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13th January 2019 Daily Current Affairs
ULFA faction threatens to pull out of peace talks
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Context:
★ The pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) threatened to pull out of the ongoing peace parleys with the Centre on Saturday if the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill becomes an Act.
Citizenship Bill 2019:
★ The Bill seeks to facilitate acquisition of citizenship by six identified minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who came to India before December 31,, 2014.
★ Migrants from these communities were earlier given protection against legal action in the years 2015 & 2016 and long term visa provision was made for them.
☆ Citizenship will be given to them only after due scrutiny and recommendation of district authorities and the State Government.
☆ The minimum residency period for citizenship is being reduced from existing 12 years under the present law to 7 years.
★ The law will not be confined to the state of Assam but will also provide relief to persecuted migrants who have come through western borders of the country to states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh.
★ The beneficiaries of Citizenship Amendment Bill can reside in any state of the country and the burden of those persecuted migrants will be shared by the whole country.
NRC:
★ NRC is a roster of all those who settled in Assam up to the midnight of March 24, 1971.
★ In 1978-79, several local leaders spotted a rapid increase in the number of Muslims in electoral rolls. A six year long agitation followed against illegal migrants from Bangladesh, which culminated with the signing of an agreement called the Assam Accord.
★ The Assam Accord mandated that those who settled in the state after the cut off date of March 24, 1971 would be weeded out and stripped of citizenship rights.
★ Over the next few decades the NRC was remained stalled until the Supreme Court intervened. The apex court ordered the state government to update the NRC by a deadline and monitored its progress. Subsequently, the first draft of the roster was published on 30 July, 2018.
Bone of Contention:
★ The general sentiment in Assam with respect to the bill has been that it will defeat the purpose of the NRC.
★ Critics also says that, The perverse decision of the Centre to ram through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 against the wishes of the people of Assam will result in the migration of millions of Bangladeshi Hindus to Assam.
★ According to Samujjal Bhattacharya, a leader at the forefront of the fight against illegal migration, "The bill violates the Assam Accord" and is "anti-indigenous people legislation".
Clause 6 Of Assam Accord:
★ Clause 6 of the Assam Accord reads as follows:
☆ Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.
★ In order to cool tempers ruffled by the bill, the Centre has set up a panel to implement the clause and constitutionalism it.
★ The committee will examine the effectiveness of actions taken since 1985 to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and look into awarding "reservations in employment under the government of Assam for the Assamese people".
Source:- The Hindu
Farmers under KALIA scheme to get money by January 26
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Context:
★ Odisha Government on Saturday announced that the first phase financial aid under the newly launched Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme will be provided by January 26.
KALIA Scheme:
★ KALIA scheme stands for "Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation".
★ The Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme would benefit about 92% of the farmers in the state and the government has earmarked Rs 10,180 crore for the plan in 3 years.
★ Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme has been initiated by the State Government to provide financial assistance for farmers before the commencement of the sowing season.
Who is eligible under the scheme:
★ Small and Marginal Farmers are eligible to get benefit under support to cultivators for cultivation.
★ Landless agricultural households are eligible to get livelihood support under the scheme.
★ Vulnerable agricultural household covering vulnerable cultivators/landless agricultural labourers are eligible to get financial assistance under the KALIA scheme.
★ Life Insurance Support to cultivators and Landless agricultural labourers as well as the interest free crop loan component are meant for all category of beneficiary under KALIA scheme.
Key features of the Scheme:
★ Assistance for cultivation: Financial assistance of Rs 25,000 per farm family over five seasons will be provided to small and marginal farmers so that farmers can purchase inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and use assistance towards labour and other investments from 2018-19 to 2021-22
★ Assistance for Livelihood: Financial Assistance of Rs 12,500 will be provided to each landless Agricultural Household for agriculture allied activities like for small goat rearing unit, mini-layer unit, duckery units, fishery kits for fisherman, mushroom cultivation and bee-keeping, etc.
★ Assistance for vulnerable agricultural household: Vulnerable cultivators and landless agricultural labourers will get financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per family per year to enable them to take care of their sustenance.
★ The vulnerable cultivator and landless agricultural labourers those who are in old age, having disability or disease and are vulnerable for any other reason.
★ Life insurance for cultivators & landless agricultural labourers: Life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh at a very nominal premium of Rs 330/ will be provided to all savings bank account holder of age between 18-50 years.
