Daily Current Affairs 18 June 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

The government of India has decided to launch a massive rural public works scheme ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’to empower and provide livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens. PM Modi will launch this Abhiyaan on 20th June 2020 at 11 am through Video-Conference in presence of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. The Abhiyaan will be launched from Village – Telihar, Block- Beldaur of Khagaria District of Bihar. Further, the Chief Ministers of the other five States and Union Ministers of concerned Ministries will also participate in the virtual launch. The villages across 116 districts in the six States will join this program through the Common Service Centres and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, maintaining the norms of social distancing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This campaign of 125 days, which will work in mission mode, will involve intensified and focused implementation of 25 different types of works to provide employment to the migrant workers on one hand and create infrastructure in the rural regions of the country on the other hand, with a resource envelope of Rs. 50,000 crore.
A total of 116 Districts with more than 25,000 returnee migrant workers across six States, namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha have been chosen for the campaign which includes 27 Aspirational Districts. These districts are estimated to cover about 2/3 of such migrant workers.
The Abhiyaan will be a coordinated effort between 12 different Ministries/Departments, namely, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, New & Renewable Energy, Border Roads, Telecom and Agriculture.

Source: PIB

2) Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.

Keeping in view the present scenario as a social drive Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkin is being made available in more than 6300 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushdhi Pariyojna -PMBJP Kendras across the country at a minimum price of Rs.1/-per pad. The market price of the similar Sanitary Napkins is around Rs. 3/- to Rs. 8/- per pad.
Since inception (4 June 2018) to 10th June 2020 over 4.61 crore sanitary Napkins was sold at Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras. After the revision in the prices on 27 August 2019, over 3.43 Crore pads have been sold till 10th June 2020 at Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.
It may be stated that menstruation and menstrual practices still face some social, cultural, and religious restrictions which are a big barrier in the path of the menstrual hygiene management. In many parts of the country especially in rural areas girls and women do not have access to sanitary products or they do not opt for them as most of these items available in the market are a bit costly.
This step ensured ‘Swachhta, Swasthya and Suvidha’ for the underprivileged Women of India. This step has been taken by the Union Department of Pharmaceuticals to ensure the achievement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Affordable and Quality Healthcare for All.
Sanitary Napkins are environmentally friendly, as these pads are made with Oxo-biodegradable material complying with ASTM D-6954 (biodegradability test) standards. Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, these pads are being sold at Rs 1/- per pad.
PMBJP Kendras are functional in this challenging time of the outbreak of COVID-19 and ensuring the availability of medicines and essentials to anyone who needs them. Jan Aushadhi Suvidha sanitary napkins are available across all Kendra's. Under PMBJP, more than 1.42 Crore pads have been sold in March, April & May 2020, across the country. Suvidha Pads are available in sufficient quantities across all Kendra's.
On the eve of World Environment Day 4th June 2018, the Government of India proudly announced the launch of “Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin” for women of India.

Source: PIB

3) New jobs, organic products in offing as KVIC taps Indian Palm Industry

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has rolled out a unique project to produce Neera and Palmgur which has huge potential to create employment in the country. The project that aims at promoting Neera as a substitute to soft drinks while also creating self-employment to Adivasis and traditional trappers was launched on Tuesday at Dahanu in Palghar district of Maharashtra, a state with more than 50 lakh palm trees.
KVIC distributed tool kits for extraction of Neera and making palmgur to 200 local artisans who were given 7 days of training by KVIC. A tool kit worth Rs 15,000 comprises food-grade stainless steel Kadhai, perforated molds, canteen burners, and other equipment like knives, rope, and axes for extraction of Neera. The initiative will provide direct employment to 400 local traditional trappers.
Neera, extracted from the palm trees before sunrise, is a nutrient-rich health drink consumed in many Indian states. However, due to the lack of institutionalized market technique, the commercial production and large scale marketing of Neera has not commenced yet. The project has been rolled out on the initiative of Union Minister of MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari who is also exploring the feasibility of engaging some big players of the state to start using Neera as soft drinks to make it commercially useful.
There are approximately 10 crore palm trees across the country. Further, a wide range of products like candies, milk chocolates, palm cola, ice-cream, and traditional sweets can be produced from Neera if properly marketed. At present palmgur, Neera worth Rs 500 crore is traded in the country. The turnover is likely to increase manifold with the commercial production of Neera.
The KVIC has prepared a detailed project report on the production of Neera and Palmgur (jaggery). It is proposed to start a standardized collection, processing, and packing of Neera under controlled conditions to prevent it from fermentation. The processed Neera, through the cold chain, is intended to reach the B2C supply chain.
At the same time, Neera has high export potential as it is also consumed in countries like Sri Lanka, Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar. India has an abundance of palm fields in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that can make India a leading producer of Neera globally.

