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15th January 2019 Daily Current Affairs
36 years on, devadasi custom still prevalent
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Context:
★ More than thirty-six years after the Karnataka Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act of 1982 was passed, the State government is yet to issue the rules for administering the law.
★ Two new studies on the devadasi practice by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai,
☆ paint a grim picture of the apathetic approach of the legislature and enforcement agencies to crack down on the practice, particularly prevalent among oppressed communities of north Karnataka.
Key findings of the study:
★ The new study reveals that, special children, with physical or mental disabilities, are more vulnerable to be dedicated as devadasis
★ The study also noted that, nearly one in five (or 19%) of the devadasis that were part of the NLSIU study exhibited such disabilities.
★ Girls from socio-economically marginalised communities continued to be victims of the custom, and thereafter were forced into the commercial sex racket.
★ The TISS study buttresses the point by stressing that the devadasi system continues to receive customary sanction from families and communities.
★ Reporting of cases pertaining to the custom under the Karnataka law is very low, with only four cases filed between 2011 and 2017.
★ The law is used sparingly, and focuses on prosecution (including of the victims themselves) with no framework for rehabilitation.
Issue - legal Framework:
★ Despite sufficient evidence of the prevalence of the practice and its link to sexual exploitation, recent legislations such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012, and Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act of 2015 have not made any reference to it as a form of sexual exploitation of children
★ Dedicated children are also not explicitly recognised as children in need of care and protection under JJ Act, despite the involvement of family and relatives in their sexual exploitation.
★ India’s extant immoral trafficking prevention law or the proposed Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018, also do not recognise these dedicated girls as victims of trafficking for sexual purposes.
Way forward:
★ The states have to ensure a more inclusive socio-economic development. NLSUI has also mooted a legislative overhaul and a more pro-active role from State agencies to curb the Devadasi system. Providing these communities with basic education and making them economically empowered, along with sensitisation, would be the ideal way forward.
Devadasi :★ Devadasi or Devaradiyar means “servant of God”★ Devadasi system is a religious practice mostly in parts of southern India, whereby parents marry a daughter to a deity or a temple.★ The tradition of Devadasi culture can be traced back to as early as the 7th century, particularly in southern parts of India during the reigns of the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas. They were well treated and respected, and held a high social status in the society. It was common for them to be invited to be present at or initiate sacred religious rituals. As long as the temples and empires flourished, so did they.★ The marriage usually occurred before the girl reached puberty and required the girl to become a prostitute for upper-caste community members. Such girls are known as jogini.★ They are forbidden to enter into a real marriage.★ It is found in all parts of India, but was more prevalent in the south. In some parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka it is still prevalent and has become a source of exploitation of lower castes. The custom has also spread to neighbouring Goa. |
Source:- The Hindu
Maharashtra Govt. committed to doubling farmers’ income by 2022: CM
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Context:
★ Maharashtra government Launches Maha Agritech scheme to monitor farming digitally through satellite, drone.
★ This will be the first project in the country under which farming will be digitally tracked
Maha Agritech:
★ A project under which area under cultivation from sowing to harvesting, climate, and diseases on crops will be monitored digitally using satellite and drone technology.
★ In its first stage, crop management, area under cultivation will be brought on digital platform in six districts in the rabi season.
★ Satellite monitoring from sowing till harvesting of area under cultivation will be used to predict exact produce.
★ It will be used to counter diseases on crops, including climate change.
★ Around 1.5 crore farmers will be brought on digital platform under this program, supported by Maharashtra Remote Application Centre (MRSAC) and ISRO.
Source:- The Hindu
Helping build urban houses faster, cheaper
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Context:
★ The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recently launched the Global Housing Technology Challenge, an initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U)
Global Housing Technology Challenge:
★ The aims of the initiative is to introduce best technologies to fast-track the construction of affordable housing and meet the target of constructing 1.2 crore houses by 2022.
★ The challenge has been conceptualized to enable the paradigm shift required in the construction sector in India.
