or a “terrorist organisation”, which is often colloquially described as a “ban” on the organisations. Under Section 3 of the UAPA Act, the government has powers to declare an association “unlawful”. How is an “unlawful association” defined? Section 2(1)(p) of the UAPA defines an “unlawful association” as an…
28 September, 2022
Issues related to Indian Democracy
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) World Heart Day is celebrated on 29th September every year. It was first observed in the year 2000, following a collaboration between the World Heart Federation and the World Health Organization (WHO). It is a global campaign in which the federation unites people in the fight against the CVD burden and inspires and drives international action to promote heart-healthy living. Theme: "Use Heart For Every Heart" is the theme for World Heart Day 2022. What are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)? CVDs are a group of heart and blood vessel disorders that include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic…
29 September, 2022
Health
Hate Speech in the Media The "visual media" has recently been referred to as the "primary medium of hate speech" by the Supreme Court. Details about the news The bench was hearing a number of petitions over alleged hate speech on several TV programs. The petitioners have asked the court to order the Center to take action to reduce instances of such speech. The SC stated that it will take into account establishing some rules to level the playing field till the legislature creates a statute on the subject. Hate speech: What Is It? The notion of what constitutes "hate…
23 September, 2022
Law and Order
Live-Streaming of the Supreme Court’s Proceedings The Supreme Court (SC) recently made the decision to stream live its proceedings in significant Constitution Bench matters starting on September 27, 2022. The broadcast of judicial sessions has made positive systemic improvements possible. ??????? What is the History? In the case of Swapnil Tripathi v. Supreme Court of India (2018), the Supreme Court had decided in favour of live-streaming the proceedings at the top court. It was decided that the right to access justice under Article 21 (Protection of Life and Personal Liberty) of the Constitution includes the live streaming of court hearings.…
23 September, 2022
Judicial reforms
Social Audit of Social Sector Scheme The Rajasthan government has made the first-ever decision in the nation to create a specialized social and performance audit authority to undertake social audits of initiatives. What does this decision mean, exactly? Make public accountability a priority: In addition to conducting performance evaluations of the implementing agencies, the authority will ensure public accountability, openness, and citizen participation in the execution of government plans, programs, and services. Evaluate the Delivery of Quality Services: The authority will also evaluate how well government plans and initiatives deliver quality services. In order to evaluate the success of various…
22 September, 2022
Policies and Programmes
National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC) & Higher Education The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda's National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) ratings recently sparked controversy since the institution's grade increased from A to A+ as a result of improvements across all areas. What is India's Accreditation Status for Institutions? The All-India Survey on Higher Education's portal lists 42,343 colleges and 1,043 universities. The NAAC has accredited 8,686 colleges and 406 institutions. Maharashtra has the most accredited institutions among the states, with 1,869, and Karnataka has the second-most, with 914. With 43 accredited universities, Tamil Nadu has the most. Which Educational…
21 September, 2022
Education
National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) The Union Health Ministry has released the updated National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), which now includes 384 medications along with 34 new ones and 26 medications that were not on the previous list. The new anti-cancer therapies included are Bendamustine Hydrochloride, which is used to treat a certain type of blood and lymph node cancers; Irinotecan HCI Trihydrate used alone or in combination with other drugs to treat colorectal and pancreatic cancers; Lenalidomide for treating various type of cancers; and Leuprolide acetate, used to treat prostate cancer. According to the World Health Organization…
15 September, 2022
Health
States may have NITI Aayog-like Bodies Soon Image Source - India Today With the goal of being a developed country by 2047, the NITI Aayog will help each state build up comparable organizations in place of its planning boards. Regarding the proposal The intention is to first establish such committees in 8–10 states before expanding to all by 2023. Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam are the four states that have already started working on this; Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat are likely to follow suit soon. The function of SIT: It will assist states in formulating policy,…
14 September, 2022
NITI Aayog
Reviewing EWS Quota The Supreme Court's Constitution Bench is investigating whether the 10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) breaches the Constitution's fundamental principles. Details about the News Petition: The Supreme Court's bench will consider whether the Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, which imposed the 10% EWS quota, breaches the fundamental principles of the Constitution while hearing petitions against it in government hiring and admissions. For evaluating the EWS quota, the Supreme Court has established three fundamental questions: Provisions determined by economic standards: Whether the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, which allows the State to implement exceptional rules, including reservations, depending on…
09 September, 2022
Reservation
Healthcare Facilities Worldwide Image Source - Deloitte According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) report, over half of the world's healthcare facilities lack basic hygiene services, placing 3.85 billion people at an increased risk of diseases. The research was made public during Stockholm, Sweden's World Water Week. Highlights of the Report: Lack of Basic Hygiene: 3.85 billion individuals are at an increased risk of infection due to the lack of basic hygiene services in around half of the world's healthcare facilities. Patients are not given access to water,…
06 September, 2022
Health
Bail for Women Recently, the Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to activist Teesta Setalvad stating that “the relief of interim bail is granted to the appellant (Teesta) in the peculiar facts including the fact that the appellant happens to be a lady”. Image Source - India Today The Code of Criminal Procedure's section on bail that states that "being a woman is a viable cause for granting bail, even where otherwise it cannot be considered," was also mentioned by the Chief Justice of India Provisions available for Bail for Women Section 437 of the Code of Criminal Procedure…
06 September, 2022
Human rights
F-1 and M-1 Visa Programs Image Source - ustun law group It was recently discovered that the Indians received nearly twice as many US student visas this year than the Chinese, according to the monthly visa records. About F-1 and M-1 Visa Programs Country-specific evaluation China continues to be the major country sending students to the United States. The majority of overseas students now enrolled in US universities come from China. Students from South Korea are in third place, followed by students from India in second. The F-1 division For people who want to enrol in a university or college,…
31 August, 2022
Citizens and citizenship
Muslim Personal Law Case Image Source - Kerala kaumudi The Supreme Court has received a number of petitions contesting the constitutionality of the Muslim Personal Law-permitted polygamy and Nikah Halala practices. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission on Women (NCW), and the National Commission on Minorities have received notices from a five-judge Constitution Bench. Arguments of the Petitioners The petitioners want polygamy and Nikah-Halala outlawed because they claim it violates Muslim spouses' fundamental rights and leaves them exceedingly vulnerable and insecure. Insofar as it seeks to recognize and validate the practice of polygamy and nikah-halala, they prayed…
02 September, 2022
Uniform Civil Code
National Sports Day 2022 Image Source - Career India Every year on August 29th, India commemorates National Sports Day or Rashtriya Khel Divas in honour of hockey great Major Dhyan Chand, who was born on this day in 1905. Key Points India's National Sports Day was established in 2012, and it was first observed that year. The country honours its sporting heroes on this day. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, and Dhyan Chand Awards are among the sports honours that the president presents on this occasion. Significance: The main goal of National Sports Day…
29 August, 2022
Sports
Civil Services Reforms in India Image Source - civil service India One of India's most renowned police officers recently argued that the government should implement the "Nitipath" program, which would be similar to Agnipath and the short service commission for military personnel. The framework of the Scheme After 10, 25, and 30 years of service, officers may be filtered out. By doing this, the top-heavy structure would be fixed, and a culture of excellence and public service would be fostered. The amount of apex-level positions and career routes does not limit the government's ability to hire four times as many…
30 August, 2022
Civil services reforms
Armed Forces Act 1958 (Special Powers) The North Eastern region would no longer be subject to the dreaded Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958, according to the government. Image Source - Utkal Today About Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance of 1942, which the British passed to repress the country's rebels during the Quit India movement, primarily in Assam and Bengal, is where the law's origins may be found. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958, which is the law's new name, is still in effect. Need: When Naga militants turned to widespread violence…
29 August, 2022
Human rights
India’s Battery Storage Potential: NITI Aayog Image Source - NDtv In a recent analysis titled "Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Reuse and Recycling Market in India," published by NITI Aayog, it was predicted that by the year 2030, India's battery demand will drastically rise. Findings of the Report Demand Predictions: By 2030, India will have 600 GWh of cumulative battery storage capacity. The yearly demand for batteries increased to around 730 GWh between 2010 and 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25%. Battery demand is anticipated to increase fourfold by 2030 and reach 3,100 GWh annually. Battery Current…
26 August, 2022
NITI Aayog
Post-retirement Allowances to Supreme Court Judges Image source - Fresh Headline The government recently changed the rules and boosted the post-retirement benefits for justices of the Supreme Court (SC). Major Points Present: The Center added post-retirement allowances to the Supreme Court judges' service regulations. The Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act of 1958 authorised the amendment of the regulations. The modifications take effect right away. Background: one day later, on August 26, CJI N V Ramana will step down from his position. New Rules It permits retired SC judges, including the CJI, to continue using a driver…
25 August, 2022
Judiciary
Zonal Council The 23rd Central Zonal Council Meeting, which was held in Bhopal and presided over by the Union Home Minister, just ended. At the conference, the Uttarakhand government encouraged the Central government to build an airport at Chaukhatia, which is close to Paradise. About Zonal Council History: When discussing the States Reorganisation Commission's report in 1956, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, proposed the concept of creating Zonal Councils. Goals of the formation of Zonal Councils: national integration being promoted; halting the development of regionalism, linguism, acute state consciousness, and other particularistic tendencies; enabling cooperation and idea…
25 August, 2022
Center - State Relations
Kerala Savari: India's first online taxi service as a public option To guarantee fair and courteous service to customers as well as fair compensation for auto-taxi workers, Kerala has launched "Kerala Savari," the nation's first online taxi service run by a State government. The necessity and the goals Governments are quite concerned about the alleged unfair business practices and violations of consumer rights by private, app-based taxi aggregators. As a result, the Keralan government decided to create an app-based platform to provide the general public with auto-taxi service. About Kerala Savari Under the direction of the Labor Department and operated…
24 August, 2022
Policies and Programmes
Jal Jeevan Abhiyan: Goa becomes the first Har Ghar Jal certified state. Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (D&NH and D&D) recently earned the distinction of being the nation's first "Har Ghar Jal"-certified States and UTs, respectively. A Gram Sabha resolution certifying that all homes in the villages have access to safe drinking water from taps has led to the declaration of each village as Har Ghar Jal by its residents. All 378 villages in Goa and 96 in D&NH and D&D have established Village Water and Sanitation Committees, or paani Samitis. It is in charge of…
22 August, 2022
Policies and Programmes
India's Blockchain Platform India has recently made various attempts to transform into a digital society by creating a sizable digital public infrastructure that is accessible to all citizens with strong government support. Public Digital Infrastructure It alludes to technological advancements that enable the collaboration, trade, and governance that are fundamental to the delivery of public and private services. Initiatives by India: To speed up interactions between people, markets, and the government, the Indian government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have been pushing for simplification and openness. Since the launch of the Digital India project in 2015, modular applications based…
20 August, 2022
e-Governance
FIFA Banned India The All-India Football Federation (AIFA), the nation's highest administrative authority, has recently been suspended by FIFA, the world's governing body of the sport, for improper interference by outside parties. Events that led to the ban The current set of issues for Indian football started when the former AIFF president, Praful Patel, who was also a member of the FIFA council, refused to resign from his position as the nation's head of football. But on May 18, the Supreme Court intervened and removes Praful Patel from the post. The SC also appointed a Committee of Administrators (COA) to run…
19 August, 2022
Sports
All About Euthanasia Recently, a Bengaluru lady went to the Delhi High Court to stop a friend's flight to Europe for euthanasia. About A petition submitted to the court claims that the man has had chronic fatigue syndrome since 2014 and that he intends to fly to Switzerland for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, both of which are not legal for non-terminally ill people in India. "Complex, incapacitating, long-term neuroinflammatory disease" describes chronic fatigue syndrome. Case of Aruna Shanbaug: The Supreme Court of India (SC) addressed the debate over euthanasia, and in 2018 it issued a ruling that made the right…
15 August, 2022
Human rights
NITI Aayog’s Governing Council Meeting The seventh Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, which was presided over by the Honorable Prime Minister, just ended in New Delhi. Highlight The major issues were discussed by the Governing Council: Achieving self-sufficiency in pulses, oilseeds, and other agricultural commodities through crop diversification; National Education Policy (NEP) implementation in school education, NEP implementation in higher education, and NEP implementation in urban governance; Crop diversification: At the meeting, this topic, in particular, received a lot of attention. At the discussion, it was also discussed how India may reduce its current 50 percent reliance on imported…
09 August, 2022
NITI Aayog
Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) has been formed by the Indian government as a subsidiary office under the Ministry of Ayush. The Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) and the two central laboratories, Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory and Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian Medicine, have been combined by the government (HPL). About commission Established in 2010, PCIM&H is an independent organization operating under the Ministry of Ayush's supervision. By the 1940 Drugs and Cosmetics Act and it's 1945 implementing rules, Pharmacopoeia is a book of standards that is officially recognized. It is…
08 August, 2022
Health
DATA PROTECTION BILL WITHDRAWN The Personal Data Protection Bill has been removed from Parliament by the Indian government while it explores a "complete legal framework" to oversee online activity and foster innovation in the nation. About the data protection bill On December 11, 2019, the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology introduced the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha. Commonly known as the "Privacy Bill," it was designed to safeguard individual rights by limiting the gathering, transfer, and processing of data that is personal or that can be used to identify a specific person. Challenges: According to…
06 August, 2022
Data Privacy
VK Paul Taskforce on MonkeyPox The Union government has formed a task force headed by Dr. VK Paul, a member of NITI Aayog in the wake of rising Monkeypox cases in India. About Monkeypox: Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses that causes smallpox. Occurrence of Disease: The infection was first discovered in the year 1958 The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Symptoms: Monkeypox begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, and exhaustion. It also causes the lymph…
03 July, 2022
Health
UNDERTRIAL PRISONERS IN INDIA The first all-India meet of District Legal Services Authorities was inaugurated in New Delhi. In this Hon. PM. urged the judiciary to speed up the release of undertrial prisoners by providing them with legal aid. Undertrial prisoners An undertrial is a person who is currently on trial or who is imprisoned on remand and awaiting trial in a court of law. The 78th Report of Law Commission also includes a person who is in judicial custody on remand during investigation in the definition of an 'undertrial' Data on undertrial The Prison Statistics India 2016 which…
03 August, 2022
Police reforms
ELECTORAL BOND: EXPLAINED The total amount collected by parties through the Electoral Bond Scheme has gone up to Rs 10,246 crore from various anonymous donors since its introduction in 2018 as per the SBI report. Electoral bond scheme It was introduced with the Finance Bill, 2017 and for the first time, the EB Scheme was notified on January 29, 2018. These bonds are issued in the multiple of RS 1000, RS 10,000 RS 1 lakh, RS 10 lakh, and RS 1 crore without any maximum limit. An electoral bond is an instrument through which anyone can donate money to political…
02 August, 2022
Electoral reforms
BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING It is observed from 1st to 7th August 2022. World Breastfeeding Week theme for 2022 is "Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support. It is also the celebration of Motherhood and the healthy life of the newborn. World breastfeeding week 2022 will focus on strengthening the capacity of actors that have to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding across different levels of society. Government, health system, workplace, and communities will be informed, educated, and empowered to strengthen their capacity to provide and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments in the post-pandemic world as said to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action.…
01 August, 2022
Policies and Programmes
44TH CHESS OLYMPIAD AND SPORTS CONDITION IN INDIA 44th Chess Olympiad at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai was declared by the Prime Minister. About 44th Chess Olympiad This is the first time that the Chess Olympiad is being held in the place of origin of chess that is in India. It is coming to Asia for the first time in the last 3 decades. Even it has the highest ever number of countries participating in this session of chess Olympiad. It has the highest ever number of teams participating. It has the highest number of entries in the women’s category. The first…
29 July, 2022
Sports
IRRATIONAL FREEBIES CULTURE Recently the Supreme court bench said it will see to what extent it can or cannot intervene to stop political parties from distributing irrational freebies. Even the court asked the central government whether distributing irrational freebies during election campaigns is financially viable. It also referred to the use of the expertise of the Finance Commission in curbing the irrational poll freebies. Source - THE HINDU Supreme court view The Supreme Court had also issued the notice to the Centre and Election Commission of India on the plea against freebies offered by the state parties. Election Commission of…
28 July, 2022
Issues related to Indian Democracy
ALL ABOUT HEPATITIS World Hepatitis day is observed every year on July 28 to raise awareness about hepatitis. On World Hepatitis Day, there is always a push for more global awareness about the infection, its diagnosis, and how to prevent it. “Bringing hepatitis care closer to you” is the theme for the year 2022. It mainly aims to highlight the need to bring hepatitis care closer to the primary health care facilities, and communities, to ensure better access to treatment and care. About Hepatitis Hepatitis is of five types, which are Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis is…
28 July, 2022
Health
ABORTION LAW IN INDIA Recently, a 25-year-old pregnant woman moved to the Supreme Court seeking an abortion after the Delhi High Court declined her plea. But the Supreme Court of India allowed an unmarried woman to end her pregnancy at 24 weeks. The woman has also challenged Rule 3B of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules, 2003, which allows only some categories of women to seek termination of pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks. The case has raised very important questions about the framework of reproductive rights and recognizing female autonomy and agency in India. What was the Delhi High…
25 July, 2022
Rights based issues
TELE LAW SERVICE Was launched in 2017, the Tele-Law program of the Department of Justice is an effective and reliable e-interface and pre-litigation mechanism which aims to connect needy and marginalized persons, in need of legal advice, through Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) with Panel Lawyers via video conferencing or telephonic facilities available at Common Service Centres situated at the Panchayat level. The Union Minister of Law and Justice announced that from this year, Tele-law service was being made free of cost for the citizens in the country. Feature of tele law service: Accessibility: It is…