Source: PIB

4) Sports Ministry to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE)

The Sports Ministry is all set to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) under the ministry’s flagship, Khelo India Scheme. One KISCE will be identified in each state and union territory, with an effort to create a robust sporting ecosystem in the entire country. In the first leg, the Ministry has identified state-owned sports facilities in eight states of India, including, Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala, Telengana and the northeast states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland which will be upgraded into Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE).
The Khelo India State Centre of Excellence is being established to strengthen India’s pursuit of excellence in the Ölympics. Our effort is to scale up the best sporting facilities available in each state in India into academies of world-class standard, where athletes from all over the country will want to train in their specific discipline. The sporting facilities have been identified after in-depth analysis by a government committee. I am confident that this is a step in the right direction to tap talent from across the country and train them into elite athletes who can win medals for the country in all major international tournaments, and specifically the Olympics.
The process of selection of these sports facilities was started in October 2019, when each state and UT was asked to identify the best sports infrastructure available with them, their agencies, or any eligible agencies, which could be developed into a world-class sporting facility. Of the 15 proposals received and examined, 8 have been shortlisted based on the training facilities available in priority sports, infrastructure facilities, and champion produced by the center.
To upgrade the existing center to the KISCE, the government will extend a ‘Viability Gap Funding’ in sports science and technology support for sports disciplines practiced at the center and also bridge the gaps in requirement of sports equipment, expert coaches and high-performance managers. The support extended will be to Olympic sports, though support can be extended in sports science and allied fields in other sporting disciplines being run in the center.
The state and UT will run the center and build capacity to turn it into the world-class sporting facility and will be responsible for all aspects of management of the center including, boarding, lodging, and maintenance, while funds for critical gaps such as expert coaches, support staff, equipment, infrastructure will be extended through the Khelo India Scheme.
The eight centers will be given a grant based on the actual amount finalized as per the requirement indicated after a comprehensive gap analysis study. In a bid to broad-base talent identification, the states and UTs will also identify and develop talent in each sport for which funding is received at the center. The Sports Authority of India will extend expertise, resources, and a monitoring system to ensure that the level of performance of the athletes improves to international standards.

Source: PIB

5) India elected as a non-permanent member of United Nations Security Council

India elected as a non-permanent member of United Nations Security Council
The election for five non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is being held on 17th June 2020.

Key Points

India’s Election:

India is standing unopposed as the nominee for the Asia-Pacific seat, for the 2021-22 term and needs the vote of two-thirds of UNGA members (129 votes) to be confirmed.
In 2019, the candidature of India was unanimously endorsed by the 55-member Asia-Pacific grouping, which also included China and Pakistan.
This would be India's eighth term in the UNSC which will begin from January 2021.
Contenders for Other Seats:

Mexico is expected to be elected unopposed for the Latin American group.
Canada, Ireland, and Norway will contend for two seats of the West European and Others Group (WEOG).
Kenya and Djibouti will contend for an African seat.

India’s Commitment at UNSC: In its campaign brochure, India had highlighted:

Its commitment to multilateralism.

India’s objective will be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S: a New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.
A reformed multilateralism and multilateral system are essential to ensure that the international system is inclusive and caters to the requirements of all countries.

Demand for transparency in mandates for UN peacekeeping missions.
Push for the Indian-led Comprehensive Convention for International Terrorism (CCIT). CCIT includes the following major objectives:

To have a universal definition of terrorism that all 193-members of the UNGA will adopt into their own criminal law.
To ban all terror groups and shut down terror camps.
To prosecute all terrorists under special laws.
To make cross-border terrorism an extraditable offense worldwide.

