August 2020 National Affairs

• 2020 Swachh Survekshan: Indore tops as the cleanest city 4th time in a row
  Indore topped the list of the cleanest city in India for the fourth consecutive time in the Swachh Survekshan, 2020, India's annual survey on cleanliness.
  
  rashtra, Saswad and Lonavala bagged the first three positions for cities having a population less than one lakh.
  
  Among the cities with a population between 1-10 lakh, Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh were declared the cleanest. It was followed by Mysore in Karnataka.
  
  The 2020 survey focused on the collection of segregated waste and its maintenance till the processing site; treatment and re-use of wastewater. It also included the curtailment of solid waste-based air pollution and the improvement of social conditions of informal waste pickers, among others.
  
  As per the survey, over 2,606 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) practice door-to-door garbage collection in more than 50% wards and 1,476 ULBs initiated source segregation of waste in at least 50% wards.
  
  The report also stated that 1,020 cities have at least 80% of all constructed toilets attached to sewerage.
  
  Around 1,000 ULBs were declared Open defecation (ODF+), 483 ULBs ODF++ and 966 ULBs banned open dumping of faecal sludge.
  
  
• Harit Path, a mobile app to monitor plantation along national highways
  The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has launched a mobile App called Harit Path. The app was inaugurated by the Union Minister for RTH ShriNitinGadkari.
  
  Harit Path:
  Harit Path mobile application aims to monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance activities, targets and achievements of each of its field units for each and every plant under all plantation projects.
  
  Harit Path will track the growth and health of the plants, photographs along with data of the plants captured. The data will be uploaded every 3 months on NHAI’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Big Data Analytics platform 'Data Lake.'
  
  NHAI has has created user IDs of over 150 ROs/ PDs/ Horticulture experts. Also, over 7800 plants have also been geo-tagged by NHAI.
  
  The launch of Harit Path mobile app is expected to further facilitate creation of Green Highways across the country.
  
  
• Shri Arjun Munda e-inaugurated Tribes India Showroom in Mumbai
  Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs e-inaugurated ‘Tribes India Showroom’ in Mumbai on 21 August 2020. The move comes to support 50 lakh tribal artisans and forest gatherers, to sustain their income, employment and livelihoods.
  
  Highlights:
  The move is in line with the Prime Minister’s message “Be Vocal for Local”.
  
  The move aims to promote the livelihood of the tribal people marketing, TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has initiated these path-breaking initiatives that have a wide-ranging impact.
  
  The move aims to boost sales and enhance tribal income in these challenging times, Tribes India on Wheels, mobile vans stacked fully with Van Dhan natural produce, immunity boosters and other tribal products. It will take these products directly to the customer’s doorstep in 150 cities across the country.
  
  
• Inclusion of the Disabled in National Food Security Act 2013
  The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution had asked State Governments/UTs to include all eligible disabled persons under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
  
  Key Points
  The disabled persons should get their entitled quota of food grains under NFSA & Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) as per provisions of the Act.
  
  Those not already covered should be issued fresh ration cards as per the eligibility criteria.
  
  The disable person should also be covered by States/UTs under the priority households as per the criteria of identification evolved by them.
  
  PMGKAY is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to help the poor fight the battle against Covid-19.
  
  The scheme is aimed at providing each person who is covered under the National Food Security Act with an additional 5 kg grains (wheat or rice) for free, in addition to the 5 kg of subsidised foodgrain already provided through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
  
  The beneficiaries are also entitled to 1 kg of pulse for free, according to regional preferences.
  
  The Section 10 of the NFSA provides for identification and coverage of persons under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and the remaining households as priority households by the State Government.
  
  Disability is one of the criteria for inclusion of beneficiaries under AAY households.
  
  The Section 38 of the NFSA mandates that the Central Government may from time to time give directions to the State Governments for effective implementation of the provisions of the Act.
  
  The Atmanirbhar Bharat Package of the Government of India provides free food, along with other benefits, to the migrant labourers, who are not covered either under NFSA or any States Scheme Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Cards (Under Economic Stimulus-II).
  
  Hence, the disabled persons without ration cards are also eligible for getting benefits under Atmanirbhar Bharat package.
  
  
• Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana extended: ESIC
  The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has extended the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana by one year, to 30th June 2021.
  
  Further, the ESIC has relaxed eligibility criteria and enhanced the payment of the unemployment benefit under the Yojana (applicable from 24th March-31st December 2020).
  
  Key Points
  Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana was introduced w.e.f. 1st July 2018.
  
  Under it, unemployment benefit is paid to the workers covered under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme.
  
  Unemployment benefit is paid in the form of cash compensation upto 90 days, once in a lifetime, to be claimed after three months (90 days) in one or more spells for being rendered unemployed.
  
  The employee should have completed two years of insurable employment and has contributed not less than 78 days in each of the four consecutive contribution periods immediately preceding to the claim of the relief.
  
  The benefit does not exceed 25% of the average earning per day.
  
  
• National Council for Transgender Persons
  The Centre has constituted the national council for transgender persons, headed by the Union social justice minister and comprising representatives from 10 central departments, five states and members of the community.
  
  The council – India’s first and formed under Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 – was announced in a gazette notification issued recently.
  
  Key Highlights
  According to the legislation, the council has five main functions —
  Advising the central government on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects with respect to transgender persons;
  
  Monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies and programmes designed for achieving equality and full participation of transgender persons;
  
  Reviewing and coordinating the activities of all the departments;
  
  Redressing grievances of transgender persons;
  
  Performing such other functions as prescribed by the Centre.
  
  The council will have joint secretary-level members from the ministries of health, home, minority affairs, education, rural development, labour and law. In addition, there will be a member from the department of pensions, Niti Aayog, National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women.
  
  Representatives from five states or Union Territories, on a rotational basis, will be members of the commission. The first such clutch comprises Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tripura and Gujarat.
  
  Five members of the community and five experts, from non-governmental organisations, have also been named to the commission. The tenure of the community members and experts shall be three years.
  
  
• Nuakhai Juhar was celebrated in Odisha, Chhattisgarh
  Nuakhai Juhar was celebrated in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and areas of neighbouring states on August 23. It is one of the most ancient festivals celebrated in Indian. The festival is to welcome the new crop of the season.
  
  The festival is celebrated to appreciate and celebrate the hard work of the farmers, with whose effort the country is fed.
  
  Nuakhai Juhar:
  Nuakhai Juhar is an agricultural festival. It is also called as Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat. Nuakhai is a mixture of two words that signifies eating of new rice as ‘nua’ means new and ‘khai’ means eat.
  
  During the festival, food grains are worshipped. On this special festival, people organize dances and folk songs in their districts with an aim to display their culture and tradition.
  
  Nuakhai Juhar is predominantly celebrated in western Odisha. From March 2020, the festival is celebrated in several other tribes also. In this year 2020, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, people celebrated the festival inside their homes.
  
  
• Arunachal Pradesh to provide tap water to all rural homes by 2023 under JJM
  Arunachal Pradesh State Government has announced that it is to provide 100% tap water connections to all the households in the State by 2023 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
  
  The move comes as Arunachal Pradesh is highly dependent on Assam State. Despite having available water resources in the State, it depended on other states due to difficulties faced while implementing the JJM in the state.
  
  Highlights:
  The State Government aims to cover all villages/ habitations so as to potable water reaches every rural household.
  
  Under Jal Jeevan Mission, the State will provide clean, potable water to its citizens in their houses. It aims to reduce the burden of women and girls in the State.
  
  Jal Jeevan Mission:
  JJM was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15th August 2019. Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented in partnership with States with the objective to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household of the country by 2024.
  
  The Mission aims to enable every rural household with the availability of potable water at a service level of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd) on a regular and long-term basis. The mission aims to bring improvements in the lives of people living in rural areas.
  
  
• DRDO identifies 108 Systems and Subsystems for industry to design, develop, manufacture
  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has identified 108 systems and subsystems for designing and development by the Indian Industry only.
  
  The move is in line with Prime Minister’s Atmanirbhar Bharat. Apart from this, DRDO has taken several initiatives to strengthen the indigenous defence ecosystem.
  
  Highlights:
  This initiative is aimed to pave the way for Indian Defence industry to develop many technologies towards building an AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
  
  Under this move, the DRDO will support the Indian industries for design, development and testing of these systems on requirement basis.
  
  All the requirements of these systems by R&D establishments, Armed Forces, and other Security Agencies can be met through development contracts or production orders on suitable Indian industry.
  
  With this, DRDO will focus on designing and developing critical and advanced technologies and systems.
  
  Indian industry has progressed from a build to print partner to build to specification partner.
  
  
• The COVID-19 pandemic reaches Odisha’s Bonda Tribe
  The COVID-19 pandemic has reached the Bondas, a PVTGs community residing in the hill ranges of Malkangiri district in Odisha.
  
  Bondas are one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) found in Odisha.
  
  Key Points:
  The Bondas are Munda ethnic group who live in the isolated hill regions of the Malkangiri district of southwestern Odisha near the junction of the three states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
  
  They are a scheduled tribe of India and are also known as the Remo (meaning “people” in the Bonda language).
  
  The tribe is one of the oldest and most primitive in mainland India; their culture has changed little for more than a thousand years.
  
  Their isolation and known aggressiveness continue to preserve their culture despite the pressures of an expanding Indian population.
  
  
• India’s Longest River Ropeway in Assam
  The Assam government has inaugurated a 1.8-km ropeway across the Brahmaputra river, and described it as India’s longest river ropeway.
  
  Key Points:
  The 1.82 km bi-cable jig-back ropeway connects the southern bank of the Brahmaputra and a hillock behind the Doul Govinda temple in North Guwahati on the other.
  
  It passes over the mid-river Peacock Island that houses Umananda, a medieval Shiva temple.
  
  It thus cuts travel time between the two banks to 8 minutes.
  
  The current travel options between the two banks are by ferry (30 minutes or more, depending on current and season) or by road through a bridge that usually takes over an hour in the traffic.
  
  
• Agri Profits and Farmers’ Income: Crisil Survey
  A detailed analysis of 25 key field and horticultural crops done by the rating agency Crisil has indicated that per hectare profitability will improve 3-5% year-on-year to Rs. 10,0000 in the Kharif (Summer Crop) Season 2020.
  
  However, economists say that individual farmers are unlikely to see any hike in their own income.
  
  Key Points
  Profits are Expected in the Agriculture Sector: Agriculture is one of the few bright spots in an economy ravaged by Covid-19, with good rains expected to boost production and profits, especially in the paddy crop.
  
  To support farmers in effectively undertaking the post-harvest rabi produce and preparatory work for kharif crops, Rs. 30,000 crore additional emergency working capital fund through NABARD and Rs. 2 lakh crore of concessional credit have been provided by the government.
  
  The agriculture sector showed growth of 5.9% in the last quarter of 2019-2020.
  
  
• Haryana plans Bill to rotate panchayat seats between men and women
  The Haryana government is planning to bring a Bill to provide 50:50 reservation in panchayat polls for men and women candidates, and rotate the seats between male and female representatives after each term.
  
  Key Points
  Men and women will be able to contest panchayat polls under the odd-even formula. This will be implemented for sarpanches and members of village wards, block samitis and zila parishads.
  
  Benefit: This will ensure equal opportunities for men and women, and women from all constituencies will have fair share in terms of reservation.
  
  Limitations: Policy of reservation for only one term and rotation of reserved seats and posts of chairperson can hinder the consolidation of leadership qualities among women representatives as it takes time for them to learn the skills of handling and negotiating various conflicting interests within the panchayat.
  
  To deal with this issue, some states like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka have made provisions for two term reservation of seats at PRIs.
  
  Haryana previously enacted Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2015 laying down eligibility criteria to be able to contest Panchayat elections in the state.
  
  It included disqualification in case of non-completion of minimum educational criteria (like class X pass for general category and Class 8th for SC), non-payment of arrears and debts to co-operative banks or electricity bills, and not having functional toilets at home.
  
  The Supreme Court upheld this decision arguing that prescription of an educational qualification is not irrelevant for better administration. Also, the criteria of insolvency and toilets will encourage good practices among legislators.
  
  
• DNA Bill can be misused, Parliamentary Committee flags draft report
  A draft report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology on the DNA Bill has stated that some alarming provisions in the bill could be misused for caste or community-based profiling.
  
  Background:
  The Bill seeks to control the use and application of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology for establishing the identity of certain categories of persons, including offenders, victims, suspects and under-trials.
  
  The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Bill of 2019 was introduced in and passed by the Lok Sabha in January 2019, but lapsed before it could be taken up by the Rajya Sabha.
  
  It was later referred to a parliamentary standing committee for examination.
  
  Concerns:
  The committee pointed out that DNA profiles can reveal extremely sensitive information of an individual such as pedigree, skin colour, behaviour, illness, health status and susceptibility to diseases.
  
  Access to such intrusive information can be misused to specifically target individuals and their families with their own genetic data.
  
  It is particularly worrying as it could even be used to incorrectly link a particular caste/community to criminal activities.
  
  The report also red-flagged disregard for an individual’s privacy and other safeguards.
  
  The committee urged the government to amend the provisions to ensure that if the person has been found innocent his DNA profile must be removed immediately from the data bank.
  
  The report noted that there is no legal or moral justification for a database with DNA, given the high potential for misuse.
  
  In the Bill, if a person is arrested for an offence that carries a punishment of up to seven years, investigation authorities must take the person’s written consent before taking the DNA sample. However, this consent is only “perfunctory”.
  
  The Bill refers to consent in several provisions, but in each of those, a magistrate can easily override consent, thereby in effect, making consent perfunctory.
  
  There is also no guidance in the Bill on the grounds and reasons when the magistrate can override consent, which could become a fatal flaw.
  
  The Bill also provides that DNA profiles for civil matters will be stored in the data banks, but without a clear and separate index. The committee questioned the necessity for storage of such profiles, pointing out that this violates the fundamental right to privacy and does not serve any public purpose.
  
  Therefore, in the absence of a robust data protection legislation, the security of a huge number of DNA profiles that will be placed with the National DNA Data bank and its regional centres becomes questionable.
  
  
• Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme
  The outlay for the RoDTEP scheme is expected to be “much higher” than the NITI Aayog’s much-curtailed estimate of Rs 10,000 crore a year.
  
  The central government had envisaged an annual allocation of about Rs 50,000 crore under the RoDTEP scheme to make exports zero-rated.
  
  RoDTEP Scheme
  RoDTEP is a scheme for the Exporters to make Indian products cost-competitive and create a level playing field for them in the Global Market.
  
  It has replaced the current Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, which is not in compliance with WTO norms and rules.
  
  The new RoDTEP Scheme is fully WTO compliant scheme.
  
  It will reimburse all the taxes/duties/levies being charged at the Central/State/Local level which are not currently refunded under any of the existing schemes but are incurred at the manufacturing and distribution process.
  
  
• INS Viraat to be scrapped
  Indian Naval Ship (INS) Viraat will be scrapped at a ship breaking yard at Alang in Gujarat soon. The decision to scrap INS Viraat was taken in 2019.
  
  Key Points
  INS Viraat holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest serving warship of the world.
  
  Viraat, a Centaur class aircraft carrier weighing 27,800 tonnes, served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes for 25 years from November 1959 to April 1984. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in May 1987 after refurbishment.
  
  The Centaur class of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy was the last of the light fleet carrier designs started during the closing years of World War II (1939-45).
  
  Viraat played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 during the Sri Lankan Peacekeeping operation. It also saw action during Op Parakram in 2001-2002, post the terrorist attack on Parliament.
  
  The indigenous Advance Light Helicopters ‘Dhruv’ and the Russian twin rotor Kamov-31 have also operated from the ship.
  
  It was decommissioned in March 2017, and the Navy had been incurring expenditure since then on its upkeep, such as the provision of electricity and water, and repairs. It was also taking up space in the crowded Naval dockyard.
  
  There had been demands from various quarters to not let Viraat go the way of Vikrant, India’s first carrier that was eventually scrapped.
  
  In 2014, INS Vikrant, which played a role in the 1971 war with Pakistan was broken down in Mumbai.
  
  However, several attempts by the Navy to preserve the carrier, by converting it into a museum or by other means, failed.
  