22 July, 2022
Judicial reforms
DIGIYATRA The Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Civil Aviation was held in New Delhi. The topic for discussion was ‘DIGI YATRA’ to make certain valuable suggestions about the project. ABOUT DIGI YATRA Digi Yatra is the initiative by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Air travellers can use facial recognition technology to enter any airport in the country. This initiative is taken to promote paperless and hassle-free air travel There will be one-time verification at the departure airport when travelling for the first time using the ID. After successful verification, facial recognition biometrics will be captured and stored in…
18 July, 2022
Policies and Programmes
RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP Government data claimed that over 3.9 lakh Indians gave up their citizenship in the past three years to settle abroad. Findings More than 1.63 lakh Indians relinquished their citizenship in 2021 alone and the majority had opted the citizenship in the USA Between 2019 and 2020 more than 1.44 lakh Indians gave their citizenship and the most common reason given was ‘personal’. The United States emerged as the top choice among 103 countries where the emigrant settled. Apart from choosing countries such as Singapore (7,046) and Sweden (3,7540), many have also renounced their citizenship for Bahrain,…
21 July, 2022
Citizens and citizenship
JAGRITI MASCOT A mascot named Jagriti has been launched by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) to empower the consumers and to also generate awareness about their rights. How will Jagriti work? ?It would be projected as an empowered consumer who is spreading awareness about consumer rights & addressing solutions to the problems faced by any consumers. It would help to generate consumer awareness about the various government initiatives like: Provisions?of Consumer Protection Act 2019 Hallmarking National Consumer Helpline toll-free number 1915 Provisions?of weights & measures Act Decisions?of the Central Consumer Protection Authority Testimonials?by consumers on grievance redressal What is…
20 July, 2022
Consumer rights
KALA-AZAR OR BLACK FEVER According to reports, eleven districts of Bengal have reported at least 65 cases of black fever or kala-azar in the last couple of weeks. About Kala-azar It is a slow progressing indigenous disease that is caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. Kala-azar or leishmaniases is one of the most dangerous neglected tropical diseases which is endemic in 76 countries, with approximately 200 million people at risk of infection. Forms: There are 3 major forms of leishmaniasis – visceral (also known as kala-azar, which is the most serious form of the disease), cutaneous (the…
19 July, 2022
Health
REFORM IN JUSTICE DELIVERY SYSTEM The Chief Justice of India stated that the pendency of cases is a major issue and the problem is intensifying very rapidly. Judicial reform is not merely a policy matter and human sensitivities should be kept at the centre of all the deliberations on this issue. Data More than 40% of cases are decided after three years in India, whereas in many countries less than 1% of cases are decided after three years. About 70% of prisoners in India are undertrial and are mostly poor citizens and backward classes. Challenges of the Judicial System Lack…
08 July, 2022
Judicial reforms
NIRF RANKING 2022 The Indian Institution of Technology, Madras is yet again the top Higher Educational Institute in the county followed by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and IIT Bombay according to the Ministry of Education’s National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022. This is the seventh consecutive edition of NIRF which rank colleges, university, and research institutions. It also provides an overall ranking of all of them. The highlight of NIRF 2022 11 categories: Top institutions across 11 categories are listed out- overall national ranking, universities, engineering, college, medical, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, dental, and research. Overall: IIT madras…
16 July, 2022
Education
Marburg Disease Ghana has reported its first-ever suspected cases of Marburg virus disease. About Marburg Disease It’s a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever with a fatality ratio of up to 88 percent and belongs to the same family as Ebola. The disease was first identified in the year 1967 in Germany’s Marburg, Frankfurt, and Serbia’s Belgrade following two large outbreaks. Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda had reported cases earlier in sporadic outbreaks. Key carriers: Fruit bats of the Pteropodid Family are the main carriers of the disease. The home range of the fruit bats includes India, parts of Africa…
12 July, 2022
Health
HPV VACCINE The HPV vaccine, Cervavac is a vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer, one of the leading of female cancer mortality worldwide. It is indigenously developed by the Serum Institute of India. The vaccine has acquired market authorization from the Drugs Controller General of India. It is India's first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (qHPV) designed to protect women from cervical cancer. Cervical Cancer Cervical cancer is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection.? It’s a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It is mostly…
15 July, 2022
Health
KERALA REPORTS INDIA FIRST MOKEYPOX CASE The first confirmed case of monkeypox in India has been reported in a 35-year-old man in Kerala, who reached the state capital three days ago from the UAE. The who has reported that from January 1 to June 22 a total of 3,413 laboratory-confirmed monkeypox cases and one death have been reported to it from 50 countries and territories. A huge number of the cases have been reported from the European region (86%) and America (11%) About Monkeypox It is a viral zoonotic disease and it is identified as a pox-like disease among monkeys…
15 July, 2022
Health
SECTION 69A OF THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT Twitter moved the Karnataka high court seeking to set aside multiple orders of the central government as well as to change their directions to identify specific violative content and then impose a blanket ban on an individual account. Current issue Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued an order to take down certain posts from Twitter under section 69A of the IT Act as the company has failed to comply with the directions on multiple occasions. As per the Twitter transparency report for January to June 2021, India accounted for 11%of the overall…
11 July, 2022
IT act
Rights of the transgender persons in India National legal services authority (NALSA) VS Union of India famously known as the NALSA case has a huge implication on the right of transgenders and set forward a very progressive landmark judgment by the Supreme Court Of India. Judgment of the Supreme Court in the NALSA Case Legal recognition The court has directed the Center and the State Government to recognize the transgender as the third gender, the court also clarified that the fundamental rights are equally available to the third gender as they are available to males and females in the country.…
05 July, 2022
Rights based issues
DIGITAL INDIA WEEK 2022 The Prime minister has inaugurated Digital India Week 2022 under the Digital India Program, to strengthen ease of doing business and ease of living. He also inaugurated a digital expo at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. This was the seventh anniversary of launching the Digital India campaign, a flagship program of the Central Government. THEME: “Catalyzing New India’s Techie” To transform the nation into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The Prime Minister launched multiple digital initiatives aimed at enhancing the accessibility of technology and giving a boost to starts up. About Digital India The Digital India…
06 July, 2022
e-Governance
NAIROBI FLIES Recently, after coming into contact with Nairobi flies, approximately 100 students of an engineering college in East Sikkim have reported skin infections. What are Nairobi Flies? It's a species of insect native to East Africa. Nairobi flies, also known as Kenyan flies or dragon bugs, are small, beetle-like insects that belong to two species: Paederus Eximius. Paederus sabaeus. They are orange and black in color and live in areas with high rainfall, as has been seen in Sikkim in recent weeks. Like most insects, they are attracted to Bright lights. Major outbreak They have occurred in Kenya and…
07 July, 2022
Health
FINANCIAL SERVICES INSTITUTION BUREAU The Central government has transformed the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) into the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) by making a few amendments. The new framework was proposed by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance. In 2016, the Prime Minister has approved the constitution of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) as a recruiter for whole-time directors and non-executive chairpersons of state-owned banks and financial institutions. It was also entrusted with the work of engaging with the Board of Directors of all PSBs to formulate appropriate strategies for their growth and development. Guidelines for the selection…
03 July, 2022
Institutions
NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY It is the Central Agency mandated to investigate all the offenses affecting the sovereignty, security, and integrity of India, friendly relations with the foreign state, and the offenses under the Statutory law enacted to implement international treaties, agreements, conventions, and resolutions of the United Nations. When did NIA come into being? In the wake of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, which shocked the entire world the UPA government decided to establish the NIA and introduced the National Investigation Agency Bill. Initially, the agency dealt with only 8 laws mentioned in the schedule, and also a balance had been…
03 July, 2022
Institutions
LEPROSY There has been an acute shortage of the essential drug named Clofazimine in the private market which is used for the treatment of leprosy. Clofazimine along with Rifampicin and Dapsone is one of the three essential drugs in the multi-drug treatment of Multibacillary Leprosy About leprosy It is a chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. It mainly affects the nerves of the extremities, the skin, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract. Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease. It is one of the oldest diseases recorded in history. It damages the nerve,…
02 July, 2022
Health
SELF HELP GROUP The government is working on increasing the annual income of each woman in the Self Help Group to Rs one lakh by 2024. About SHGs They are an informal group of people who choose to come together to find a way to improve their living standards and conditions. It is a self-governed, peer-controlled information group of people with similar socio-economic backgrounds and having an aim to collectively perform a common purpose. The motto of self-help is to encourage self-employment and poverty alleviation. Objective of SHGs To frame the functional capacity of the poor and marginalized in the…
02 July, 2022
SHG
MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS AND ROLE OF ENDORSERS IN ADVERTISING Although a monetary penalty is provided for any misleading advertisement, but there are grey areas that need to be addressed. INDIAN ADS THAT WERE FOUND TO BE MISLEADING Arihant Mattress- Corona-Resistant The Arihant mattress released an advertisement in a Gujarati newspaper that claimed that their mattress was ‘corona-resistant’. The owner of the mattress under laws including the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Eat Chicken-Beat Corona The online advertisement claimed that eating chicken boosts immunity. The complaint was filed by People for the Ethical Treatment…
01 July, 2022
Consumer rights
PERFORMANCE GRADING INDEX FOR DISTRICT Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education has released the Centre’s first-ever Performance Grading Index for the district (PGI-D) for the year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. Ministry of education approve the release of the Performance Grading Index 2019-20 for the state and union territories. ALL ABOUT PGI-D: PGI-D evaluates the performance of the school education system mainly at the district level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis. Based on the data collected from various sources such as the unified district information system for education plus (UDISE+), National Achievement Survey(NAS),2017 and data…
28 June, 2022
Education
INDIA’S LAWS ON ABORTION In a significant step for women’s rights in the USA, the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs Wade judgment of 1973 which gave women in America the right to have an abortion before the fetus is viable outside the womb or before 24-28 weeks. It expands the access to safe and legal abortion services for pregnant women. ABORTION IN INDIA In 1960 when the high number of induced abortions took place and the population of the country rose rapidly. The union government set up Shantilal shah’s committee to frame laws on abortion. In order to…
27 June, 2022
Health
ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE The genesis of the Enforcement Directorate goes back to 1956 when an Enforcement Unit was set up, in the Department of Economic Affairs, for handling the Exchange Control Laws violations under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947. In the year 1957, this Unit was renamed as the ‘Enforcement Directorate’. Currently, it is the part of Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. The Organization is mandated with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of two special fiscal laws – the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The headquarter of the Enforcement Directorate…
17 June, 2022
Governance
AGNIPATH SCHEME It is the scheme of the Ministry of Defense for recruiting youth between the age of 17.5 and 21 years for four years straight in the armed forces with a provision of voluntary retention after this period based on merit. It planned to intake 46000 young men and women this year. It will be the only form of recruitment of solder into three defence services from now. The recruits will know as Agniveers under this scheme. After completing the four-year service, they can apply for regular employment in the armed force.
15 June, 2022
Youth development
The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Schedule Areas) Act 1996 (PESA) PESA safeguards and preserves the traditions and customs of the people, and their cultural identity, community resources, customary mode of dispute resolution. PESA empowers Gram Sabha/Panchayat at appropriate level with right to mandatory consultation in land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced persons. PESA seeks to reduce alienation in tribal areas as they will have better control over the utilisation of public resources. The act recognize and vest the forest rights in FDST and OTFD (Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers) who have been residing in such forests for generations. The act identify four types of…
02 February, 2022
Panchayati Raj Institution
Mediation Bill 2021 - Detailed Overview The background behind Mediation Bill: In General, Disputes Became part and parcel of Day-to-Day Life. Someone or the Other belonging to the family or else not a part of the family would be fighting for something. These Disputes may be for Smaller or Bigger issues sometimes leading to Criminal offences also. Many criminal offences are a result of civil or commercial disputes which can be solved by talking patiently and in a calm attitude. Sometimes when these disputes are reported to police, they consider in a lighter manner or even reduce the seriousness…
10 January, 2022
Governance
Good Governance Index 2021 Good Governance Index, GGI 2021 Framework covered ten sectors and 58 indicators. The sectors of GGI 2020-21 are 1) Agriculture and Allied Sectors, 2) Commerce & Industries, 3) Human Resource Development, 4) Public Health, 5.) Public Infrastructure & Utilities, 6) Economic Governance, 7) Social Welfare & Development, 8) Judicial & Public Security, 9) Environment, and 10) Citizen-Centric Governance. The GGI 2020-21 categorises States and UTs into four categories, i.e., (i) Other States – Group A; (ii) Other States – Group B; (iii) North-East and Hill States; and (iv) Union Territories. Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa top the…
26 December, 2021
Governance
The Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban (SBM-U), launched on 2nd October 2014 aims at making urban India free from open defecation and achieving 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste in 4,041 statutory towns in the country. The objectives of the mission are mentioned below: Elimination of open defecation Eradication of Manual Scavenging Modern and Scientific Municipal Solid Waste Management To effect behavioral change regarding healthy sanitation practices Generate awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health Capacity Augmentation for ULB’s To create an enabling environment for private sector participation in Capex (capital expenditure) and Opex (operation and maintenance)…
14 December, 2021
Governance reforms
PLI Scheme on Pharmaceuticals The PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals is based on the strategy of “Atmanirbhar Bharat- Strategies for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports in ten sectors”, which had been approved by the Union Cabinet on 24.02.2021. The objective of the Production linked incentive scheme is to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities by increasing investment and production in the sector and contributing to product diversification to high-value goods in the pharmaceutical sector. One of the further objectives of the Production linked incentive scheme is to create global champions out of India who have the potential to grow in size…
27 November, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Provisions of Mysuru Declaration We, the Representatives and Officials recognize the efforts to promote inclusive and accountable Local Self Governments in the delivery of services, in consonance with the priorities and the aspirations of our citizens. We accept responsibility for seizing this moment to strengthen our commitments to promote transparency, empower citizens, and harness the power of new technologies towards timely and quality delivery of services; enhancing citizen service experiences We uphold the value of openness in our engagement with citizens to improve services, incorporating diverse views when designing and delivering services. We embrace principles of transparency and open government…
24 November, 2021
Panchayati Raj Institution
Legal Awareness Programme for Women The National Commission for Women (NCW) along with National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched a pan-India Legal Awareness Program for Women, "Empowerment of Women through Legal Awareness” to impart practical knowledge about legal rights and remedies provided under various women related laws, thereby making them fit to face the challenges in real life situations. The programme aims to cover all the States and Union Territories across the country through regular sessions to make women aware of the various machineries of the justice delivery system available for redressal of their grievances. The project will sensitize women…
30 October, 2021
Governance
To bring a sharper focus on moving women to the higher economic order, the Ministry of Rural Development launched an initiative on creating Lakhpati SHG women, to enable rural SHG women to earn at least Rs.1 lakh per annum. For the realization of this ambitious goal, the Ministry has envisioned livelihood support to 25 million rural SHG women in the next 2 years. Based on various models existing across the country, a detailed advisory has been issued to the State Governments. In the consultation on 28.10.2021, the importance of well-planned interventions to diversify livelihood activities at the household level ranging…
30 October, 2021
SHG
PLI Scheme for Automobile & Auto Components The Government has issued a Notification regarding Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile & Auto components. The PLI Scheme for the auto sector envisages overcoming the cost disabilities of the industry for the manufacture of Advanced Automotive Technology products in India. The incentive structure will encourage the industry to make fresh investments in the indigenous global supply chain of Advanced Automotive Technology products. It is estimated that over a period of five years, the PLI Scheme for the Automobile and Auto Components Industry will lead to fresh investments of over Rs 42,500 crores,…
25 September, 2021
Policies and Programmes
National Software Products Policy Missions of the Policy To promote the creation of a sustainable Indian software product industry, driven by intellectual property (IP), leading to a ten-fold increase in share of the Global Software product market by 2025. To nurture 10,000 technology startups in the software product industry, including 1000 such startups in Tier-II and Tier-III towns & cities and generate direct and indirect employment for 3.5 million people by 2025. To create a talent pool for the software product industry through Up-skilling of 10 lakh IT professionals, Motivating 1 lakh school and college students Specialise 10,000 professionals that can provide leadership. To build a cluster-based innovation-driven ecosystem by developing 20 sectoral and strategically located software product…
23 September, 2021
Policies and Programmes
The objective of National Policy on Electronics, 2019 The Policy envisions positioning India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing - (ESDM) by promoting domestic manufacturing, skill development, start-up, export eco-system and improving ease of doing business for the ESDM industry. It aims to achieve a turnover of $400 billion and generate 1 crore jobs in the ESDM sector by 2025. Salient features of National Policy on Electronics, 2019 Creating eco-system for globally competitive ESDM sector- by encouraging domestic manufacturing through consistent tax incentives, establishing Electronic Manufacturing Clusters, promoting Defence Offsets and sub-sectors like semi-conductor facilities, display…
25 January, 2022
Policies and Programmes
2019 NRC final, rules Assam Foreigners’ Tribunal While the Registrar General of India has not yet issued a notification on Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) to make it a legal document, a Foreigners’ Tribunal has gone ahead and recorded it as the “final NRC” while declaring a man to be Indian. Hearing a case against one Bikram Singha of Jamirala village whose name figured in the NRC list, member of FT-II in Karimganj town Sishir Dey said, “...there is no doubt that this NRC Assam published in 2019 is nothing but Final NRC..” The FT-II’s ‘order cum opinion’ comes…
20 September, 2021
Northeast Development