Joint efforts for UN reform and the expansion of the UNSC.

India has been at the forefront to reform the UNSC, saying it rightly deserves a place as a permanent member of the UNSC, which in its current form does not represent the geo-political realities of the 21st century.

Benefits of India’s Membership at UNSC:

India’s presence in the UNSC will ensure that the voice of the largest democracy in the world (with strong multilateral credentials) will be heard in an important organ of the United Nations.
India has always had a global voice and this will give India a greater opportunity to participate actively and shape the Covid-19 and post-Covid scenario.
Its presence in the UNSC will help bring to the world its ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’-the world is one family.
The Global South has its development and security aspirations and India will help articulate these aspirations in the Council across different issues.

Issues Involved:

Winning the maximum votes at the General Assembly this time will be a little hard for India due to:

Rising tensions in relations with both Pakistan and China.
Criticism from Turkey, Malaysia, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over the government’s decision on scrapping Article 370 as well as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.

United Nation Security Council

The United Nations Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Article 23 of the UN Charter concerns the composition of the UNSC.

The UNSC has been given primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council, which may meet whenever peace is threatened.
While other organs of the United Nations make recommendations to member states, only the Security Council has the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the Charter.
Permanent and Non-Permanent Members

The UNSC is composed of 15 Members:

Five permanent members: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.

Selection of Non-permanent Members of Security Council

Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of ten in total) for a two-year term. The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis:

Five for African and Asian countries.
One for Eastern European countries.
Two for Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Two for Western Europe and other countries.

Source: The Hindu

6) Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region: MoES

Recently, the first Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region has been published by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

It is India’s first-ever national forecast on the impact of global warming on the subcontinent in the coming century.
These projections, based on a climate forecasting model developed at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, will be part of the next report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), expected to be ready in 2022.
This is a significant step for climate science and policy in India because existing projections are put in the context of historical trends in land and ocean temperatures, monsoon rainfall, floods, droughts, and Himalayan warming and glacier loss.

Key Points

Temperature:

In a worst-case scenario, average surface air temperatures over India could rise by up to 4.4°C by the end of the century as compared to the period between 1976 and 2005.

The worst-case scenario is defined by the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 that calculates a radiative forcing of 8.5 watt per square meter due to the rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere.
Radiative forcing or climate forcing is the difference between sunlight energy absorbed by the Earth (including its atmosphere) and the energy that it radiates back into space.

Under an intermediate scenario of RCP 4.5, the country’s average temperature could rise by up to 2.4°C.

The rise in temperatures will be even more pronounced in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region where the average could reach 5.2°C.
The region is already highly vulnerable to climate-related variability in temperatures, rainfall, and snowfall.

By 2100, the frequency of warm days and warm nights might also increase by 55% and 70% respectively, as compared to the period 1976-2005 under the RCP 8.5 scenario.
The incidences of heat waves over the country could also increase by three to four times. Their duration of occurrence might also increase which was already witnessed by the country in 2019.
Between 1900 and 2018, the average temperatures of India rose by 0.7°C.

This rise in temperatures has been largely attributed to global warming due to GHG emissions and land use and land cover changes.
However, it has also been slightly reduced by the rising aerosol emissions in the atmosphere that have an overall cooling characteristic.

The latest global climate change assessments indicate a rise in worldwide average surface air temperatures by 5°C by the end of the century if human activities keep emitting GHGs at the current rate.

The global average temperature in the last century has gone up by 1.1°C, according to the latest estimates by the IPCC.

Even if the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) declared by countries under the Paris Agreement 2015 are met, the global average temperature could rise by around 3°C, which could be disastrous.

Rainfall:

Another significant highlight of the assessment is the projected variability in the rainfall, especially during the monsoon season which brings 70% of the rainfall received by India and is one of the primary drivers of its rural agrarian economy.
Monsoon rainfall could change by an average of 14% by 2100 which could go as high as 22.5%. It is not mentioned if this change will be an increase or a decrease but still represents variability.
Overall rainfall during the monsoon season has decreased by 6% between 1950 and 2015.
In the past few decades, there has been an increased frequency of dry spells during the monsoon season that has increased by 27% between 1981-2011, as compared to 1951-1980.
The intensity of wet spells has also increased over the country, with central India receiving 75% more extreme rainfall events between 1950 and 2015.