  The vessel could not be handed over to any state government because of lack of “self-sustaining financially complete” proposal to preserve it. The state governments of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh had planned to preserve the aircraft carrier (in the form of a museum).
  
  India is currently doing with only the 44,500-tonne INS Vikramaditya, the refurbished Admiral Gorshkov inducted from Russia in November 2013.
  
  The trials of the first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-I, to be named as INS Vikrant) being built at the Cochin Shipyard have been derailed by the pandemic.
  
  The government’s approvals for a third carrier, the 65,000-tonne IAC-II (tentatively christened INS Vishal) has been pending since May 2015.
  
  
• Niti Aayog panel recommended linking sugarcane prices to sugar rates
  A Niti Aayog task force, headed by Niti Aayog Member (Agriculture) Ramesh Chand, recommended the linking sugarcane prices to sugar rates.
  
  The move is to keep the industry in sound financial health. The task force also suggested for a one-time increase in minimum sugar price to Rs.33 per kilo to help sugar mills cover the cost of production.
  
  Highlights:
  The report of the panel on the 'Sugarcane and Sugar Industry' was finalized in March 2020.
  
  The task force suggested the linking of sugarcane prices to sugar prices to prevent the problem of arrears for sugarcane farmers.
  
  It also recommended shifting some areas under sugarcane cultivation to less water-intensive crops by providing a suitable incentives to farmers.
  
  It also aims to introduce the Revenue Sharing Formula (RSF), with a Price Stabilisation Fund to protect farmers from receiving prices below the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP).
  
  It stated that the MSP for sugar should be reviewed after six months of the notification with an aim tow the emerging developments.
  
  The panel also proposed to levy cess on sugar at Rs.50 per quintal for a period of 3 years. With this, about Rs.4,500crore will be added to the fund. It is expected that the move will help to provide bridge funding or act as a comfort for banks providing soft loans to mills for improving technologies and paying dues to their farmers.
  
  
• Gujarat topped NITI Aayog’s report on 2020 Export Preparedness Index
  NITI Aayog in partnership with the Institute of Competitiveness released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020 on 26 August 2020.
  
  It is the first report to examine the export preparedness and performance of Indian states. The report was aimed to identify challenges and opportunities.
  
  Gujarat topped the Export Preparedness Index 2020.
  
  Highlights:
  The Export Preparedness Index 2020 focus to enhance the effectiveness of government policies and encourage a facilitative regulatory framework.
  
  EPI structure included 4 pillars namely:
  Policy
  Business Ecosystem
  Export Ecosystem
  Export Performance
  
  The Report was also based on 11 sub-pillars namely Export Promotion Policy; Institutional Framework; Business Environment; Infrastructure; Transport Connectivity; Access to Finance; Export Infrastructure; Trade Support; R&D Infrastructure; Export Diversification; and Growth Orientation.
  
  The report will identify the core areas crucial for export promotion at the sub-national level.
  
  All the Indian States and Union Territories (UTs) were assessed on crucial parameters that are critical for any typical economic unit to achieve sustainable export growth.
  
  The Index will help the state governments to benchmark regional performance with respect to export promotion. It also delivers key policy insights on how to improve and enhance performance.
  
  Top three ranks of the index:
  Gujarat
  Maharashtra
  Tamil Nadu
  
  
• Centre to identify illegal beneficiaries of PM-KISAN
  Government of India is planning to identify the farmers who are illegally receiving benefits of the PM-KISAN scheme by concealing facts that make them ineligible.
  
  The illegal beneficiaries include serving and retired government employees who are barred from getting benefits of the scheme.
  
  Under this move, the Ministry of Agriculture will obtain the data of central and state government employees from the Ministry of Finance. The data from the Finance Ministry must match with the data with the PM-KISAN list of beneficiaries.
  
  The Ministry will check if there are any income-tax payers among the beneficiaries of the PM-KISAN scheme.
  
  PM-KISAN Scheme:
  NarendraModi launched the Rs.75,000crore PM KISAN scheme from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh on 24th February 2019.
  
  PradhanMantriKisanSammanNidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme was announced in PiyushGoyal's interim budget 2019-20 and is completely funded by the central government.
  
  Under the PM-KISAN scheme, Rs.6,000 will be given to 12 crore farmers, who are eligible to claim the benefits with less than 2 hectares of land, per year in three installments.
  
  PM-KISAN scheme mainly targets small and marginal farmers The scheme excludes income tax payees, professionals like lawyers, doctors, and chartered accountants, retired and serving government employees (other than Group D), public representatives like serving and former parliamentarians and other people from higher economic status.
  
  
• 45 highway projects in Madhya Pradesh
  Union Road Transport, Highways Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 45 highway projects for Madhya Pradesh on 25 August.
  
  Project Highlights:
  The projects include a road length of 1,361 kilometers. The project involves a construction value of Rs.11,427crore.
  
  The project is aimed to enhance better convenience, connectivity, and economic growth in and around the state.
  
  It will facilitate the movement of people and goods to and from neighbouring states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, etc.
  
  The Ministry also announced Rs.700 crore from Central Road Fund (CRF) for Madhya Pradesh to be utilized in the road sector.
  
  
• Ministry of Social Justice to launch Kiran, mental health rehabilitation helpline
  Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is to launch Kiran, a mental health rehabilitation helpline. The toll-free helpline is aimed to enable access to mental health resources.
  
  Highlights:
  The Kiran mental health rehabilitation helpline number is 1800-599-0019.
  
  It aims to provide callers support for early screening, first-aid, psychological support, distress management, mental well-being, preventing deviant behaviours, psychological crisis management etc.
  
  The helpline will offer services in 13 languages.
  
  It focuses to resolve issues of the people across the country experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, panic attack, adjustment disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, pandemic-induced psychological issues and mental health emergency.
  
  The move comes due to the emergency support nad help sought by the people who are going through mental health issues, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  The helpline has 660 volunteer clinical/rehabilitation psychologists and 668 volunteer psychiatrists.
  
  It will run from 25 centres by 75 experts who can handle 300 callers per hour.
  
  The helpline consists of three-level mechanism of support namely:
  At first, the caller will be connected to the location-based helpline centre
  
  Secondly, the caller will be referred to rehabilitation/clinical psychologists/psychiatrists
  
  Finally, a follow-up and support will be extended at the third level
  
  
• DGNCC Mobile Training App for NCC Training launched
  Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh launched the Directorate General National Cadet Corps (DGNCC) Mobile Training App on 27 August.
  
  The mobile Application will assist in conducting countrywide online training of National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets.
  
  DGNCC Mobile Training App:
  The DGNCC Mobile Training App will help the NCC cadets in digital learning and overcoming the difficulties posed by COVID-19 due to restrictions on direct physical interactions.
  
  The training app aims at providing NCC cadets entire training material including syllabus, training videos, précis, and frequently asked questions on one platform.
  
  The App has been designed in an interactive way by including a query option. With this option, a cadet can post his question related to the training syllabus and the same will be answered by a panel of qualified instructors.
  
  The app is expected to provide a positive step towards automation of NCC training.
  
  The move is in line with Digital India vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
  
  The mobile app will assist the NCC cadets by providing easier access to training material in these testing times of pandemic.
  
  
• NITI Aayog launched NDC-TIA to transport, energy, and climate stakeholders
  NITI Aayog virtually launched the India Component of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA) on 27 August 2020.
  
  It will focus on electric mobility, which would require coupling of transport and energy sectors. It will also receive cross-sectoral expertise from ministries, international development agencies, think tanks, public and private organizations.
  
  Highlights:
  NDC-TIA will offer the opportunity to provide input about India’s transport challenges and how they relate to CO2 reduction ambitions.
  
  The discussion aims to focus the programme further on India’s specific needs and circumstances.
  
  The aim is to promote a new approach to decarbonize transport in India, Vietnam, and China.
  
  NDC–TIA is a joint programme which is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
  
  It is implemented by a consortium of seven organisations, namely:
  1. International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)
  2. Deutsche GesellschaftfürInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
  3. World Resources Institute (WRI)
  4. International Transport Forum (ITF)
  5. Agora Verkehrswende (AGORA)
  6. Partnership on SLoCaT (Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport) Foundation
  7. Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
  
  The aim is to strengthen GHG and transport modelling capacities, providing technical support on GHG emission reduction measures, financing climate actions in transport, and offer policy recommendations on electric vehicle (EV) demand and supply policies etc.
  
  
• National e-Assessment Centre to implement Faceless Assessment
  Centre is planning to set up the National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) and a network of Regional e-Assessment Centres to implement the Faceless Assessment Scheme of the Income Tax Department.
  
  It was launched nation-wide by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13th August 2020.
  
  Highlights:
  The system will allow dynamic jurisdiction, team-based working, and functional specialization and does away with human interface altogether.
  
  The regional assessment network will comprise assessment units, verification units, technical units, and review units.
  
  It will replace the physical meetings between taxpayers and officers.
  
  The team-based assessment will replace Wide discretion and subjective assessment.
  
  GoI conducted a webinar to promote the awareness amongst the stakeholders about the new faceless assessment scheme and had an overwhelming participation of more than 1,000 participants.
  
  The department will conduct more programmes to educate the taxpayers about the new faceless assessment scheme.
  
  The scheme will extend to the first appellate authority i.e. Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) from 25th September 2020.
  
  Ministry of Finance launched the Faceless Assessment Scheme in the Income Tax Department as a pilot project in September 2019.
  
  
• New Circles of Archaeological Survey of India
  The Ministry of Culture has announced 7 new circles of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
  
  Key Points
  The step has been taken in accordance with the Prime Minister’s call to facilitate and strengthen the process of preservation and registration of archaeological monuments.
  
  New circles in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Trichy (Tamil Nadu), Jhansi and Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Hampi (Karnataka), Raiganj (West Bengal) and Rajkot (Gujarat) have been created.
  
  The Hampi circle has been upgraded from the previous Hampi mini circle, and the Delhi mini circle has been merged with the Delhi circle.
  
  BACKGROUND:
  For the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance the entire country is divided into 36 Circles.
  
  These carry out archaeological fieldwork, research activities and implement the various provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 and Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972.
  
  
• Draft Health Data Management Policy
  The National Health Authority (NHA) has released the Draft Health Data Management Policy of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) in the public domain for comments and feedback.
  
  NHA is the apex agency of the Government of India responsible for the design, roll- out, implementation and management of Ayushman Bharat and the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) across the country.
  
  Key Points
  The draft health data management policy acts as a guidance document to set out the minimum standard for health data privacy protection.
  
  Purpose: To create a National Digital Health Ecosystem that supports Universal Health Coverage in an efficient, accessible, inclusive, affordable, timely and safe manner, through provision of a wide-range of data, information and infrastructure services ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.
  
  Objectives:
  Provide adequate guidance and to set out a framework for the secure processing of personal and sensitive personal data of individuals.
  
  digital personal health data like medical conditions, reproductive outcomes, prescriptions and diagnosis etc.
  
  Create a system of digital personal and medical health records which is easily accessible to individuals and health service providers and is purely voluntary in nature, based on the consent of individuals, and in compliance with international standards.
  
  Increase awareness of the importance of data privacy.
  
  Ensure national portability in the provision of health services.
  
  Establish appropriate institutional mechanisms for auditing of the National Digital Health Ecosystem.
  
  Leverage the information systems existing in the Indian health sector.
  
  
• Integration of e-PPO with Digi Locker
  The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions has decided to integrate the electronic Pension Payment Order (e-PPO) with Digi Locker.
  
  The decision has been taken to enhance ease of living of central government civil pensioners. e-PPO is generated through the Public Finance Management System (PFMS).
  
  Key Points
  This initiative will create a permanent record of pensioners' respective PPO in their Digi Locker and eliminate the necessity of handing over a physical copy.
  
  Further, it will eliminate delays in reaching the PPO to new Pensioners
  
  The integration facility has been created with ‘Bhavishya’ software. Bhavishya will provide an option to retiring employees, to link their Digi-locker account with their “Bhavishya” account and obtain their e-PPO in a seamless manner.
  
  Bhavishya is an online Pension Sanction and Payment Tracking System implemented by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.
  
  Pension tracking can be done by the individual as well as the administrative authorities for all actions preparatory to grant of pension and other retirement benefits as well as monthly pension paid after retirement.
  
  
• Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN
  The Civil Aviation Ministry has approved 78 new routes under the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN. So far, 766 routes have been sanctioned under the UDAN scheme.
  
  Background
  UDAN, which stands for ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’, aims to make air travel affordable and widespread.
  
  The Ministry of Civil Aviation had launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in October 10 2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and making air travel affordable to the masses.
  
  The scheme will be jointly funded by the central government and state governments.
  
  The scheme will run for 10 years and can be extended thereafter.
  
  Viability Gap Funding (VGF):
  The scheme entails making the routes financially viable, without insisting on the financial viability of the regional airports, by lowering the cost of flight operations and through financial support in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF).
  
  VGF will be available to flight operators on specific routes for the first 3 years of operation.
  
  
• States can sub-classify Reserved Classes: SC
  A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court held that States can sub-classify the list of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) to provide preferential treatment to the “weakest out of the weak”.
  
  Key Points
  The decision overruled a previous 2005 decision in E V Chinnaiah v State of Andhra Pradesh and Others, also by a five-judge Bench, that state governments had no power to create sub-categories of SCs for the purpose of reservation.
  
  Since a Bench of equal strength cannot overrule a previous decision, the court also referred it to a 7-judge Bench.
  
  The judgment was on the constitutional validity of Section 4(5) of the Punjab Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006.
  
  The act allows 50% of the reserved Scheduled Castes seats in the State to be allotted to Balmikis and Mazhabi Sikhs.
  
  
• Centre launches National GIS-enabled land bank system for 6 states
  Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal e-launched the National GIS-enabled Land Bank system at iis.ncog.gov.in/parks for 6 states on 17 August.
  
  National GIS-enabled land bank system is being developed by the integration of the Industrial Information System with state GIS systems.
  
  Highlights:
  The administrators and senior officers of the central and state governments, discussed the issues of pushing industrial manufacturing in the country, attracting investments, pushing the approach of One District One Product (ODOP).
  
  It aims to promote a National Movement towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat.
  
  All other states/Union Territories (UTs) are expected to be onboarded by December 2020.
  
  The National GIS-enabled Land Bank system is being developed by the integration of the Industrial Information System (IIS) with the State GIS Systems.
  
  This prototype will be developed with inputs from states, to make it an effective, transparent mechanism of land identification and procurement.
  
  The project was launched for 6 states, while other states and Union Territories would be brought on board by December 2020.
  
  
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) – Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA)
  NITI Aayog has launched the India Component of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA).
  
  About NDC- TIA:
  It is a joint programme, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
  
  It aims to promote a comprehensive approach to decarbonize transport in India, Vietnam, and China.
  
  It is implemented by a consortium of seven other organisations.
  
  On behalf of the Government of India, NITI Aayog will be the implementing partner.
  
  Implementation:
  The NDC-TIA programme has a duration of 4 years.
  
  It will allow India and other partner countries to achieve accountable long-term targets by making a sectoral contribution through various interventions, coordinated with a large number of stakeholders in the domain.
  
  This will contribute towards achieving their NDCs and increasing their ambition in the transport sector of 2025 NDCs.
  
  
• PMJDY completes six years of successful implementation
  PradhanMantri Jan-DhanYojana (PMJDY) successfully completed 6 years on 28th August 2020.
  
  Under the scheme, 63.6% Rural PMJDY accounts and 55.2% Women PMJDY accounts have been created.
  
  The PMJDY scheme has been the foundation stone for the Modi government’s people-centric economic initiatives.
  
  Highlights:
  The PMJDY scheme was launched on 28th August 2014 by teh Prime Minister NarendraModi. The main aim of the scheme is to provide poor people access to financial services, namely, Banking/ Savings & Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension in an affordable manner.
  
  The scheme ensures access of financial products and services at an affordable cost and the use of technology to lower cost and widen reach.
  
  So far, about 8 crore PMJDY accountholders receive Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) from the Government under various schemes.
  
  The scheme was extended with new features and the focus was shifted from Every Household to Every Unbanked Adult.
  
  Under this initiative, Jan DhanDarshak App, a mobile application, was launched with an aim to provide a citizen centric platform for locating banking touch points such as bank branches, ATMs, Bank Mitras, Post Offices, etc. in the country.
  
