Current Affairs National

Cabinet approves raising of four additional battalions of National Disaster Response Force

Union Cabinet has given approval for raising of four additional battalions of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to strengthen the India’s disaster response set up. These battalions will be placed in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi National Capital Region based on their disaster vulnerability profile.

Key Facts

The objective of raising four additional battalions is to reduce response time keeping in view vast geographic area of the country. These four battalions will initially be raised as two battalions in Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and one battalion each in Assam Rifles (ARs) and Border Security Force (BSF). Later these four battalions will be converted into NDRF battalions.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

NDRF is India’s elite disaster mitigation combat force established in 2006 under The Disaster Management Act, 2005. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It functions under Union Ministry of Home Affairs. It works under National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) which lays down policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management. The mandated of specialized force is to undertake special disaster response, relief, rescue operations and combat roles independently in the case of an event of any disaster (natural or man-made), accident or emergency. It also assists local authorities in launching a quick rescue and response operation to save life and property. At present there are 12 battalions in NDRF which are deployed strategically across country to provide immediate response.

Catgeory: National

Cabinet approves release of pulses to States with discounted rates

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved release of pulses to States/UTs at discounted rate to be utilized for various Welfare Schemes from stock of pulses procured under Price Support Schemes (PSS). The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Key Facts

Under this approved Scheme, States/UT Governments will be offered to lift 34.88 lakh MT of pulses at discounted rate over prevailing wholesale market price of sourcing state on First come first serve basis. This will be one-time dispensation for 1 year period or complete disposal of 34.88 lakh MT of pulses stock whichever is earlier. Government will spend Rs. 5,237 crore for implementation of this Scheme. The decision will enable the States/UTs to use pulses in various Welfare Schemes like Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Programmes (ICDP) etc etc. besides making available warehouses, which may be required in coming Kharif season for storage of commodities procured under PPS.

Background

Pulses production was witnessed all time high during the last 2 years in the country. Due to bumper production, Central Government also has made record procurement of pulses (45.43 lakh MT) during Kharif 2017 and Rabi 2018 marketing season under Price Support Scheme. This was coupled with increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) will require additional procurement under Price Support Scheme.

Catgeory: National

CCEA approves continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) beyond 12th Five Year Plan period ((2012–2017)). It will help in connecting 38,412 habitations at estimated cost of Rs. 84,934 crore. For this, fund sharing pattern between centre and states will be same (Thus, central government share will be Rs 54,900 crore and states’ share is Rs 30,034 crore).

Key Facts

Initially targets of PMGSY were to be achieved by March 2022, however, sunset date of achievement of PMGSY-I was pre-poned to March, 2019, with enhanced fund allocation and changed funding pattern i.e. in ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State for all States except for 8 North Eastern and 3 Himalayan States (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir) for which it is 90:10. PMGSY-II and habitations under identified LWE blocks (100-249 population) covered by March 2020. Under, PMGSY-II, against target length of 50,000 km works of upgradation almost 32,100 km road length have been sanctioned in 13 states, which have transited to PMGSY-II. 12,000 km road length has been completed up to March, 2018 against the sanctions issued.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

The scheme was launched on 25 December 2000. It aims to provide single all-weather road connectivity to all eligible unconnected habitations in rural areas with population of 500 persons and above (in plain areas) and 250 persons and above (in hilly states, desert areas, tribal areas and selected tribal and backward districts). Union Ministry of Rural Development is nodal ministry for implementation of Scheme. For this scheme, 75 paise per litre has been earmarked out of cess levied on high speed diesel. It considers habitation as unit for providing connectivity and not revenue village. The scheme encourages use of green technologies and non-conventional materials (like waste plastic, geo-textiles, fly-ash, iron and copper slag etc) for constructing rural roads.

Catgeory: National

76th anniversary of Quit India Movement observed on August 8

76th anniversary of Quit India movement was observed on August 8th, 2018. On this day in 1942, Mahatma Gandhi (father of the nation) had gave clarion call of Do or Die to all Indians to drive away Britishers from the country.

Quit India Movement

Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan or August Movement or August Kranti) was an important milestone in the Indian freedom struggle. It was civil disobedience movement launched at Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942 demanding an end to British Rule of India. It was launched after Mahatma Gandhi had made a call to Do or Die in his Quit India speech delivered in Bombay at the Gowalia Tank Maidan on 7 August 1942. The movement called for India’s immediate independence and aimed to force British Government to negotiating table by holding Allied war effort hostage. By launching this movement, Gandhiji hoped to bring British government to negotiating table as Cripps Mission had failed and give strong footing against sending Indians to fight on behalf of Britain in World War II. Quit India Resolution drafted by Jawaharlal Nehru and was moved by him on 8th August 1942 in AICCC session and Sardar Patel seconded it. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, people across India came together to uproot imperialism.

Catgeory: National

Khangchendzonga Becomes 11th Biosphere Reserve To Be Included In WNBR

The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (in Sikkim) has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from Indiathat has been included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). The decision to include Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in WNBR was taken at the 30th Session of International Coordinating Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO held at Palembang, Indonesia. India has 18 Biosphere Reserves and with the inclusion of Khangchendzonga, the number of internationally designated WNBR has become 11, with 7 Biosphere Reserves being domestic Biosphere Reserves.

Source- Press Information Bureau (PIB)

Catgeory: National

Delhi High Court decriminalises begging in the national capital

Delhi High Court has declared 25 sections of Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959 which have been extended to Delhi, as “unconstitutional”. With this, it has struck down legal provision criminalising begging in national capital. The court’s order came on PILs which had sought decriminalisation of begging in capital and beggar by challenging provisions of the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act. The PILs had argued that poverty can never be crime and if a person is destitute and begs for living, such person cannot be treated as criminal.