Road and Rail deaths in India – NCRB Crime India Report India recorded 1.2 lakh cases of “deaths due to negligence relating to road accidents” in 2020, with 328 persons losing their lives every day on average, despite the COVID-19 lockdown, according to government data. As many as 3.92 lakh lives were lost in three years in deaths due to negligence related to road accidents, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealed in its annual ‘Crime India’ report for 2020. While 1.2 lakh deaths were recorded in 2020, the figures stood at 1.36 lakh in 2019 and 1.35 lakh in…
20 September, 2021
Road accidents
What is ATL Space Challenge 2021? Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) successfully launched the ATL Space Challenge 2021 for all school students across the country. The challenge has been designed for all the school students, mentors and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having ATL labs but for all the non ATL schools as well. This is to ensure that students of classes 6 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves…
11 September, 2021
NITI Aayog
51st Foundation Day of BPR&D Law and order is a state subject in the federal structure and to strengthen the federal structure, a link connecting the implementing agencies of all the states, that is, the police, and its federal organizations, is very important. The challenges are faced from the perspective of the country, there are governments of different parties and ideologies in states, and there are regional parties as well, apart from this, if law and order are to be ready to face the challenges, then there is a link to do that. If that link is not there, the…
06 September, 2021
Police reforms
C-DOT The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is an Indian Government owned telecommunications technology development centre. It was established in 1984 by Sam Pitroda with the initial mandate of designing and developing digital exchanges. C-DOT has expanded to develop intelligent computer software applications. It has offices in Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. It is one of the few government organisations in India which have been appraised at Maturity Level 5 of CMMI-DEV v1.3. In February 2014, United Telecoms Limited the technology licensee of CDOT won GPON order from BBNL to a value of Rs 1000 Cr approximately. This is the…
06 September, 2021
e-Governance
IT Rules 2021 for Social Media & OTT Platforms Introduction The government has notified guidelines to provide a grievance redressal mechanism for users of digital platforms of all kinds — social media sites, messaging apps, over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, and digital news publishers. The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 also mandate that social media and messaging platforms will have to adhere to new requirements in assisting investigative agencies of the government. Rules for Social media intermediaries Although there is no single set of rules that uniformly applies to the different kinds of digital…
04 September, 2021
IT act
Mission Karmayogi Dubbed the biggest bureaucratic reform initiative, the Union Cabinet 2020 approved ‘Mission Karmayogi’, a new capacity-building scheme for civil servants aimed at upgrading the post-recruitment training mechanism of the officers and employees at all levels. Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare Indian civil servants for the future by making them more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled. Mission Karmayogi programme will be delivered by setting up a digital platform called iGOTKarmayogi. Empowered with specific role competencies, a civil servant will be able to ensure efficient service delivery of the highest quality standards, the…
27 August, 2021
Civil services reforms
Drone Rules in India The Civil Aviation Ministry has notified the Drone Rules, 2021, under which the weight of a fully loaded unmanned aircraft system has been increased from 300 kg to 500 kg to include heavy payload-carrying craft for use in the logistics and transportation sectors. The rules will also cover drone taxis. In aviation and in space, a drone refers to an unpiloted aircraft or spacecraft. The key features of these rules include the development of drone corridors for cargo deliveries. An unmanned aircraft systems promotion council will be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime. Under…
27 August, 2021
Policies and Programmes
PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation) What is the PRAGATI platform? PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation) is a multi-purpose, multi-modal, unique and interactive platform. The platform is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances, and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments. The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: Digital data management, video-conferencing and geo-spatial technology. It also offers a unique combination in the direction of cooperative federalism since it brings on one stage the Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of…
25 November, 2021
e-Governance
Geological Survey of India The Geological Survey of India (GSI ) was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways. Over the years, GSI has not only grown into a repository of geo-science information required in various fields in the country but has also attained the status of a geo-scientific organisation of international repute. Its main functions relate to creating and updating of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment. These objectives are achieved through ground surveys, air-borne and marine surveys, mineral prospecting and investigations, multi-disciplinary geoscientific, geo-technical, geo-environmental and natural hazards studies, glaciology, seism tectonic…
21 August, 2021
Institutions
NALSA (National Legal Services Authority) Act 1987 The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free Legal Services to the weaker sections of society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes. NALSA is located at New Delhi. Hon’ble Mr. Justice N. V. Ramana, The Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief. In every State, State Legal Services Authority has been constituted to give effect to the policies and directions of the NALSA and to give free legal services to the people and conduct Lok Adalats in the…
21 December, 2021
Judicial reforms
MPLAD Scheme: Critical Analysis Virtually half of the belated 2,200 crores allotted for completing the ongoing MPLADS projects in 2020-21 simply lapsed, as the Finance Ministry granted “barely a week” to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to release the funds — inviting the ire of the Standing Committee on Finance. The resultant funding crunch would have hit several local area development projects under implementation across the country, especially in the five States that went to polls this year as no funds were released for these States and constituencies citing the model code of conduct (MCC). Spending under…
06 August, 2021
MPLAD
Administrative Reforms in India Administrative reforms are a continuous process and the Government follow the maxim “Minimum Government - Maximum Governance”. Government from time to time brings administrative reforms, to encourage greater efficiency, transparent and corruption-free governance, accountability and reduce scope for discretion. Some of the major steps are as follows: Launch of “Mission Karmayogi”- National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB), a new national architecture for civil services capacity building has been launched. It is a comprehensive reform of the capacity-building apparatus at individual, institutional and process levels for efficient public service delivery; e-Samiksha- A real-time online system…
06 August, 2021
Civil services reforms
Grants for Urban Local Bodies The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has released an amount of Rs. 685.80 crores to 4 States for providing grants to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). Out of this, an amount of Rs.494 crore has been released to Uttar Pradesh, Rs.110.20 crore to Gujarat, Rs. 74.80 crore to Jharkhand and Rs.6.80 crore to Mizoram. Grants for Urban Local Bodies have been released as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission. They are aimed at improving basic civic services including fulfilling location-specific felt needs. These grants are intended for smaller (Non-Million Plus) cities including…
06 August, 2021
Decentralized governance
Development of Northeast India Various Central Sector Schemes/ Centrally Sponsored Schemes are implemented by Central Ministries/Departments under 10% Gross Budgetary Support (GBS). Besides, the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region in coordination with Central Ministries/Departments is focusing on the development of physical and social infrastructure in order to improve connectivity and socio economic development in North Eastern Region. Some of the new infrastructure schemes/projects approved during the last five years for the development of North Eastern States under the Central Sector Scheme of Government inter-alia include Greenfield Airports: new Greenfield Airport at Holongi, Arunachal Pradesh; Dibrugarh Airport…
06 August, 2021
Northeast Development
Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) To bring more stringent provisions and expeditious trial and disposal of such cases, the Central Government enacted "The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018" and made provisions of stringent punishment including the death penalty for perpetrators of rape. This led to the establishment of the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs). Fast Track Special Courts are dedicated courts expected to ensure swift dispensation of justice. They have a better clearance rate as compared to the regular courts and hold speedy trials. Besides providing quick justice to the hapless victims, it strengthens the deterrence framework for sexual offenders.…
05 August, 2021
Judiciary
Section 66A of IT Act is still used! Section 66A dealt with information-related crimes in which sending information, by means of a computer resource or a communication device, which is inter alia offensive, derogatory and menacing is made a punishable offence. In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India judgement, Justices Rohinton F. Nariman and J. Chelameswar had observed that the weakness of Section 66A lay in the fact that it had created an offence on the basis of undefined actions: such as causing “inconvenience, danger, obstruction and insult”, which do not fall among the exceptions granted under Article 19 of…
06 July, 2021
IT act
Muslim Women Rights Day on 1st August to celebrate TRIPLE TALAQ law GS-Paper-2 Governance Women and law First, watch this lecture by Ankit Sir on Triple Talaq Bill and only then you'll be able to retain these topics efficiently. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 became the first legislation to be tabled in Parliament by the Narendra Modi dispensation in its second term, with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting the legislation was a must for gender equality and justice. The bill was introduced following a division of votes, with 186 members supporting and 74 opposing it. The bill…
01 August, 2021
Law and Order
the e-RUPI app launched as a digital payment solution e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment. It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries. The users of this seamless one-time payment mechanism will be able to redeem the voucher without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the service provider. It has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and National Health Authority. e-RUPI…
01 August, 2021
e-Governance
OBC and EWS Reservation in the Medical sector Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken a historic and a landmark decision for providing 27% reservation for OBCs and 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in the All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical / dental courses (MBBS / MD / MS / Diploma / BDS / MDS) from the current academic year 2021-22 onwards. This decision would benefit every year nearly 1500 OBC students in MBBS and 2500 OBC students in postgraduation and also around 550 EWS students in MBBS and around 1000 EWS students…
30 July, 2021
Reservation
Police Reforms in India Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) India’s existing police system suffers a series of deficiencies from problems relating to a police organization, environment, infrastructure, and understaffing, to obsolete weaponry and intelligence gathering techniques to a shortage of manpower to corruption, the police force in the country is not in a good shape. ‘Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. However, the Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments towards equipping and modernizing their police forces, by providing financial assistance…
28 July, 2021
Police reforms
Steps were taken by the government to improve learning levels Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution and the majority of the schools are under the domain of respective State and UT Governments. The Department has shared a COVID Action Plan with the States and UTs which includes tracking of children and their learning levels. States and UTs have been advised to develop effective home learning program which includes access to grade appropriate textbooks; content identification and curation; content dissemination physically or through various platforms – WhatsApp, Website, TV, Radio; content engagement; assessment of learning and tracking and…
27 July, 2021
Education
NISHTHA programme for continuous professional development of the teachers during Covid Due to COVID-19 challenges and in order to provide continuous professional development opportunities to the teachers at the elementary level, this Department has launched NISHTHA online using DIKSHA platform in October 2020. Around 24 lakh teachers have completed NISHTHA online training at the elementary level by June 2021. Under NISHTHA, a module on integrating ICT in teaching, learning and assessment has been introduced. Further, NCERT initiated a webinar series in April 2020 focussing on the orientation of teachers, students and other stakeholders on use of various ICT tools, digital…
27 July, 2021
Education
Prison Reforms Articles 14, 19, 20, 21 and 22 deal with the rights of prisoners. Art 39 (a) Fair justice also deals with Prisons. Prisons is a State subject. Administration and management of prisons is the responsibility of respective State Governments. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs provides regular guidance and advice to States and UTs on various issues concerning prisons and prison inmates. Statistics on Prisons Bench of Justices U.U.Lalit and K.M. Joseph, in a judgment, highlighted the “alarming” statistics of prisons. Justice Joseph said the occupancy rate in prisons had climbed to 118.5% in 2019. The court…
24 July, 2021
Governance
National Security Act, 1980 The NSA is a preventive detention law. Preventive Detention involves the detainment (containment) of a person in order to keep him/her from committing future crimes and/or from escaping future prosecution. Preventive detention laws in India date back to the early days of the colonial era when the Bengal Regulation III of 1818 was enacted to empower the government to arrest anyone for defence or maintenance of public order without giving the person recourse to judicial proceedings. A century later, the British government enacted the Rowlatt Acts of 1919 which allowed the confinement of a suspect without trial. Post-independence, India got its first preventive…
24 July, 2021
Rights based issues
Government efforts to promote IT-based education A comprehensive initiative called PM eVIDYA has been initiated as part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan on 17th May 2020, which unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education. The initiative includes: DIKSHA (one nation, one digital platform)is the nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content for school education in states/UTs and QR-coded Energized Textbooks for all grades are available on it. One earmarked Swayam Prabha TV channel per class from 1 to 12 (one class, one channel). Extensive use of Radio, Community Radio and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani.…
23 July, 2021
Education
Integrated Multi-purpose infrastructure Development Corporation for Ladakh Background Consequent upon re-organisation of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir as per the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Union Territory of Ladakh (without Legislature) came into existence on 31.10.2019. An Advisory Committee was constituted under section 85 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 for making recommendations regarding the apportionment of the assets and liabilities of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir between the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. The said Committee inter-alia recommended for the establishment of an Integrated…
22 July, 2021
Decentralized governance
Judicial Appointments and Vacancies in India Judicial Vacancies have been an issue in the Indian Judiciary for a long time now. Click here to read more on the UPSC Facts and Data for Vacancies in the Indian Judiciary. Some Constitutional Provisions related to appoint of Judges Article 124(2) of the Indian Constitution provides that the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consultation with such a number of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose. Article 217 of the Indian Constitution states that the Judge of a High…
23 July, 2021
Judiciary
Ministry of Cooperation: Critical Analysis In a historic move, a separate ‘Ministry of Co-operation’ has been created by the Modi Government for realizing the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’. This ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country. It will help deepen Co-operatives as a true people based movement reaching upto the grassroots. In our country, a Co-operative based economic development model is very relevant where each member works with a spirit of responsibility. The Ministry will work to streamline processes for ‘Ease of doing business’ for co-operatives and enable…
21 July, 2021
Decentralized governance
Solution for Water crisis in India Steps taken by the Central Government to control water depletion and promote rain water harvesting / conservation are as under: 1) Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) JSA was launched in 2019, a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India having overexploited groundwater levels. In addition, ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain’ campaign has been launched on 22 March 2021. To make water conservation a people's movement through schemes like MGNREGA. JSA is partly modelled and…
20 July, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Welfare schemes of the Government promoting girls' education Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education is implementing various welfare schemes for incentives for girls' education. Under the Samagra Shiksha, there is a provision of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs). KGBVs are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL). A total of 5726 KGBVs have been sanctioned in the country. Out of it, 5010 KGBVs are functional with the enrolment of 6.54 lakh girls. The scheme also has a provision for…
24 January, 2022
Education
Online Dispute Resolution in India NITI Aayog recently released a handbook on the Online Dispute Resolution mechanism. ODR has the potential to decentralize, diversify, democratize, and disentangle the justice delivery mechanism in India’s courts. Present Scenario in India’s Courts & Associated Issues The pendency of over 40 million cases in our judicial system remains a focal point for reform and reduction. This pendency makes a strong case for online dispute resolution (ODR). Nearly a third of these cases have been pending for 3 to 30 years. They are pending due to resource-dwindling litigation, case adjudication and difficulty in consensus resolution. There…
10 April, 2021
Judiciary
MHA requested States and UTs not to use Section 66A of IT Act, 2000 The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has requested States and Union Territories (UTs)to direct all police stations under their jurisdiction not to register cases under the repealed Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. It has also asked the States and UTs to sensitize law enforcement agencies for the compliance of the order issued by the Supreme Court on 24.03.2015. The MHA has also requested that if any case has been booked in States and UTs under section 66A of the IT Act, 2000,…
18 July, 2021
IT act
Schemes for Judiciary Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary for a further five years from 01.04.2021 to 31.03.2026 at a total cost of Rs.9000 crore, out of which Central share will be Rs.5357 crore including Rs. 50 crore for the Gram Nyayalayas Scheme and their implementation in a Mission Mode through National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms. Need for the scheme: Several courts are still functioning in rented premises with insufficient space and some in dilapidated condition without basic amenities. Lack of residential accommodation to all…
19 July, 2021
Judicial reforms
Sub-categorization of OBCs in the Central List National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Earlier, NCBC was a statutory body established in 1993 under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The 102nd Constitution Amendment Act, 2018 provided constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), which was previously a statutory body. It was constituted pursuant to the provisions of the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. NCBC has the authority to examine complaints and welfare measures regarding socially and educationally backward classes. In 2015, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had recommended that OBCs should be…
15 July, 2021
Reservation issue
Delhi Water Crisis Issue Haryana releases 16,000 cusecs water for Delhi amidst the water shortage in the capital. Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice-chairman Raghav Chadha blamed the Haryana government for triggering a “severe water crisis” in the national capital, and exhorted the neighbouring state to adhere to orders by the Supreme court on water sharing. What’s the Issue? Delhi receives water from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The largest share of water comes from Haryana via the Yamuna through three different channels. Since Delhi gets the largest share of water from the Yamuna, it has been a contentious issue for a…
15 July, 2021
Inter State Water Disputes
Jal Jeevan Mission: Working Mechanism & Governance Jal Jeevan Mission – Har Ghar Jal announced on 15th August 2019, to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural home by 2024, which is in its third year of implementation. National Jal Jeevan Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti will soon roll out the annual planning exercise with States. The working mechanism is as follows: While implementing, States/ UTs are to give priority to water quality-affected areas, villages in drought prone and desert areas, Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe majority villages,117 Aspirational districts and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana villages to provide all households…