★ The paradigm shift encompasses use of alternative, innovative and fast-track technologies which aims at:
☆ conservation of natural resources;
☆ bringing speed in construction;
☆ utilization of industrial and construction demolition waste;
☆ reduction in air and noise pollution;
☆ optimum use of water;
☆ increased labour productivity;
☆ cost reduction;
☆ safe and disaster resilient houses;
☆ all weather site execution
★ 3 Components of Challenges:
☆ Conduct of Grand Expo-cum-Conference where stakeholders will showcase their
best technologies to construct houses
☆ Identifying Proven Demonstrable Technologies from across the world
☆ Promoting Potential Technologies through setting up incubation centres at selected IITs and organizing accelerator workshops under the Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India (ASHA-India) Program.
Pradhan mantri Awas Yojana (Urban):★ The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Programme launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA)★ Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana ' is an initiative by Government of India in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor with a target of building 20 million affordable houses by 31 March 2022.Aim:★ It aims to construct 1.2 crore houses and ensure “Housing for All by 2022” by providing financial assistance to the beneficiaries.★ The PMAY - U has 4 components☆ 1. In-situ Rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers using land as a resource through private participation☆ 2. Credit Linked Subsidy☆ 3. Affordable Housing in Partnership☆ 4. Subsidy for Beneficiary-led individual house construction/enhancement |
Source:- Hindu Business Line
Chakma and Hajong communities in a spot
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Context:
★ Indigenous groups in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram feel that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will legitimise claims of refugee groups.
ISsue:
★ The citizenship bill is facing opposition in the refugees’ main home state of Arunachal Pradesh, on claims that the move will change the demographics of the mostly tribal state.
★ The bill, if passed would serve as a legal basis for legitimising the claims of Chakma and Hajong refugees as the indigenous people of our State.
★ Southern Mizoram has had a sizeable Chakma population for ages. But there is a perception among the majority Mizos that many Chakmas have crossed over from the adjoining Chittagong hill tracts in Bangladesh following displacement by the Kaptai dam. Some came later along with some 2,000 Hajongs, who are Hindus, because of alleged religious persecution.
★ Nearly 5,000 Chakmas and a few Hajongs who had taken refuge in Mizoram — then the Lushai Hills part of Assam — were settled in Arunachal Pradesh. Indigenous groups in Arunachal Pradesh say their population has now increased to beyond 1,00,000.
Chakmas and Hajongs:★ Chakmas and Hajongs came to India from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), having lost their homes and land to the Kaptai dam project (Karnaphuli river) mid-1960s. They also faced religious persecution★ Chakmas are Buddhists, while Hajongs are Hindus★ Chakmas’ is close to Bengali-Assamese; Hajongs speak a Tibeto-Burman tongue written in AssameseFor more details Refer - Hindu Sep 14, 2017 - Who are chakmas?https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/who-are-chakmas/article19682129.ece |
Source:- The Hindu
Centre to award UDAN-III routes soon
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Context:
★ The Union Minister for Commerce, Industry & Civil Aviation said that the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation will shortly award new regional connectivity routes under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) III.
More about the news:
★ The government is also set to launch a Vision 2040 for the aviation sector. Vision 2040 is an effort to formulate a clear strategy for India’s growth in the aviation sector.
★ The policy will focus on manufacturing aircraft in India, on technology, finance and areas of growth in order to leverage the most from the aviation sector.
UDAN scheme:★ UDAN or (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme was launched in n 2016.★ To make air travel affordable through subsidised tickets and to provide its access to smaller towns.★ It aims to connect major cities with tier-II and tier-III cities at a price of Rs 2,500 per one-hour flight.★ In its first phase in 2017, 5 airlines were mandated to fly on 128 regional routes★ In the second phase in 2018 15 airlines on 325 regional routes including those having chopper operations were mandated.★ The third round of bidding under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN for domestic routes concluded recently and 15 airlines had bid for a total 111 routes. |
Source:- The Hindu
India to unveil Air Cargo Policy
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Context:
★ Union Minister of Commerce and Civil Aviation on Tuesday unveiled a new national air cargo policy.
