‘Martyrdom Day’ of Guru Teg Bahadur
The ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur dedicated
his life to the betterment of humankind and to promote a sense of unity,
service and fraternity in the society. He worked to alleviate the sufferings of
the people and fought against oppression. For this reason, Guru Teg Bahadur is
aptly called ‘Hind Di Chadar’.
27 E-Lok Adalat’s organized in 15
States
The global pandemic has fundamentally changed the
way in which the Legal Services Institutions function. To facilitate access to
justice amidst the constraints placed by Covid-19 and various public health
guidelines, the Legal Services Authorities have ingeniously integrated
technology into its conventional methods of justice delivery.
Online Lok Adalat popularly known as E -Lok
Adalat is one such innovation of Legal Services Institutions where technology
has been used to its maximum advantage and has become a platform to deliver
justice at the doorstep of people. E- Lok Adalats are also cost effective
as it eliminates the need for organisational expenses.
In the period of turbulence caused by the
pandemic, Legal Services Authorities creatively adapted to the new normal and
moved Lok Adalat to the virtual platform. From June, 2020 to October 2020 –
- 27 E-Lok Adalats have been organized in 15 States wherein 4.83
lakh cases were taken up and 2.51 lakh cases disposed of resulting in
settlement of Rs 1409 cr.
- Further, during November 2020, E-Lok Adalats have been organized
in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Telangana so far wherein
16,651 cases were taken up and 12,686 disposed of resulting in settlement
of Rs 107.4 cr.
About Lok Adalats
- Organised by Legal Services Authorities, Lok Adalats (State as
well as National) are an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mode wherein
pre-litigation and pending cases in the courts are disposed on the basis
of amicable settlement without any expense on the part of litigants.
- It is free of cost and expeditious method of bringing litigating
parties on the same side and saving them from the rigours of trial under
adversarial system of adjudication which is generally perceived to be time
consuming, complex and costly.
- Lok Adalats are also instrumental in reducing the burden on
arrears of the court disposal of long pending litigation between the
parties.
Significance of Alternative Dispute Resolution
(ADR’s)
- Reduce workload on the courts given that today about 3.3 crore
cases are pending in Indian courts (National Judicial Data Grid data).
- Speedy disposal of cases thus timely justice by avoiding
procedural delays associated with formal court system and thus fulfil
fundamental right of speedy trial part of Article 21.
- Access to justice is improved as cost and time of litigation
comes down thus duty of providing free legal aid to poor is met (39A).
- Saves common man from complex and adverse judicial process.
- ADR process offers confidentiality. Help preserve important
social relationships for disputants especially in civil matters like
divorce.
- To promote governance. Ex: Administrative Tribunals, National
Company Law Tribunal, National Green Tribunal and others.
Issues related to ADR’s-
- Lack of manpower
- Lack of experts
- Arbitrary procedure
- Appeals to regular courts
Union Minister of Education inaugurates
46 online ATAL Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) organised by AICTE
- To train teachers of higher education institutions associated
with All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) in thrust and
emerging areas in technology. The FDPs will be conducted in 22 Indian
states.
- Book of World Records, London acknowledges the training of over
one lakh people in 1,000 programs under ‘FDP’ as a world record
- The main objective of ATAL Academy is to provide quality technical
education in the country and to promote research and entrepreneurship
through training in various emerging fields. IITs, IIITs, NITs CU and
research labs are organizing these ATAL FDPs
Lachit Diwas
- Celebrated after: Lachit Borphukan
- He was an outstanding leader and strategist, who played a pivotal
role in protecting the unique culture of Assam.
- He also worked extensively towards empowering the poor and
downtrodden.
NIVAR:
Deep Depression
intensifies into a Cyclonic Storm “NIVAR” over southwest Bay of Bengal
- Cyclones are low-pressure systems that form over warm tropical
waters, with gale force winds near the centre.
- The winds can extend hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the eye
of the storm.
- Cyclones can unleash catastrophic storm surges — tsunami-like
flooding — when they make landfall.
- The term “storm surge” refers to rising seas whipped up by a
storm, creating a wall of water several metres higher than the normal tide
level
- The tropical cyclone season in the Bay of Bengal and neighbouring
Arabian Sea has two peaks around May and November, according to the World
Meteorological Organisation.