For example Monsoon seasons of 2018 and 2019 where dry spells were broken by extremely heavy rainfall spells, creating a flood and drought cycle in many regions in India.

Source: Down To Earth

7) Land Use Changes

According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the land-use change, which prepares the ground for zoonoses like Covid-19, should be reversed.
Land-use change promotes zoonoses like Covid-19 as the interaction and physical distance between animals and humans get closer.

Key Points

Land Use Change:

Land-use change is a process that transforms the natural landscape by direct human-induced land use such as settlements, commercial and economic uses, and forestry activities.
It impacts the overall environment in terms of greenhouse gas emission, land degradation, and climate change.

Data Analysis:

Land-use change can be a factor in CO2 (carbon dioxide) atmospheric concentration and is thus a contributor to global climate change.

It represents almost 25% of total global emissions.

According to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), over 70% of all-natural, ice-free land in the world is affected by human use.

This could further rise to 90% by 2050.

Land degradation affects 3.2 billion people worldwide.
Ecosystem services e.g. forest, agriculture, grassland tourism, etc. worth $10.6 trillion are lost due to land degradation annually.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, by 2050, over 500 million hectares area of new agricultural land will be needed to meet the global food demand.

Possible Reasons:

Population Growth: Fast population growth and the consequent high pressure on resources hurt the existing natural resources of the land area.
Encroachment of Land: Substantial increase in demand for food has resulted in an expansion of croplands by encroaching on uncultivated areas including forest, shrub, and wetlands.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change and land, agricultural land for food, animal feed, and fiber is behind the land-use change.

Use of Forest Resource: Continuous and exhaustive thinning of forestry resources for diverse uses, particularly for construction, firewood, and agricultural tools led to the degradation of forest cultivated land.
Grazing at Cultivated Land: Farmers often abandon and leave the cultivated land for grazing purposes due to the decline of its soil fertility status.
Destruction of Wetlands: The conversion of the wetland to the cultivated and settlement land leads to the destruction of wetlands.

Solutions:

Climate Smart Land Management Practices: According to a report by IPCC on land use, increased food production, improved cropland management, livestock management, agroforestry, increased soil organic carbon content and reduced post-harvest losses would help in ecosystem conservation and land restoration.

These management practices could deliver up to $1.4 trillion in increased crop production.

Forest Management: Improved fire management and improved grazing land can help in land restoration.
Restore and Rehabilitate: To achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3), additional commitments in the land-use sector, namely to restore and rehabilitate 12 million hectares of degraded land per year could help close the emissions gap by up to 25% in the year 2030.

The restoration of these areas as part of building back better to avoid future zoonoses would bring other crucial benefits, particularly mitigating climate change.

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21.
Focus Areas: The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
From India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry for this Convention.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020

June 17 is observed worldwide as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
Theme: Food, Feed, Fibre which seeks to educate individuals on how to reduce the impact of food consumption.
According to the United Nations, 2020 Desertification and Drought Day focus on the links between consumption and land.
This year’s ‘global observance event’ is being hosted virtually by the Korea Forest Service.

Zoonoses

It is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans.
Animals thus play an essential role in maintaining zoonotic infections in nature.
Zoonoses may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic.

Way Forward

The urgency to slow down and reverse land-use change cannot be overstated as land is a critical component of biodiversity.
The land-use sector is critical to achieving the aim of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 2°C.
Responsible land governance is key to provide an enabling environment for ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, land use-based adaptation, and improving the livelihoods of many small-scale farmers.
Parties to the UNCCD have the opportunity to adopt an ambitious resolution on land holdings for Land Degradation Neutrality. They must use this opportunity to empower communities to better adapt to the impacts of the climate emergency.

Source: Down To Earth

8) Forest Fires

Recently, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Kerala Forest Department to submit its report in one month, on the steps taken to prevent forest fires and implement the National Action Plan on Forest Fire in the State.