★ Odisha government will bear farmers’ share of the annual premium of Rs 165. Personal accident cover of Rs 2 lakh at a very nominal annual premium of Rs 12 for all savings bank account holder aged between 18-50 years.
★ Out of Rs 12 towards premium, Rs 6 is the farmers’ share, which will be borne by the state government. A beneficiary whose age is between 51-70 years, the entire amount of Rs 12 towards annual premium will be borne by the government.
★ Interest-free crop loan: Vulnerable landless labourers, cultivators and agricultural families identified by Gram Panchayats will be provided with crop loans up to Rs 50,000 made available at 0% interest.
Critical analysis - 'KALIA' a better alternative to farm loan waivers?
★ The rising farm distress has prompted many states to look for alternatives to provide relief to farmers, with many State government announcing loan waivers and some implementing major schemes.
★ The State Government of Odisha has launched what it states to be a more efficient scheme than the Farm loan waiver.
★ Under 'KALIA' programme, which is expected to provide financial, livelihood and cultivation support along with insurance support to small, marginal and the landless farmers.
★ With KALIA, The state government has refused to write off farm loans. Meanwhile, Government is helping maintain repayment discipline in the banking system.
★ Loan waivers penalise honest farmers who repay on time and can discourage them from doing so.
★ According to Naveen Patnaik, of the 32 lakh cultivators in Odisha, only the richest 20 lakh have farm loans, and they should not be the main beneficiaries of an anti-distress programme.
Shortcoming of the KALIA Scheme:
★ Kalia model is difficult to implement.
★ Since Odisha is a backward state with fewer financial and administrative resources, the government may face great difficulty in implementing the scheme.
Source:- The Hindu
‘Monkey fever’ cases hit 62 in Shivamogga
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
Context:
★ An outbreak of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, has been reported in some villages of Shivamogga district
More about the news:
★ The total number of KFD cases in the district since December 2018 has reached 62. Six persons from Aralagodu died during this period.
★ The prevalence of KFD is high every year from November to April during which dry spell prevails.
Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) or Money Fever:★ Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) or Monkey Fever is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to South Asia.★ The disease is caused by a virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae, which also includes yellow fever and dengue fever.★ The symptoms of the disease include a high fever with frontal headaches, followed by haemorrhagic symptoms, such as bleeding from the nasal cavity, throat, and gums, as well as gastrointestinal bleeding.★ The virus was identified in 1957 when it was isolated from a sick monkey from the Kyasanur Forest of Karnataka. Since then, between 400-500 humans cases per year have been reported.★ Hard ticks (Hemaphysalis spinigera) are the reservoir of the KFD virus and once infected, remain so for life.★ Rodents, shrews, and monkeys are common hosts for KFDV after being bitten by an infected tick. KFDV can cause epizootics with high fatality in primates.★ Transmission to humans may occur after a tick bite or contact with an infected animal, most importantly a sick or recently dead monkey. No person-to-person transmission has been described.★ The disease as of now is stated to be transmitted through monkeys. Large animals such as goats, cows, and sheep may become infected with KFD but play a limited role in the transmission of the disease. Furthermore, there is no evidence of disease transmission via the unpasteurised milk of any of these animals.★ People with recreational or occupational exposure to rural or outdoor settings (e.g., hunters, herders, forest workers, farmers) are potentially at risk for infection by contact with infected ticks.★ Seasonality is another important risk factor as more cases are reported during the dry season, from November through June.★ Diagnosis can be made in the early stage of illness by molecular detection by PCR or virus isolation from blood. Later, serologic testing using enzyme-linked immunosorbent serologic assay (ELISA) can be performed. |
Source:- The Hindu
‘70% towns along Ganga let out garbage into the river’
GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Context:
★ 85% have no screens to stop flow of trash, According to an assessment done by the Quality Council Of India.
More about the news:
★ Four-and-a-half years after the Centre launched its flagship Namami Gange programme to clean up the Ganga, a government- commissioned assessment has found that 66 towns and cities along the river still have nullahs or drains flowing directly into the Ganga. Almost 85% of these nullahs do not even have screens set up to stop garbage from entering the river.
★ Of the 92 towns surveyed, 72 still have old or legacy dump sites on the ghats. Only 19 towns have a municipal solid waste plant, according to an assessment done by the Quality Council of India (QCI).