Delhi High Court Ruling

The court observed that people beg on streets not because they wish to, but because they need to. Begging is their last resort to subsistence as they have no other means to survive. It also held that begging is symptom of disease, of fact that person has fallen through socially created net. Government has mandate to provide social security for everyone, to ensure that all citizens have basic facilities and presence of beggars is evidence that state has not managed to provide these to all its citizens. Criminalising begging violates most fundamental rights of some of most vulnerable people in our society. People in this stratum do not have access to basic necessities such as food, shelter and health, and in addition, criminalising them denies them the basic fundamental right to communicate and seek to deal with their plight. State can bring in alternative legislation to curb rackets of forced begging, after undertaking an empirical examination on the sociological and economic aspects of the matter.

Background

The Bombay Prevention of Begging Act prescribes penalty of more than 3 years of jail in case of first conviction for begging and person can be ordered to be detained for 10 years in subsequent conviction. At present, there is no central law on begging and destitution but most states have adopted Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959. This law functions as derivative figure for all state anti-begging laws. 20 States and two Union Territories have either enacted their own legislations or adopted legislations enacted by other State.

Catgeory: National

NRIs cannot file RTI applications: Government

Government has informed Lok Sabha that Non-Resident Indians (NRI) cannot file Right to Information (RTI) applications to seek governance-related information from Central government departments. It mentioned that only citizens of India have the right to seek information under the provisions of RTI Act, 2005 and NRIs are not eligible to file RTI applications.

Right to Information Act 2005

This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June 2005 and came fully into force on 12 October 2005. It mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information by various public authorities under Central Government as well as the State Governments. The law imposes penalty for wilful default by government officials. Citizens can ask for anything that government can disclose to Parliament. Objectives of RTI are to empower citizens (as right to information is fundamental right of the citizens under Article 19), promote transparency and accountability in working of Government, check corruption and make our democracy work for the people in real sense. Public authorities defined under this law are required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days of the request. The law also mandates every public authority to computerise their records for wide dissemination and proactively certain categories of information so that citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.

Note: Information that can prejudicially impact internal security, relations with foreign countries, intellectual property rights, breach of parliamentary privilege and impedes investigations cannot be shared with public under RTI. Cabinet papers are exempted from RTI until decision has been implemented. However, discussions within Cabinet are never disclosed under RTI.

Catgeory: National

Government launches Niryat Mitra mobile app

Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched Niryat Mitra mobile application for exporters and importers of the country. The app developed by Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the largest exporters organisation of the country. It is available both on Android and on IOS platforms.

Niryat Mitra app

The app provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements – SPS and TBT measures. It provides all the information at tariff line. The app works internally to map Indian Trade Clarification (ITC) Harmonized Item Description and Coding System (HS) code of other countries with that of India. It also provides all the required data without users bothering about HS code of any country. Presently, app has data of 87 countries. It also provides notifications of export promotion programmes organised by FIEO to provide opportunity to industry to participate in them.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO)

It is apex and largest trade promotion organisation in India. It was jointly established in 1965 by Ministry of Commerce and private trade and industry. It is responsible for representing and assisting Indian entrepreneurs and exporters in foreign markets. It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Catgeory: National

AIIA inks MoU IIT Delhi to boost research in traditional medicine

All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), a premier institute of Ayurveda under the AYUSH Ministry has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Delhi to boost research in traditional medicine and streamline hospital care facilities in the country.The MoU was signed at two-day conference of heads of AYUSH National Institutes organised by All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) aimed at upgrading the national institutes of traditional medicine at par with the IITs and IIMs. Under it, the faculties of IIT Delhi and AIIA will work together in projects to look at ways to integrate technology with Ayurveda. Under this partnership, projects developed will be given scientific validation to ancient medical science and integrate it with technology.

All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA)

AIIA is apex institute for Ayurveda in the country under Ministry of AYUSH. It is located in New Delhi. It aims at bringing synergy between traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern tools and technology. It offers postgraduate and doctoral courses in various disciplines of Ayurveda and focuses on fundamental research of Ayurveda, drug development, quality control, standardization, safety evaluation and scientific validation of Ayurvedic medicine. It also has 200 bed referral hospital for facilitating clinical research.

Catgeory: National

Restricted Area Permit eased for foreigners visiting 29 Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Union Home Ministry has excluded 29 inhabited islands in Andaman and Nicobar from Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963 till December 2022. This decision aims to increase footfalls and promote tourism. Government is also planning to open 11 other uninhabited islands to foreigners. The lifting of RAP will allow foreigners to visit these islands without prior permission from the government. However, citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals having their origin in these countries will continue to require RAP to visit Union Territory. Moreover, for visiting Mayabunder and Diglipur islands, citizens of Myanmar will also continue to require RAP, which shall be issued only with prior approval of Home Ministry. Besides, separate approvals of competent authority will be required for visiting reserved forests, wildlife sanctuaries and tribal reserves.

Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime

RAP regime has been notified under Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963. Under it, foreign nationals are not normally allowed to visit protected or restricted area unless Government is satisfied that there are extra-ordinary reasons to justify their visit. Every foreigner, except citizen of Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay in protected or restricted area, is required to obtain special permit from competent authority having power to issue such permits to foreigner, seeking it. Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals of Pakistani origin are exception and are not allowed to enter such areas.

Catgeory: National

Current Affairs National

Current Affairs Categories

Archive

Trending Current Affairs