Inauguration of a Mega Food Park in
Punjab: It is expected to
benefit about 25000 farmers and likely to generate employment of about 5000
persons.
A 10,000-crore fund has been created under
Aatmanirbhar Bharat, for development of food processing sector which will benefit farmers
and create employment opportunities. Till date, 37 MFPs have been sanctioned
and 20 have already started functioning.
The scheme for Creation of
Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster (APC) has been approved under the
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana
- To incentivize the setting up of agro processing clusters in the
country
- This scheme aims at development of modern infrastructure to
encourage entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on cluster
approach.
- These clusters will help in reducing the wastage of the surplus
produce and add value to the horticultural / agricultural produce which
will result in increase of income of the farmers and create employment at
the local level.
Cabinet approves Memorandum of
Understanding on cooperation in the field of Physical Culture and Sport among
BRICS Countries
- Cooperation in the field of sports among the five countries will
help in expanding knowledge and expertise in the area of sports science,
sports medicine, coaching techniques etc, which would result in
improvement in performance of our sportspersons in international
tournaments and strengthening of bilateral relations with BRICS member
countries.
- Benefits arising from cooperation in the field of sports among
the five countries would be equally applicable to all sportspersons irrespective
of their caste, creed, region, religion and gender.
Cabinet approves the Memorandum of
Understanding between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
and the Vereniging van Register controllers (VRC), the Netherlands
The MoU would help instrengthening and
development of the Accounting, Financial and Audit Knowledge Base between the
Netherlands and India.
Implementation strategy and Targets:
- ICAI and VRC will work together to hold and conduct Technical
Events, Seminars, Conferences in the Netherlands;
- To establish possible co-operation in respect of Member
Management, Professional Ethics, Technical Research, Continuing
Professional Education; Professional Accountancy Training, Education and
Examinations, as well as the Institutional Capacity Building of the
Accountancy profession;
- To offer short term professional courses in the domain of
Accounting, Finance, Information Technology and Audit in the Netherlands;
- To discuss potential emerging developments in form of Students
and Faculty Exchange programmes;
- Share available unrestricted information concerning the
accountancy profession in India and the Netherlands and internationally
when required.
Benefits:
The engagement between the premier Institutes of
both the countries would help to generate greater employment opportunities for
Indian Chartered Accountants and also greater remittances back to India.
Impact:
ICAI has a strong membership base of over 1500
members in the European region and around 80 members in the Netherlands. The
contemplated MoU, for providing assistance to VRC, the Netherlands, shall
benefit the ICAl members in the region and would provide an additional impetus
to prospects of the ICAI members to get professional opportunitiesin the
Netherlands.
3rd Global Renewable Energy Investment
Meeting and Expo (RE-Invest 2020):
- Theme: Innovations for Sustainable Energy Transition
- A 3-day conference on renewables and future energy choices, and
an exhibition of manufacturers, developers, investors and innovators
- Aims to accelerate the worldwide effort to scale up development
and deployment of renewable energy and connect the global investment
community with Indian energy stakeholders.
- It aims to build upon the success of the first two editions held
in 2015 and 2018 and provide an international forum for investment
promotion in renewable energy.
Launch of National Portal for
Transgender Persons
- Has been developed within 2 months of Notification of Transgender
Persons (Protectionof Rights) Rules, 2020
- Would help a transgender person in applying for a Certificate and
Identity card digitally from anywhere in the country.
- The most important benefit is that it helps the transgender
person to get the I-Card without any physical interface and without having
to visit any office.
- Through the Portal, they can monitor the status of their
application that ensures transparency in the process. The issuing
authorities are also under strict timelines to process the applications
and issue certificates and identity cards without any necessary
delays.
- Once the Certificate and I-card are issued, the applicant can
download them from the Portal itself. In case of delay or rejection, the
applicant has the options to submit grievances through the Portal which
are forwarded to the concerned person and will be resolved at the
earliest.
Inauguration of Garima Greh: A Shelter Home for
Transgender Persons
- Will be run in association with Lakshya Trust, a Community based
organisation entirely run by the Transgenders.
- The purpose of the Shelter Home is to provide shelter to
Transgender persons, with basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care
and recreational facilities.
- Besides, it will provide support for the capacity-building/skill
development of persons in the Community, which will enable them to lead a
life of dignity and respect.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights)
Act, 2019
It came into effect on 10th January 2020 which is
the first concrete step towards ensuring welfare of Transgender persons.