  Over 8 lakh banking touchpoints have been mapped on the Geographic Information System (GIS) App. The facilities under Jan DhanDarshak App could be availed as per the need and convenience of common people. The web version of this application could be accessed at the link http://findmybank.gov.in.
  
  
• AI demand an independent investigation on human rights violations by Delhi police
  Amnesty International (AI) India has demanded an independent investigation into all allegations of human rights violations by the police during the north-east Delhi riots.
  
  On 23rd February 2020, riots broke out in Northeast Delhi between Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 and pro-CAA protestors. The violence took a communal turn and led to deaths, injuries and destruction of properties.
  
  Earlier, AI put forward its views on issues in J&K and the role of Foreigners Tribunals in Assam.
  
  Key Points
  Amnesty International (AI) is an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) founded in London (UK) in 1961.
  
  It seeks to publicise violations by governments and other entities of rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), especially freedom of speech and of conscience and the right against torture.
  
  In 1977, it was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
  
  AI India is a part of the global human rights movement spearheaded by Amnesty International. It has its registered office in Bangalore (Karnataka).
  
  
• States can sub-classify Reserved Classes: SC
  A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court held that States can sub-classify the list of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) to provide preferential treatment to the “weakest out of the weak”.
  
  Key Points
  The decision overruled a previous 2005 decision in E V Chinnaiah v State of Andhra Pradesh and Others, also by a five-judge Bench, that state governments had no power to create sub-categories of SCs for the purpose of reservation.
  
  Since a Bench of equal strength cannot overrule a previous decision, the court also referred it to a 7-judge Bench.
  
  The judgment was on the constitutional validity of Section 4(5) of the Punjab Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006.
  
  The act allows 50% of the reserved Scheduled Castes seats in the State to be allotted to Balmikis and Mazhabi Sikhs.
  
  
• PM Narendra Modi launched National Digital Health Mission
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Digital Health Mission on the 74th Independence Day. It is expected that the mission would revolutionize India’s health sector.
  
  Highlights:
  Under the National Digital Health Mission, every Indian will receive a unique health identity card.
  
  The mission features Tele-consultation and E-Pharmacies.
  
  Every citizen who holds the cards shall allow one-time access to the doctors and health care providers during their visit to the hospitals.
  
  National Digital Health Mission allows patients to access health services remotely.
  
  The card will ensure permission to access confidential medical data which will be provided for every visit by the patient himself. It will assure the privacy and maintenance of the patient. Also, the control of access to the digital records will be completely in the hands of the patient and the doctors will be able to access the medical record every time only at the will of the patients.
  
  
• Odisha topped in implementing AMRUT scheme
  Odisha has topped in the implementation of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. As per the data provided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Odisha has secured a score of 85.67%.
  
  Chandigarh and Telangana have secured the second and third positions followed by Gujarat and Karnataka.
  
  AMRUT scheme:
  AMRUT scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi in June 2015.
  
  The scheme aims to establish an infrastructure that will ensure robust sewage networks and water supply for urban transformation.
  
  Under the mission, efforts have been made towards universal coverage of water supply, construction of sewage treatment plants, and improving green spaces in the 9 AMRUT cities of Odisha.
  
  The nine cities are Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Baripada, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Bhadrak, Berhampur, and Puri. These cities are covered under the AMRUT scheme in Odisha.
  
  A total of 191 projects are grounded in the state. Out of the total 1919 projects, 148 projects have been implemented and the rest are likely to be completed by March 2021.
  
  Under the scheme, the Universal coverage of piped water supply has been completed by laying or replacing 400 km of pipeline to date, and all the nine AMRUT cities will have 100 percent network coverage by December 2020.
  
  Also, several parks with well-conceived landscaping and rejuvenation facilities, open gyms, and jogging trails have been developed.
  
  
• Naga Independence Day celebrated in Nagaland and Manipur
  Nagaland and parts of Manipur celebrated 74th Naga Independence Day on 14th August 2020, amid the Naga political issue involving several extremist groups. The day is celebrated since 14 August 1947.
  
  The celebrations were lead by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in Nagaland. The day was celebrated by hoisting the ‘Naga national flag’, which is one of the demands made by Naga organizations for an honourable solution to the 23-year-old peace process.
  
  Nagas declared independence a day ahead of the Independence Day of India in 1947 seeking self-rule.
  
  History
  In the year 1947, India became independent from British rule. But the Nagas under the Naga National Council wished to remain free. Hence, a Plebiscite was conducted in 1951 where 99.9% voted for Naga independence.
  
  Following this, the Nagas did not take part in the first and second general elections that were held in 1952 and 1957. Hence according to the Nagas, the Bordoloi and Hydari Agreements were not implemented.
  
  Later in 1963, Nagaland attained statehood and the moderates signed the Shillong Accord in 1975, which is the first peace agreement. But it has been rejected by the hardliners and is continued with the armed movement for Naga sovereignty.
  
  
• Renewable Energy Ministry received proposals over 10 GW of fresh solar power Equipment
  Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has received proposals over 10 gigawatt (GW) of fresh solar power Equipment. The move is in line with the Government of India's Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.
  
  The move is to set up 100 GW of solar energy by the end of 2022. By October 2019, India has already achieved 31 GW. Currently, India is focusing on domestic manufacturing to reduce dependency on imports.
  
  Previously, a 750 megawatt (MW) solar project was also inaugurated in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.
  
  GoI's measure:
  GoI is yet to approve a proposal to levy basic customs duty in the range of 20-40% on solar equipment
  
  Departments and Institutions under GoI were brought under the ruling that they have to purchase only domestically manufactured solar cells.
  
  Also, a 5 percent interest subvention scheme was proposed for wafers, ingots, and cells manufactured in the country
  
  GoI implemented several Safeguard Duties against solar equipment imported from China and Malaysia
  
  Background:
  At the Paris summit, India has pledged that it would bring 40% of its electricity generation from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
  
  Non-fossil fuels include nuclear power, solar power, hydropower, renewable energy, etc.
  
  
• Government may relook the age of marriage for women
  Prime Minister has stated in his Independence Day speech that the government may take a relook at the age of marriage of women.
  
  Background:
  The Budget Speech of 2020 proposed the setting up of a task force to look into the issue of age of a girl entering motherhood to help lower maternal mortality rates and malnutrition levels. In June 2020, the government announced a 10-member panel for this purpose.
  
  The committee has missed its July 31 deadline to finalise its report and give recommendations.
  
  Arguments:
  The National Coalition Advocating for Adolescent Concerns has asserted that increasing the legal age of marriage for girls will only expand the number of married persons deemed underage and criminalise them and may render underage married girls without legal protection.
  
  There are also arguments that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 instead of curbing child marriages, has only played as a weapon in the hands of parents to punish their daughters for elopement and is used in conjunction with other laws to punish boys in self-arranged marriages.
  
  The reasons for early marriage vary across the country. The issue of poor nutritional status in teenage mothers is also due to poverty and lack of safety driving early marriage in girls.
  
  Some have argued that lack of proper education, poor economic status among teenage mothers also contribute to poor nutritional outcomes for the mother and child and emphasize the need to act on these factors first before lowering the marriage age.
  
  
• Enact law to bar criminals from polls: HC
  The Madras High Court has directed the Central government to explain in two weeks as to why the centre should not enact a law prohibiting people with criminal background from contesting in parliamentary, Assembly and local body elections.
  
  Background:
  The analysis carried out by the Association for Democratic Reforms has revealed that 43% Members of Parliament had declared criminal cases pending against them while 29% of the legislators were facing serious criminal cases.
  
  Details:
  Recognizing the increasing criminalization of politics and the threat posed by it, the Madras HC has stressed on the need to cleanse the system.
  
  Recognizing that measures against the criminalization of politics can succeed only when political parties do not admit criminals in their parties and given the reluctance of the parties to do so, the Madras HC has called on the Central government to come out with comprehensive legislation to prohibit persons with criminal background from contesting elections.
  
  
• India celebrated its 74th Independence Day on 15 August
  India celebrated its 74th Independence Day on 15 August 2020. Indian Independence Day is celebrated in India every year. On 15th August 1947, India gained its power and became an independent nation.
  
  The Day is celebrated by colours and many events across the country. On this special day, President Ram Nath Kovind and the Prime Minister delivered the address to the nation on the Independence Day event. PM of India Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour flag on the special occasion.
  
  History:
  British rule began in 1757. The East India Company (EIC) took control in India till 1857. British crown, then, dethroned the EIC during the Indian Mutiny in 1857-58. The Indian Independence movement began in the mid-19th century.
  
  The movement was led by Mahatma Gandhi. He led through various movements like a method of nonviolent, non-cooperation movement, and the Civil Disobedience Movement.
  
  In the year 1946, the British government underwent capital loss during the Second World War (WWII). The British Labour Government planned to end its rule over India.
  
  The then British PM Clement Atlee announced that the British rule would end in India by 30 June 1948. He also announced powers would be transferred to responsible Indian hands. On the other, the Muslim League demanded the partition of the country, which is Pakistan. But, on the midnight of 14-15 August in 1947, the British rule came to an end, and power was transferred to the two new independent Dominions of India and Pakistan.
  
  
• Defence Ministry to expand NCC in 173 borders, coastal districts
  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) for a major expansion scheme in all the border and coastal districts.
  
  A total of 83 NCC units will be upgraded. It includes Army 53, Navy 20, Indian Air Force (IAF) 10. The scheme aims to impart NCC training to the cadets in the border and coastal areas.
  
  Highlights:
  Under the scheme, a total of one lakh cadets from 173 border and coastal districts will be inducted in the NCC.
  
  As part of the expansion plan, One-third of the cadets will be girl cadets.
  
  Also, more than 1,000 schools and colleges have been identified in the border and coastal districts where NCC will be introduced.
  
  The proposal on the expansion of NCC expansion was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15th August, at the Independence Day address.
  
  Under this, the Indian Army will provide training and administrative support to the NCC units located in the border areas. Indian Navy will provide training and administrative support to the units in the coastal areas and IAF to the units close to Air Force stations.
  
  The NCC expansion plan has been planned to be implemented in partnership with the respective states
  
  
• Navroz: Parsi New Year
  Navroj was celebrated in India on 16th August 2020.
  
  Globally Navroz is celebrated on 21st March, however, in India it is celebrated on 16th August because of the Shahenshahi calendar that is followed by Parsis in India.
  
  The Shahenshahi calendar doesn’t account for leap years.
  
  Key Points
  Navroz is also known as Parsi New Year. In Persian, ‘Nav’ stands for new, and ‘Roz’ stands for the day, which literally translates to ‘new day’.
  
  It is celebrated to mark the beginning of the Iranian (Persian) calendar.
  
  The tradition is observed by Iranians and the Parsi community around the world.
  
  In India Navroz is also known as Jamshed-i-Navroz, after the Persian King, Jamshed. The king Jamshed is credited with having created the Shahenshahi calendar.
  
  Navroj is inscribed in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of India.
  
  
• Chattisgarh CM launch Padhai Tuhar Para Scheme for School Students
  The Chief Minister of Chattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel has announced the launch of the Padhai Tuhar Para Scheme (Education up to your locality), a new scheme on 15th August, Independence Day.
  
  Under the scheme, the students will be able to study in their own neighbourhoods as classes were suspended due to the outbreak of covid-19.
  
  Padhai Tuhar Para Scheme:
  Padhai Tunhar Para scheme aims to teach children with the help of the community in the villages.
  
  The scheme was launched to take the Padhai Tunhar Duar scheme, an online education platform further.
  
  The state government launched the scheme to benefit around 2.2 million children are getting its benefit.
  
  Also, the CM has launched a Bluetooth-based programme called Bultu ke Bol with an aim to introduce to provide study materials to students in remote areas with no access to the Internet.
  
  
• RTI on PM-CARES Fund
  The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has denied a Right to Information request related to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund).
  
  Key Points
  The PMO denied information on the number of applications and appeals related to PM-CARES and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
  
  The information was denied by the PMO on the grounds that providing it would “disproportionately divert the resources of the office” under Section 7(9) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
  
  According to the Section 7 (9) of the RTI Act, “an information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question.”
  
  
• IIT-Madras topped the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements
  The Vice-President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu announced Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020 virtually on 18th August 2020. ARIIA classified the institutes into two broad categories and six subcategories.
  
  Winners:
  IIT Madras topped the list under the category of Institutes of National Importance, Central Universities, and Centrally Funded Technical Institutes
  
  Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai got the top position under Government and Government Aided Universities
  
  College of Engineering, Pune under Government and Government Aided Colleges
  
  Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar under Private or Self-Financed Universities
  
  SR Engineering College, Warangal under Private or Self-Financed Colleges
  
  Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women emerged as the top performer under Women (only higher educational institutions).
  
  ARIIA:
  ARIIA was launched by the Ministry of Education, GoI. The ARIIA is implemented by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). In the year 2019, IIT-Madras emerged as the top Innovative Institution and also was one of the top 10 institutes in Public funded categories.
  
  
• BRO constructed Bailey bridge in Uttarakhand
  Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed a 180-feet bailey bridge in the Jauljibi sector of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. The construction was done amid frequent landslides and heavy rains.
  
  Bailey bridge:
  The Bailey bridge is of the 50-metre span.
  
  The concrete bridge was washed out completely on July 27, 2020, due to the flood. The BRO mobilized the bridging resources and set up to construct the bridge.
  
  The bridge will meet the biggest challenge to transport parts to the site from Pithoragarh amidst frequent landslides and heavy rains.
  
  The construction of the bridge was successfully completed on August 16, 2020.
  
  The connectivity is expected to bring relief to about 15,000 people in 20 villages. The constructed bridge allows the road communication of 66 km road starting from Jauljibi to Munsiyari.
  
  This bridge also will provide essential support in rehabilitating the villages.
  
  
• Green Corridor: Organ Donation
  Recently, a heart was brought from Pune to Chennai with the help of a “green corridor” created for unrestricted movement.
  
  Key Points
  A green corridor is a demarcated, cleared out special road route created for an ambulance that enables retrieved organs meant for transplant to reach the destined hospital.
  
  Green corridors require a concentrated effort from transplant coordinators, local police, traffic police and airport staff. Awareness of the general public towards green corridors is also important.
  
  When a patient is declared brain dead and his family consents to organ donation, the availability of a recipient is first checked within the city, state, region and then nationally.
  
  Organs have a short preservation time, and green corridors ensure the ambulance escapes traffic congestion and reaches the destination in the shortest possible time.
  
  The requisite regulatory procedures and coordination was carried out with National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).
  
  
• Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge to boost Start-up
  Union Minister of Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad launched “Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge- Innovate Solution for #Aatmanirbhar Bharat” on 18 August 2020.
  
  The aim is to provide further impetus to the strong ecosystem of Start-up, innovation, and research in the country.
  
  Under the aegis of Microprocessor Development Programme of Ministry of Electronics and IT, IIT Madras and Center for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC) have developed two microprocessors named SHAKTI (32 bit) and VEGA (64 bit) respectively using Open Source Architecture.
  
  Highlights:
  Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge - Innovate Solutions for #Aatmanirbhar Bharat aims to invite startups, innovators, and students to use these microprocessors.
  
  The aim is to develop various technology products. Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge is part of the measures taken by the Ministry of Electronics and IT to spur the technology-led innovation ecosystem in the country.
  
  The challenge is open to the students at all levels and startups, the Challenge demands contestants to tinker with these Swadeshi Processor IPs and facilitate them with innovating the frugal solutions for societal needs.
  
  The challenge also aims to make available the entire home-grown ecosystem around Swadeshi Processors to develop the complex designs for catering to both global and domestic requirements in the near future.
  
  The participants can register at innovate.mygov.in. It is open from 18th August 2020 and culminates in June 2021.
  
  It provides an opportunity for 100 Semi-finalists to win a total Rs.1 Crore of Award, 25 Finalists to win total Rs.1 Crore of Award. Also, the top 10 teams entering the finale, will get the seed fund of total Rs.2.30 crore and 12 months incubation support.
  
  All participants will be given an opportunity to translate their innovations around Swadeshi Processors and showcase them at a higher viewership platform. It will also facilitate them to scale from ideation to the marketplace, thereby standing a chance to contribute to the overall mission of #AtmaNirbharta of Government.
  