Key Points

Forest Fires:

Fire can play a vital role in keeping the forests healthy, recycling nutrients, helping tree species regenerate, removing invasive weeds and pathogens, and maintaining habitat for some wildlife.
As populations and demands on forest resources have grown, the cycle of the fire has spun out of balance.
Forest fires have become an issue of global concern. In many countries, wildfires are burning larger areas, and fire seasons are growing longer due to global warming.
Globally, forest fires release billions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, while hundreds of thousands of people are believed to die due to illnesses caused by exposure to smoke from forest fires and other landscape fires.

Reasons for Forest Fires:

Thunderstorms are the most likely natural cause for forest fires.
The dry deciduous forests in central and southern India face 5 to 6 months of the dry period and are vulnerable to fires.

The reasons are mainly manmade, particularly in cases where people visit forests and leave burning bidis, cigarette stubs, or other inflammable materials.

A major reason for forest fires in north-east India is slash-and-burn cultivation, commonly called jhum cultivation.

The north-east has tropical evergreen forests that are not likely to catch fire easily on their own like the dry deciduous forests of central and southern India.

India’s Initiative to Tackle Forest Fire:

National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF):

It was launched in 2018 to minimize forest fires by informing, enabling, and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivizing them to work with the State Forest Departments.
The plan also intends to substantially reduce the vulnerability of forests across diverse forest ecosystems in the country against fire hazards.
It also aims to enhance the capabilities of forest personnel and institutions in fighting fires and swift recovery after fire incidents.

Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme:

The Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FPM) is the only centrally funded program specifically dedicated to assisting the states in dealing with forest fires.
The FPM replaced the Intensification of Forest Management Scheme (IFMS) in 2017.
Funds allocated under the FPM are according to a center-state cost-sharing formula, with a 90:10 ratio of central to state funding in the Northeast and Western Himalayan regions and a 60:40 ratio for all other states.
It also provides the states to have the flexibility to direct a portion of the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Mission for Green India (GIM) funding toward forest firework.

India has set ambitious policy goals for improving the sustainability of its forests.

As part of the National Mission for Green India under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, the government has committed to increasing forest and tree cover.
Under its Nationally Determined Contribution, India has committed to bringing 33% of its geographical area under forest cover and to create additional sinks of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tons worth of CO2 stored in its forests by 2030.

Source: The Hindu

9) Jal Jeevan Mission

Recently, the Jal Shakti Ministry has announced that the laborers returning to their home states due to covid-19, will be deployed for the Jal Jeevan Mission.

The Jal Jeevan Mission aims for providing piped drinking water to all rural households by 2024.
The Jal Shakti Ministry is the nodal ministry for the implementation of the scheme.

Key Points

The Jal Shakti Ministry has directed various States that returning labor, especially those working in the construction sector (skilled, unskilled, and semi-skilled), may be deployed to expedite the completion of works under the scheme.
Significance:

It is an arrangement that could provide employment to currently unemployed workers.
The mission is being used as a way to ameliorate some of the effects of the mass migration of inter-State workers back to their home States in the wake of the Covid -19 pandemic.

Need:

Huge Demand for Work: It has been created because of workers returning to their home states from different parts of the country.

It is clear from the fact that allocations under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have already been hiked by ₹40,000 crores over and above the ₹60,000 crores allocated.
While the MGNREGA is an old program, the new Jal Jeevan Mission also has funds.

Tap Water Connections: There is a need for tap water connections in several households under the mission.

A revalidation exercise of households and status of tap water found that out of 19.04 crore rural households in the country, 3.23 crore households had tap connections and 15.81 crore households have to be provided functional tap connections.
Apart from the ₹11,000 crores in the budget, ₹12,000 crores have been allocated from extra-budgetary allowances, and 50% of the ₹60,750 crores allocated by the 15th Finance Commission for rural local bodies are tied to grants for water bodies and sanitation.

Construction Sector: Skill mapping by various State governments has shown that a majority of inter-State workers returning home are from the construction sector.

In Uttar Pradesh alone, 16 lakh out of the 18 lakh migrant labor mapped till now are from this sector.
The State has assured funding of ₹3,382 crores under the Jal Jeevan Mission which would be utilized in providing employment in rural areas to returning migrants.