Aim:
★ Ensuring efficient flow of goods across India, facilitating all indigenous export and import of goods, and making India a transit cargo hub of choice to-and-from other parts of the world.
★ To promote the development of a last mile/first mile connectivity program at international/regional gateways, as per the document.
★ Furthermore, The policy aim is also to leverage India's geographical location as a transit hub between Europe and Southeast Asia and a gateway to the South Asian region.
More about the news:
★ The policy document released during the two-day Global Aviation Summit 2019 .
★ The policy will encourage code sharing/inter-line agreements between foreign and Indian carriers.
★ As per the document, the potential in the new markets needs to be explored with long-term infrastructure creation in order to sustain cargo growth in the next 10-15 years at least.
★ The cargo policy also seeks to establish agreements between national carriers/ freighters and integrators to improve domestic connectivity as well as encourage the establishment of agreements between national and international carriers/freighters and other airline operators to provide access to key global cargo hubs.
Security Strategy:
★ The strategy will address security related to the physical cargo, people handling the cargo, data and information related to shipments within and across all chains of custody transfers
★ To increase process transparency while decreasing shipment delays, costs and dwell time, a fully automated paperless trade environment with minimum face-to-face interactions will be implemented, as per the policy document.
3 Categories of air cargo transport:
★ Domestic cargo to ensure efficient flow of goods across India
★ International cargo facilitating all indigenous export and import of goods;
★ Transit international cargo by making India the transit cargo hub of choice to and from other parts of the globe.
Source:- Economic Times
Desalination plants harm environment: UN
GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Context:
★ A new study has revealed that for every litre of fresh water extracted from the sea, a litre-and-a-half of extremely salty brine is dumped directly back into the ocean or the ground. The brine is also extremely toxic due to the chemicals like copper and chlorine used in desalination.
Key findings of the study:
★ There are more than 16,000 desalination plants scattered across the globe.
☆ However, it is mostly North Africa, West Asia, and small island states in the Pacific Ocean that rely heavily on desalination to provide safe drinking water.
★ The study notes that more than half of the 50 billion cubic metres of brine comes from only four countries, all in the Persia Gulf: Saudi Arabia (22 per cent), United Arab Emirates (20.2 per cent), Kuwait (6 per cent) and Qatar (5.8 per cent).
Challenges :
Environment and Human rights Issue:
★ the discharge from desalination plants i.e. brine, comprises about 5% salt whereas global seawater has 3.5% salt.
★ The brine reject tends to create a sort of niche microhabitat with higher levels of salinity around areas where they are let out.
★ Brine can cut levels of oxygen in seawater near desalination plants with “profound impacts” on shellfish, crabs and other creatures on the seabed.
★ Brine water often contains toxins like chlorine and copper used in desalination.
★ Brine reject from the plant is often let out directly onto the beaches and near coastlines, thus eroding the coastline and the livelihoods of locals, in addition to turning the groundwater salty.
★ As per a UN study, desalination plants pump out 142 million cubic metres of salty brine every day, to produce 95 million cubic metres of fresh water, thus increasing the overall salinity of the oceans.
★ Desalination plants are highly energy-intensive and capital intensive. Using coal to heat saline water means thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide is produced in a 100 MLD plant.
★ India does not have standards for governing the brine concentration entering the sea, nor the EIA process is followed during planning a plant, which allows companies running desalination plants to escape responsibility.