08 April, 2021
Governance
The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021 Recently, the President promulgated Tribunal Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance 2021 through which the Appellate authorities under nine laws have been replaced with High Courts. (Click here to read about Administrative Tribunals in India) The Ordinance amended the Finance Act 2017 to include provisions related to the composition of search-cum-selection committees, and term of office of members in the Act itself. The Finance Act 2017 It empowered the central government to notify rules on qualifications of members, terms and conditions of their service, and composition of search-cum-selection committees for 19 tribunals (such as Customs, Excise, and…
07 September, 2021
Judicial reforms
Blockchain Enabled Interface for Indian Spices Spices Board India and UNDP India's Accelerator Lab sign MoU to develop a blockchain-powered traceability Interface for Indian spices. This new interface will serve to enhance transparency in the supply chain and trade. India is the largest exporter, producer and consumer of spices in the world. What are Blockchains? Blockchains are a new data structure that is secure, cryptography-based, and distributed across a network. The technology supports cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and the transfer of any data or digital asset. Spearheaded by Bitcoin, blockchains achieve consensus among distributed nodes, allowing the transfer of digital goods without the need for…
05 April, 2021
e-Governance
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India As in March 2021, India has 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups across 18 states and the Union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) In India, tribal population makes up for 8.6% of the total population. PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups. Due to this factor, more developed and assertive tribal groups take a major chunk of the tribal development funds. In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who are less developed among the tribal groups. Characteristics of PVTG’s: PVTGs…
23 May, 2021
Reservation issue
Tele Law Programme under the Department of Justice Tele–Law began its humble journey in 2017 by covering 170 districts in 11 States through 1800 CSCs. In 2019, 115 Aspirational Districts were added taking the number of CSCs to 29,860. The tele-Law programme is presently operational in 633 districts (including 115 Aspirational Districts) across 34 States/UTs through a network of 50,000 CSCs. The programme connects the disadvantaged and needy seeking legal advice from Panel Lawyers through an e-interface platform available in Common Service Centres(CSC). Tele-Law saw a surge of 369% growth in the number of beneficiaries seeking legal advice during the…
07 July, 2021
Judicial reforms
Cabinet creates a new and separate “Ministry of Cooperation” In a historic move, a separate ‘Ministry of Co-operation’ has been created by the Modi Government for realizing the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’. This ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country. It will help deepen Co-operatives as a true people-based movement reaching up to the grassroots. In our country, a Co-operative based economic development model is very relevant where each member works with a spirit of responsibility. The Ministry will work to streamline processes for ‘Ease of doing business…
07 July, 2021
Decentralized governance
Governor Article 153 to Article 162 of the Indian Constitution deals with the Governor, her appointment, powers and the office of Governor. Governor stands as executive head of a State and the working remains the same as of the office of President of India. Governor has a dual role He is the constitutional head of the state, bound by the advice of his council of ministers. He functions as a vital link between the Union Government and the State Government. Constitutional Provisions – Part 6 Article 153 says that there shall be a Governor for each State. One person can…
07 July, 2021
Center - State Relations
Section 66A of the IT Act is still used! Section 66A dealt with information-related crimes in which sending information, by means of a computer resource or a communication device, which is inter alia offensive, derogatory and menacing is made a punishable offence. In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India judgement, Justices Rohinton F. Nariman and J. Chelameswar observed that the weakness of Section 66A lay in the fact that it had created an offence on the basis of undefined actions: such as causing “inconvenience, danger, obstruction and insult”, which do not fall among the exceptions granted under Article 19 of…
06 July, 2021
IT act
eCourts Project of Supreme Court In another major initiative, the committee Supreme Court has prepared the draft vision document for Phase III of the eCourts Project under the auspices of the Supreme court of India. E-Courts Project is a mission mode project undertaken by the Department of Justice, Government of India. The eCommittee Supreme Court of India yesterday released the Draft Vision document for Phase III of the aforementioned e-Courts Project. The eCommittee of the Supreme Court has been overseeing the implementation of the eCourts Project, conceptualized under the "National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication…
23 May, 2021
Judiciary
Supreme Court declines EC plea to restrain media reports Real-time reportage of court proceedings, including the oral exchanges in courtrooms between judges and lawyers, is part of the right to freedom of speech, the Supreme Court held in a judgment. “With the advent of technology, we are seeing reporting proliferate through social media forums which provide real-time updates to a much wider audience. This is an extension of the freedom of speech and expression that the media possesses. This constitutes a virtual extension of the open court,” a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud observed in a judgment. Such live…
07 May, 2021
Governance
AIM-iLEAP initiative of NITI Aayog In a move to give a major push to tech startups across the country, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog concluded its first fintech cohort of AIM-iLEAP- an initiative to back tech start-ups with much-needed access to industry, markets and investors. The fintech cohort was done through a series of thematic virtual demo days organised AIM in partnership with Startup Réseau and Visa as part of AIM-iLEAP (Innovative leadership for entrepreneurial agility and profitability) initiative. The objective of the AIM-iLEAP program is to invite technology start-ups across a broad range of functions and have them present…
01 July, 2021
NITI Aayog
Google removed 59,350 posts in April due to IT Rules, 2021 IT Rules 2021 and analysis The Kerala High Court restrained the Centre from taking coercive action against Live Law Media Private Ltd., which owns a legal news portal, for not complying with Part III of the new IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The court issued notice to the Centre on a petition filed by the firm challenging the rules regulating digital news media, curated content (OTT platforms), and social media intermediaries. The petition said Part III of the rules imposed unconstitutional three-tier complaints and…
01 July, 2021
IT act
Features of SWAMITVA Scheme SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India. SVAMITVA, a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj was nationally launched by the Prime Minister on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day on 24th April 2021 after successful completion of the pilot phase of the Scheme in 9 States. It was launched with a resolve to enable economic progress of Rural India by providing a “Record of Rights”…
21 December, 2021
Panchayati Raj Institution
PRAGYATA': Guidelines on Digital Education Union HRD Ministry released ‘PRAGYATA’: Guidelines on #DigitalEducation for school heads, teachers, parents, and students. The guidelines are based on four guiding principles, stipulating that all resources must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust for disabled students. Provisions: The ministry has recommended a cap on the screen time for students. As per the guidelines, online classes for pre-primary students should not be for more than 30 minutes. It further mentions that two online sessions of up to 30-45 minutes each should be conducted for classes 1 to 8 and four sessions for classes 9 to…
09 June, 2021
Education
Draft rules for live-streaming and recording court proceedings Draft Rules released by the Supreme Court e-Committee for live-streaming and recording court proceedings propose a 10-minute delay in transmission and exclusion of communally sensitive cases and matters that involve sexual offences and gender violence against women. The right of access to justice, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, “encompasses the right to access live court proceedings”. The Supreme Court in Swapnil Tripathi v Supreme Court of India (2018) had ruled in favour of opening up the apex court through live streaming. Earlier, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) launched an…
08 June, 2021
Judicial reforms
Judicial Appointments and Vacancies in India Judicial Vacancies has been the issue of Indian Judiciary since a long time now. Click here to read more on the UPSC Facts and Data for Vacancies in Indian Judiciary. Some Constitutional Provisions related to appoint of Judges Article 124(2) of the Indian Constitution provides that the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consultation with such a number of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose. Article 217 of the Indian Constitution states that the Judge of a High Court shall…
28 January, 2021
Judiciary
NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2020 The NITI Aayog launched its index in 2018 to monitor the country’s progress on the goals through data-driven assessment and to foster a competitive spirit among the States and Union Territories in achieving them. It provides holistic view on social, economic and environmental status of India and its State's progress regarding SDGs. Developed by NITI in Collaboration with MoHFW, Global Green Growth India, UN of India. SDG India Index is important for 3 things States can measure progress regarding targets + strategies; States can identify priority areas; They get to know data gaps to develop statistical system of country. The SDG India…
04 June, 2021
NITI Aayog
Maratha community brought under EWS Quota In a bid to extend relief to the Maratha community in the State, the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra on Monday extended the benefits of reservation for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) to the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC). Previously, the government had decided that the Maratha community could not take advantage of the 10% EWS category as the Maratha reservation was in force in the State. The Supreme Court, however, scrapped the SEBC reservation in jobs and education, making it possible for the State government to extend the benefit…
01 June, 2021
Reservation
Delimitation of Jammu & Kashmir What is the news? The Delimitation Commission for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has kicked off the exercise by writing to all 20 District Commissioners (DC), seeking basic demographic, topographic information as well as the local administration’s impressions of political aspirations of the district. The Commission was set up in February-March 2020 to delineate Assembly and parliamentary constituencies, and was given a year’s extension last March. It is only after the completion of the delimitation exercise that elections for the Assembly can be held, although District Development Council (DDC) polls were held last…
24 June, 2021
Delimitation
Rules regulating Cable TV networks amended The Central Government today issued a notification amending the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 thereby providing a statutory mechanism for redressal of grievances/complaints of citizens relating to content broadcast by television channels in accordance with the provisions of the Cable Television Network Act, 1995. At present, there is an institutional mechanism by way of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to address grievances of citizens relating to violation of the Programme/Advertising Codes under the Rules. At present there are over 900 television channels which have been granted permission by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting all of…
18 June, 2021
Governance
Delimitation Commission for Jammu & Kashmir What is the news? The Delimitation Commission for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has kicked off the exercise by writing to all 20 District Commissioners (DC), seeking basic demographic, topographic information as well as the local administration’s impressions of political aspirations of the district. The Commission was set up in February-March 2020 to delineate Assembly and parliamentary constituencies, and was given a year’s extension last March. It is only after the completion of the delimitation exercise that elections for the Assembly can be held, although District Development Council (DDC) polls were held…
20 June, 2021
Delimitation
IT Rules 2021 and analysis The Kerala High Court restrained the Centre from taking coercive action against Live Law Media Private Ltd., which owns a legal news portal, for not complying with Part III of the new IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The court issued notice to the Centre on a petition filed by the firm challenging the rules regulating digital news media, curated content (OTT platforms), and social media intermediaries. The petition said Part III of the rules imposed unconstitutional three-tier complaints and adjudication structure on publishers. This administrative regulation on digital news media…
21 June, 2021
IT act
Rajasthan to start a Vedic Education Board Months after announcing a major overhaul of India’s education system through the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), the Centre is mulling setting up a Vedic education board for schools apart from the already existing CBSE board. In this connection, it is important to note that in January 2019, the education ministry had already permitted the Baba Ramdev-run Patanjali group to set up a Bhartiya Shiksha Board (BSB) on ‘Indian knowledge systems’ — making it the first private education board to receive the Centre’s nod. The decision was taken in a meeting of the…
15 June, 2021
Education
Rural Health Statistics Report The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently released the Rural Health Statistics Report. According to the report, there is an overall shortage of specialist doctors at the Community Health Centres. The Report There is an overall shortfall of 76.1% specialist doctors at the Community Health Centres in rural areas. There are 5,183 Community Health Centres currently functioning in India. There is a shortfall of 78.9% of surgeons, 78.2% of physicians, 69.7% of gynecologists and 78.2% pediatricians Around 63.3% of sanctioned posts of specialists at the Community Health Centres are vacant. Out of the sanctioned posts,…
17 May, 2021
Health
Delay In Judicial Appointments In light of the extraordinary delay in filling up judicial vacancies and to clear the mounting arrears in the various High Courts, the Supreme Court decided to invoke a “dormant provision” in the Constitution to clear the way for the appointment of retired judges as ad hoc judges. Article 224A of the Constitution, which provides for appointment of ad hoc judges in the High Courts based on their consent. A Bench headed by CJI S.A. Bobde has made it clear that “the challenge of mounting arrears and existing vacancies requires recourse to Article 224A”. The Court…
20 April, 2021
Judiciary
OCI regulations by the Ministry of Home Affairs New regulations by Home Ministry The Home Ministry’s March 4 order that required professional Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), such as journalists, engineers and researchers, to notify the Ministry about their activities in India has left them in the lurch. A portal that was to come up for the purpose is not operational yet. The official said the OCIs could intimate the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) through e-mail till the portal is activated. OCI cardholders could claim “only NRI (Non-Resident Indian) quota seats” in educational institutions. It specified that OCIs could…
14 May, 2021
Citizens and citizenship
Civil Services Prelims-2021 postponed to on October 10 News: The Civil Services (Preliminary) examination, which was scheduled to be held on June 27, has been postponed to October 10. Due to the prevailing conditions caused by the novel coronavirus, the Union Public Service Commission has deferred the Civil Services Examination, 2021, which was scheduled to be held on June 27, 2021. Now, this examination will be held on October 10, 2021. The decision comes after the UPSC, last month, postponed the interviews to be held as a part of the 2020 examination.
14 May, 2021
Health
Maratha quota unconstitutional violates right to equality, says SC The Supreme Court struck down the findings of the Justice M.G. Gaikwad Commission, which led to the enactment of the Maratha quota law, and set aside the Bombay High Court judgment which validated the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act of 2018. It declared the Maharashtra law unconstitutional. Only the Centre is empowered to identify SEBC The Centre alone is empowered to identify Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and include them in the Central List for claiming reservation benefits. “The President (that is the…
06 May, 2021
Reservation issue
SUPACE Portal The Supreme Court unveiled its Artificial Intelligence (AI) portal, the Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency (SPACE). A pet project of Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, SUPACE is a tool that collects relevant facts and laws and makes them available to a judge. The portal is not designed to take decisions, but only to process facts and to make them available to judges looking for input for a decision. It is designed to make research easier for judges, thereby easing their workload. Initially, it will be used on an experimental basis by the judges…
29 April, 2021
Law and Order
WHO's Global Diabetes Compact Initiative The World Health Organization (WHO) recently launched a Global Diabetes Compact Initiative. About Global Diabetes Compact Initiative: Global Diabetes Compact aims to reduce the risk of diabetes. It will ensure that all people diagnosed with diabetes have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable, quality treatment and care. This initiative launched at the Global Diabetes Summit. WHO and the government of Canada Co-hosted the summit with the support of the University of Toronto. Global Targets: The initiative will set standards for tackling the disease in the form of ‘global coverage targets’. It will ensure a wider reach of…
20 April, 2021
Health
Eatsmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge by Govt The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has recently launched the EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge. About EatSmart Cities Challenge: EatSmart Cities Challenge is organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The challenge is organised in association with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It aims to motivate Smart Cities to develop a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment. This plan would receive support from institutional, physical, social, and economic…
18 April, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Digital Repository on Health, Nutrition- Poshan Gyan- Released NITI Aayog has launched a platform named “Poshan Gyan”. About Poshan Gyan: Niti Aayog launched Poshan Gyan in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University. It is a National Digital Repository on health and nutrition. Key Features: It is a comprehensive online resource for anybody working in the nutrition sector in India. It is a collection of effective communication materials created by the government and other development organizations. It will also help in knowledge awareness and behaviour change in the nutrition sector.…
16 April, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Mandatory Gold Hallmarking The government said that it is fully prepared to implement the mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts from June 1, 2021. What is Gold hallmarking? Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of precious metal. At present, It is voluntary in nature. Gold Hallmarking in India: In 2019, the Government announced that hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts will be made mandatory across the country. The government had given jewellers more than a year to shift to hallmarking and register themselves with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Key Features of Gold Hallmarking: Hallmarked gold jewellery will…
15 April, 2021
Institutions
WHO guidelines to control Transmission of Zoonotic Diseases The World Health Organization(WHO), World Organization for Animal Health and United Nations Environment Programme jointly released guidelines to control “Zoonotic Diseases” for governments. Guidelines ask to reduce the risk of transmission of zoonotic pathogens to humans in food production and marketing chains. What are Zoonotic Diseases? Zoonosis is an infectious disease that jumps from a non-human animal to humans. Zoonotic pathogens may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic. They can spread to humans through direct contact or through food, water, and the environment. Key Guidelines issued by WHO: Countries should suspend the sale…
15 April, 2021
Health
Sushil Chandra -24th CEC Context Sushil Chandra assumed charge as the 24th Chief Election Commissioner of India, succeeding Sunil Arora. About: Shri Sushil Chandra has been serving in the Commission as Election Commissioner since 15 February 2019. He is also Member of the Delimitation Commission since 18th February 2020 looking after the Delimitation of Jammu Kashmir UT. Having held several posts in the Income-Tax Department for nearly 39 years, Sh Sushil Chandra had also been CBDT Chairman from 1stNovember 2016 – 14th February 2019. Emphasized the concept of “Inducement-Free” elections and it has become an important aspect of monitoring the electoral process in…
14 April, 2021
Governance
India - Denmark MoU on Atal Innovation Mission As part of the Indo-Danish bilateral Green strategic partnership, India is all set to take a giant leap towards building a world-class innovation ecosystem as Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of India’s premier policy think tank NITI Aayog and Embassy of Denmark to India today officially announced their collaboration. Under this ambitious partnership, Innovation Center Denmark in India will collaborate with AIM to support various current and future initiatives of AIM, NITI Aayog and its beneficiaries in India as well as develop global innovation Green economy partnerships addressing SDG goals.