  
• Cabinet approved setting up of National Recruitment Agency
  The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the setting up of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA).
  
  The aim is to pave the way for a transformational reform in the recruitment process for central government jobs.
  
  National Recruitment Agency (NRA):
  NRA will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) to screen/shortlist candidates for Group B and C which is for non-technical posts.
  
  NRA will have representatives of Ministry of Railways, Department of Financial Services of the Ministry of Finance, the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and the Institute of Banking Service Personnel (IBPS).
  
  It is expected that the NRA would be a specialist body bringing state-of-the-art technology and best practices to the field of Central Government recruitment.
  
  Background:
  The move comes as, currently, the candidates seeking government jobs have to appear for separate examinations conducted by multiple recruiting agencies for various posts, for which similar eligibility conditions have been prescribed.
  
  With the introduction of NRA, a common eligibility Test will enable the candidates to appear once and apply to any or all of these recruitment agencies for the higher level of examination. This will provide major relief to all the candidates.
  
  
• Dhanwantari Rath to bring Ayurveda at doorsteps of Delhi Police families
  All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Delhi Police to extend the Ayurveda Preventive and Promotive health services in the residential colonies of Delhi Police.
  
  The MoU was exchanged between Commissioner of Delhi Police S N Shrivastava and Pramod Kumar Pathak, Additional Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH. The Dhanvantri Rath was flagged off on 18th August 2020.
  
  Dhanwantari Rath:
  Under the MoU, the services will be provided through a mobile unit named Dhanwantari Rath.
  
  Dhanwantari Rath is a Mobile unit of Ayurveda health care services.
  
  It consists of a team of Doctors who would be visiting Delhi Police colonies regularly. The Ayurveda Health care services will reduce the incidence/prevalence of various diseases and also reduce the number of referrals to hospitals thereby reducing the cost to the healthcare system as well as patients.
  
  Police Wellness Centres will be catered by AIIA, which is an autonomous Institute and supported by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).
  
  AYURAKSHA is a joint venture (JV) of AIIA, an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of AYUSH and Delhi Police. The JV aims to maintain the health of frontline COVID warriors like Delhi police personal through Ayurveda immunity-boosting measures.
  
  Ayurveda Preventive and Promotive health care has been planned to be extended to the families of Delhi Police personnel.
  
  
• No Audit of PM-CARES Funds by CAG: SC
  The Supreme Court has endorsed the PM CARES Fund as a “public charitable trust” to which donors contribute voluntarily.
  
  KEYPOINTS:
  The petition had argued that the PM-CARES Fund was not subject to CAG audit.
  
  It was not under “public scrutiny”. Contributions to it were “100% tax-free”.
  
  It was accused that there was statutory fund already in existence under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 to receive contributions to finance the fight against a calamity.
  
  BACKGROUND:
  The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) were created on 28 March 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
  
  The fund will be used for combat, containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.
  
  The PM is the chairman of the trust. Members will include the defence, home and finance ministers.
  
  The fund will also enable micro-donations. The minimum donation accepted for the PM CARES Fund is ?10 (14¢ US).
  
  The donations will be tax-exempt and fall under corporate social responsibility.
  
  
• National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020
  According to the recently released National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020, cancer cases in India are likely to increase to 15.6 lakhs by 2025, a 12% increase from the current estimated cases.
  
  The report has been released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru.
  
  Key Points
  The number of cases are likely to touch 15.6 lakhs by 2025 from the current 13.9 lakhs in 2020.
  
  Tobacco-related cancers are estimated to contribute 27.1% of the total cancer burden.
  
  Cancers related to use of any form of tobacco were highest in the northeastern region of the country and in higher proportions in men.
  
  Among women, breast cancers are estimated to contribute 14.8% and cervical cancer (tumour of the cervix, the lowermost part of the uterus) are estimated to contribute 5.4%.
  
  For both men and women, cancers of the gastrointestinal tract are estimated to contribute 19.7% of the total cancer burden.
  
  Cancers of the lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus (the muscular tube that runs from the throat to the stomach) are the most common cancers among men.
  
  
• Setting up of National Recruitment Agency
  NRA will be a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, headed by a Chairman of the rank of the Secretary to the Government of India.
  
  It will have representatives of the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the SSC, RRB and IBPS.
  
  It is envisioned that the NRA would be a specialist body bringing the state-of-the-art technology and best practices to the field of Central Government recruitment.
  
  The NRA will conduct the Common Eligibility Test (CET) for recruitment to non-gazetted posts in government and public sector banks.
  
  This test aims to replace multiple examinations conducted by different recruiting agencies for selection to government jobs advertised each year, with a single online test.
  
  Salient features of NRA
  The Common Eligibility Test will be held twice a year.
  
  There will be different CETs for graduate level, 12th Pass level and 10th pass level to facilitate recruitment to vacancies at various levels.
  
  The CET will be conducted in 12 major Indian languages. This is a major change, as hitherto examinations for recruitment to Central Government jobs were held only in English and Hindi.
  
  To begin with, CET will cover recruitments made by three agencies: viz. Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board and the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection. This will be expanded in a phased manner.
  
  CET will be held in 1,000 centres across India to bid remove the currently prevalent urban bias. There will be an examination centre in every district of the country. There will be a special thrust on creating examination infrastructure in the 117 aspirational districts.
  
  CET will be a first level test to shortlist candidates and the score will be valid for three years.
  
  There shall be no restriction on the number of attempts to be taken by a candidate to appear in the CET subject to the upper age limit.
  
  Age relaxation for SC/ST and OBC candidates as per existing rules will apply.
  
  
• Parkash Purab Utsav
  The Prime Minister of India greeted the people on the occasion of the Parkash Purab Utsav of the holy book Guru Granth Sahib (19th August 2020).
  
  Key Points
  The first Prakash Purab Utsav marked the installation of Guru Granth Sahib in Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden temple, in 1604.
  
  Granth Sahib is the sacred scripture of Sikhism (religion). It is a collection of nearly 6,000 hymns of the Sikh Gurus (religious leaders) and various early and medieval saints of different religions and castes.
  
  It is the central object of worship in all gurdwaras and is accorded the reverence paid to a living Guru.
  
  The first version of the book was compiled by the 5th Sikh Guru Arjan at Amritsar in 1604 CE. He included his own hymns and those of his predecessors, the Gurus Nanak, Angad, Amar Das, and Ram Das, and a selection of devotional songs of both Hindu and Islamic saints (notably the poet Kabir).
  
  In 1704 CE the 10th and last Guru, Gobind Singh, added the hymns of his predecessor, Guru Tegh Bahadur (the 6th - Hargobind, 7th- Har Rai, and 8th - Hari Krishen- Gurus did not write hymns), and enjoined that after his own death the Granth would take the place of the Guru.
  
  The language is mostly Punjabi or Hindi, interspersed with Marathi, Persian, and Arabic words.
  
  After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, his hymns and other writings were compiled into a book known as the Dasam Granth.
  
  
• Anganwadi Services
  Right to Food Campaign has given a memorandum to the Minister for Women and Child Development to resume provision of hot-cooked meals and ensure implementation of anganwadi services.
  
  Key Points
  Recommendations:
  The memorandum suggested that anganwadi services (like community-managed growth monitoring, supplementary nutrition, immunisation, etc.) should be delivered either within the day care centres or at the houses of the beneficiaries.
  
  It also recommended a comprehensive package of cooked food and dry rations.
  
  It also sought protective gear for frontline health workers such as Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and anganwadi workers.
  
  Background: Following the nationwide lockdown on March 25, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) implemented at anganwadis was discontinued.
  
  It impacted nearly 14 lakh anganwadis and over 8 crore beneficiaries (children under six years and pregnant women and lactating mothers)
  
  The Ministry of Women and Child Development asked State governments and Union Territories to extend food security allowance to each beneficiary.
  
  According to the POSHAN COVID-19 Monitoring report for India compiled in June 2020, by UNICEF, World Food Programme and the World Bank, 10 of the 14 most populous States did not conduct community management of acutely malnourished children and eight States were unable to measure growth parameters of children under six years.
  
  
• Quit India Day is observed on 9 August
  Quit India Day is observed on 9th August every year. The day commemorates the important movement in the freedom struggle. The day is celebrated to pay tribute to the freedom fighters.
  
  Quit India Movement:
  The Quit India Movement is also known as India August Movement or Bharat ChodoAndolan. It was launched by Mahatma Gandhi at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) on 8 August 1942 during World War II.
  
  The movement demanded "An Orderly British Withdrawal" from India. As the movement was held in August, it is also known as August Kranti or August Movement.
  
  Under the movement, more than 1,00,000 people were arrested and the government resorted to violence in order to crush the agitation.
  
  The movement was crushed in 1944 as the British refused to grant immediate independence. But after the Quit India movement, the British cited that immediate independence could happen only after WII had ended.
  
  
• Report on Future of News in India: Vidhi
  Recently, the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy (Delhi based independent think-tank) released a report examining the future of news in India.
  
  Key Points
  Findings:
  The worsening economic health of print journalism threatens its ability to credibly inform the public and act as an institutional check upon power.
  
  The environment of digital news operates in a vacuum of regulation. The emergence of a post-truth paradigm in public communications and the widespread proliferation of misinformation are barriers to realising the benefits of digital news distribution.
  
  Post-truth includes circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.
  
  Recommendations: The report has drawn a roadmap of legal reforms to facilitate the transition of high-quality print journalism into the era of digital communications in a manner that benefits the public good.
  
  Checking the Dominance of Online Advertising Platforms:
  
  The advertisement-revenue model for digital news may be displaying indications of market failure.
  
  In an advertising-revenue model, the online companies publish free content that drives hundreds, thousands or millions of visitors to the site on a monthly basis. Advertisers pay the online companies to get in front of these visitors, this helps Businesses generate their revenue from the fees advertisers pay for this access.
  
  To orient the market for digital news towards the public good, the role and practices of online advertising platforms must be systematically studied by a specialised authority.
  
  The report has recommended the Competition Commission of India to investigate the dominance of online advertising platforms.
  
  Enacting Comprehensive Measures to Address Misinformation:
  It suggests a range of legislative, co-regulatory and voluntary measures which provide an integrated framework to prevent the spread of misinformation and enhance reader literacy. Example:
  
  Development of industry standards to identify misinformation.
  
  Use of analytics to identify patterns of misinformation, etc.
  
  Appropriate Responsibilities on Digital News Entities:
  
  The report calls to fill the legal vacuum for digital news in a manner which is sensitive to the nuances of online discourse.
  
  It recommends granting limited powers to the Press Council of India, in conjunction with a voluntary registration procedure and the development of a brief, accessible code of conduct as a mechanism for the imposition of editorial responsibility.
  
  The role of online platforms in the distribution of news should be addressed through targeted interventions based on the design aspects of such platforms.
  
  
• Food System Vision 2050 Prize: Rockefeller Foundation
  The Rockefeller Foundation has selected Naandi Foundation (a Hyderabad based non-profit organisation), as one of the top 10 ‘Visionaries’ in the world for the Food System Vision 2050 Prize.
  
  Naandi was recognised for its Arakunomics model.
  
  Key Points
  The Food System Vision Prize:
  It was launched by the USA-based ‘The Rockefeller Foundation’, in partnership with the other two organisations - SecondMuse and OpenIDEO- in 2019.
  
  It is an invitation for organizations across the globe to develop a Vision of the regenerative and nourishing food system that they aspire to create by the year 2050.
  
  Food System Vision is a story about the future that addresses the following six interconnected themes: Environment, Diets, Economics, Culture, Technology and Policy.
  
  The notion is that by transforming food systems, following challenges can be addressed:
  
  A global population approaching 10 billion,
  
  Greenhouse gasses changing the climate,
  
  Pollution poisoning soil, air, and water.
  
  USD 2 million will be distributed to the Top Visionaries, who will be eligible to receive a prize of USD 2,00,000 each.
  
  Naandi Foundation (Arakunomics):
  The organisation was recognised for the application of Arakunomics model in regions of Araku (Andhra Pradesh), Wardha (Maharashtra) and New Delhi, leading to the Food Vision 2050 that follows an “ABCDEFGH” framework centring on: Agriculture, Biology, Compost, Decentralised decision-making, Entrepreneurs, Families, Global Markets, and ‘Headstands (implying innovation)’.
  
  Arakunomics is a new integrated economic model that ensures profits for farmers, quality for consumers through regenerative agriculture.
  
  It is based on work with tribal farmers in Araku for nearly 20 years.
  
  This economic model is a tribute to the tribal farmers of Araku region for the world class coffee produced and launched in Paris in 2017, as well as for the high carbon landscape transformation they did in over 955 villages, thereby planting 25 million trees.
  
  Arakunomics success in Araku led to Naandi replicating the model to support the livelihoods of farming communities in the villages of Wardha – infamous for agrarian distress, as well as later in New Delhi, as part of an Urban Farms Co programme.
  
  Naandi hopes to expand its “food-print” by creating thousands of farm livelihoods by transforming their agriculture over one million acres spread across India.
  
  Rockefeller Foundation will release USD 1,50,000 at present and the balance USD 50,000 after a three-month accelerator programme that is intended to help Naandi realise its vision.
  
  
• TRIFED’s Digitisation Drive
  The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) celebrated its 33rd Foundation Day on 6th August 2020 and launched its own virtual office on the same day.
  
  Key Points
  Virtual Office:
  It has 81 online workstations and 100 additional converging State and agency workstations that will help the team members of TRIFED in working with their partners across the country on mission-mode towards bringing the tribal people closer to mainstream development.
  
  To gauge the level of employee engagement and streamline their efforts, an Employee Engagement and Work Distribution Matrix with Dashboard Links has also been launched.
  
  Reasons:
  After the Covid-19 pandemic, every aspect like shopping, banking, working, etc. has gone online and it has been observed that the trend has increased even after relaxations of lockdowns.
  
  All these organisational initiatives are a part of TRIFED’s ambitious all-encompassing digitisation drive to promote tribal commerce and map and link its village-based tribal producers and artisans to national and international markets by setting up state of art e-platforms benchmarked to international standards.
  
  
• RashtriyaSwachhata Kendra
  The Prime Minister will inaugurate RashtriyaSwachhata Kendra (RSK) on 8th August, 2020.
  
  Key Points
  RSK is an interactive experience centre on the Swachh Bharat Mission.
  
  It will introduce future generations to its successful journey as the world’s largest behaviour change campaign.
  
  It will showcase the core elements of the mission and anecdotes on the journey of the country from Satyagraha to Swachchagrah.
  
  It will impart information, awareness and education on Swachhata (sanitation) and related aspects.
  
  The installations at RSK will include audio visual immersive shows, interactive LED panels, hologram boxes, interactive games etc.
  
  RashtriyaSwachhata Kendra (RSK) was first announced on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagraha.
  
  
• First Kisan Rail
  The Indian Railways has introduced the first “Kisan Rail” from Devlali (Maharashtra) to Danapur (Bihar).
  
  The Centre had announced plans of starting special parcel trains called ‘Kisan Rail’ in the Budget 2020-21.
  
  Key Points
  Kisan Rails are the first ever multi commodity trains.
  
  Earlier, Indian Railways had run single commodity special trains like Banana Specials etc.
  
  These trains with refrigerated coaches will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time.
  
  These will ensure that agro products reach from one corner to another corner of the country.
  
  These trains are a step towards realising the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022.
  
  These are expected to be a great help to the farmers, as freight of these trains will be charged as per parcel tariff of normal trains.
  
  The Devlai-Danapur train (a weekly service) is expected to reduce transportation costs by Rs. 1000 per tonne compared with roadways and reduce travel time by around 15 hours.
  
  Aggressive marketing is being done with local farmers, loaders, Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) and individuals.
  
  Any farmer or any other interested party can directly book their consignments in trains, without any lower limit on the size of consignment.
  
  The consignment can be as small as 50-100 kgs, and can be booked from any stopping station to any other stopping station – giving full flexibility.
  
  Regarding loss/damage of products for any reason, Railways already have a well-established claim/compensation system – through which the party can get compensation for its losses.
  
  
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands to be Maritime and Startup Hub
  Recently, the Prime Minister has declared that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be developed as a "maritime and startup hub".
  