Jal Jeevan Mission

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) envisages supply of 55 liters of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.
JJM focuses on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level.
The creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and management of household wastewater for reuse, would be undertaken in convergence with other government programs/schemes.
The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education, and Communication as a key component of the mission.
JJM looks to create a Jan Andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority.
Funding Pattern: The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.
The total allocation to the scheme is over ₹3 lakh crore.

Jal Shakti Ministry

The government has created a new ministry called ‘Jal Shakti’ after merging Ministries of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation along with Drinking Water and Sanitation.
‘Jal Shakti’ ministry will encompass issues ranging from providing clean drinking water, international and inter-state water disputes, to the Namami Gange project aimed at cleaning Ganga and its tributaries, and sub-tributaries.
The ministry will roll out the government’s ambitious plan (‘Nal se Jal’ scheme under Jal Jeevan Plan) to provide a piped water connection to every household in India by 2024.

Way Forward

While the National Skill Development Mission was successful to create a pool of manpower skilled in masonry, plumbing, fitting, electricity, etc, there is a growing realization that returning inter-State labor could be deployed in different sectors due to to to the prevailing situation of Covid -19.
There is a need to encourage all States to consider the existing skill development plans and provide employment to migrant workers.
There is a requirement of a strategic framework to provide the returning citizens with suitable employment opportunities through discussions with key stakeholders including State Governments, Industry Associations, and Employers.

Source: The Hindu

10) First Bell: Kerala

Recently, the Kerala Government has started a virtual class initiative called ‘First Bell’.
The virtual classes for state school students are being organized so that education is imparted amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Key Points

Classes are being streamed on a free, public-run television channel available on cable networks, direct-to-home services, and over the internet.

The government is using the KITE VICTORS channel.
Further, almost all villages in Kerala have at least one common center, be it Anganwadi, a reading room or sports club, for the education department to set up a classroom.

The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) has brought out the timetable for conducting the classes.
The modules for different classes have been prepared by agencies under the General Education Department such as the State Council of Educational Research and Training, KITE, Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK), and the State Institute of Educational Technology.
Challenges: The classes were started on trial mode from 1st June 2020. The online classes brought to focus the digital divide in the state.

Kerala has around 45 lakh students following the state board syllabus. However, a survey revealed that 2.61 lakh students don’t have access to TV or smartphone, making them out of the network of online classes. Such students were in most destitute families mainly in remote villages and tribal areas.

Interventions: With the government and civil society interventions, the 2.61 lakh number has reduced to 1.20 lakh.

Local businessman provided TV sets as part of a ‘TV challenge’ launched by the State’s Industries department.
MLAs were allowed to use their local development fund to buy TVs and laptops for students.

Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education

The IT@School Project was started in 2001-02 to promote ICT enabled education in the schools in the State. IT@School was transformed into KITE in August 2017.
The VICTERS (Versatile ICT Enabled Resource for Students) channel under KITE was set up in 2005 and it is the first complete educational Channel in the country.

It strongly reflects India's commitment to using space technology (EDUSAT) for national development, especially for the development of the population in remote and rural locations.

Source: The Hindu

11) 10th Schedule of the Constitution

The Supreme Court has asked the Goa Assembly Speaker to respond to a plea filed by the opposition Congress party to decide on the disqualification proceedings against 10 legislators who joined the ruling BJP in July last year.

What’s the issue?

In July last year 10 MLAs, purportedly claiming to form a two-third of Indian National Congress (INC), decided to merge the said legislative party with the BJP and accordingly addressed a communication to that effect to the Speaker.
Based on the communication, the Speaker took note of the “alleged merger of INC’s legislative party in the Goa Legislative Assembly, and allotted the 10 seats in the Assembly along with the members of the BJP”.
However, petitioners contended that the legislators in question have incurred disqualification under Article 191(2) of the Constitution, read with para 2 of the Tenth Schedule (defection), and are liable to be disqualified as members of the Legislative Assembly.

What is the anti-defection law?

The Tenth Schedule was inserted in the Constitution in 1985 by the 52nd Amendment Act.
It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House.
The decision on the question as to disqualification on ground of defection is referred to as the Chairman or the Speaker of such House, and his decision is final.
The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies.