13 April, 2021
NITI Aayog
AICTE's “Lilavati Awards” 2020 Union Minister of Education has presented the AICTE Lilavati Awards 2020 on women empowerment to the winners. About Lilavati Awards: Lilavati Award is an initiative of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). It aims to recognise efforts by AICTE-approved institutions to treat women with equality and fairness. The award has got its name after the 12th-century book called “Lilavati”. The Mathematician Bhaskara II wrote this book. Objective: To create awareness about issues like sanitation, hygiene, health, nutrition, literacy, employment, technology, credit, marketing, innovation, skill development, natural resources, and rights among women. Areas Covered: Women’s…
13 April, 2021
Education
Judicial Appointments in India What is Collegium? Collegium system of the Supreme Court (SC) and the High Courts (HCs) of India is based on the precedence established by the “Three Judges Cases (1982, 1993, 1998) “. It is a legally valid system of appointment and transfer of judges in the SC and all HCs. It is a system of checks and balance, which ensures the independence of the senior judiciary in India. The Judges Cases The First Judges Case (1981) ruled that the “consultation” with the CJI in the matter of appointments must be full and effective. However, it rejected…
28 January, 2021
Judiciary
Judicial Appointments Context: CJI Sharad A. Bobde had recommended Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, the seniormost judge of the Supreme Court, for appointment as the 48th Chief Justice of India. About NV Ramana: Student leader working for farmers and industrial workers to journalist for a leading Telugu newspaper to a first-generation lawyer. He was Additional Advocate General for Andhra Pradesh before being called to the State High Court Bench in 2001. Justice Ramana was the Delhi High Court Chief Justice prior to his elevation to the apex court. As CJI, Justice Ramana has a tenure of 16 months. Responsible for making…
12 April, 2021
Judiciary
Phase III eCourts Project of Supreme Court In another major initiative, the eCommittee Supreme Court has prepared the draft vision document for Phase III of the eCourts Project under the auspices of the Supreme court of India. E-Courts Project is a mission mode project undertaken by the Department of Justice, Government of India. The eCommittee Supreme Court of India yesterday released the Draft Vision document for Phase III of the aforementioned e-Courts Project. The eCommittee of the Supreme Court has been overseeing the implementation of the eCourts Project, conceptualized under the "National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information…
04 April, 2021
Judiciary
What is Atal Innovation Mission? The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country. AlM's objectives are to create and promote an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country at school, university, research institutions, MSME and industry levels. ??????? Functions of Atal Innovation Mission The Atal Innovation Mission has following two core functions: Entrepreneurship promotion through Self-Employment and Talent Utilization, wherein innovators would be supported and mentored to become successful entrepreneurs. Innovation promotion: to provide a platform where innovative ideas…
05 December, 2021
NITI Aayog
Investment Opportunities in India’s Healthcare Sector Report- NITI Aayog Highlights of the Report: The report outlines the investment opportunities in various segments of India’s healthcare sector. This includes hospitals, medical devices and equipment, health insurance, telemedicine, home healthcare, and medical value travel. India’s Healthcare Industry: Healthcare Sector Growth Rate: India’s healthcare industry is growing at a Growth Rate of around 22% since 2016. At this rate, it is expected to reach USD 372 Billion in 2022. In 2015, the healthcare sector became the 5th largest employer as it employs around 4.7 million people directly. As per estimates of the National Skill Development Corporation, healthcare…
02 April, 2021
Governance
Tribal TB Initiative to achieve ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025 Union Health Minister launched the “Tribal TB Initiative” as a step toward achieving 'TB Mukt Bharat' by 2025. The Ministry also released a guidance note on Joint Action Plan for the elimination of Tuberculosis (TB), a Special Edition of Tribal Ministry’s Publication ‘ALEKH’ on TB and a document on the Tribal Tuberculosis (TB) Initiative at the event. About the Initiative: The Health Minister stated that India has over 104 million tribal population lives in India, across 705 tribes, accounting for 8.6 % of the country’s population. Around 177 tribal districts…
29 March, 2021
Health
Vacancies in Judiciary Over 60% of the sanctioned strength of judges was vacant at Patna High Court. High Courts with highest vacancy was in Patna(60%) > Calcutta(55.6%) > RJ(54%) > MP(49.1%) > (48.6%). High courts with lowest vacancy MN(0%) > ML(0%) > SK(0%) > KR(14.9%) > Guwahati(16.7%). Huge workload: Judges in high courts hear between 20 and 150 cases every day, or an average of 70 hearings daily. The average time that the judges have for each hearing could be as little as 2 minutes. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has pulled up State governments and the…
27 March, 2021
Judiciary
Bangkok General Guidance for Judges in Applying a Gender Perspective Background The Bangkok General Guidance for Judges in Applying a Gender Perspective was discussed and adopted by judges from Philippines in 24 to 25 June 2016, hosted by the ICJ and UN Women. The idea to initiate the development of the Bangkok General Guidance emerged from the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Judging with a Gender Perspective, which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2015. General Guidance The Bangkok General Guidance can make a powerful contribution toward achieving gender equality under the law in Southeast Asia. It is crucial that judges…
24 March, 2021
Judiciary
Report by Index Monitoring Cell The Index Monitoring Cell (IMC) in its report recommended, Decriminalising of defamation Consent of the Press Council of India is a prerequisite before filing an FIR against the media or a publication. In the World Press Freedom Index, 2020, India had been ranked 142nd among 180 countries. In the Freedom in the World Report, 2021, India’s status had been downgraded from a free country to a “partly free” country. Index Monitoring Cell It was set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 2020. Chaired by Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau The 15-member…
22 March, 2021
Governance reforms
SC Hearing Issue of Electoral Bonds The Supreme Court agrees to hear a plea to stay the fresh sale of Electoral Bonds. The hearing of the case is set before the upcoming state assembly elections. What are Electoral Bonds? Electoral Bonds are interest-free bearer financial instruments for making donations to political parties. They were introduced by the Government of India by the Finance Bill, 2017. The bonds are issued in multiples of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 10,000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore without any maximum limit. Key Features of Electoral Bonds: Only the registered Political Parties…
20 March, 2021
Electoral reforms
MPLAD Scheme Funds for 2019-20 The Finance Minister has said that the funds under the MPLAD scheme for 2019-20 are clear. The government of India has decided to make the MPLADS scheme non-operational for 2 years. These funds will be used to strengthen the Government’s efforts in managing the impact of COVID-19 in the country. About MPLADs Scheme: MPLADS is a Central Sector Scheme. It was launched in 1993. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. States have their own version of this scheme with varying amounts per MLA. Key Features of MPLAD Scheme: Under the scheme, an MP receives Rs. 5 crores…
20 March, 2021
MPLAD
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups As of March 2021, India has 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups across 18 states and the Union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) In India, tribal population makes up for 8.6% of the total population. PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups. Due to this factor, more developed and assertive tribal groups take a major chunk of the tribal development funds. In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, that is less developed among the tribal groups. Characteristics of PVTGs: PVTGs have declining or…
20 March, 2021
Reservation issue
SERB-PRISM Portal The Science and Engineering Board (SERB) launched a portal called “SERB – Project Information System & Management(SERB-PRISM Portal) About the SERB-PRISM Portal: The portal aims to provide information regarding all projects sanctioned by SERB from 2011 onwards. It will help researchers in research trends, and learning about cutting-edge science. About Science and Engineering Board(SERB): SERB is a statutory body established in 2009. It functions under the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology. It is chaired by the Secretary to the Government of India. Further, it has other senior government officials and eminent scientists as members.…
19 March, 2021
e-Governance
Stop TB Partnership Board Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare appointed as the Chairman of the Stop TB Partnership Board. The Minister will serve a 3-year term/ About Stop TB Partnership: Stop TB Partnership was established in the Year 2000. Its aim is to eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem. Amsterdam Declaration: In 2000, Stop TB Partnership gave a call for collaborative action from ministerial delegations of 20 countries with the highest burden of TB. Secretariat: Geneva, Switzerland. India’s Initiatives against Tuberculosis: India has committed to eliminating TB in the country by 2025, 5 years ahead of the…
19 March, 2021
Health
Aadhar issues Supreme Court judgement on Aadhar The Court’s judgment in 2018, upheld the Aadhaar programme as a reasonable restriction on individual privacy (Article 21) to fulfil welfare requirements and dignity. Issues with Aadhar Inefficiencies in biometric authentication and updating, linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, and the use of the Aadhaar payment bridge. Failures in authentication have led to delays in the disbursal of benefits. Denial of benefits due to cancellation of legitimate beneficiary names. Despite being designed to store finger and iris scans of most users, doubts about the success rates of authentication and the generation of “false…
19 March, 2021
Aadhaar
NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill 2021 The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill,2021 in the Lok Sabha. About NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill 2021: It seeks to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act,1991. The main objective is to give overarching powers to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in the functioning of Delhi. Key Points of the proposed Bill: The Bill provides that the term “government” referred to any law made by the Legislative Assembly will imply Lieutenant Governor (LG). The Bill mentions that on certain matters, as specified…
17 March, 2021
New Laws
Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2019 According to an RTI, older Indian Institutes of Management(IIMs) are lagging behind the newer IIMs in enforcing the quota rule. Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act,2019: The act provides for the reservation of posts in appointments of Central educational institutions by direct recruitment of persons belonging to: Scheduled Castes (15%) Scheduled Tribes (7.5%) Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (27%) and Economically Weaker Sections (10%). The act will apply to ‘central educational institutions’ that are: universities set up by Acts of Parliament institutions deemed to be a university institutions of national…
18 March, 2021
Reservation
Mera Ration Mobile App The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution launch the ‘Mera Ration’ mobile app. About Mera Ration Mobile app: Mera Ration Mobile app will facilitate the ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ system. It aims to help those ration cardholders who migrated to new areas for livelihoods. Its developed by National Informatics Center(NIC). Features of the app: The application allows beneficiaries to Find out the nearest fair price shop available according to the location. Users can check details of a) Recent transactions b) Status of the Aadhaar seeding and c) entitlement of the amount of rations available to…
16 March, 2021
e-Governance
Project REHAB Khadi and Village Industries Commission(KVIC) has launched a unique project called Project REHAB (Reducing Elephant – Human Attacks using Bees). About Project REHAB: Project RE-HAB stands for Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees. It is an initiative of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The project has been launched as a sub-mission of KVIC’s National Honey Mission. It intends to create “bee fences” to thwart elephant attacks in human habitations using honeybees. Bee boxes have been placed on the ground as well as hung from the trees. The boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants…
08 April, 2021
Policies and Programmes
National Population Register vs Census National Population Register (NPR) is a database containing a list of all usual residents of the country. Its objective is to have a comprehensive identity database of people residing in the country. A usual resident for the purposes of NPR is a person who has resided in a place for 6 months or more, and intends to reside there for another six months or more. It is generated through house-to-house enumeration during the “house-listing” phase of the census, which is held once in 10 years. NPR vs Census: The census involves a detailed questionnaire -…
20 September, 2021
Census
Freedom In the World: Democracy Under siege Report By the USA think tank Freedom House. China’s Score: Dropped from 10 to 9. It's 0ne of the lowest score. Due to Dictator Regime in china. Disinformation and Censorship Campaign following COVID-19. USA Score: Fell from 86 to 83 due to January attack on Capitol, dismissing inspector Generals to sowing mistrust over the electoral system. India’s Score: Dropped from 71 to 67/100. Changed from ‘free’ category to ’partly free’ category. Causes: Fundamentalism: Ruling Hindu Nationalists encouraged scapegoating Muslims, who were blamed for the spread of the virus. Attack on Press Freedom citing…
14 March, 2021
Rights based issues
"Mera Ration" Mobile App Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on March 12, 2021 launched "Mera Ration" Mobile App for those ration card holders who migrate to new places in search of livelihood (migrant workers). Currently, 32 States and Union Territories are covered under One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) and the remaining four States and UTs are expected to be integrated into the scheme in the next few months. The One Nation One Ration Card system covers almost 69 crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries in the country. The beneficiaries will be able to use…
13 March, 2021
Decentralized governance
Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,1995 Introduction It is quite regrettable that politicians are often hit by scandals arising from leaked footage purportedly showing them in intimate proximity with women. The latest episode involves former Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who resigned in the wake of visuals allegedly showing him in such a situation. Programme Code Speculation about the existence of more such compact discs that could surface in the media has resulted in a lawyer and BJP member obtaining an interim High Court order, that media organisations should abide strictly by the Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation)…
12 March, 2021
Governance
Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India Report by NITI Aayog NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute(RMI) India jointly releases a new report titled ‘Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India’. Aim: The report highlights the role of finance in India’s transition to electric vehicles(EVs). Further, the report also identifies solutions for capital and financing to aid in India’s EV transition. What does the report say about Electric Vehicle Financing? India’s Electric Vehicle ecosystem has so far focused on overcoming adoption hurdles. These hurdles are associated with technology cost, infrastructure availability, and consumer behaviour. However, financing is the next critical barrier that…
11 March, 2021
NITI Aayog
Umbrella Schemes of Women and Child Development Ministry Women and Child Development Ministry have classified all its programs under 3 umbrella schemes - Mission Shakti, Poshan 2.0, and Vatsalya. Mission Shakti is a Mission for the Protection and Empowerment of Women. It will cover policies and schemes like, SAMBAL (One Stop Centre, Mahila Police Volunteer, Women's Helpline/Swadhar/Ujjawala/Widow Homes etc.) SAMARTHYA (Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Creche, PM Matru Vandana Yojana/ Gender Budgeting/Research/ among others.) Mission POSHAN 2.0 will be launched by the government by merging the supplementary nutrition programme and Poshan Abhiyan. This will look into ways to strengthen nutritional content,…
08 March, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Jal Jeevan Mission Extended Till 31st March 2021 The Ministry of Jal Shakti is overseeing the implementation of the mission at the national level. Har Ghar Nal Se Jal by 2024. JJM aims at providing potable water at the service level of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd) to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) by 2024. The fund sharing between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories. Jal Jeevan Mission adopts a bottom-to-top approach, where the users and Paani Samitis (Water Committees) in the villages envision the whole project…
09 March, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Constitutionality of Reservations in India Some of the prominent laws framed for reservation policies are listed below. Article 15(4) – 1st Amendment,1951 – Special provision for Advancement of Backward Classes. Article 15(5) – 93rd Amendment, 2006 – Provision of Reservation for Backward, SC, and ST classes in private educational institutions. Article 16(3) – Reservation of posts in public employment on the basis of residence Article 16(4) – Reservation in public employment for backward classes. Article (330 – 342) – talks about special provisions for certain classes of society Article 45 – Under DPSP, states have a duty to raise the standards…
09 March, 2021
Reservation
Judicial overreach-on OTT Rules Introduction Allahabad High Court denied Aparna Purohit, India Commercial Head of the content streaming platform, the relief with a sweeping declaration that some offending scenes on a new series, constituted punishable offences. Overreach of ‘soft-touch monitoring’ The Court went through the recently notified rules for digital media and intermediaries and observed that these lacked teeth. It is quite unusual that a constitutional court should push for more stringent rules after finding that the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, did not provide for punishment and fine. Courts generally examine the…
08 March, 2021
Judicial Activism
Analysis of Jal Jeevan Mission Only half of the government schools and anganwadis have tap water supply, despite a 100-day campaign for 100% coverage being launched by the Jal Shakti Ministry in October 2020, according to information provided to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources. Jal Jeevan Mission It envisages a supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024. It focuses on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level. Creation of local infrastructure as mandatory elements like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and reuse…
09 March, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Reservation issues in India The Supreme Court on Monday decided to examine whether its nearly three-decade-old judgment which fixed reservation for the marginalised and the poor in government jobs and educational institutions at 50% needs a relook. In 1992, a nine-judge Bench of the court had drawn the “Lakshman rekha” for reservation in jobs and education at 50%, except in “extraordinary circumstances”. However, over the years, several States, such as Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, have crossed the Rubicon and passed laws which allow reservation shooting over 60%. Maratha quota law A five-judge Bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, set up…
09 March, 2021
Reservation
Draft UGC Regulations Draft UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programmes) Regulations, 2021 was put for public review. It may effectively implement the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) aspect of National Education Policy, 2020. Joint Degree programme - The curriculum shall be designed jointly by the collaborating Indian and foreign HEIs. The degree shall be awarded by both the institutions with a single Certificate bearing the crests and logo of both collaborating institutions, upon completion of the programme. Dual Degree Programme shall be conferred by the Indian and foreign…
05 March, 2021
Education
Municipal Performance Index 2020 The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released the final rankings of the Municipal Performance Index 2020. The MPI has classified municipalities based on their population as- Million+ category (Municipalities having over a million population) - Indore (Top), Surat, Bhopal. Less than Million Population category (Municipalities with a population of less than a million) - New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) (Top), Tirupati and Gandhinagar. Five verticals - Services, Finance, Policy, Technology and Governance. The MPI is an effort to assess and analyse the performance of Indian municipalities based on their defined set of functions.
05 March, 2021
Decentralized governance
Ease of Living Index 2020 The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released the final rankings of the Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020. The Index categorises the cities into, Million+ populated cities (Population of more than a million) - Bengaluru (Top), Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, etc., Less than Million populated cites (Population of less than a million) - Shimla (Top), Bhubaneshwar, Silvassa, etc., All the cities under the Smart Cities Program. EoLI is an assessment tool that evaluates the quality of life and the impact of various initiatives for urban development. The framework for this assessment was prepared by MoHUA…
05 March, 2021
Urban Governance
Marital rape-Rape and Marriage Introduction Requirements in a relationship: A relationship between two individuals, including marriage, is built around love, respect, trust and consent. Within that civilised framework, a violent and exploitative act like rape has no place. Recent SC stance on rape and marriage Seen in that context, the Supreme Court’s latest query to a Maharashtra government employee asking whether he would marry a girl he was accused of raping repeatedly while she was a minor is insensitive to the core. By offering marriage as a solution to a rape victim, the judiciary failed to protect the rights of…
04 March, 2021
Rights based issues
Sedition in India How is sedition defined under the law? Sedition, which falls under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, is defined as any action that brings or attempts to bring hatred or contempt towards the government of India and has been illegal in India since 1870. It defines sedition as an offence committed when "any person by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India". Disaffection includes disloyalty…
04 March, 2021
Rights issue
Electoral Reforms in India: No Postal ballots for NRIs in Assembly Elections Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) will have to wait longer to be able to vote by postal ballots, as Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that the facility would not be extended to them for the upcoming elections to the Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal Assemblies. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had written to the Law Ministry on November 27 last year with the proposal of extending postal ballots to overseas electors. “The commission is technically and administratively ready to extend this facility in general elections…
27 February, 2021
Electoral reforms
Governing Council of NITI Aayog The sixth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister with following agenda: Making India a Manufacturing Powerhouse Reimagining Agriculture Improving Physical Infrastructure Accelerating Human Resources Development Improving Service Delivery at Grassroots Level Health and Nutrition Governing Council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active involvement of States in shaping the development narrative. It comprises the Prime Minister of India, Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Legislature, Lt Governors of other…
21 February, 2021
NITI Aayog
Constitutional Provisions for Reservation in Education and Jobs Part XVI deals with the reservation of SC and ST in Central and State legislatures. Article 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution enabled the State and Central Governments to reserve seats in government services for the members of the SC and ST. The Constitution was amended by the Constitution (77th Amendment) Act, 1995 and a new clause (4A) was inserted in Article 16 to enable the government to provide reservations in promotion. Later, clause (4A) was modified by the Constitution (85th Amendment) Act, 2001 to provide consequential seniority to SC and ST…
18 February, 2021
Reservation
Aspirational Districts Programme What is Aspirational Districts Programme? It aims to quickly and effectively transform some of India's most underdeveloped districts. It will identify areas of immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts. The broad ideas of the programme include - convergence of central and state schemes collaboration of central, state level ‘Prabhari’ (in-charge) officers and district collectors competition among districts The states are the main drivers in the programme. Deliberately, the districts have been described as aspirational rather than backward. The motive is to view them as areas of opportunity and hope rather than of distress and hopelessness. How are the Aspirational districts…
28 October, 2021
Aspirational district
Smart Code Platform It enables all ecosystem stakeholders to contribute to a repository of open-source code for various solutions and applications for urban governance. It addresses the challenges that Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) face in the development and deployment of digital applications to address urban challenges. The source code available on the platform will be free to use without any licensing or subscription fees, thus limiting costs to those involved with customising the code and developing a locally-relevant solution.
24 February, 2021
Urban Governance
India Urban Data Exchange India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) is an open-source software platform developed by the Smart Cities Mission and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. It facilitates the secure exchange of Smart City data amongst data platforms, 3rd party authenticated and authorised applications and other sources. This Smart City data could be monetised in the future, similar to the UPI for bank accounts and digital payments. It serves as an interface for data providers and data users to share, request, and access datasets related to cities, urban governance, and urban service delivery. As the number of cities on IUDX…
24 February, 2021
Data Privacy
National Urban Digital Mission National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM) was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). NUDM will create a shared digital infrastructure for urban India by working across the three pillars of people, process, and platform to provide holistic support to cities and towns. It will institutionalise a citizen-centric, principles-based and ecosystem-driven approach to urban governance and service delivery in 2022 cities by 2022, and across all cities and towns in India by 2024. NUDM has articulated a set of governing principles, and inherits the technology design principles of the…
24 February, 2021
Urban Governance
Removal of Puducherry’s Lieutenant Governor Context Kiran Bedi’s ouster is a result of her failure to stick to her constitutionally mandated role The removal of Kiran Bedi as Puducherry’s Lieutenant Governor has provided a sense of relief to the elected government, led by the Congress, in the Union Territory. LG’s disruption of smooth administration Her acrimonious relationship with Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy over the last four and a half years eventually led the Centre to be forced to act against its own nominee to enable smooth administration at a time when the announcement of the Assembly elections is just round…
19 February, 2021
Federal issues
Need to restructure the governing bodies for universities and autonomous colleges Appointments of vice-chancellors: The system of appointments of vice-chancellors and syndicates, or governing councils, the key authorities for any university, needs to be revised. The appointments are often mired in controversies, with frequent reports in the past of aspirants for the post of vice-chancellors and membership of syndicates indulging in unethical practices to gain favour. NEP talks of creating new structures, such as a Board of Management, to replace the syndicate system. Board of Management: The vice-chancellor as chairman, the Board should consist of former vice-chancellors drawn from other…
02 January, 2022
Education policy
One Nation One Standard Mission "One Nation One Standard" would make India the leader in setting global benchmarks in setting standards. This mission was established in 2019 to ensure quality products and services to consumers in the country. While all areas of production and services be included in this mission, bringing a national uniformity and standardization in all kinds of public procurement and tendering can be an immediate deliverable. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) would explore international partnerships and associations to achieve synergy in the field.