- To implement the provisions of the Act the Ministry of Social
Justice & Empowerment issued the Transgender Persons (Protection of
Rights) Rules, 2020 which have been notified in the Gazzette of
India.
- The Rules ensure that comprehensive welfare measures reach the
Transgender Community and help them come into the mainstream of the
Society.
- The right to self-perceived gender identity and the procedure to
issue the Transgender certificate and Identity card has been defined in
the Rules.
- The process has been made smooth and hassle free to ensure that
Transgender persons are able to attain their self-perceived identity card
without any inconvenience.
National Council for Transgender Persons
constituted
- National Council for Transgender Persons has been recently
constituted.
- Ministry: The Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment.
Key takeaways
- Council’s chairperson: The Social Justice Minister.
- Members:
- Officials from some other Ministries.
- Five nominated members from the transgender community.
- Associated Act: Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights)
Act, 2019.
- Functions:
- Advising the central government on the formulation of policies,
with respect to transgender persons
- Monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies
- Reviewing and coordinating the activities of all the departments
- Redressing grievances of transgender persons
- Performing other functions as prescribed by the Centre.
Lok Virasat: A festival of films
on folk art and painting by Films Division
71st Constitution Day
Constitution Day also known as ‘Samvidhan Divas’
is celebrated in our country on 26th November every year, to
commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India.
By: The Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment
Objective: The aim is to publicize the glorious and
rich composite culture and diversity of our nation. Further, it aims to create
awareness of Fundamental Duties as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. As
citizens of our great nation, we believe firmly in Gandhian thought that ‘The
true source of rights is duty. If we all discharge our duties, rights will not
be far to seek’ and as said by Sardar Patel, ‘Every Indian should forget that
he is a Rajput, a Sikh, or a Jaat. He must remember that he is an Indian and he
has every right in his country but with certain duties’.
Timeline:
- On December 6, 1949 the Constitution Assembly was formed and its
first meeting was held on December 9. Rajendra Prasad was appointed its
President and H C Mukherjee its vice-chairman.
- On August 29, 1947, the drafting committee appointed Ambedkar as
its chairman and six other members — Munshi N Gopalaswami Ayyangar,
Khaitan, Mitter, Muhammed Sadulla, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer.
- The members of the Constituent Assembly signed two hand-written
copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on January 24,
1950.
- On November 26, 1949, the Constitution of India was adopted by
the Assembly.
- On January 26, 1950, the Constitution was enforced.
- The words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ were added to the preamble
post the emergency in 1976.
- When the Constitution was adopted in the year 1949, there were no
provisions regarding Fundamental Duties to the Citizens though there was a
Part III for Fundamental Rights. The Fundamental Duties of citizens were
added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, upon the
recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee that was
constituted by the Government. The Committee suggested that steps needed
to be taken to ensure that the individual did not overlook his duties
while in exercise of his Fundamental Rights.
India’s constitution is the longest written
constitution in the world containing 395 Articles, 22 Parts and 12
Schedules. It took around 2 years, 11 months and 17 days to complete the
Constitution.
At the beginning of each part of the
Constitution, Nandalal Bose has depicted a phase or scene from
India’s national experience and history.
After the Constitution was passed, the historic
session of the Constituent Assembly ended with the singing of the National
Anthem “Jana-gana-mana adhinayaka Jai Hey, Bharat Bhagya Vidhata,” by Purnima
Banerjee, a veteran freedom fighter and sister of the late freedom fighter,
Aruna Asaf Ali.
People of India are the ultimate custodians of
the Constitution. It is in them that sovereignty vests and it is in their name
that the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution empowers the citizen, but
the citizen too empowers the Constitution – by following it, by adhering to it,
by protecting it, and by persevering to make it more meaningful with words and
deeds. The Constitution is nobody’s preserve – and it is everybody’s preserve.
The Preamble to the Constitution of India
“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly
resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and
worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual
and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day
of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS
CONSTITUTION.”
The Constitution of India declares India a
sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizen’s
justice, equality and liberty and endeavours to promote fraternity.
Some of the shaping factors of the Constitution:
- British colonial rule and the Freedom struggle: The
oppression leading to the enhanced importance of the rights of citizens
like civil liberties (freedom of speech), etc., and through the freedom
struggle has shaped the vision of the constitution.