  Key Points
  A transhipment hub has been proposed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  
  A transhipment is when cargo or a container is moved from one vessel to another while in transit to its final destination.
  
  It will be built in South Bay, Great Nicobar Island, to provide Indian shippers an alternative to the Colombo (Sri Lanka), Singapore and Port Klang (Malaysia) transshipment ports.
  
  12 islands of the archipelago have been selected for high-impact projects with an emphasis on boosting trade of sea-based, organic and coconut-based products of the region.
  
  A submarine cable project has been launched in the islands to make it digitally independent.
  
  2300 Km of submarine optical fibres cable (OFC) have been laid down
  
  The fibre will connect chennai and port blair and seven other islands- Swaraj Deep (Havelock), Long island etc.
  
  The connectivity project was funded by the Centre through the Universal Service Obligation Fund under the Ministry of Communications.
  
  It was executed by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) was the technical consultant.
  
  In addition, Port Blair airport is to be expanded and some of the islands will be also connected with seaplanes.
  
  Background:
  In 2015, the government had announced an ambitious, Rs 10,000 crore economic plan to transform the Andaman and Nicobar Islands into the country’s first maritime hub.
  
  This included infrastructure construction, protection of the original Jarawa inhabitants and boosting the tourism potential.
  
  Earlier, India had also invited global investors to develop the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.
  
  The Union Government constituted the Island Development Agency on 1st June, 2017 for the development of islands.
  
  
• Negative Imports List for Defence
  Recently, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a negative list of 101 defence items that the MoD will stop importing.
  
  Key Points
  Indigenisation of Defence Production:
  This will boost indigenisation of defence production and is in line with the government's target to reach a turnover of USD 25 billion by 2025 through indigenously manufactured defence products.
  
  Government also targets to export these indigenously manufactured defence products worth USD 5 billion by 2025.
  
  The manufacturers could be private sector players or Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
  
  This will reduce the government's defence import bill.
  
  List of Items:
  The list comprises simple parts to high technology weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles, sonar systems, transport aircrafts, radars, and many other items.
  
  Implementation:
  
  The imports on these 101 defence items is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024.
  
  MoD has also bifurcated the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes.
  
  A separate budget head has been created with an outlay of nearly Rs. 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in the current financial year.
  
  In any government contract over Rs. 200 crore, no foreign company can participate in the tendering process.
  
  Benefits:
  It will offer an opportunity to the Indian defence industry to manufacture the items in the negative list by using their own design and development capabilities or adopting the technologies designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces.
  
  It is a big step towards self-reliance in defence under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
  
  Issues Involved:
  At least a third of the 101 items are already being produced in India.
  
  Some items in the list are under development by domestic industry, and are not produced by any other country. E.g. the Light Combat Helicopter and the light transport aircraft.
  
  Items like the AK-203 rifle, to be produced by the Ordnance Factory Board in Amethi with Russian collaboration are stuck over pricing issues.
  
  The items in the list are of proven technologies, and do not involve any critical or cutting-edge technology for a next-generation weapon system or platform.
  
  Challenge for the government and the armed forces will be to keep this commitment to domestic producers in the event of an operational requirement.
  
  E.g. Make in India scheme announced in 2014 aimed to develop the indigenous defence industry, but has failed to achieve its targets.
  
  
• Electric Vehicles Policy 2020: Delhi
  Recently, the Delhi government has notified the Electric Vehicles (EV) Policy 2020.
  
  It lays the maximum emphasis on replacement of two-wheelers, public transport and shared vehicles and goods-carriers instead of private four-wheelers, with Electric Vehicles (EVs).
  
  Key Points
  Features:
  It envisions the replacement of the existing auto rickshaws and State-run buses with e-autos and e-buses respectively. It will also ensure that delivery-based services operating in the city are powered by e-mobility.
  
  It talks about increasing road tax for fuel-based vehicles, at least in the luxury segment and imposing in certain parts of the city a congestion fee that EVs will be exempt from.
  
  It has a ‘scrapping incentive’ for those people who want to make the switch, allowing them to exchange an old fuel-based vehicle while purchasing a new EV, further reducing its cost.
  
  The government will also offer low-interest rate loans to people interested in buying commercial EVs.
  
  The policy also offers subsidies and road tax and registration fee waivers, for EVs bought in the capital.
  
  At present, road tax ranges from 4% to 10% of the cost of the vehicle, while the registration fee could cost up to Rs. 3,000.
  
  In addition, a subsidy of Rs. 5,000 per kWh of the battery capacity up to Rs. 30,000 will be given on the purchase of each EV.
  
  For the first 1,000 e-cars or electric four-wheelers, a subsidy of Rs. 10,000 per kWh will be given, capped at Rs. 1,50,000 per vehicle.
  
  These grants will be in addition to the subsidies offered by the Union government under its FAME India Phase 2 scheme, which offers similar incentives, especially on the purchase of electric two-wheelers and electric heavy passenger and goods vehicles.
  
  A State EV fund will be set up, encompassing all the expenditure of the EV Policy. A State Electric Vehicle Board will be constituted for effective implementation of the policy and managing the fund. Besides, a dedicated EV Cell will also be constituted.
  
  Aims:
  To reduce air pollution and to kick-start the economy by spurring demand.
  
  Delhi experiences a public health emergency every winter due to the rise in air pollution, which has become a recurrent annual crisis.
  
  During the Covid-19 induced lockdowns, the capital witnessed a drastic reduction in the PM10 and PM2.5 levels.
  
  To address both problems of the high cost of purchase and the lack of sufficient charging infrastructure.
  
  To register at least 5,00,000 EVs in Delhi in the next five years.
  
  Delivery-based and Ride-hailing Services:
  Ride-hailing service providers will be allowed to operate electric two-wheeler taxis subject to operating within the guidelines to be issued by the Transport Department.
  
  It is expected that the incentives provided by the policy would encourage delivery service providers related to food delivery, e-commerce logistics providers and couriers to switch to using electric two-wheelers.
  
  All delivery service providers shall be expected to convert 50% of their fleet operating in Delhi to electric by 31st March 2023 and 100% by 31st March 2025.
  
  Delivery service providers who commit to achieving these targets will be eligible for financing support from the Delhi Finance Corporation.
  
  Autorickshaws:
  Incentives will be provided related to the purchase (Rs. 30,000 per vehicle) and use of new electric autos.
  
  An open permit system will be put in place to provide permits on a first-come, first-served basis to those with valid light motor vehicle driving licences and a Public Service Vehicle badge.
  
  The open permit system for e-autos shall be subject to the cap on the maximum number of autos if the Supreme Court will direct so in future.
  
  There will be no cap on permits issued to e-autos in Delhi since they are zero-emission vehicles and can be very effective in ensuring clean, last-mile connectivity.
  
  Currently, there is a cap on the number of CNG-run auto rickshaws, allowed to ply in the city.
  
  Buses:
  The policy envisions that half of the State-run buses to be procured over the next three years will be pure electric buses.
  
  It will start doing so with the induction of 1,000 pure electric buses by 2020.
  
  
• Telemedicine Service Platform: eSanjeevani
  The telemedicine service platforms of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare i.e. ‘eSanjeevani’ and ‘eSanjeevaniOPD’ have completed 1.5 lakh tele-consultations.
  
  The top two States which have registered highest consultations through the platforms are Tamil Nadu (32,035 consultations) and Andhra Pradesh (28,960).
  
  Since November 2019, tele-consultation by eSanjeevani and eSanjeevaniOPD have been implemented by 23 States.
  
  Both the platforms have been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Mohali.
  
  C-DAC is the premier R&D organization of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for carrying out R&D in IT, Electronics and associated areas.
  
  Key Points
  Telemedicine: As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), telemedicine is the delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using Information Technology (IT) for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, etc, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities.
  
  Tele-consultation is one of the applications of telemedicine. It uses IT to facilitate communications between a patient and a doctor who are otherwise geographically separated.
  
  eSanjeevani:
  It is a doctor to doctor telemedicine system, being implemented under the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWCs) programme.
  
  AB-HWCs are envisaged to be the platform for delivery of an expanded range of primary health care services closer to the communities.
  
  It seeks to connect all 1,50,000 HWCs using the hub-and-spoke model by December 2022.
  
  Under the model, a network will be established comprising an anchor establishment, or hub, which offers a full array of services, and will be complemented by secondary establishments, or spokes, which offer limited services, routing patients needing more intensive services to the hub for treatment.
  
  Presently, telemedicine is being provided through more than 3,000 HWCs in 10 States.
  
  eSanjeevaniOPD:
  It was launched amid the Covid-19 pandemic to enable patient-to-doctor tele-consultations.
  
  Offered at no cost, this e-health service has made it convenient for the people to avail of the health services without having to travel. It enables two-way interaction and even generates a prescription slip.
  
  It is hosting over 40 online Out Patient Department (OPD) services, more than half of these are speciality OPDs which include Gynaecology, Psychiatry, AntiRetroviral Therapy (ART) for the AIDS/HIV patients, Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) etc.
  
  
• UGC on University Exams
  The University Grants Commission (UGC) objected to Maharashtra and Delhi governments employing the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to cancel the examinations of students amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
  
  Key Points
  Background:
  The UGC had directed that final year examinations of Universities must be conducted by September-end in online or offline mode.
  
  The UGC Guidelines on Examinations and Academic Calendar for Universities in view of Covid-19 Pandemic were recently revised.
  
  The new guidelines allow students to opt for offline or online or the “blended” manner in which students can alternate between online and physical modes of attending the exams.
  
  Hower, many States/UTs like Delhi, Maharashtra and Punjab announced cancellation of these examinations
  
  While Delhi has cited ‘the reality of digital divide as a reason for scrapping university final year examination’, states like Maharashtra have used Disaster Management Act for the same.
  
  The UGC is calling ‘cancellation of examination’ a populist move which may undermine the future of higher education in India.
  
  Arguments for Conducting Examination:
  The UGC argued that the conduct of examinations was entirely within the domain of the UGC which is a statutory body, as per the UGC Act.
  
  The University Grants Commission Act, 1956 makes provision for the co-ordination and determination of standards in Universities and for that purpose, provides for establishment of UGC.
  
  Under this Act, the determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in Universities fall under the ambit of power and functions of UGC.
  
  Higher education is on the concurrent list.
  
  The 42nd amendment Act, 1976 shifted Education from State list to Concurrent List, empowering both the central and state government to make rules on Education.
  
  Therefore, UGC and AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) directives have to be implemented in this case.
  
  AICTE is the statutory body and the national-level council for technical education in the country.
  
  As the UGC said, the courts of law have a limited role in framing policy on academic issues.
  
  Limitations of Conducting Examinations:
  As the teaching-learning process has been hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the basis of assessment of learning by the students has been negated in the first hand.
  
  Many universities are not technically prepared for taking examinations in the online mode.
  
  The reliance on written, subjective-type exams for the evaluation of students is an archaic model of education which has been done away by many prestigious colleges around the globe, like the Oxford, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or National Law Universities.
  
  At a time when the country is struggling with a global health and economic crisis, the pressure of exams may negatively impact the physical and mental well-being of the student.
  
  Inequality of internet access among the student fraternity, a lack of adequate online study material, and grievances of students with disabilities are also some of the shortcomings of taking examinations at this juncture.
  
  
• PMJAY Affected by Lockdowns
  According to the “Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) Policy Brief (8): PMJAY Under Lockdown: Evidence on Utilization Trends’’, the nationwide lockdown has had a significant negative impact on inpatient care utilization under the scheme.
  
  The analysis covers 22 weeks of data, from 1st January to 2nd June 2020. The national lockdown started on 25th March and was significantly relaxed as of 1st June.
  
  The analysis is based on claims data drawn from the PMJAY Transaction Management System (TMS) and the main indicator of claim volumes (utilization) is non-rejected pre-authorization requests.
  
  Key Points
  Demographic groups, women, younger and older populations (under 20 and over 60) reduced their utilisation by more than men, young adults or the middle-aged.
  
  Among procedures, planned surgeries such as cataract operations and joint replacements suffered a decline of over 90%, while hemodialysis (also known as dialysis which is a process of purifying the blood) declined by only 20%.
  
  Overall, average weekly claim volumes in 10 weeks of lockdown were 51% lower than the weekly average observed during the 12 weeks prior to the lockdown.
  
  The steepest decline (over 75%) was registered in Assam, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar, while much smaller declines (about 25% or less) were observed in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Kerala.
  
  There was a small but perceptible shift in PMJAY utilisation from the public to private hospitals.
  
  Significant declines were noticed in admissions for child delivery and oncology (study and treatment of tumours).
  
  The utilisation of neo-natal packages declined by 24%.
  
  There was a slight shift from public to private hospitals for neonatal care and the largest declines have been observed in the public sector in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
  
  The 64% decline in oncology volumes across India was concentrated in a few States.
  
  In the public sector, which plays a smaller role in oncology care under PMJAY, there was a 90% decline in claims in Maharashtra and a 65% decline in Tamil Nadu.
  
  While access to medical facilities was one of the few exceptions to stay-at-home orders during the lockdown, care-seeking behaviours and healthcare provision were nevertheless significantly affected, due to the following reasons:
  
  On the Supply Side:
  Hospitals may be preoccupied with Covid-19 preparations or caseloads, resulting in fewer resources for non-Covid-19 cases.
  
  This may be particularly relevant in public hospitals, which have been the primary focus of the policy response and could extend to activities such as submitting pre-authorisation requests or claims documents as required under PMJAY.
  
  Private hospitals may reduce services out of fear among health workers that they will become infected.
  
  On the Demand Side:
  PMJAY beneficiaries might delay or forego treatment due to fear of infection at a hospital.
  
  They may not be able to reach hospitals due to public transport shutdowns and mobility constraints.
  
  The economic crisis may affect financial considerations related to seeking care.
  
  Health experts have highlighted that ensuring the least possible impact on key health programmes will be an ongoing challenge which needs continued close monitoring.
  
  
• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched Krishi Megh
  Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar virtually launched the Krishi Megh (National Agricultural Research & Education System -Cloud Infrastructure and Services).
  
  Krishi Megh is in line with the digital agriculture of New India. Also, he launched KVC ALUNET (Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Chhatr Alumni Network) and Online Accreditation System for Higher Agricultural Educational Institutions (HEI).
  
  Krishi Megh:
  Krishi Megh is expected to meet the services and infrastructure needs of the Digital Agriculture of National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES). The existing Data Centre (ICAR-DC), which was built during 2012, will be strengthened with cloud computing infrastructure.
  
  NARES-Cloud Infrastructure and Services along with ICAR-DC and ICAR-KrishMegh will provide a robust and dynamic platform to meet the growing IT needs of the NARES system with the deployment of mission-critical applications such as e-Office, ICAR-ERP, ICAR institute websites, KVK Portal, and Education Portal. It also provides Alumni Portal, mobile apps, Academic Management System, e-Courses of UG and PG level, etc.
  
  Under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), the out-reach of existing ICAR Data Center is broadened to cover the Agriculture Universities enabling them to host their websites and IT solutions.
  
  ICAR-Krishi Megh at ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management Hyderabad is synchronized with ICAR-Data Center at ICAR-IASRI, New Delhi has been built to mitigate the risk, availability, and accessibility of e-governance, research, enhance the quality, extension and education in the field of agriculture in India.
  
  This new Centre has the latest Artificial Intelligence, Deep learning software, and tools kits for building and deploying deep learning-based applications such as disease and pest identification using image analysis, detection of maturity, and ripening of fruits through image analysis, disease identification in livestock, etc.
  
  It should be noted that amid the COVID-19 situation, 24x7 availability of IT applications has made it possible to work from home and to collaborate with fellow scientists through video conferencing.
  
  
• Chhattisgarh CM launched Indira Van Mitan Yojana
  Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched Indira Van Mitan Yojana on the occasion of World Tribal Day. The scheme aims to make the forest dwellers in the state self-reliant.
  
  Indira Van Mitan Yojana:
  Under the Indira Van Mitan Yojana, youth groups will be formed in 10,000 villages of tribal area of the state. All forest-based economic activities will be conducted through these groups. The groups will work to provide self-employment and prosperity of the forest dwellers through these groups.
  
  The groups will also ensure arrangements for procurement, processing and marketing of forest produce.
  