22 February, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Nurturing Neighborhoods Challenge Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs selected 25 cities selected for the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge under the Smart Cities Mission. These cities would carry out projects for making early childhood-friendly neighbourhoods. It aims to work with Indian cities and their partners to improve public space, mobility, data management across city agencies, etc. Selected cities - Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Erode, Agartala, Indore, Kakinada, Kochi, Ranchi, Salem, Trivandrum, Tiruppur, Ujjain, etc.
20 February, 2021
Urban Governance
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0 and the IMI 3.0 portal. Focus of the IMI 3.0 will be the children and pregnant women who have missed their vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beneficiaries from migration areas and hard to reach areas will be targeted. Mission Indradhanush was launched in 2014 to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to all citizens of the country. The present 8th campaign will target achieving 90% Full Immunization Coverage (FIC) in all districts of the country. Every year the Universal Immunization Programme caters to the vaccination needs against 12…
20 February, 2021
Health
NITI Aayog meeting States should work towards reducing compliance burden for citizens to ensure ease of living and to promote ease of doing business, stressing the importance of a better coordination between the Centre and the States for the development of the country. “There are thousands of compliance requirements within the government that we can remove for the common man... There is no need to ask people again and again when there is technology. States should come forward. I have also said this in the Government of India and our Cabinet Secretary is following this. The number of compliance requirements…
21 February, 2021
NITI Aayog
e-Chhawani Portal It is an online multi-tenancy central platform. It aims to provide citizen-centric municipal services to the citizens across 62 Cantonment Boards. The residents of cantonment areas can register their complaints regarding civic issues and resolve them while sitting at home. People can get their documents like trade licence, sewerage connectivity applications can be made through the portal. Cantonment Board A cantonment board, an urban local body, was established for municipal administration of the civilian population in the cantonment area. It is set up under the provisions of the Cantonments Act of 2006 – legislation enacted by the Central government. It…
18 February, 2021
e-Governance
India’s road safety India’s Road Safety Month This year instead of "Road, Safety Week", a month-long campaign "National Road Safety Month" will be observed from 18th January 2021 to 17th February 2021. The theme of this year is, "Sadak Suraksha- Jeevan Raksha". India’s road safety data India has the world’s worst record on road safety. India has, according to the just-released World Bank-commissioned report, Traffic Crash Injuries and Disabilities: 1% of the world’s vehicles but 11% of all road accident deaths; The Union Transport Ministry put the number of dead in 2019 at 1,51,113 and injured at 4,51,361. Those who…
18 February, 2021
Road accidents
Budget as an instrument of politics Upcoming infrastructure projects in election-going states The largesse to the election-going States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam in the Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday was unmistakable. The massive outlay of? 65,000 crore for the development of the NH 66 corridor in Kerala, as well as the announcement of the second phase of the Kochi Metro and the development of the Kochi fishing harbour as a commercial hub are big ticket budget proposals by any standard. Ms Sitharaman announced that national highway works are worth? 19,000 crore are…
03 February, 2021
Policies and Programmes
Media as target Introduction ED’s raids in the office of independent digital news platform NewsClick have invited justified condemnation from organisations representing the media. There is every likelihood that this operation is linked to the platform’s in-depth coverage of ongoing protests as well as the various struggles of the people and the grassroots organisations that represent them. The ED is said to be investigating alleged money laundering to the tune of? 30 crore. Not much is known about the nature of the police case, but the agency is empowered by the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act to investigate if the proceeds of…
11 February, 2021
Rights based issues
Issue of Tamil Nadu Governor under Article 161 Context Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has decided that only the President can decide the issue of granting remission to the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. View of the Supreme Court It has often been stressed by the Supreme Court that the clemency powers of the President, under Article 72, and the Governor, under Article 161, stand on an equal footing, and are exercised solely on Cabinet advice. Article 161 in The Constitution Of India 1949 The Governor of a State shall have the power to grant pardons,…
09 February, 2021
Federal issues
Census to postpone to 2022? The Centre is on track to push the 2021 Census to 2022 on account of the country’s continuing preoccupation with the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior government official told The Hindu. “Our hands are full dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” the official said, pointing out that first it was the measures taken to deal with the pandemic and now the massive vaccination programme under way across the country. What is the Census of India? The decennial Census of India has been conducted 15 times, as of 2011. While it has been undertaken every 10 years,…
01 February, 2021
Census
Abuse of social media The warning by the Bihar police of legal action being taken against users of social media for “offensive” posts targeting the government, its Ministers and officials, betrays both hypersensitivity and ignorance of the law. It represents an unacceptable combination of low tolerance for criticism and a zeal to cow down the public. The Economic Offences Wing, which also deals with cyber-crime, has sent a circular to the department secretaries that they could inform the wing about such “offensive posts” so that it could act against them, terming such actions as “against prescribed law”. Presumably, the action…
26 January, 2021
IT act
Stopping hate on Television is also essential for law and order: SC The Supreme Court said stopping hate on television was as essential for law and order as arming policemen with lathis and putting up barricades to prevent the spread of violence and riots. Control over certain kind of news which agitate people to violence and riots is a law and order problem. Preventing it is as powerful as putting up barricades. Preventing instigation is as important as providing lathis to policemen. The CJI referred to how the government had shut down Internet facility on January 26 amid violence during…
29 January, 2021
Law and Order
Electoral Reforms: Remote voting project, e-EPIC 25th January is National Voters Day. On this occasion, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that the trials of the Election Commission’s remote voting project would be carried out soon. “We have already started a research project on remote voting using cutting-edge technology with IIT-Chennai and other leading institutions and it has made good progress. Mock trials of this project will begin soon,” he said. The system being developed by the IIT-M uses blockchain for two-way remote voting at designated centres, an EC official had said when the project was started in 2020. Blockchain…
25 January, 2021
Electoral reforms
What is the Census of India? The decennial Census of India has been conducted 15 times, as of 2011. While it has been undertaken every 10 years, beginning in 1872 under British Viceroy Lord Mayo, the first complete census was taken in 1881. Post-1949, it has been conducted by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. All the censuses since 1951 were conducted under the 1948 Census of India Act. The last census was held in 2011, whilst the next will be held in 2021. The Census of India, one…
02 December, 2021
Governance
Judicial Activism and Marriage Laws The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the provision of publication of notice of intended marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, is not mandatory. The court, in a significant judgment delivered on January 12, said making such publication mandatory “would invade the fundamental rights of liberty and privacy, including within its sphere the freedom to choose for marriage without interference from state and non-state actors, of the persons concerned”. A Bench of Justice Vivek Chaudhary mandated that while giving notice under Section 5 of the Act, it shall be optional for the parties to…
14 January, 2021
Judiciary
Judicial Reforms Justice Lokur discusses the Judiciary and the Judicial Reforms needed for the country. Judges should not be “hypersensitive” about criticism. It was high time judges sat down for introspection on what had gone wrong and what was to be done, he said. There should be a “robust, strong, uninhibited and informed criticism of the functioning of the judiciary”. #joinourtelegram# The Supreme Court has been at the centre of a furious public debate on various aspects, including a Chief Justice of India becoming a Rajya Sabha member after retirement and the trial and punishment of civil rights lawyer Prashant…
08 January, 2021
Judicial reforms
Reservation in promotion in public posts is not a fundamental right: SC GS-Paper-2 Reservation and Creamy layer issue (Mains-I.V) Context: The Supreme Court has recently ruled that the states are not bound to provide reservation in appointments and promotions and that there is no fundamental right to reservation in promotions. What has the court said? Reservation in promotion in public posts cannot be claimed as a fundamental right. Articles 16 (4) and 16 (4-A) of the Constitution does not confer individuals with a fundamental right to claim reservation in promotion. It only empowers the State to make a reservation in matters of appointment and promotion in favour of the Scheduled Castes…
25 December, 2020
Reservation issue
Creamy layer principle in SC, ST quota-Nagraj case GS-Paper-2 Reservation and Creamy layer issue (Mains-I.V) Context: The Centre has urged the Supreme Court to refer to a larger Bench its decision last year that had applied the creamy layer principle to promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs. What was the case about? In Jarnail Singh vs Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018), the court dealt with a batch of appeals relating to two reference orders, first by a two-judge Bench and then by a three-judge Bench, on the correctness of the Supreme Court’s judgment in M Nagaraj &…
25 December, 2020
Reservation issue
Castes count-Reservation GS-Paper-2 Caste and Reservation-Social Issue (Mains-I.V) Context: A caste-wise survey helps gather quantifiable data, but the aim must be a casteless society. This topic is highly important for MAINS and Sociology students for UPSC mains. Why in News? The idea of a caste census is back in the realm of public debate, following the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to establish a commission to collect caste-wise data. The move may have been born out of political expediency, in response to the restive pre-election agitation organised by the Pattali Makkal Katchi demanding 20% exclusive reservation in education and government jobs for…
25 December, 2020
Reservation issue
Cairn Energy wins arbitration award India has been ordered to return up to $1.4 billion to Cairn Energy PLC of the U.K. after an international arbitration overturned tax demanded retrospectively — an award the government indicated it may challenge. The threemember tribunal, which also comprised a nominee of the Indian government, unanimously ruled that India’s claim of 10,247 crore in past taxes over a 200607 internal reorganisation of Cairn’s India business was not a valid demand. India “failed to accord Cairn Energy’s investments fair and equitable treatment” under the bilateral investment protection pact it had with the U.K. The tribunal…
24 December, 2020
Governance
Right to Protest The Supreme Court said farmers have a constitutional right to protest as long as their opposition against the three agricultural laws did not slip into violence. But the CJI said whether the farmers should be allowed into the city or not was a question best left to the police and not the court. The court reiterated its suggestion of forming a committee of experts in agriculture to hear both farmers and the Union government on the laws. The right to protest is a fundamental right as per the Indian Constitution. This right is a part of the right…
21 December, 2020
Rights issue
43 More Mobile Apps banned by India Recently, the government of India has blocked 43 new mobile apps, mostly Chinese, in the country, including the shopping website AliExpress. This is in addition to a total of 177 Chinese apps banned till now. Key Points The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology banned these mobile apps under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act (IT Act), 2000. Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, was introduced by an amendment to the Act in 2008. What is in the Act? It gives the Central government the power to block public access…
25 November, 2020
Data Privacy
In- House Procedure Against Judges of Higher Judiciary What is in the News? Recently, in a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has accused the Supreme Court judge, Justice N.V. Ramana and some judges of Andhra Pradesh (AP) High Court of misconduct, corruption and political bias. The allegation against the judges is unprecedented since it has been made publicly. What are the Issues Involved? The Constitution of India protects the independence of judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court by making them removable only through a process of impeachment. Article 121 and…
27 October, 2020
Judiciary
Gujarat High Court 1st to Live Stream Court Proceedings on Youtube The High Court allowed the open court proceedings through the video conferencing, except the proceedings to be conducted in camera. In camera means in private chambers of a judge, with the press and public excluded. It observed that the initiative of live telecast is on an experimental basis and the aspect of continuing with or adapting the modality of live court proceedings will be decided based on the outcome of this trial. The Supreme Court in Swapnil Tripathi v Supreme Court of India (2018) has ruled in favour of…
27 October, 2020
Judicial reforms
Harit Path Mobile App Context Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a mobile App, ‘Harit Path' to facilitate creation of Green Highways across the country. About Harit Path Mobile App The App will help to monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance activities, targets and achievements for each and every plant. In order to track the growth and health of the plants, photographs along with data of the plants captured using Harit Path App shall be uploaded every 3 months on NHAI’s Artificial Intelligence powered Big Data Analytics platform – Data Lake. Highway contractors shall be accountable…
23 August, 2020
e-Governance
Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) initiative The Pune Rural Administration has been able to implement the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) initiative amid the Covid-19 pandemic. About PURA: PURA was mooted by former President Dr. Abdul Kalam in January 2003 as a way of empowering and accelerating rural development. The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) implemented the PURA scheme on a pilot basis in seven clusters for a period of three years (2004- 05 to 2006-07). PURA 2.0 as a central sector scheme was launched in 2012 focusing on the development of potential growth…
15 August, 2020
Policies and Programmes
New Code on Wages GS-PAPER-2 Labour and Labour Code (PT-MAINS) The Centre will soon notify the rules that will create the mechanisms to fix a floor wage that would then undergird the minimum wages for different categories of workers — unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled — that the States and Central government would have to set and enforce. This is in accordance with the Code on Wages, 2019. Constitutional Provisions Article 43 of the Constitution of India states that the state shall endeavour to secure by suitable legislation or economic organization or in any other way to all workers a living wage, conditions of work…
06 August, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Gratuity amendment bill Gs-Paper-2 Labour and Laws (PT-MAINS) The Union Cabinet has given approval to the introduction of the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Parliament. Gratuity is a sum of money paid to an employee at the end of a period of employment. The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 applies to establishments employing 10 or more persons. It considers the inflation and wage increase even in the case of employees engaged in the private sector. With the implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission, in the case of Government servants, the ceiling now is Rs. 20 Lakh, where the…
06 August, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (2020) GS-PAPER-2 Defence procurement policy (Mains) Recently, the Ministry of Defence formulated a draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020). The DPEPP 2020 is envisaged as an overarching guiding document to provide a focused, structured and significant thrust to defence production capabilities of the country for self-reliance and exports. Goals and Objectives: To achieve a turnover of Rs. 1,75,000 crore including export of Rs. 35,000 crore in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025. To develop a dynamic, robust and competitive Defence industry, including the Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of the Armed forces with quality products. To reduce dependence on imports and…
05 August, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Jammu & Kashmir & Habeas Corpus GS-Paper-2 Governance (Mains) After the abrogation of the special status (under Article 370 of the Constitution) of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir in August 2019, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court was confronted with an unprecedented number (250 plus) of habeas corpus petitions. The habeas corpus petitions were filed to challenge the detentions under the J&K Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978. Background: After the abrogation of the special status, thousands of people were detained from across the Kashmir valley under the preventive detention law. Of these, several hundred were detained under the PSA. The other preventive detention laws under…
Contempt of Court GS-PAPER-2 Governance (Mains-I.V) Recently, the Supreme Court of India initiated the proceedings for criminal contempt of court against lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan. The contempt charges were lodged in the context of the comment made on social media, targeting the current Chief Justice of India. The contempt power is needed to punish wilful disobedience to court orders (civil contempt), as well as interference in the administration of justice and overt threats to judges. The reason why the concept of contempt exists is to insulate the institution from unfair criticism and prevent a fall in the judiciary’s reputation in the public eye.…
05 August, 2020
Judiciary
Bharat Air Fibre GS-Paper-2 Governance (PT-MAINS) Recently, Bharat Air Fibre Services have been inaugurated at Akola in Maharashtra providing the residents with wireless internet connections on demand. The Bharat Air Fibre services are being introduced by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as a part of the Digital India initiative by the Government of India. It is being scaled pan-India. Aim: To provide BSNL fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) wireless connectivity up to a range of 20 km from the BSNL points of presence. Features: The connectivity speed is 100 Mbps and BSNL is offering various broadband plans in wireline and wireless segments. There is a huge demand for high-speed broadband service in the present situation as there is the migration of…
04 August, 2020
e-Governance
Protesting is a Fundamental Right GS-Paper-2 International organisation (PT-MAINS) Recently, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee has reaffirmed that protesting peacefully, online or in person, is a fundamental human right. This statement has come in the backdrop of increasing demonstrations over issues like political rights and racial justice. UN Human Rights Committee: It is tasked with monitoring how countries implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 1976, which under Article 21 guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. Latest Interpretation of the Right to Peaceful Assembly Fundamental Human Rights for People: To gather to celebrate or to air grievances in public and in private spaces, outdoors, indoors and online is a fundamental human right. Protesters: Everyone, including…
31 July, 2020
Rights based issues
India Report on Digital Education, 2020 GS-paper-3 Education (Mains) Recently, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) launched India Report on Digital Education, 2020. Recently the MHRD has been renamed as the Ministry of Education. The Report: It has been prepared by the digital education division of MHRD in consultation with education departments of the states and union territories. It elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by the MHRD, for ensuring accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps during the Covid-19 pandemic. MHRD Initiatives: It has initiated many projects to assist teachers, scholars and students in their pursuit of learning like the DIKSHA platform, Swayam Prabha…
31 July, 2020
Education
CHRI Report on Slavery GS-Paper-2 Governance- Human Rights (Mains) Recently, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and Walk Free (an international anti-slavery organisation) released a report on slavery on the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30th July). The Report It assessed the progress made by Commonwealth countries on the promises made in 2018 to end modern slavery by 2030 and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (Target 8.7) of ending forced labour, human trafficking and child labour. Commonwealth countries account for about 40% of people living in conditions of modern slavery in the world. It is estimated that 1 in every 150 people in the Commonwealth countries lives in conditions of modern slavery. It found that Commonwealth…
31 July, 2020
Human rights
BIS-Care App Union Ministry for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has launched the ‘BIS-Care’ app and e-BIS portal. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Care app enables Consumers to check the authenticity of the ISI-marked and hallmarked products and lodge complaints using this app. It is important to ensure that consumers are aware of the standards and quality products and help in eliminating the supply of sub-standard products. e-BIS portal - It has three components namely the Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Training Portals for consumers. It is an integrated portal covering all functions of BIS, enlisting the services of outside agencies for factory…
Cabinet Approves National Education Policy 2020 GS-PAPER-2 Education policy (PT-MAINS) “In June 2017 a ‘Committee for the Draft National Education Policy’ was constituted under the Chairmanship of eminent scientist Padma Vibhushan, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, which submitted the Draft National Education Policy, 2019 to the Hon’ble Human Resource Development Minister on 31st May, 2019” Summary New Policy aims for Universalization of Education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 % GER in school education by 2030 NEP 2020 will bring 2 crore out of school children back into the main stream New 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and 3 years of…
30 July, 2020
Education policy
Uniform Civil Code GS-PAPER-2 Governance – DPSP (PT-MAINS) A Uniform Civil Code means that all sections of the society irrespective of their religion shall be treated equally according to a national civil code, which shall be applicable to all uniformly. They cover areas like- Marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and succession of the property. It is based on the premise that there is no connection between religion and law in modern civilization. Background Historical perspective – The debate for a uniform civil code dates back to the colonial period in India. Pre-Independence (colonial era) The Lex Loci Report of October…
23 July, 2020
Uniform Civil Code