Namami Gange Programme:★ ‘Namami Gange Programme’, is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014. to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.★ The target of cleaning river Ganga in an effective manner with the unceasing involvement of all stakeholders, especially five major Ganga basin States – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.★ The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).★ In order to improve implementation, a three-tier mechanism has been proposed for project monitoring comprising of a) High level task force chaired by Cabinet Secretary assisted by NMCG at national level, b) State level committee chaired by Chief Secretary assisted by SPMG at state level and c) District level committee chaired by the District Magistrate.★ The program emphasizes on improved coordination mechanisms between various Ministries/Agencies of Central and State governments.Need of Namami Ganga Programme:★ River Ganga has significant economic, environmental and cultural value in India.★ Rising in the Himalayas and flowing to the Bay of Bengal, the river traverses a course of more than 2,500 km through the plains of north and eastern India.★ The Ganga basin - which also extends into parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh - accounts for 26 per cent of India's landmass.★ The Ganga also serves as one of India's holiest rivers whose cultural and spiritual significance transcends the boundaries of the basin.Features:★ The project Will cover 8 states, 47 towns & 12 rivers under the project.★ Over 1,632-gram panchayats on the banks of Ganga to be made open defecation-free by 2022.★ Several ministries are working with nodal Water Resources Ministry for this project includes - Environment, Urban Development, Shipping, Tourism and Rural Development Ministries.★ Prime focus will be on involving people living on the river's banks in this project.★ Under the aegis of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) & State Program Management Groups (SPMGs) States and Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions will be involved in this project.★ Setting river-centric urban planning process to facilitate better citizen connects, through interventions at Ghats and Riverfronts.★ Expansion of coverage of sewerage infrastructure in 118 urban habitations on banks of Ganga.★ Development of rational agricultural practices & efficient irrigation methods.★ Ganga Knowledge Centre. |
Source:- The Hindu
Quota Bill gets President’s assent, becomes law
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Context:
★ The President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday gave his assent to The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) which aims to provide reservation in public employment and higher education for economically weaker sections.
More about the news:
★ The 10 per cent quota is in addition to the 22.5 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and 27 per cent reservation for castes identified as the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
★ The fresh provision does not tinker with the existing 49.5 per cent of this quota.
★ With the new 10 per cent quota becoming a law with the President's assent, the total reservation in jobs and education now stands at 59.5 per cent.
Background:
★ On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha had passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill 2019, which envisages giving up to 10% quota to economically weaker section.
★ The Lok Sabha had passed the bill, the previous day, with 323 out of 326 MPs present voting in its favour.
★ Within hours of the Parliament passing the amendment, an NGO named "Youth For Equality", filed a petition challenging it before the Supreme Court contending that the amendment violates the "basic structure" of the Constitution.
★ Referring to the nine judges bench decision of the Supreme Court in Indira Sawhney case (1992), the petition states that reservation cannot be given on the basis of economic criteria.
Source:- The Hindu
AMRUT Scheme : Only 20% of Projects completed
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Context:
★ The Central Government’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), launched for developing urban infrastructure has completed just 20 per cent of the total projects utilising 3 per cent of the total funds approved.
Performance of the State:
★ Tamil Nadu is the only State that has completed more than 300 projects.
★ West Bengal is No 2 in the list with 194 projects completed. Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are the States that have completed more than 50 projects.
★ The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs informed the Lok Sabha this week that under AMRUT, detailed project reports (DPRs) have been approved for 5,421 projects worth Rs 78,856 crore.
★ So far, 1,099 projects (20 per cent of DPR approved projects) have been completed, utilising just Rs 2,626 crore (3 per cent of the amount).
AMRUT:★ AMRUT stands for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.★ The government launched AMRUT in 2015 in 500 mission cities.★ The mission period is up to March, 2020.Aim:★ providing basic civic amenities like water supply, sewerage, urban transport, parks as to improve the quality of life for all especially the poor and the disadvantaged.Focus:★ The focus of the Mission is on infrastructure creation that has a direct link to provision of better services to the citizens.Purpose of the Mission:★ ensure that every household has access to a tap with assured supply of water and a sewerage connection★ increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open spaces★ e.g. parks and★ reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport★ e.g. walking and cycling. |