  The scheme aims to add 19 lakh families from scheduled areas.
  
  The groups will manage trees. They will collect the forest produce from the trees of the forest areas and get economic benefits.
  
  The estimated cost of a unit would be around Rs.10 lakh. An amount of Rs.8.50 crore will be made available for the establishment of forest produce processing units in 85 development blocks of scheduled areas.
  
  In order to increase the income of forest dwellers fruit and vegetation plants will be planted instead of timbers in the forests.
  
  
• Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0: AIM
  Atal Innovation Mission (AIM - an initiative by the NITI Aayog) in collaboration with Dell Technologies has launched the second edition of its Student Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP 2.0) for student innovators of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).
  
  SEP 1.0 was launched in January 2019.
  
  Key Points
  SEP 2.0:
  Objective: It will allow student innovators to work closely with Dell volunteers. They will receive mentor support; prototyping and testing support; end-user feedback; intellectual property registration and patenting of ideas, processes, and products; manufacturing support; as well as the launch support of the product in the market.
  
  Background:
  As many as 1500 innovations were submitted in the last season of ATL Marathon (2019). ATL Marathon is a nationwide contest where students identify community challenges and create grassroots innovations and solutions within their ATLs.
  
  50 teams were selected and mentored by Atal Incubation Centres via the Student Innovator Programme 2.0.
  
  Student Innovator Programme provides training on business and entrepreneurship skills to students.
  
  The top 8 will take their prototypes to product through SEP 2.0.
  
  SEP 1.0:
  SEP 1.0 was a 10-month-long programme through which the top 6 teams of ATL Marathon 2017 got a chance to transform their innovative prototypes into fully functioning products, which are now available in the market.
  
  ATLs:
  Vision:
  AIM is establishing ATLs in schools across India with a vision to cultivate one million children in India as neoteric (modern) innovators.
  
  It is aimed at disrupting the Indian education system, creating a paradigm shift where children as young as 12 years of age are being introduced to the world of technology innovation.
  
  Objectives: To foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.
  
  Eligibility: Schools (minimum Grade VI - X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society.
  
  Financial Support: AIM provides grant-in-aid of Rs. 20 Lakh to each school that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.
  
  Features:
  ATL is a work space where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands on do-it-yourself mode; and learn innovation skills.
  
  Young children get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
  
  CollabCAD was launched in ATL schools to provide students experience in creating and modifying 3D designs.
  
  In order to foster inventiveness among students, ATL conducts different activities ranging from regional and national level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, designing and fabrication of products, lecture series etc. at periodic intervals.
  
  
• PM Modi launches Transparent Taxation-Honoring the Honest platform
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Transparent Taxation-Honoring the Honest' platform on August 13, 2020. The platform includes three major reforms- faceless assessment, faceless appeal and taxpayers' charter. While the faceless assessment and taxpayers' charter reforms have been brought into effect from today itself, faceless appeal service will be available from September 25.
  
  Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the system of “Transparent Taxation–Honoring the Honest” was put into place by CBT to realise PM Modi's vision is to empower the taxpayer, to provide a transparent system and honour honest taxpayers. The platform aims to be a transparent and accountable system using data analytics and artificial intelligence.
  
  
• Assam Arunodoi Scheme from October 2; to provide financial assistance
  The Assam state government is set to start Arunodoi Scheme from October 2, 2020, with an aim to provide financial assistance to around 17 lakh families in the state.
  
  As per the Finance Minister, HimantaBiswaSarma, under the scheme an amount of Rs. 830 per month will be given to the eligible 17 lakh families to buy the essential items of food.
  
  Arunodoi scheme will be the largest Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme of Assam which will benefit 15 to 17 thousand families per Assembly constituency.
  
  In order to avail the benefits of the scheme, the applicant must be a permanent resident of Assam as well as must be presently residing in the state. Along with this, the composite household income of the applicant for the Arunodoi Scheme must be less than Rs. 2 lakh per annum.
  
  Under the scheme the priority will be given to the household with an especially abled nominated female, widowed/divorced/unmarried female/separate female, specially-abled household member.
  
  
• Govt allows sale, registration of electric vehicles without batteries
  The Government announced that it has allowed the sale and registration of electric vehicles without pre-fitted batteries. This will reduce the upfront cost of these vehicles.
  
  The pre-fitted batteries account for almost 30-40 percent of the total cost of the electric vehicles. They can be provided separately by the companies. The official statement by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) read that the Ministry has allowed registration of electric vehicles without pre-fitted batteries.
  
  The Ministry said that all the States and UTs that electric vehicles without batteries can be sold and registered based on the type approval certificate issued by the Test Agency specified under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
  
  
• SC holds Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt over tweets against CJI, judiciary
  The Supreme Court held advocate Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt in a case registered against him over two of his tweets. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said the court will hear the arguments on the quantum of punishment on August 20.
  
  The senior lawyer can be punished with a simple imprisonment for a term which may extend up to six months or with a fine of up to Rs 2,000 or with both.
  
  On June 29, Bhushan had tweeted on a photo of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde astride a Harley Davidson motorcycle. While taking up the matter for hearing, the bench, which also comprised of Justice B R Gavai and Krishna Murari, took note of another tweet by the advocate on June 27 regarding the judiciary which was published in The Times of India.
  
  
• Highlights of Modi's Independence Day speech
  'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' was the centrepiece of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address as he presented a broad outline for spurring India's growth in diverse sectors and asserted that the coronavirus pandemic cannot halt the country's march towards self-reliance.
  
  Highlights:
  Big focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat. He said, 'For how long will we export raw stuff & import finished goods'. The country will have to move forward with the mantra of 'Make in India' as well as 'Make for World'.
  
  Within 1000 days, 6 lakh villages to be connected with fiber optic
  
  PM announces the National digital health Mission
  
  Every Indian will get a digital health ID
  
  Will soon unveil a new cyber security policy.
  
  Infra is important way to jump start growth.
  
  To spend over Rs.110 lkcr; 7000 projects identified
  
  Will work on a 4-lane road network connecting ports
  
  Committed to strengthening defense forces.
  
  Modi also touched upon the much-anticipated issue of vaccine for COVID-19 and said three vaccines are in various phases of trials in the country.
  
  Modi also listed out a number of reform measures undertaken by his government which resulted in a record Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country last year.
  
  The prime minister said India's policies, processes and products should be the best in the world and only then the idea of "shresth Bharat" (best India) will be realised.
  
  
• Medha Servo Rail Coach Factory in Ranga Reddy
  Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) minister KT Rama Rao laid the foundation stone for Medha Servo Rail Coach Factory in Rangareddy district.
  
  Medha rail coach factory is being constructed in Kondakal village of Shankarpally Mandal in Rangareddy district. It is spread over 100 acres and is being constructed with a budget of Rs 800 crore.
  
  The minister said that Medha Servo Drives, a manufacturer of textile industry train coaches and diesel electric locomotives, will set up its unit in Kondakal village with an investment of Rs 800 crore. For this, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) has undertaken the acquisition of 100 acres of land in 2017 after signing an intellectual agreement with the government, said KTR.
  
  
• SRIJAN: Online Portal for indigenization of Defence Production
  On the final day of Atmanirbhar Week celebration of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh today launched Department of Defence Production, MoD’s portal SRIJAN which is a ‘one stop shop online portal that provides access to the vendors to take up items that can be taken up for indigenization.
  
  Four Contracts of Defence India Start-up Challenge under iDEX and four MoUs between industry partners and Defence PSUs were also signed in presence of Raksha Mantri. A number of Expressions of Interest/Requests for Proposal were also issued.
  
  Pursuant to Atmanirbhar Bharat announcement, Department of Defence Production, MoD has developed an indigenization portal, srijandefence.gov.in, as “opportunities for Make in India in Defence”, which will give information on items that can be taken up for indigenization by the private sector. On this portal, DPSUs/OFB/SHQs can display their items which they have been importing or are going to import which the Indian Industry can design, develop and manufacture as per their capability or through joint venture with OEMs.
  
  
• National Digital Health Mission Launched
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Digital Health Mission under which every Indian will get a health ID that will store the individual''s medical records.
  
  In his Independence Day address, the prime minister said the Mission will help reduce problems in getting treatment in various health facilities in the country and herald a new revolution in the sector.
  
  Under this scheme, every Indian will be given a health ID. This health ID will work as each Indian''s health account. Every test, disease and diagnosis, and medical reports along with medicines will be stored in every citizen''s health ID. These health issues will be resolved through this National Digital Health Mission. The Mission allows patients to access health services remotely. It also features Tele-consultation and E-Pharmacies.
  
  
• High Level Group on Agricultural Exports: Finance Commission
  Recently, the High Level Group (HLEG) on Agricultural Exports set up by the Fifteenth Finance Commission has submitted its report to the Commission.
  
  The HLEG was set up to recommend measurable performance incentives for states to encourage agricultural exports and to promote crops to enable high import substitution.
  
  Key Points
  Purpose to Constitute HLEG:
  To assess export & import substitution opportunities for Indian agricultural products (commodities, semi-processed, and processed) in the changing international trade scenario and suggest ways to step up exports sustainably and reduce import dependence.
  
  To recommend strategies and measures to increase farm productivity, enable higher value addition, ensure waste reduction, strengthen logistics infrastructure etc. related to Indian agriculture, to improve the sector's global competitiveness.
  
  To identify the impediments for private sector investments along the agricultural value chain and suggest policy measures and reforms that would help attract the required investments.
  
  To suggest appropriate performance-based incentives to the state governments for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, to accelerate reforms in the agriculture sector as well as implement other policy measures in this regard.
  
  Recommendations:
  Crop Value Chains:
  It emphasises to focus on 22 crop value chains with a demand driven approach.
  
  The demand driven approach refers to a development strategy where the people themselves are expected to take the initiative and the responsibility for improving supply situation rather than being passive recipients of the Government services.
  
  It also suggests to solve Value Chain Clusters (VCC) holistically with focus on value addition.
  
  State-led Export Plan:
  It is a business plan for a crop value chain cluster, that will lay out the opportunity, initiatives and investment required to meet the desired value chain export aspiration.
  
  These plans will be action-oriented, time-bound and outcome-focused.
  
  Such plans should be collaboratively prepared with private sector players and Commodity Boards presenting participation of all stakeholders.
  
  Participation of Private Sector:
  The private sector players need to play a pivotal role in ensuring demand orientation and focus on value addition.
  
  It also needs to ensure project plans are feasible, robust, implementable and appropriately funded; providing funds for technology based on business cases and for creating urgency and discipline for project implementation.
  
  Central Government’s Role:
  The Central government should act as an enabler.
  
  Thus, robust institutional mechanisms need to be enforced to fund and support implementation.
  
  
• Initiative Under Gramodyog Vikas Yojana
  Recently, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has approved a programme for the benefit of artisans involved in manufacturing of Agarbatti under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana.
  
  Key Points
  Description:
  The programme will initially include four pilot projects, including one in the north eastern part of the country.
  
  Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) will provide training and assistance as well as work and raw material to artisans working in this area, in tie-up with Agarbatti manufacturing machines.
  
  KVIC is a statutory body established by Khadi And Village Industries Commission Act, 1956. It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programs for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas
  
  Benefits:
  Revival of Agarbatti manufacturing in the villages and small towns.
  
  Generation of sustainable employment and increase in wages for the traditional Artisans.
  
  Mitigation of the gap between the indigenous ‘production and demand’.
  
  Reduction in import of ‘Agarbatti’ in the country.
  
  Background:
  The Govt of India had earlier placed the ‘Agarbatti’ item from “Free” trade to “Restricted” trade in the import policy and enhanced the import duty from 10% to 25% on ‘round bamboo sticks’ used for manufacturing of Agarbatti.
  
  Gramodyog Vikas Yojana
  Gramodyog Vikas Yojana is one of the two components of Khadi Gramodyog Vikas Yojana which aims to promote and develop the village industries through common facilities, technological modernization, training etc.
  
  Components of Gramodyog Vikas Yojana:
  Research & Development and Product Innovation: R&D support would be given to the institutions that intend to carry product development, new innovations, design development, product diversification processes etc.
  
  Activities of existing dedicated verticals of Village Industries: This includes Agro Based & Food Processing Industry, Mineral Based Industry, Handmade Paper, Leather & Plastic Industry among others.
  
  Capacity Building: Under the Human Resource Development and Skill Training components, exclusive capacity building of staff as well as the artisans.
  
  Marketing & Publicity: The village institutions will be provided market support by way of preparation of product catalogue, Industry directory, market research, new marketing techniques, buyer seller meet, arranging exhibitions etc.
  
  
• Muslim Women Rights Day
  Recently, 1st August has been recorded as “Muslim Women Rights Day” in the country’s history to mark first anniversary of the passage of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.
  
  The law made triple talaq a criminal offence.
  
  Key Points
  Provisions of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019
  
  The Act makes all declaration of talaq, including in written or electronic form, to be void (i.e. not enforceable in law) and illegal.
  
  It also makes a declaration of talaq a cognizable offence ( only if information relating to the offence is given by a married woman against whom talaq has been declared), attracting up to three years imprisonment with a fine.
  
  A cognizable offence is one for which a police officer may arrest an accused person without warrant.
  
  The Magistrate may grant bail to the accused. The bail may be granted only after hearing the woman (against whom talaq has been pronounced), and if the Magistrate is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for granting bail.
  
  The offence may be compounded (i.e. the parties may arrive at a compromise) by the Magistrate upon the request of the woman (against whom talaq has been declared).
  
  A Muslim woman against whom talaq has been declared, is entitled to seek subsistence allowance from her husband for herself and for her dependent children.
  
  
• Scanner on institutions
  The Ministry of Human Resource Development has decided to put higher education institutes that offer Chinese language training courses under the scanner.
  
  Background:
  The draft of the National Education Policy, 2020 has dropped Mandarin (Chinese) from its list of foreign languages that can be taught in schools.
  
  Details:
  The Ministry of Human Resource Development and the University Grants Commission (UGC) are in the process of reviewing the work being done by higher education institutions as part of agreements/educational arrangements with foreign institutions.
  
  It is looking closely at universities that have in the past held links with the official Chinese language training department -Hanban.
  
  Hanban runs hundreds of Confucius Institutes (CI) abroad.
  
  CIs have come under scrutiny recently in Europe, the U.S. and other countries with allegations of them being used as espionage hubs.
  
  
• Draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (2020)
  Recently, the Ministry of Defence has formulated a draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020).
  
  The DPEPP 2020 is envisaged as an overarching guiding document to provide a focused, structured and significant thrust to defence production capabilities of the country for self-reliance and exports.
  
  Key Points
  Goals and Objectives:
  To achieve a turnover of Rs. 1,75,000 crore including export of Rs. 35,000 crore in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025.
  
  To develop a dynamic, robust and competitive Defence industry, including Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of Armed forces with quality products.
  
  To reduce dependence on imports and take forward "Make in India" initiatives through domestic design and development.
  
  To promote the export of defence products and become part of the global defence value chains.
  
  To create an environment that encourages research and development (R&D), rewards innovation, create Indian Intellectual Property (IP) ownership and promotes a robust and self-reliant defence industry.
  
  Outlined Strategies:
  Procurement Reforms:
  A Project Management Unit (PMU) will be set up for the development and production of technologies involved, life cycle costs and maintenance requirements of platforms, equipment and weapon systems.
  
  It also aims to move away from licensed production to design, develop and produce indigenously.
  
  It also aims to own the design rights and IP of the systems projected in the Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) and a Technology Assessment Cell (TAC) would be created.
  
  The TAC would also assess the industrial capability for design, development and production, including re-engineering for production of major systems such as armoured vehicles, submarines, fighter aircraft, helicopters and radars with the major industries in the country.
  
  Indigenisation and Support to MSMEs/Startups:
  The indigenisation policy aims to create an industry ecosystem to indigenise the imported components (including alloys and special materials) and sub-assemblies for defence equipment and platforms manufactured in India. 5,000 such items are proposed to be indigenised by 2025.
  
  More than 50 startups are currently developing new ‘fit-for-military-use’ technologies/products.
  
  Optimise Resource Allocation:
  The share of domestic procurement in overall Defence procurement is about 60%.
  
  To enhance procurement from domestic industry, the procurement needs to be doubled from the current Rs. 70,000 crore to Rs. 1,40,000 crore by 2025.
  