- INC session of Karachi’s resolution on Fundamental
rights and National economic programme and other similar events.
- British governance Acts for India: Starting
from the Regulating Act of 1773 till the Indian Independence Act of 1947,
especially Government of India Act of 1935
- International events: French revolution (Republic,
ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity), Russian revolution (ideals
of justice), etc., has led to the increased importance and expansion of
rights.
- Indian philosophy and thinkers: Like Gandhi’s
philosophy leading to the self-government institutions i.e, PRI
(article 40 under DPSP), etc. Nehru report of 1928, the first attempt in
drafting the Constitutional scheme indigenously had most of the present
document’s ideals like fundamental rights, responsible government at the
centre and in states, etc.
Thus, the Constitution is a gradually evolved
document over a period of time and was carefully articulated by the constituent
assembly.
India and Finland sign MOU for
developing cooperation in the field of environmental protection and
biodiversity conservation
The MoU is a platform to
- Further advance Indian and Finnish partnership and support
- Exchange best practices in areas like prevention of Air and water
pollution
- Waste management
- Promotion of circular economy, low-carbon solutions and
sustainable management of natural resources including forests
- Climate change
- Conservation of Marine and Coastal Resources
The MoU also provides the possibility to have
joint projects in areas of mutual interest. The MoU will strengthen
technological, scientific and management capabilities and develop bilateral
cooperation in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity
conservation on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit with due
respect to promotion of sustainable development.
About India
India has achieved its voluntary target of
reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 21% over 2005 levels, by 2020 and is
poised to achieve 35% reduction well before the target year of 2030.
As part of its Nationally Determined
Contributions submitted under the Paris Agreement, India has taken three
quantitative climate change goals viz.
- Reduction in the emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product by
33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level
- Achieving about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed
capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030
- Creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of
carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030
UNDP and Invest India launch the SDG
Investor Map for India
UNDP and Invest India have launched the SDG
Investor Map for India, laying out 18 Investment Opportunities Areas (IOAs) in
six critical SDG enabling sectors, that can help India push the needle forward
on Sustainable Development.
With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the
financing gap for the SDGs in India has only widened further and decades of
development progress is nearly on the verge of reversal. Investing in the SDGs
at this point is crucial to ‘Building Back Better’ and making the economy and our
societies more resilient and sustainable. Enhanced productivity, technology
adoption and increased inclusion are all critical factors that this map uses to
identify the most attractive sectors for investors.
- Of the 18 IOAs identified, 10 are already mature investable areas
that have seen robust Private Equity and Venture Capital activity, and
feature companies that have been able to unlock scale and demonstrate
profitability. The remaining eight IOAs are emerging opportunities, which
have seen traction from early-stage investors.
- The map has also identified eight White Spaces, which have seen
investor interest and have the potential to grow into IOAs within a
5-6-year horizon. However, these require further policy support and
private sector participation to mature into commercially attractive IOAs.
- Nearly 50% of the shortlisted IOAs have historical investments
that have yielded IRRs in excess of 20%.
- 84% of the IOAs have investment timeframes ranging from the short
term (less than 5 years) to the medium-term (between 5- 15 years).
The observations from the map present a strong
case for investing in SDG enabling sectors and IOAs, bridging the gap between
high-level development targets and the need for commercially viable returns.
Moreover, investing in the SDGs is crucial to ‘Building Back Better’ from
COVID-19 and enhancing India’s resilience to future threats. Investing in
opportunities that enhance employment and employability, push forward the
inclusion of underserved communities and leverage technology will be of essence
to India as it grapples with the challenges of a post-COVID economy.
83% of the identified IOAs address job creation
and industrialization needs, 70% focus on inclusive business models and 50%
leverage digital technologies to deliver commercial returns and impact at
scale.
Notable IOAs include ‘Online Supplementary
Education for K12’ (Education), ‘Tech-Enabled Remote Care Services’
(Healthcare), ‘Digital Platforms to service input/output needs of farmers to
enable easy access to markets’ (Agriculture) and ‘Access to credit by Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises and Low-Income Groups especially through digital
platforms for Income Generating Purposes’ (Financial Services).