Desalination:★ Desalination essentially means removing salt and other minerals to make water fit for drinking or other purposes. The filtration of saline water can be done through Thermal Desalination Technology or Membrane Technology like Reverse Osmosis (RO).★ In India, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have the highest installed capacity of desalination☆ Chennai’s one-third water demand is met by two desalination plants of Minjur and Nemmeli, churning out 200 million litres of water per day (MLD).Why India need Desalination Programme?★ Availability of drinking water in India is falling:☆ Between 2001 and 2011, there has been a significant decrease in use of wells (22.0 %), as a major drinking water source, indicating fall in ground water tables.☆ Per capita annual availability of water in the country is expected to fall from 1860 metre cube a year in 2001 to 1140 metre cube a year by 2050.☆ Niti Aayog report warns that 21 cities are likely to run out of groundwater by 2020. Report estimates that demand will be twice the availability by 2030 and water scarcity would account for a 6% loss in India’s gross domestic product (GDP).☆ Rural areas also cannot rely on groundwater due to erratic rains and the fact that the groundwater is increasingly used for farming when monsoon rains are delayed or insufficient.★ Considering above problems, using seawater, that most coastal states have access to, can be an effective solution.★ India’s National Water Mission identifies desalination as a major tool to make sea water and brackish water accessible and usable for the people.★ India already has desalination plants but to bring uniformity in the field of water desalination in the country the Union government is working on a new mission on desalination. |
Source:- Down To Earth
Philip Kotler Presidential award presented to PM
GS PAPER - 03 AWARDS
Context:
★ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi On Jan 14, 2019, received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award.
Award citation says:
★ Narendra Modi is selected for his outstanding leadership for the nation. His selfless service towards India, combined with his tireless energy has resulted in extraordinary economic, social and technological advances in the country.
★ Under his leadership, India is now identified as the Centre for Innovation and Value Added Manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as Information Technology, Accounting and Finance.
★ The Citation also mentions: “His visionary leadership has also resulted in the Digital Revolution (Digital India), including the Unique Identification Number, Aadhaar, for social benefits and financial inclusion. It is enabling entrepreneurship, ease of doing business, and creating a 21st century infrastructure for India.”
★ The Citation mentions initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India, and Swachh Bharat, “which have positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing and business destinations in the world.”
Prof. Philip Kotler Award:
★ The Philip Kotler Presidential Award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of People, Profit, and Planet.
★ It will be offered annually to the leader of a Nation.
★ The Philip Kotler award conferred upon the Indian PM Mr. Narendra Modi is decided and awarded by the World Marketing Summit (WMS).
☪ The WMS is an organization founded by Prof. Philip Kotler in 2011.
☪ Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the organization is committed to “creating a better world through Marketing”.
★ It is said that in 2018, Prof. Kotler gave his permission to Kotler Impact and the Department of Management Studies at ISM Dhanbad to use his name for certain awards.
★ After this agreement came up an award for recognizing the marketing excellence among the Indian Industries. This award is the Kotler Marketing Excellence (KME) Awards.
★ The KME Awards, are developed to recognize genuine mastery in the field of marketing by celebrating exceptional achievements of organizations.
Prof. Philip Kotler:
★ Prof. Philip Kotler is a world renowned Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, Illinois, USA.
★ Prof. Kotler has more than 60 Marketing books to his name.
★ The most famous of his books, the book on Marketing Management, is referred by the students as the main textbook in the best B-schools in India.
Source:- PIB
Womaniya on Government e Marketplace
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Context:
★ Government e Marketplace [GeM] has launched “Womaniya on GeM”
Womaniya on GeM:
★ An initiative to enable women entrepreneurs and women self-help groups [WSHGs] to sell handicrafts and handloom, accessories, jute and coir products, home décor and office furnishings, directly to various Government ministries, departments and institutions.
★ The initiative seeks to develop women entrepreneurship on the margins of society to achieve gender-inclusive economic growth.
Government e - Market:★ GeM was setup in 2016★ Government e Marketplace is a 100 percent government owned company setup under the aegis of Ministry of Commerce and Industry for procurement of common use goods and services by Government ministries, departments and CPSEs.★ Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is a one stop portal to facilitate online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments / Organizations / PSUs.★ GeM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.★ It provides the tools of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation to facilitate the government users achieve the best value for their money. |