  Investment Promotion and Ease of Doing Business:
  India is already a large aerospace market with rising passenger traffic and increasing military expenditure, as a result of which the demand for aircraft (fixed and rotary wings) is rising.
  
  The opportunities in the aerospace industry have been identified in the following segments - aircraft build work, aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), helicopters, engine manufacturing and MRO work, line replaceable units, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and upgrades and retrofits.
  
  The improvement in market size, demographic dividend and availability of diverse skill sets are evident from India's ranking in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ (EoDB) report.
  
  The investments in the defence sector need to regularly sustain the steady supply of orders.
  
  Innovation and R&D:
  Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) has been operationalised to provide necessary incubation and infrastructure support to the startups in the defence area.
  
  iDEX would be further scaled up to engage with 300 more startups and develop 60 new technologies/products during the next five years.
  
  Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti was launched to promote a greater culture of innovation and technology development and file a higher number of patents in Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). It would be scaled up for promoting the creation of Intellectual Property in the sector and its commercial utilisation.
  
  
• Habeas Corpus Cases in Jammu & Kashmir
  After the abrogation of the special status (under Article 370 of the Constitution) of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir in August 2019, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court was confronted with an unprecedented number (250 plus) of habeas corpus petitions.
  
  The habeas corpus petitions were filed to challenge the detentions under the J&K Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978.
  
  Key Points
  Background: After the abrogation of the special status, thousands of people were detained from across the Kashmir valley under the preventive detention law. Of these, several hundred were detained under the PSA.
  
  The other preventive detention laws under which people were booked are National Security Act (NSA) 1980 and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
  
  Status of Habeas Corpus Petitions Against PSA:
  The records of cases dealt by the High Court show that 61% of the cases under the habeas corpus were dragged on over 3-4 hearings, which were later either dismissed or settled.
  
  However, in 17 cases, the court quashed the detention orders, due to lack of procedure followed by the government while invoking the PSA.
  
  J&K Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978
  Definition: It is a kind of preventive detention law, under which a person is taken into custody to prevent him or her from acting in any manner that is prejudicial to the security of the state or the maintenance of public order.
  
  Period of Detention: Up to 2 years.
  
  Enforcement: Detention order is passed either by Divisional Commissioner or the District Magistrate.
  
  Challenging the Detention: The only way the administrative preventive detention order can be challenged is through a habeas corpus petition filed by relatives of the detained person.
  
  The High Court and the Supreme Court have jurisdiction to hear such petitions and pass a final order seeking quashing of the PSA.
  
  However, if the order is quashed, there is no bar on the government passing another detention order under the PSA and detaining the person again.
  
  There can be no prosecution or any legal proceeding against the official who has passed the order.
  
  Habeas Corpus:
  It is a Latin term which literally means ‘to have the body of’. Under this the court issues an order to a person who has detained another person, to produce the body of the latter before it. The court then examines the cause and legality of detention.
  
  This writ is a bulwark of individual liberty against arbitrary detention.
  
  The writ of habeas corpus can be issued against both public authorities as well as private individuals.
  
  The writ, on the other hand, is not issued where the:
  
  detention is lawful,
  
  the proceeding is for contempt of a legislature or a court,
  
  detention is by a competent court, and
  
  detention is outside the jurisdiction of the court.
  
  
• 100th Death Anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak
  Recently, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) conducted the webinar to observe 100th death anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on the 1st August , 2020.
  
  Key Points
  Background:
  Born on 23rd July 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
  
  Lawyer by profession and also known as Lokmanya Tilak.
  
  Gave the slogan of “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!” during Indian struggle for independence.
  
  He died on 1st August 1920.
  
  Contribution to Indian Struggle for Independence:
  
  One of the earliest and the most vocal proponents of complete independence or swarajya (self-rule).
  
  Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal, he was part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio of leaders with extremist outlooks.
  
  A book ‘Indian Unrest’ written by Valentine Chirol, an English journalist, stated Tilak the ‘father of Indian unrest’.
  
  Joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1890.
  
  Propagated swadeshi movements and encouraged people to boycott foreign goods.
  
  Indian Home Rule Movement was started in 1916, it is believed to have set the stage for the independence movement under the leadership of Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak for the educated English-speaking upper-class Indians.
  
  The All India Home Rule League was founded by Tilak in April 1916 at Belgaum.
  
  It worked in Maharashtra (except Bombay), the Central Provinces, Karnataka and Berar.
  
  Lucknow Pact (1916) was signed between the INC headed by Tilak and All-India Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah for hindu-muslim unity in nationalist struggle.
  
  Started newspapers namely, Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English) and wrote books namely, Gita Rhasya and Arctic Home of the Vedas.
  
  Social Contribution:
  Founder of the Deccan Education Society (1884) along with his associate Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and others.
  
  Popularised the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the Maharashtra region.
  
  Propounded the celebration of Shiv Jayanti on the birth anniversary of the monarch Chhatrapati Shivaji.
  
  Devout Hindu and used Hindu scriptures to rouse people to fight oppression.
  
  Relevance of the Tilak’s Ideas in Present Time
  
  Tilak’s stand for Swadeshi products and Swadeshi movement may help today’s India to push Atmanirbhar Bharat. Thus, revival of economic nationalism can be embibe from Tilak’s ideology.
  
  It was Tilak’s advocacy for local languages in the Congress that made members speak in their mother tongue during its meetings. Whereas, the government has given a push to bring Sanskrit and local languages through National Education Policy (2020).
  
  Also, Tilak was a staunch opponent of untouchability and launched a huge movement to unite the society divided on the basis of caste and sects. Such behavioural push will help to unite Indian society further.
  
  
• AP Government Signs MoU with three International FMCG companies to Support Economic Empowerment of Women
  On 3rd August 2020, The state government of Andhra Pradesh(AP) signs a memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with three International FMCG (Fast-moving consumer goods) companies- Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), ITC ltd., and Procter and Gamble (P&G) to provide marketing and technological support for the economic empowerment of the women and to make them self-reliant.
  
  The MoU was signed in the presence of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy at his camp office in Tadepalli.
  
  Raju Babu, CEO of Society for elimination of rural poverty(SERP) on behalf of the government signed the MoU while Joseph Verkey of P&G, Rajnikant Rai of ITC and Ramakrishna Reddy of HUL signed the MoU.
  
  The state government of Andhra Pradesh is set to launch two schemes YSR Cheyutha and YSR Asara to support the empowerment of women. Around Rs. 11,000 crores per year will be distributed under both the schemes which will be around Rs. 44,000 crores for 4 years which will benefit around 1 crore women.
  
  YSR Cheyutha:
  The YSR Cheyutha scheme is set to launch on 12th August 2020, to support the women of the minority groups (SC, ST, BC) aged between 45 and 60.
  
  Financial assistance of Rs. 18,750 per annum that is Rs. 75,000 for four years will be provided to the women under the scheme to support them to become self-reliant and change their economic status.
  
  Under this scheme around Rs. 4,500 crores will be distributed.
  
  YSR Asara:
  YSR Asara is set to be launched in September 2020, which will benefit around 90 lakh women of around 9lakh self-help groups.
  
  Under this scheme around Rs. 6,700 crores will be distributed.
  
  Features of MoU:
  The companies will support the women under the YSR Cheyutha and YSR Asara schemes.
  
  They will provide marketing opportunities and technology support for the women under the schemes which will benefit around 25 lank women in AP.
  
  This MoU will provide more employment opportunities with constant income for the women.
  
  
• E-Raksha Bandhan launched in Andhra Pradesh
  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on the eve of Raksha Bandhan launched ‘E-Raksha Bandhan’, an online training programme on cybersecurity. The programme is aimed at creating awareness among the public on cybercrimes across the State.
  
  Objective
  The programme has massive support of various dignitaries including, Crime Investigation Department (CID), FM Radio, The Andhra Pradesh Police, Cyber Peace Foundation, Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC), and other organisations for organizing, advertising and creating mass awareness about the month-long online awareness programme.
  
  Implementation
  Through ‘E-Raksha Bandhan’ as many as 1 lakh women, girls and the general public would be trained. The participants will be trained through Essay writing, debates, quiz, webinars, workshops, and slogan writing competitions which will be held every day on different topics from 11 a.m. to 12 noon daily, until 31st August.
  
  The telecast of all these events will be done on AP CID’s YouTube channel every-day starting at 11 in the morning.
  
  Related highlights
  While gracing the occasion the CM of Andhra Pradesh listed out various other steps being taken by the state government to prevent crime against women.
  
  The CM praised Disha Police Stations and also mentioned the investigation of 167 cases relating to crime against women has been completed and charge sheets have been filed in the courts.
  
  The CM promoted the Disha APP and urged the victims to complain through the Disha App and in Disha Police Stations on harassment and cybercrimes.
  
  
• Vitamin D Deficiency in India
  Researchers have claimed that vitamin D deficiency can negatively affect Covid-19 high-risk patients, particularly those who are diabetic, have heart conditions, pneumonia, obesity and those who smoke.
  
  It is also associated with infections in the respiratory tract and lung injury.
  
  Key Points
  India has a large population suffering from vitamin D deficiency among the public irrespective of their location (urban or rural), age or gender, or whether they are poor or even rich.
  
  This is despite India being a tropical nation getting abundant sunshine, which is a precursor to Vitamin D formation in the body.
  
  According to an analysis published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2017, the level of vitamin D in people from different states of India ranged between 3.15 nanogram/millilitre to 52.9 ng/ml, which was considerably lower than the needed level of 30-100 ng/ml.
  
  Vitamin D level among south Indians is 15.74–19.16 ng/ml.
  
  Females showed consistently lower levels than males.
  
  Vitamin D deficiency also occurs among people of the Indian sub-continental origin settled in Great Britain.
  
  This suggests a correlation between genetics of people of this region and Vitamin D metabolism.
  
  According to data by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) over the last 50 years, the calcium levels in average Indian populations has plummeted from 700 units per day to 300-400.
  
  The normal, needed level of Calcium is 800-1,000 units per day. Vitamin D helps in absorption of Calcium by the body.
  
  The body needs calcium to maintain strong bones. It is also needed for muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between the brain and every body part.
  
  It also helps release hormones and enzymes that affect almost every function in the human body.
  
  This deficiency of Calcium stands in contrast to the fact that India produces the maximum amount of milk per day in the world which is a rich source of calcium.
  
  Government Initiatives
  Mid-day meal scheme has helped in combating nutrition deficiencies in poor school-going children.
  
  The feeding programmes for preschool children and pregnant women under the Integrated Child Development Services through anganwadis have been vital.
  
  The government is trying to ensure the food requirement of the poor section of society through the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
  
  POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched in 2017-18, aims to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight babies through synergy and convergence among different programmes, better monitoring and improved community mobilisation.
  
  Biofortification i.e improvement of the nutritional quality of food crops through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology is being promoted by the government for various crops like carrots (MadhubanGajar), wheat (MACS 4028) etc. in order to ensure nutritional security.
  
  Suggestions
  The Central and State governments need to consult nutrition experts and institutions to advise and suggest the type of nutritive items that can be added to the current ‘ration’ food given to the poor, and the meals given to school children.
  
  The meals given to the poor or children should include vegetables like spinach and other green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, carrots, tomato, potato, milk/curd and fruits like bananas, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (and an egg).
  
  Besides vitamin D and calcium, food rich in other micronutrients (such as B complex vitamins, plus Fe, Zn, I, Se, Zn) should be offered to the poor, so that immunity against any infection is ensured.
  
  Such an addition takes care of what is called ‘hidden hunger’ in poorly nourished people.
  
  The government can mass supply free-of-charge vitamin D, other vitamins and calcium, in consultation with medical and public health experts to the public.
  
  Many indian pharmaceutical companies manufacture these. Procuring these supplements from indian companies will fall in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government.
  
  The consumption of Seaweed can be very beneficial. Seaweeds are vegetarian, and rich in vitamins, minerals, iodine and omega 3 fatty acids. As India has a long coastline, these can be affordable nutritional supplements for Indians.
  
  Schools can have their students stand in sunlight for 20-30 minutes daily, and encourage physical exercise and games for an hour per day.
  
  Further, it is important to raise awareness about the importance of healthy eating and nutritional requirements of the human body.
  
  
• 24 States under One Nation-One Ration Card
  Recently, Manipur, Nagaland and Uttarakhand, along with the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir have been integrated with the One Nation-One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme.
  
  Now a total of 24 States/UTs are connected under the ONORC scheme.
  
  The remaining states/UTs are targeted to be integrated into the scheme by March 2021.
  
  Key Points
  The ONORC Scheme:
  It was started as an inter-State portability of ration cards in 2019.
  
  It allows the migratory National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 beneficiaries to lift their entitled quota of food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice anywhere in the country.
  
  This can be done by using their existing ration card with Aadhaar based authentication.
  
  With 24 States/UTs connected under the scheme, about 65 crore beneficiaries, comprising 80% of the total beneficiaries covered under the NFSA, can now get their subsidised ration from anywhere in these 24 states and union territories.
  
  Benefit of ONORC Scheme:
  Transparency: It will bring more transparency and efficiency in the distribution of foodgrains.
  
  Identification: It will improve the mechanism to identify fake/duplicate ration cards and provide the option to Public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries to lift their entitled foodgrains from the Fair Price Shops of their choice at the national level.
  
  Food Security: The scheme will ensure food security of migrant labourers who move to other states to seek better job opportunities.
  
  SDG: This will help achieve the target set under Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG) 2 of ending hunger by 2030.
  
  Also, it will address the poor state of hunger in India, as highlighted by the Global Hunger Index, where India has been ranked 102 out of 117 countries in 2019.
  
  Issues Involved:
  Distribution of Ration: The distribution of ration had become an issue during the lockdown when migrant workers didn’t have ration cards in the states they were staying. This led the migrants to walk towards their villages amid lockdown.
  
  Logistical Issues: An FPS receives the monthly quota of products strictly in accordance with the number of people assigned to it.
  
  The ONORC, when fully operational, would disrupt this practice, as some FPSs may have to cater to more numbers of cards even as others cater to less, owing to migration of people.
  
  Lack of Data: There is no exact data on the mobility of poor households migrating to work, locating intra- and inter-state destinations and sectors employing the workers.
  
  Suggestions
  The Unorganised Sector Social Security Act, 2008, had drawn up a system of documenting informal sector workers through a system of welfare boards.
  
  In order to get credible data regarding the migrant workers, this must be implemented in letter and spirit.
  
  A dedicated e-commerce platform ONORC may resolve the challenge of logistical issues.
  
  Social auditing must be made mandatory to measure the performance of ONORC.
  
  NFSA defines food security as nutritional security.
  
  Therefore, portability of Integrated Child Development Services, Mid-Day Meals, immunisation, health care and other facilities for poor migrant households can’t be neglected and should be made portable.
  
  In the longer run, the PDS system may be replaced by a fool-proof food coupon system or direct benefit transfer, targeting the poor, wherein a Below Poverty Line family can buy rice, pulses, sugar and oil from any Kirana store at the market price, by either paying fully through the coupon or by cash.
  
  
• Expansion of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
  Recently, the government has expanded its Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to cover loans given to larger firms as well as to self-employed people and professionals who have taken loans for business purposes.
  
  ECLGS was rolled out in May 2020 as part of the Centre’s Aatmanirbhar package in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The objective was to support small businesses struggling to meet their operational liabilities due to the imposition of a nationwide lockdown.
  
  Key Points
  The ECLGS provides for the Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) facility. The GECL is a loan for which 100% guarantee is provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) - banks, financial institutions and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).
  
  The loans are extended in the form of additional working capital term loan facility in case of banks and additional term loan facility in case of NBFCs to eligible Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)/business enterprises and interested Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) borrowers.
  
  First-time borrowers and Non-Performing Asset (NPA) accounts cannot raise funds under the scheme.
  
  The tenor of loans provided under the GECL facility is four years from the date of disbursement.
  
  A moratorium period of one year on the principal amount is provided.
  
  Interest rates of banks and financial institutions have been capped at 9.25% per annum, while NBFCs can lend at a maximum of 14% per annum.
  