Disqualification:

If a member of a house belonging to a political party:

Voluntarily gives up the membership of his political party, or
Votes, or does not vote in the legislature, contrary to the directions of his political party. However, if the member has taken prior permission, or is condoned by the party within 15 days from such voting or abstention, the member shall not be disqualified.
If an independent candidate joins a political party after the election.
If a nominated member joins a party six months after he becomes a member of the legislature.

Exceptions under the law:

Legislators may change their party without the risk of disqualification in certain circumstances.
The law allows a party to merge with or into another party provided that at least two-thirds of its legislators are in favor of the merger.
In such a scenario, neither the members who decide to merge nor the ones who stay with the original party will face disqualification.

The decision of the Presiding Officer is subject to judicial review:

The law initially stated that the decision of the Presiding Officer is not subject to judicial review. This condition was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1992, thereby allowing appeals against the Presiding Officer’s decision in the High Court and Supreme Court. However, it held that there may not be any judicial intervention until the Presiding Officer gives his order.

Advantages of anti-defection law:

It provides stability to the government by preventing shifts of party allegiance.
Ensures that candidates remain loyal to the party as well as the citizens voting for him.
Promotes party discipline.
Facilitates merger of political parties without attracting the provisions of Anti-defection
Expected to reduce corruption at the political level.
It provides for punitive measures against a member who defects from one party to another.

Various Recommendations to overcome the challenges posed by the law:

Dinesh Goswami Committee on electoral reforms: Disqualification should be limited to the following cases:

A member voluntarily gives up the membership of his political party A member abstains from voting, or votes contrary to the party whip in a motion of vote of confidence or motion of no-confidence. Political parties could issue whips only when the government was in danger.

Law Commission (170th Report):

Provisions that exempt splits and mergers from disqualification to be deleted. Pre-poll electoral fronts should be treated as political parties under anti-defection. Political parties should limit the issuance of whips to instances only when the government is in danger.

Election Commission:

Decisions under the Tenth Schedule should be made by the President/ Governor on the binding advice of the Election Commission.

Source: The Hindu

12) Supplying washed coal

Daily Current Affairs 18 June 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

The government had recently amended the Environment Protection Act to drop the mandatory washing of coal supplied to thermal power plants.
This notification undid the government’s 2016 order, which made coal washing mandatory for supply to all thermal units more than 500 km from the mine as part of its climate-change commitments.

What’s the issue?

Few experts had opposed this move. They said the notification would “undo whatever limited progress” was made so far in reducing pollution load at coal-based power stations.
However, the government defended its move and has questioned those opposing, “How is coal not dirty within 500 km, and how does it become dirty after 500 km?”

What was the rationale behind the mandatory washing requirement?

From January 2014 onwards, the Environment Ministry had been working towards “progressive reduction” of distance that unwashed coal would travel, keeping in view that ultimately all coals, irrespective of the distance from supplying mines, will have to be washed and comply with less than 34 percent ash limit.

This was done in line with the country’s stand in climate change negotiations – not to reduce coal consumption and rather focus on emission control.
Washing coal increases the efficiency and quality of dry fuel.
In theory, a process like coal washing was supposed to be good for everyone; thermal power plants would have fewer operational problems due to poor coal quality.
The combustion of washed coal would be better from emissions and local air pollution perspective, and the unnecessary transport of large amounts of ash and non-combustible material would be minimized.
This was ultimately aimed at the protection of the environment.

Why the present government decided to do away with this?

Agreeing that coal washing does not help reduce emissions, the power ministry has said that “coal rejects from washery find their way into the market for use by industries and create pollution”.
It said washing of coal is unable to meet its intended objective as “it merely localizes the pollution around coal mines which otherwise would have been distributed over larger areas”.
It has also pointed out that the process of coal washing is cumbersome and costly. It also leads to a reduction in the calorific value of the coal as well.

Way ahead:

The power ministry has instead batted for pollution control technologies at power generation units.

Under the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board, plants with close to 50 gigawatts of thermal power capacity need to install emission control systems.
It would also be beneficial to use raw coal instead of washed coal.
With the use of supercritical technology in power plants, technological improvement to arrest emissions, unwashed coal can be used efficiently and economically using washed coal which makes power generation costlier.

Source: The Hindu