TRIPLE TALAQ Analysis GS-Paper-2 Governance Women and law The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 became the first legislation to be tabled in Parliament by the Narendra Modi dispensation in its second term, with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting the legislation was a must for gender equality and justice. The bill was introduced following a division of votes, with 186 members supporting and 74 opposing it. The bill was introduced in the lower house to replace an Ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led NDA government. The Bill was earlier introduced in December 2017 but owing to…
23 July, 2020
Law and Order
Delimitation: North-east Illegal GS-PAPER-2 Governance – Elections Delimitation Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies to represent changes in population and is done on the basis of the preceding Census. Need: To provide equal representation to equal segments of a population. A fair division of geographical areas so that one political party does not have an advantage over others in an election. To follow the principle of “One Vote One Value”. Delimitation Commission Establishment: It was appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. Constitutional Basis: Article 82 provides the Parliament to…
19 July, 2020
Electoral reforms
Aid for Rural Local Bodies-Finance commission Paper-2 Governance (Mains) Finance Commission It is a constitutional body, that determines the method and formula for distributing the tax proceeds between the Centre and states and among the states as per the constitutional arrangement and present requirements. Under Article 280 of the Constitution, the President of India is required to constitute a Finance Commission at an interval of five years or earlier. The 1st FC was set up in 1951 and there have been fifteen so far. The 15th FC headed by N.K. Singh was constituted by the President of India on 27th November 2017, against the backdrop of the abolition of the Planning Commission and the introduction of the Goods and…
18 July, 2020
Panchayati Raj Institution
15th Finance Commission for FY 2020-21 Paper-2 Governance Finance commission (PT-MAINS-IV) The Finance Commission is a constitutional body formed by the President of India to give suggestions on centre-state financial relations. The 15th Finance Commission (Chair: Mr N. K. Singh) was required to submit two reports. The first report, consisting of recommendations for the financial year 2020-21, was tabled in Parliament on February 1, 2020. The final report with recommendations for the 2021-26 period will be submitted by October 30, 2020. Key recommendations in the first report (2020-21 period) include: Devolution of taxes to states: The share of states in the…
18 July, 2020
Finance commission
Reform of Criminal Laws The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a national level ‘Committee for the Reform of Criminal Laws’. What is the committee for? The criminal law in India comprises - the Indian Penal Code of 1860 the Code of Criminal Procedure was rewritten in 1973 the Indian Evidence Act dates back to 1872 The idea that the current laws governing crime, investigation and trial require meaningful reform has long been in place. There have been several attempts in recent decades to overhaul the body of criminal law. Given this, the committee's mandate now is to recommend reforms in…
13 July, 2020
Law and Order
Uniformity in Stamp Duties The amendments to the Stamp Act, 1899 were introduced in the Finance Bill, 2019. It has introduced the centralized system of stamp duty with a unified rate for all financial securities transactions effective from July 1. Union government has created the legal and institutional mechanism to enable states to collect stamp duty on securities market instruments at one place by one agency, through the stock exchange or clearing corporation authorized by it or by the depository on one instrument. At present, market participants collect stamp duty at rates fixed by the state where the trade takes place…
Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 Part of: GS-II/IV- Governance and Ethics (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) In NEWS: COVEX and PANTAJLI CASE (BABA RAMDEV) The Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare has notified the Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 with an aim to promote clinical research in the country. The new rules will change the regulatory landscape for the approval of new drugs and conduct of clinical trials in the country. These rules will be applicable to all new drugs, ethics committee and investigational drugs applicable for human use, bioequivalence studies and clinical trial in India. Features of New…
04 July, 2020
Drugs and Clinical trails
Need for Police reforms in India Part of: GS-II- Governance POLICE REFORMS (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Context: The Police system in India and its sorry state once again came to the fore recently when a father-son duo, namely P Jeyaraj (58) and Fenix (31) respectively, died in Police custody in Tamil Nadu. The relatives and protestors fear this to be a case of police brutality. The reason for their arrest was that they kept their shop open beyond the permitted time (restrictions placed in the light of COVID-19). Historical Background The Police System is a colonial legacy. The first Police commission was…
02 July, 2020
Police reforms
Legal principles to reduce custodial deaths Part of: GS-II- Governance POLICE REFORMS (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Understanding the background of the problem In wake of custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu, the debate on the Roman dilemma: “Who will guard the guardians” rises again. Torture is anathema to democracy and cannot be tolerated in a civilized society. Answer to the prevention of torture can be found in multiple sources like Royal Commission in the UK, Law Commission reports and Police Commission reports in India and also Supreme Court’s progressive case law, like Joginder Kumar (1994) and Nilabati Behera (1993). However, the basic loophole…
02 July, 2020
Police reforms
Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 Part of: GS-III- Energy security (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Recently, the Central government has introduced the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 to amend various provisions in the Electricity Act 2003. Rationale Behind Amendment: To address critical issues weakening the commercial and investment activities in the electricity sector. The current challenges plaguing the Indian power sector is derived from negligence in addressing the structural issues. These include operational and financial inefficiencies of power generation, transmission and distribution utilities, access and quality of power supply, political interference, lack of private investments, inadequate public infrastructure and lack of consumer participation. Bringing transparency and accountability to protect the…
29 June, 2020
Acts and regulations
Digital innovation is the way forward – Over the top platform GS- PAPER-2 Digital India MAINS-IV The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted every single industry, but the businesses that were most affected are those which solely rely on the social gatherings of people and the media and entertainment industry is not an exception. However, Over the Top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix, Hotstar, Prime Video and online gaming are booming in this time of crisis, thereby testifying to the ongoing information revolution. Though the Indian media landscape has traditionally been very dynamic, the issue of content regulation has always been important in India because…
29 June, 2020
e-Governance
Supreme Court ruling- disqualification petitions In January 2020, a three-judge bench of the SC expressed its displeasure with the Speaker’s lack of urgency in deciding the disqualification petitions. It ruled that Speakers of assemblies and the Parliament must decide disqualification pleas within a period of 3 months. Extraordinary circumstances are exceptions to this. The ruling settled the law for situations where the timing of the disqualification is misused to manipulate floor tests. The court also recommended the Parliament to consider taking a relook at the powers of the Speakers, citing instances of partisanship. The court also suggested independent tribunals to decide on disqualifications. In…
28 June, 2020
Judiciary
Extension of Sub-Categorization of OBCs GS-PAPER-2 OBC Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved a six-month extension to the commission appointed to examine sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), up to 31st January 2021. The commission is headed by Justice (Retd.) G Rohini. It was constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution with the approval of the President on 2nd October 2017. It had been constituted to complete the task of sub-categorising 5000-odd castes in the central OBC list so as to ensure more equitable distribution of opportunities in central government jobs and educational institutions. Article 340 deals with the appointment…
Civil Servants as Joint Secretaries GS: Paper-2 Civil service reforms A Union government circular set new conditions for empanelling civil servants for appointment as joint secretaries in central ministries. What Gov say? Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) stipulated that the qualifying service period for empanelment of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers as joint secretaries at the Centre would be 16 years. Even earlier, an IAS officer would usually become eligible for empanelment as a joint secretary at the Centre after 16 years of service. However, in reality, many of them would get empanelled only after 18 years of service. The reiteration of…
26 June, 2020
Civil services reforms
Rule of Law Index It is released by the World Justice Project, an independent organisation.It is a quantitative assessment tool designed to offer a detailed and comprehensive picture of the extent to which countries adhere to the rule of law in practice. The World Justice Project defines the rule of law system as one in which the following four universal principles are upheld: The government and its officials and agents are accountable under the law. The laws are clear, publicized, stable and fair, and protect fundamental rights, including the security of persons and property. The process by which the laws…
26 June, 2020
Judiciary
National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) NIPFP is India’s premier economic think tank - a centre for research in public economics and policies, located in Delhi. It is an autonomous body set up jointly by the Ministry of Finance, the erstwhile Planning Commission, and several state governments. It was founded in 1976 and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It undertakes research, policy advocacy and capacity building in areas related to public economics. One of the major mandates of the institute is to assist the Central, State and Local governments in formulating and reforming public policies by…
23 June, 2020
Institutions
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan Through this scheme, Union Government plans to provide employment to migrant workers and create rural infrastructure. The scheme will be launched through video-conferencing from the village Telihar in the Khagaria district of Bihar. Aim: The scheme will empower and provide livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens who have returned to their home states due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown. This campaign will work in mission mode for 125 days with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crores. Objective: A total of 116 districts across six states, namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,…
26 June, 2020
Poverty and Developmental issues
Coal sector reforms GS-PAPER-2 Governance and Energy PT-MAINS-I.V India, being a developing country, coal remains one of the most important indigenous energy resources and the dominant fuel for power generation and many industrial applications. Presently, despite being the world's fourth-largest producer, India is the second-largest importer of the dry-fuel. Therefore, in line with the vision to build an ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, a slew of reforms to promote commercial mining of coal in India, has been announced. Unlocking coal mining for private players is a step forward to attain self-reliance in the coal sector. However, for sustainable utilization of coal, there is a need to…
25 June, 2020
Governance reforms
PCPNDT Act In April Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a notification which put on hold the implementation of certain rules of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex-Selection Rules) of 1996 till June 30, 2020. One of the suspended provisions, Rule 8, is intrinsically connected with the statute’s provisions dealing with the mandatory registration of genetic counselling centres, laboratories and clinics, Non-compliance leads to penalty. The rules require ultrasound clinics to maintain detailed records of pregnant women who undergo foetal scans in the clinics and submit them to local health authorities. Sections of doctors…
18 June, 2020
Acts and regulations
Transformation of aspirational districts program GS-PAPER-2 Governance Fourteen districts from the Northeast have been identified for "Aspirational Development" under the program. The "Transformation of Aspirational Districts" programme is under the aegis of NITI Aayog, under the guidance of the Prime minister of India. The main factors determining whether the given district is backward or not will be based on sectors like health, nutrition, education and agriculture. For each district, a four-tier supervisory mechanism has been put in place with a Central Nodal Officer from the Union Government, a State Nodal Officer from the concerned State Govt, a District Nodal Officer / District…
17 June, 2020
Aspirational district
National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) is an autonomous institute under the aegis of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India. Its head office is at New Delhi and its registered office at Mussoorie. The NCGG has been set up to assist in bringing about governance reforms through studies, training, knowledge sharing and promotion of good ideas. It seeks to carry out policy-relevant research and prepare case studies; curate training courses for civil servants from India and other developing countries; provide a platform for sharing of existing knowledge and pro-actively seek…
18 June, 2020
Governance
Finance Commission Holds Meeting with The Ministry of Jal Shakti on Grant for Provision of Drinking Water & Sanitation Services Context The Chairman, Shri N. K. Singh and Members of the 15th Finance Commission today had a meeting with Shri Gajendra Singh, Minister of Jal Shakti and his team of officers on the issue of FC grants to Rural Local Bodies for provisions of drinking water & sanitation services . Recommendations of Finance Commission The Terms of Reference of the Commission mandates it to recommend “the measures needed to augment the Consolidated FUND OF a State to supplement the resources…
18 June, 2020
Cooperative federalism
Fit INDIA TO launch special films promoting 10 indigenous sports of India under the Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat program Sports Ministry’s flagship programme Fit India is joining hands with the Department of School Education and Literacy, to launch a series of special films promoting 10 indigenous sports of India under the Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat initiative. The series is aimed at creating awareness about not just the indigenous games but also the culture and heritage of the states to which they belong. Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat aims to create awareness among youngsters about the culture and heritage of states across India. …
17 June, 2020
Sports
River water dispute Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Recently, the Union government has decided to take the stock of water utilisation from the Krishna and Godavari rivers following the filing of complaints against each other by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments. Water Dispute: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh share stretches of the Krishna and the Godavari and own their tributaries. Both states have proposed several new projects without getting clearance from the river boards, the Central Water Commission and the Apex Council, as mandated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Imp Points The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 mandates for constitution of an Apex Council by Central Government for the supervision…
10 June, 2020
Inter State Water Disputes
Crossing the line: On Delhi’s decision to limit health services Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Delhi should not hide failures by limiting health-care access to just its residents The decision announced by Chief Minister to restrict COVID-19 treatment in Delhi’s private hospitals and those run by the government of NCT only to those with proof of residence in the city was ill-thought-out. As Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal noted in his order overruling the decision, ‘Right to Health’ is an integral part of ‘Right to Life’ under Article 21 of the Constitution. While health care is far from being universal in India, positively…
Res extra commercium It is a Latin phrase meaning ‘outside commerce’. The doctrine dates back to the Roman period. If applied, the doctrine gives authorities more leeway to impose restrictions. e.g The Supreme Court’s application of the doctrine to alcohol in the 1970s paved the way for at least two Indian states to ban it completely and allowed courts to take a stricter stance while regulating liquor. The Indian government is now pushing the Supreme Court to use this doctrine to the tobacco industry’s legal right to trade. With an aim to curb tobacco consumption, the government has recently raised tobacco…
CBSE to release reduced syllabus in a month Part of: GS-III- Education (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The aim is to adapt to a shorter academic session and the loss of classroom time The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will release a cut-down syllabus within a month to adapt to a shorter academic session and the loss of classroom time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, CBSE chairman Manoj Ahuja. “There will definitely have to be some rationalisation of the syllabus, because there will definitely be some loss of time, even with blended schooling and home schooling... That’s what we are planning and we should be…
07 June, 2020
Education
Prevention of Atrocities acts Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is an act of parliament. It falls within the provisions of Article 17 of the constitution, enacted for preventing atrocities against members of SC/ST It also provides special courts for the trial of such offences as well as relief and rehabilitation of the victims of atrocities. The PoA Act extends to the whole of India except Jammu & Kashmir, and responsibility for its implementation rests with State Governments.
06 June, 2020
Acts and regulations
Saksham Saksham is a capacity-building program under the Ministry of Rural development. It is a training module which focuses on the use of Remote Sensing and GIS tools for project planning and monitoring components like watersheds, groundwater and geohydrology. **It is not to be confused with project Saksham of the Railway Ministry. Project Saksham It is the nation’s largest time-bound “Upskilling” exercise for its employees to boost their efficiency. Under Project Saksham, all employees in each zone will be put through a week’s training in skills and knowledge relevant to their work area.
30 May, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Accessible India Campaign (AIC) It is a nationwide flagship campaign of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The aim of the Campaign is to make a barrier-free and conducive environment for differently abled all over the country. For creating universal accessibility for differently abled persons the campaign has been divided into three verticals: Built Environment. Transport. Information & Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem. This campaign is in line with UNCRPD (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to which India is a signatory.
National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) - now BharatNet NOFN is an ambitious initiative to trigger a broadband revolution in rural areas. NOFN was envisaged as an information super-highway through the creation of a robust middle-mile infrastructure for reaching broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats. The Ministry of Communications has launched the National Broadband Mission that will facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country, especially in rural and remote areas. Aim of NOFN To facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education, e-banking, Internet and other services to rural India. To connect all the 2,50,000 Gram panchayats in the…
05 September, 2021
e-Governance
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) The PMSMA programme was launched in 2016 under the ministry of health and family welfare. It aims to ensure free comprehensive and quality antenatal check-ups for pregnant women for ensuring safe pregnancy. The programme is carried out across India with the participation of private doctors.
28 May, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Malimath Report Justice Malimath Committee or The Committee on Reforms of the Criminal Justice System was constituted by the Home Ministry in 2000. The committee submitted its report in 2003 and made recommendations on crime investigation and punishment. The recommendations were never implemented. It is now going to be revisited by the government. One of its key recommendations is admissibility of confessions made before a police officer as evidence in a court of law. Other recommendations are: Stringent punishment for false registration of cases, Constituting a National Judicial Commission and Amending Article 124 to make impeachment of judges less difficult…
28 May, 2020
Various Committees And Commissions In India
List of Important committees GS: PT and Main List of Committees With Purposes Name of Committee/Commission Purpose Abhijeet Sen Committee Formulating food policy in a long term Abid Hussain Committee Small scale industries and Trade Policy…
28 May, 2020
Various Committees And Commissions In India
Shekatkar Committee recommendations Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The government has accepted and implemented three important recommendations of the Committee of Experts (CoE) under the Chairmanship of Lt General D B Shekatkar (Retd) relating to border Infrastructure. Accepted recommendations: Speeding up road construction, Outsourcing road construction work beyond the optimal capacity of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Mandatory to adopt Engineering Procurement Contract (EPC) mode for execution of all works costing more than Rs 100 crore. Delegating enhanced procurement powers from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 100 crore to BRO, for domestic and foreign procurements. The land acquisition and all statutory…
28 May, 2020
Various Committees And Commissions In India
International termination charges (ITC) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) cut termination charges for international incoming calls to Landline and wireless connections. International termination charges (ITC) are payable by an international long-distance operator (ILDO), which carries calls from outside the country, to an access provider in the country in whose network the call terminates. ITC is one of the sources of foreign earnings for the country.
27 May, 2020
Acts and regulations
Orange Passports and LOTUS mark on PASSPORT Ministry of External Affairs has decided to offer an orange-coloured passport to travellers who require an emigration check. By this ECR status would be issued a passport with an orange-coloured, non-ECR status will continue to get blue passports. ECR status As per the Emigration Act, 1983, certain categories of Indian passport holders require obtaining an ‘Emigration Clearance’ for going to certain countries. Emigration, as per the Act, means the leaving of India by any Indian citizen with the intent of taking up employment in certain foreign countries. Persons who don’t have a minimum…
27 May, 2020
Acts and regulations
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (1958) The Union government has tabled amendments to Ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains active in the parliament. The Lok Sabha passed the amendments to the Act, but the Bill is yet to be cleared by the Rajya Sabha. The Act originally instituted conservation measures and banned construction activities near protected monuments. The amendment now allows carrying out public works within the 100 m prohibited zone.
27 May, 2020
Acts and regulations
UMANG App UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is envisaged to make e-governance. It is developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to drive Mobile Governance in India. It provides a unified approach where citizens can install one application to avail of multiple government services. The app services include Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS). Etc.