By mapping the overlaps and gaps between public
sector priorities and private sector interest, the SDG Investor Map lays out
pathways that can bring together private-sector investment and public sector
support for 6 SDG-enabling sectors including Education, Healthcare, Agriculture
& Allied Activities, Financial Services, Renewable Energy &
Alternatives and Sustainable Environment. These sectors and the IOAs within
them were selected through a rigorous analytical process that included
extensive consultations with a number of major domestic and international
investors, government stakeholders and think-tanks. This ensured that the Map’s
findings were truly reflective of market sentiment.
Extension of Emergency Guarantee Scheme
through ECLGS 2.0 for the 26 sectors identified by the Kamath Committee and the
healthcare sector Credit Line
Under ECLGS 2.0 entities with outstanding credit
above Rs. 50 crore and not exceeding Rs. 500 crore as on 29.2.2020, which were
less than or equal to 30 days past due as on 29.2.2020 are eligible. These
entities/borrower accounts shall be eligible for additional funding up to 20
per cent (which could be fund based or non-fund based or both) of their total
outstanding credit (fund based only) as a collateral free Guaranteed Emergency
Credit Line (GECL), which would be fully guaranteed by National Credit Guarantee
Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC). The loans provided under ECLGS 2.0 will have a
5-year tenor, with a 12-month moratorium on repayment of principal.
The modified Scheme while providing an incentive
to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) to enable availability of additional
funding facility to the eligible borrowers, both MSMEs/business enterprises and
identified sectors that supports MSMEs, will go a long way in contributing to
economic revival, protecting jobs, and create conducive environment for
employment generation.
National Organ Donation Day: 27 November
- With 12,666 organs transplanted in 2019, ranked third in the
world as per data available on the WHO Global Observatory on Donation and
Transplantation (GODT) website.
- Tamil Nadu has been adjudged the best in organ donation in the
country for the sixth consecutive year.
However, organ donations have always been
abysmally low in India. According to estimates, only 0.65 donations per million
population take place in the country, compared to 35 in Spain and 26 in the
US. A major reason for this shortage is the lack of awareness among people
about the process of donation.
Several myths associated with organ donations
also hamper the process in India, along with fears of disfigurement,
non-acceptance of brain death, religious beliefs and migrant workers not having
relatives on site to give consent. Several people are also under immense
pressure from family members who are against organ donations.
- The National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP) provides financial
grants for establishing ROTTOs and SOTTOs, to develop new and upgrade
existing retrieval and transplant centres, to set up regional and State
biomaterial centres and to provide immunosuppressive therapy to Below
Poverty Line (BPL) patients who have undergone organ transplantation in a
Government hospital.
- Further, financial support is also provided for hiring of
transplant coordinators by hospitals and for maintenance of brainstem dead
donors, when at least one organ is shared with a Government hospital.
BIS standards revised for two-wheeler
helmets
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has
issued the ‘Helmet for riders of Two Wheelers Motor Vehicles (Quality Control)
Order, 2020.’Protective Helmets for Two-Wheeler Riders have been included under
compulsory BIS certification and the publication of the Quality Control Order.
- As per the recommendations of the Committee, the BIS has revised
specifications through which it is expected to make lighter helmets. With
good competition in the Indian markets and with numerous helmet
manufacturers, now it is expected that the competition would enable for
good quality and lighter helmets demand.
- The total number of two-wheelers being manufactured in India
annually is nearly 1.7 crore.
- QCO would mean that only BIS certified two-wheeler helmets would
be manufactured and sold in the Country for two wheelers. This would help
in avoiding sale of low-quality two-wheeler helmets in the Country which
would in turn help in protecting citizens involved in two-wheeler
accidents from fatal injuries.
India Climate Change Knowledge Portal
launched
- Single point information source on Climate Action – provides
information on the different climate initiatives taken by various Line
Ministries enabling users to access updated status on these initiatives.
- The portal captures sector-wise adaptation and mitigation actions
that are being taken by the various line Ministries in one place including
updated information on their implementation.
- The knowledge portal will help in disseminating knowledge among
citizens about all the major steps Government is taking at both national
and international levels to address climate change issues.
- The eight major components included in the knowledge portal are:
- India’s Climate Profile
- National Policy Framework
- India’s NDC goals
- Adaptation Actions
- Mitigation Actions
- Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation
- International Climate Negotiations
- Reports & Publications
India has practically achieved its Pre-2020
Climate Action targets and said though historically India is not responsible for
emissions
0 Comments