27 May, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Domicile rules for J&K Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) When was the new policy introduced and how will it impact the people of the erstwhile State? On March 31, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order, 2020. Through the order, the MHA amended 109 laws and repealed 29 laws of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. The MHA amended a 2010 legislation, the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment Act), by substituting the term “permanent residents” with “domiciles of UT [Union Territory] of J&K.” What did the 2010 Act…
National Tobacco Control Policy The Union government is planning to propose a policy for enforcing various provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products. As of now Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution Act, 2003 (COTPA 2003), lies with the States/Union Territories. At present, there is a National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) with one objective of ensuring effective implementation of the provisions under COTPA, 2003. There are State and District Level Coordination Committees under NTCP to oversee its implementation.
Post-lockdown guidelines | Work from home may stay for government staff In a post-lockdown scenario, the Centre will continue with staggered and variable work hours and the Personnel Ministry has floated a draft consultation paper to adopt the best work from home practices for Central government employees. Draft guidelines The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) may provide an option for work from home to the eligible officers/staff for 15 days in a year as a matter of policy. However, “classified papers/files” cannot be processed while working from home. Therefore, classified files shall not be processed in the e-office during…
15 May, 2020
Policies and Programmes
SC & 4G Services in J&K Part of: GS-II- Governance and Federal Issues (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Recently, the Supreme Court refused to restore 4G services in Jammu & Kashmir and ordered the setting up of a high-powered committee to look into the contentions raised by petitioners against limited 2G services in the Union Territory. In August 2019, the Central government had suspended all modes of communications in the wake of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, granted under Article 370. Eventually, services were partially restored, with internet speed restricted to 2G. A plea was filed by ‘The Foundation for Media Professionals for the restoration of high-speed…
13 May, 2020
Federal issues
COMMIT Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a new training programme Comprehensive Online Modified Modules on Induction Training (COMMIT) for State Government officials. The objective of this training programme is to improve the public service delivery mechanism and provide citizen-centric administration. COMMIT will be launched in 6 States of Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal initially on a pilot basis.
11 May, 2020
Corruption
Tamil Nadu to introduce an online application for RTI Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Applications seeking documents under the Right to Information (RTI) Act can now be filed online in Tamil Nadu. A Government Order issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms said the facility of online filing of petitions under Section 6(1) and First Appeals under Section 19(1) of RTI Act will be rolled out. This will be done using the software available with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and after making necessary changes to make it suitable for the needs of the State. The government…
10 May, 2020
RTI
Govt extends validity of Motor Vehicle Act related documents Part of: GS-II- Governance and acts (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) In News Amid lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, the government has extended the validity of documents related to Motor Vehicle Act and Central Motor Vehicle Rules till June 30. The validity has been extended for the documents whose validity expires between February 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. New MOTOR vehicle act analysis India sees more than five lakh road accidents a year leading to 1.5 lakh deaths. According to the Union Transport Minister, this could come down by half if the provisions of…
08 May, 2020
Motor vehicle act
Drone Regulation in India Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The guidelines (Drone Regulations 1.0) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the commercial use of drones or remotely operated aircraft came into force on December 1, 2018. Drone Regulation 1.0 Under this regulation, the Digital Sky Platform will enable online registration of pilots, devices, service providers, and NPNT (no permission, no take-off). The Digital Sky Platform is a unique unmanned traffic management (UTM) system which is expected to facilitate the registration and licensing of drones and operators in addition to giving instant (online) clearances to operators for every flight. The airspace has been partitioned…
07 May, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Off Course Introduction The latest political row to erupt in Tamil Nadu is around the Centre’s April 24 notification bringing the Cauvery Water Management Authority under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, which was created a year ago by combining two Ministries. Issues in this Central notification The Opposition, and some farmers’ associations were upset with the notification on the ground that the move has reduced the Authority to a “puppet” of the Centre. They point out that the CWMA was created on the direction of the Supreme Court in February 2018. It is also argued…
05 May, 2020
Inter State Water Disputes
Lokpal and Lokayukta Part of: GS-II&IV- Polity and Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 provided for the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States. These institutions are statutory bodies without any constitutional status. They perform the function of an "ombudsman” and inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for related matters. Why do we need such institutions? Maladministration is like a termite which slowly erodes the foundation of a nation and hinders administration from completing its task. Corruption is the root cause of this problem. Most of the anti-corruption agencies are hardly independent. Even Supreme…
03 May, 2020
Lokpal and Lokayukta
B R Ambedkar laid the foundation for workers’ rights, and social security in India Part of: GS-II- Governance – Rights (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) International Labour Day is celebrated on May 1 to honour workers. Labour has an undeniable role in shaping the nation’s fortune. Since times immemorial, the working class has struggled and sacrificed for greater causes — first for Independence and then for building the nation brick by brick. The ongoing fight against COVID-19 has brought temporary hardship for everyone, including workers. Many leaders have been a beacon for workers and B R Ambedkar was one among them. As the…
02 May, 2020
Rights based issues
Govt extends lockdown for two more weeks Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Here's what all will not be allowed under the new guidelines issued today irrespective of the zone Travel by air, rail, metro and inter-state movement by road Running of schools, colleges and other educational, training, coaching institutions Hospitality services including hotels and restaurants Places of large public gatherings such as cinema halls, malls, gyms, sports complexes Social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings Religious places, places of worship for public However, movement of persons by air, rail and road is allowed for select purposes and for…
02 May, 2020
Policies and Programmes
MHA issued guidelines to allow inter-State movement of stranded migrant workers Part of: GS-III- Economy (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) More than a month after the countrywide lockdown owing to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued guidelines to allow inter-State movement of stranded migrant workers, and tourists, pilgrims, students and others. Important points Public transport, including trains and buses, continues to remain suspended and the State governments have been asked to appoint nodal authorities to register such stranded persons and facilitate their movement. The MHA said such persons should be kept in home quarantine for 14 days unless an assessment by a medical…
30 April, 2020
Policies and Programmes
'one nation, one ration card' scheme for migrant workers, EWS Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider the feasibility of temporarily adopting the 'one nation, one ration card' scheme during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown period to enable the migrant workers and economically weaker sections (EWS) to get subsidised foodgrain. A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B R Gavai, in an order passed, directed the Union of India to consider whether it is feasible for it to implement the said Scheme at this stage or not and…
29 April, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Common Services Centre (CSC) Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Common Services Centre (CSC) programme is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), Government of India. CSCs are the access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society. CSCs are more than service delivery points in rural India. They are positioned as change agents, promoting rural entrepreneurship and building rural capacities and livelihoods. They are enablers of community participation and collective action for engendering social change through a bottom-up approach with key focus on the…
29 April, 2020
Decentralized governance
PM asks Gram Panchayats to use digital platforms for better prices for village produce Part of: GS-II- Governance and Decentralized governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) On National Panchayati Raj Day 24th April, the Prime Minister launched the e-Gramswaraj Portal and Mobile app as a portal to prepare and plan Gram Panchayat Development Plans. He said that the portal will ensure real time monitoring and accountability. The portal is a major step towards digitization down to the Gram Panchayat level. The Swamitva scheme was also launched in pilot mode in 6 states to map rural inhabited lands using drones and latest survey methods.…
25 April, 2020
Decentralized governance
What is Dearness allowance? DA is an allowance that every government employee gets and is calculated as a proportion of the basic salary. Increases in the allowance is usually announced every six months with effect from January 1 for the January-June period and from July 1 for the June-December period. The announcement of the hike in DA and the payout is usually done in March (for January-June) and September (for July-December). The DA is calculated based on a percentage of the basic salary and is part of the other allowances that a government or a government-owned company’s employee gets. The…
Acts of violence against health care workers as cognizable, non-bailable offences Part of: GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The Union Cabinet has approved the promulgation of the Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic situation making acts of violence against healthcare workers as cognizable and non-bailable offences. Under it , there is a provision to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property. The health workers who are trying to save the country from this COVID-19 pandemic are unfortunately facing attacks. The investigation into…
23 April, 2020
Acts and regulations
India’s Fiscal Federalism In India, the Finance Commission and the Planning Commission promote fiscal federalism by carrying out systemic fiscal transfers in the nature of devolution or conditional ones but with the replacement of Planning Commission by NITI Aayog there is an urgent need for revisiting and redefining the fiscal architecture of India. India’s Fiscal Federalism: The Government of India Act 1919 and 1935 formalized the tenets of fiscal federalism and revenue sharing between the Centre and the states. The 14th Finance Commission chaired by Dr. Y V Reddy, recommended 42% devolution of revenue to the states.…
Consumer Protection act Part of: GS-II- Rights/Consumer rights (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The Lok Sabha passed the Consumer Protection Bill 2019 after due consideration and discussion. The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said that the bill aims at protecting the interests of consumers by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ disputes, simplifying a number of rules, quick redressal of their complaints and consumers will be able to get speedy justice. He said the government aims to simplify the entire process of redressal of consumer grievances. Under the Bill, there is a provision for…
22 April, 2020
Rights based issues
Interstate Migrant Workmen Act 1979 Part of: GS-II- Labour Act (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to regulate the condition of service of inter-state labourers in Indian labour law. The Act's purpose is to protect workers whose services are requisitioned outside their native states in India. Whenever an employer faces shortage of skills among the locally available workers, the act creates provision to employ better skilled workers available outside the state. Background The employment system of interstate migrant labour was an exploitative system prevalent more or less in…
22 April, 2020
Acts and regulations
Six inter-ministerial central teams to assess COVID-19 Union Government has constituted six Inter-Ministerial Central Teams to make an on-spot assessment of the COVID-19 situation, issue necessary directions to State Authorities for its redressal and submit their report to the Centre. The teams will focus on compliance and implementation of lockdown measures as per guidelines, supply of essential commodities, social distancing, preparedness of the health infrastructure, the safety of health professionals and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people. Violations of lockdown measures have been reported, which pose a serious health hazard to the public and risk for…
Mob Lynching and associated laws Mob lynching Lynching is a form of violence in which a mob, under the pretext of administering justice without trial, executes a presumed offender, often after inflicting torture and corporal mutilation. The term lynch law refers to a self-constituted court that imposes a sentence on a person without due process of law. The Manipur Law defined mob lynchings as “any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting such act/acts thereof, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual…
21 April, 2020
Law and Order
Singapore Model to fight COVID19 Singapore is currently in a "relatively stable" situation as the government has put in place a series of measures and adjusted them as needed. The measures taken by the Singapore government are: Imposing border controls since January. All travellers, including Singapore residents, long-term pass holders and short-term visitors, entering Singapore with recent travel history to other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Japan, Switzerland, or Britain within the last 14 days, will be issued with a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN). In addition, they will have to provide proof of the place where they will…
21 April, 2020
Governance
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on March 2, 2020. The Bill amends the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 which provides for the termination of certain pregnancies by registered medical practitioners. The Bill adds the definition of termination of pregnancy to mean a procedure undertaken to terminate a pregnancy by using medical or surgical methods. Termination of pregnancy: Under the Act, a pregnancy may be terminated within 12 weeks, if a registered medical…
21 April, 2020
Acts and regulations
Government dismiss false news alarm that UPSC exams have been cancelled due to COVID -19 Union Government has dismissed false reports in a regional news channel that examinations held by UPSC have been cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. In a tweet, Press Information Bureau clarified that the claim is false. It said, any rescheduling of the UPSC examination if necessary, will be notified on the Commission's website Watch this for UPSC PT 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfd6v9PSYZs
18 April, 2020
Institutions
Indian railway creates history Indian Railways has created history as its 88 coach freight train Annapurna carrying foodgrains covered 1,634 kilometres in less than 50 hours. Eighty-eight coach Annapurna Freight Train travelled from Dhandharikalan in Punjab to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal in 49 hours 50 minutes. The distance of 1,634 kilometres used to take 96 to 100 hours. The freight train has promptly transported food to ten needy states. This is for the first time Railways has transported foodgrains in such a large scale. It is 137 per cent more than last year.
SHGs Fight against Covid-19 - SELF HELP GROUP Part of: GS-II- Governance- SHG (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Women members of around 63 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the country formed under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development are contributing in every possible way to contain the spread of Covid-19. All State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs) have been made aware of the various aspects of the disease including the need to maintain personal hygiene, social distancing etc. through Audio Visual (AV) Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material and advisories. SRLMs are using all the information to ensure that the correct message is communicated to…
14 April, 2020
SHG
COVID-19 and Essential Commodities Act Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) The Essential Commodities Act, of 1955 was enacted to ensure the easy availability of essential commodities to consumers and to protect them from exploitation by unscrupulous traders. The Act provides for the regulation and control of production, distribution and pricing of commodities which are declared as essential. The Act aims at maintaining/increasing supplies/securing equitable distribution and availability of these commodities at fair prices. The Act empowers the Central and state governments concurrently to control the production, supply and distribution of certain commodities in view of rising…
13 April, 2020
Acts and regulations
COVID-19 and TRIFED-Tribal rights Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) TRIFED asks state implementing agencies to initiate procurement of MINIMUM FOREST PRODUCE at MSP. The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) which functions under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has asked the State Nodal Departments and Implementing Agencies to initiate procurement of Minor Forest Produces (MFPs) at Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the available funds under MSP for MFP Scheme. TRIFED in collaboration with UNICEF is hosting Webinar sessions for the Van Dhan Self Help Group members of the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras. He said…
13 April, 2020
Policies and Programmes
APEDA & TRIFED The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985. It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Authority has its headquarters in New Delhi. Functions of APEDA APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the scheduled products viz. fruits, vegetables and their products; meat and meat products; poultry and poultry products; dairy products; confectionery, biscuits and bakery products; honey, jaggery and sugar products; cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; cereal…
25 December, 2021
Institutions
HRD ministry launches portal “yukti” Minister for Human Resource Development has launched a web-portal YUKTI (Young India Combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation) in New Delhi today. The portal and dashboard will monitor and record the efforts and initiatives of the Ministry of HRD. It intends to cover different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a holistic and comprehensive way. In the wake of COVID-19 threat, the primary aim is to keep the academic community healthy, both physically and mentally and to enable a continuous high-quality learning environment. It will cover the various initiatives and efforts of the institutions in…
13 April, 2020
Policies and Programmes
PMUY beneficiary under Pradhan Mantri Kalyan Yojana- Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) To date, oil marketing companies have initiated the transfer of Rs 5,606 crore to 7.15 Crore Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana beneficiary accounts for availing free delivery of LPG cylinder under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package. Booking of 1.26 Crore cylinders has been done in this month by the beneficiaries, out of which about 85 lakh cylinders have been delivered to PMUY beneficiaries. There are 27.87 Crore active LPG consumers in the country, with the PMUY beneficiaries accounting for over…
13 April, 2020
Policies and Programmes
COVID-19 and SHG – Self Help Group Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance-SHG (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Around 78,000 self help group members of 27 state rural livelihood mission produces about 2 crore masks. About two crore masks have been produced by around 78 thousand Self Help Group members of 27 State Rural Livelihood Missions. Rural Development Ministry has said that around five thousand Personal Protective Equipment, PPE kits have been manufactured by these groups in various states including Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka. The masks have been supplied to the state health departments, Local Self Government, local administration,…
13 April, 2020
SHG
Restrictions on Court Hearings Lawful Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Judiciary Recently, the Supreme Court held that all restrictions imposed on people from entering, attending or taking part in court hearings are lawful in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The court said these restrictions were in tune with the social distancing norms and best public health practices advocated to contain Covid-19. Duty vs Discretion: The apex court invoked its extraordinary Constitutional powers under Article 142 to step away from the convention of open court hearings. It further clarified that use of this extraordinary power was not a matter of discretion but of duty. Convention vs Public Health: Although the open…
08 April, 2020
Judiciary
Cabinet approved 30% salary cut and MPLADS suspended Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II-Governance Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved an ordinance of 30% cut in the salaries of all Members of Parliament (MPs) for FY 20-21 and a two-year suspension (2020-21 and 2021-22) of the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme so that the amount saved can go to the Consolidated Fund of India to fight COVID-19. The Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance to amend the Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954. The saved amount will go to the Consolidated Fund of India to fight…
'5 T plan' to fight coronavirus crisis in Delhi Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II-Governance A 'five T plan' - testing, tracing, treatment, team work, and tracking and monitoring, to tackle Covid-19. Chief Minister said along with these steps, the government is well prepared in dealing with up to 30,000 active cases in the city. Explaining each T, he said corona test will be the first step, under which the government will go for mass random tests. "If there is no testing, how will we know who is infected and who is not? We will do mass tests for coronavius…
The central government constitutes a 10-member group headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to fight corona Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- GOVERNANCE On April 5, 2020, In order to deal with this coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, the central government constituted a 10-member group under the chairmanship of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Amitabh Kant. Key Points: i.The work of this group will primarily identify issues through 3 groups of stakeholders, and then present effective measures to address solutions to the issues related to the formulation of plans for counter-activities related to COVID-19. The 3 groups include…
07 April, 2020
NITI Aayog
Tamil Nadu topped in micro-irrigation- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II-Governance The state of Tamil Nadu has topped the all-India level for micro-irrigation (MI), under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), with coverage of 2,06,853.25 ha for the year financial year 2019-20. The state is followed by Karnataka and Gujarat with 1,41,103.56 Ha and 1,08,322.00 Ha of coverage respectively. On the other hand, the cumulative total coverage of MI during 2015-2020 has been topped by Karnataka (8,15,690.31 ha) followed by Andhra Pradesh (7,17,421.08 ha) and Gujarat (7,00,858.35 ha). Tamil Nadu occupies the fourth spot with about 5,62,059.11 ha. At the all-India level,…
07 April, 2020
Policies and Programmes
Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme – MPLAD Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Governance The Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme which was launched in 1993-94. The Scheme enables the Members of Parliament to recommend works for creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies in the area of national priorities namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has been responsible for the policy formulation, release of funds and prescribing monitoring mechanism for…
National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC) and COVID-19 Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- Institution Recently, the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare launched the COVID-19 National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC). Key Points The CoNTeC is a Telemedicine Hub established by AIIMS, New Delhi, wherein expert doctors from various clinical domains will be available 24x7 to answer the multifaceted questions from specialists from all over the country. Doctors worldwide are using different protocols to treat COVID-19 patients. The goal of the facility is to at least connect the doctors in the country together to discuss amongst themselves the protocols undertaken and provide the best treatment accordingly. It is a multi-modal…
30 March, 2020
Institutions
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