  The Scheme is applicable to all loans sanctioned under the GECL facility during the period from, 23rd May 2020 to 31st October, 2020, or till an amount of Rs. 3 lakh crore is sanctioned under GECL, whichever is earlier.
  
  The scheme has been expanded to cover:
  Enterprises with a turnover up to Rs. 250 crore with outstanding loans up to Rs. 50 crore (as on 29th February, 2020).
  
  The earlier limit was Rs. 100 crore and Rs 25 crore, respectively.
  
  Credit under GECL is provided up to 20% of the borrower’s total outstanding credit up to Rs. 25 crore.
  
  The expansion of the limits has increased the maximum amount of loans that can be availed under the Scheme to Rs. 10 crore (20% of 50 crore) from Rs. 5 crore (20% of 25 crore).
  
  Individual beneficiaries including both professionals such as doctors, lawyers and chartered accountants, as well as self-employed people such as vendors or taxi drivers.
  
  The changes in the ECLGS scheme are likely to make an additional Rs 1 lakh crore eligible.
  
  Till now, a total of around Rs. 1.37 lakh crore has been sanctioned under the scheme by member lending institutions to around 40 lakh accounts, of which around Rs 87,000 crore has been disbursed.
  
  
• Thenzawl Golf Resort in Mizoram
  Recently, the Thenzawl Golf Resort Project in Mizoram has been virtually inaugurated.
  
  The project was implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
  
  Key Points
  The project was sanctioned under the Integrated Development of New Eco-Tourism under Swadesh Darshan-North East Circuit at Thenzawl and South Zote, District Serchhip and Reiek, Mizoram.
  
  Eco-Tourism has been broadly defined as tourism which is ecologically sustainable.
  
  A total amount of Rs. 92.25 crore was sanctioned for it, out of which Rs. 64.48 crore was sanctioned for various components at Thenzawl including the golf course which is designed to have facilities of international standards.
  
  The competitive advantage of Thenzawl Golf Course is that it will provide quality golfing experience at a fair price.
  
  Golf Tourism in India:
  Currently, India has more than 230 golf courses in all out of which several are of international standards and golf events held there attract domestic and international tourists.
  
  Golf tourism has a strong potential in India because the climatic condition is more favourable here as compared to most countries.
  
  India’s picturesque landscapes and exceptional hospitality services add to the enhanced experience.
  
  The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India endeavours to work as a catalyst and active supporter for the development of golf tourism in the country.
  
  For that, it is creating a comprehensive and coordinated framework for promoting golf tourism in India as a niche tourism product.
  
  
• Constitution Bench for EWS Quota
  Recently, the Supreme Court of India referred the petitions challenging the 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 to a five-judge constitution bench, saying it involves ‘substantial questions of law’.
  
  According to Article 145 (3) of the Constitution, at least five judges need to hear cases that involve ‘a substantial question of law as to the interpretation’ of the Constitution, or any reference under Article 143, which deals with the power of the President of India to consult the Supreme Court.
  
  The Supreme Court bench consisting of at least five judges is called the Constitution bench.
  
  Key Points
  103rd Constitutional Amendment Act:
  
  It introduced an economic reservation (10% quota) in jobs and admissions in education institutes for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) by amending Articles 15 and 16.
  
  It inserted Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6).
  
  It was enacted to promote the welfare of the poor not covered by the 50% reservation policy for SCs, STs and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC).
  
  It enables both Centre and the states to provide reservation to the EWS of society.
  
  Petitioners’ Argument:
  The amendments run contrary to the constitutional scheme, where no segment of available seats/posts can be reserved, only on the basis of economic criterion.
  
  The amendments also run contrary to the judgment pronounced in the Indra Sawhney V. Union of India 1992 case, that a backward class cannot be determined only and exclusively with reference to economic criterion.
  
  The amendments alter the 50% quota limit set up in Indra Sawhney V. Union of India 1992 case, which according to the petitioner is a part Basic Structure of the Constitution.
  
  Reservation in unaided institutions violates the fundamental right under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.
  
  Article 19 (1)(g) allows every citizen to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.
  
  Central Government’s Stand:
  The amendment was necessitated to benefit EWS who are not covered under existing schemes of reservation, which as per statistics, constitute a considerably large segment of the country’s population.
  
  The 50% limit in the Indira Sawhney ruling cannot be applied in the present petitions as the Sawhney case dealt with memoranda issued by the government while what is under challenge now is a constitutional amendment.
  
  Substantial Question of Law Involved:
  Whether the challenged 103rd Amendment Act violates Basic Structure of the Constitution, with reference to equality provisions of the Constitution.
  
  The case of the Union of India that though ordinarily 50% is the rule but same will not prevent the amendment of the Constitution itself in view of the existing special circumstances to uplift the members of the society belonging to economically weaker sections.
  
  
• SahakarCooptube NCDC Channel
  Recently, the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare launched the two initiatives of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) - SahakarCooptube NCDC Channel and Guidance Videos on ‘Formation and Registration of a Cooperative’.
  
  Key Points
  SahakarCooptube NCDC Channel:
  The Channel aims to facilitate involvement of the youth in the cooperative movement.
  
  Cooperatives lend strength to farmers to minimize risks in agriculture and allied sectors and act as a shield against exploitation.
  
  The channel will give a boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan under which the government has announced a series of transformative measures and sector specific financial packages to help agriculture.
  
  The initiatives are steps towards One Nation One Market with the objective for India to become a food factory of the world.
  
  Guidance Videos:
  These have been produced by the NCDC on ‘Formation and Registration of A Cooperative’ for eighteen different states in Hindi and regional languages.
  
  These would help strengthen and deepen the major initiatives of the government to promote and form 10,000 Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs).
  
  One such initiative is the formation of FPOs under the “One-Product One-District” approach.
  
  National Cooperative Development Corporation
  
  Formation: NCDC was established by an Act of Parliament in 1963 as a statutory Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
  
  Office: NCDC functions through its Head Office at New Delhi and multiple Regional Offices.
  
  Functioning:
  The objectives of NCDC are planning and promoting programmes for agricultural produce, foodstuffs, industrial goods, livestock and certain other notified commodities and services on cooperative principles.
  
  The NCDC has the unique distinction of being the sole statutory organisation functioning as an apex financial and developmental institution exclusively devoted to the cooperative sector.
  
  Recent Initiatives:
  Mission Sahakar 22, which aims to double farmers’ income by 2022.
  
  Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP) named Sahakar Mitra.
  
  
• Bru Resettlement Issue
  Recently, three organisations representing the Bru community have rejected the sites proposed for their resettlement by the Joint Movement Committee (JMC).
  
  Joint Movement Committee (JMC) is an umbrella group of non-Bru community in Tripura. The JMC comprises the Bengali, Mizo, Buddhist Barua and some other communities.
  
  The three organisations included Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Forum, Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples’ Coordination Committee and Bru Displaced Welfare Committee
  
  Key Points
  JMC’s Actions: On 21st July 2020, the JMC had submitted a memorandum to the Tripura government specifying six places in Kanchanpur and Panisagar subdivisions of North Tripura district for resettlement of Brus.
  
  Limiting the number of families: Proposal of limiting the number to 500 families at most be settled in these places.
  
  Limited Resources: They maintain that the State (Tripura) does not have enough space and resources to accommodate them (Bru).
  
  Arguments by Bru Community Representatives:
  This action of site selection by the JMC is completely unjustified as they were not a part of the quadrilateral agreement. Also the sites proposed by the JMC are unconnected by road and electricity and too far from hospitals, schools and other facilities.
  
  The quadrilateral agreement was signed among the Central government, State governments of Mizoram and Tripura and the Bru groups in New Delhi in January 2020.
  
  They have insisted on resettling some 6,500 families in clusters of at least 500 families at each of the sites of their choice —seven in North Tripura district and five in the adjoining Dhalai district.
  
  They have also rejected the demand for inclusion of four JMC members in the monitoring team for the resettlement of the Bru, as they are having no connection or involvement in the issue of either repatriation to Mizoram or resettlement in Tripura during the last 23 years.
  
  Background
  Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
  
  In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups that do not consider them indigenous to the state. In 1997, following ethnic clashes, nearly 37,000 Brus fled Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei districts of Mizoram and were accommodated in relief camps in Tripura.
  
  Since then, 5,000 have returned to Mizoram in eight phases of repatriation, while 32,000 still live in six relief camps in North Tripura.
  
  In June 2018, community leaders from the Bru camps signed an agreement with the Centre and the two state governments, providing for repatriation in Mizoram. But most camp residents rejected the terms of the agreement.
  
  According to them, the agreement doesn't guarantee their safety in Mizoram.
  
  The Centre, the governments of Mizoram and Tripura and leaders of Bru organisations signed a quadripartite agreement in January (2020) to let the remaining 35,000 refugees who have stayed back to be resettled in Tripura.
  
  The rehabilitation package offered included financial assistance of ?4 lakh and land for constructing a house for each family.
  
  
• Issues with Home-based Learning Programme in MP
  Only 30% students in government schools of Madhya Pradesh (MP) have been regularly reached through the HamaraGhar, Humara Vidyalaya programme.
  
  Key Points
  HamaraGhar, Hamara Vidyalaya Programme:
  It is a home-based learning programme launched by the Department of School Education, MP.
  
  It aimed to reach 22 lakh students after shutting down of schools due to Covid-19 pandemic.
  
  The idea behind the programme is to ensure that students study regularly at home and also learn life skills from their elders.
  
  Under it, the modular programme airs on Doordarshan Madhya Pradesh on fixed time slots. It has three parts to it which are recap, delivery of a new concept and practice of the concept.
  
  Various concepts in the form of videos, practise sheets and quizzes are delivered in sync with TV programmes through WhatsApp-led Digital Learning Enhancement Program (DigiLEP).
  
  Issues Highlighted:
  The programme was able to reach only around 30% of the total students from 18th July to 25th July.
  
  20% of students were reached through TV and 10% through WhatsApp.
  
  Families of 30% of the students do not have TVs or smartphones having an internet connection to avail of the study material.
  
  In families where smartphones with internet connections are available, parents often take them to work with them.
  
  The remaining students were not able to avail the study modules on a regular basis breaking the learning flow.
  
  Reaching to students in the 89 tribal dominated blocks in districts such as Alirajpur, Barwani and Jhabua is a task in itself.
  
  Suggestions:
  Students need to be divided into various groups according to the availability of TVs and phones with the working connection, in sync with PRAGYATA guidelines.
  
  If a family has a phone, it should be used by all of its children for their studies.
  
  Those who have a TV, they must watch the telecast during fixed time slots on Doordarshan.
  
  
• IMD Forecasts Surplus Rains
  According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) rainfall in the “second half of the monsoon” is likely to be 104% of the Long Period Average (LPA).
  
  This falls within the “normal” range of rainfall.
  
  Key Points
  Long Period Average (LPA): It is the average rainfall recorded during the months from June to September, calculated during the 50-year period, and is kept as a benchmark while forecasting the quantitative rainfall for the monsoon season every year.
  
  IMD maintains an independent LPA for every homogeneous region of the country, which ranges from 71.6 cm to 143.83 cm.
  
  IMD maintains five rainfall distribution categories on an all-India scale. These are:
  
  Normal or Near Normal: When per cent departure of actual rainfall is +/-10% of LPA, that is, between 96-104% of LPA.
  
  Below Normal: When departure of actual rainfall is less than 10% of LPA, that is 90-96% of LPA.
  
  Above Normal: When actual rainfall is 104-110% of LPA.
  
  Deficient: When departure of actual rainfall is less than 90% of LPA.
  
  Excess: When departure of actual rainfall is more than 110% of LPA.
  
  This year increased rainfall is attributed to the commencement of La Nina like conditions by the second half of the monsoon season.
  
  La Nina is a climate pattern that describes periods of below-average sea surface temperatures across the east-central Equatorial Pacific.
  
  La Nina is considered to be the counterpart to El Nino, and its impacts tend to be opposite those of El Niño.
  
  Together, they form the "cold" (La Nina) and "warm" (El Nino) phases of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
  
  
• Abanindranath Tagore birth anniversary on August 7th
  The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi has organised a virtual tour titled “The Great Maestro - Abanindranath Tagore” to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Abanindranath Tagore on 7th August 2020.
  
  Key Points
  Birth: Abanindranath Tagore took birth in a family of Tagores of Jorasanko in Kolkata in 1871.
  
  He was a nephew of Rabindranath Tagore.
  
  Abanindranath Ideology:
  In his youth, Abanindranath received training in European and Academic style from European artists.
  
  However, during the last decade of the 19th century, he developed distaste for the corporeality of European naturalism (which represented things closer to the way one sees them - inspired by the principles of natural science).
  
  Mughal miniatures influenced his visual ideas deeply.
  
  Another source of inspiration came from the visit of the Japanese philosopher and aesthetician Okakura Kakuzo to Kolkata in 1902.
  
  He leaned towards painting images with historic or literary allusions.
  
  Prominent Figure of Modern Indian Art:
  Towards the end of the nineteenth century, a stronger connection was established between art and nationalism. Many painters tried to develop a style that could be considered both modern and Indian.
  
  Raja Ravi Varma was one of the first artists who tried to create a style that was both modern and national.
  
  He mastered the Western art of oil painting and realistic life study, but painted themes from Indian mythology.
  
  However, in Bengal, a new group of nationalist artists gathered around Abanindranath Tagore.
  
  They rejected the art of Ravi Varma as imitative and westernised, and declared that such a style was unsuitable for depicting the nation’s ancient myths and legends.
  
  They felt that a genuine Indian style of painting had to draw inspiration from non-Western art traditions, and try to capture the spiritual essence of the East.
  
  Bengal School of Painting:
  It is also called the Renaissance School or the Revivalist School, as it represented the first modern movement of Indian art.
  
  It rediscovered the glories of Indian art and consciously tried to produce what it considered a truly Indian art inspired by the creations of the past.
  
  Its leading artist was Abanindranath Tagore and its theoretician was E.B. Havell, the principal of the Calcutta School of Art.
  
  They broke away from the convention of oil painting and the realistic style, and turned for inspiration to medieval Indian traditions of miniature painting and the ancient art of mural painting in the Ajanta caves.
  
  They were also influenced by the art (wash technique) of Japanese artists who visited India at that time to develop an Asian Art movement.
  
  Associated Pupils: Nandalal Bose and Kshitindranath Majumdar
  
  Popular Paintings: Bharat Mata, My Mother, Journey’s End, etc.
  
  Popular Books: Rajkahini, Nalak, etc.
  
  Death: He died on 5th December, 1951.
  
  
• National Handloom Day
  On the occasion of the 6th National Handloom Day on 7th August 2020, the Ministry of Textiles is organizing a virtual function in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  
  The first National Handloom Day was celebrated in Chennai in 2015.
  
  Key Points
  The date, 7th August, was chosen as the Swadeshi Movement was launched on the same date in the year 1905, which was based on the Gandhian ideology of Swadeshi.
  
  On this day, the handloom weaving community is honoured and the contribution of this sector is highlighted.
  
  Objectives:
  To generate awareness about the handloom industry amongst the public at large and its contribution to socio-economic development.
  
  To protect India’s handloom heritage and to enable the handloom weavers and workers with greater opportunities.
  
  To ensure sustainable development of the handloom sector thereby empowering handloom workers financially and instilling pride in their exquisite craftsmanship.
  
  Significance:
  Handloom sector is a symbol of India’s glorious cultural heritage.
  
  India’s soft power has long been endorsed by the handloom and handicraft space. ‘Saree diplomacy’ and ‘Khadi diplomacy’ are some such examples.
  
  The textiles and handloom sector in India is the second-largest source of employment to people, after agriculture.
  
  According to the Fourth All India Handloom Census 2019-20, 31.45 lakh households are engaged in handloom, weaving and allied activities.
  
  It is an important source of livelihood in the country and a key to women empowerment as over 70% of handloom weavers and allied workers are women.
  
  Steps Taken
  A social media campaign has been planned for the handloom weaving community.
  
  All the Secretaries of the States, Textile Bodies like the Central Silk Board, National Jute Board, e-commerce entities, retail companies and designer bodies have been requested to amplify the campaign.
  
  The Prime Minister has urged the people to use Indian handlooms and handicrafts and further spread awareness to others as well.
  
  The more the world knows about the richness and diversity of these products, the greater Indian artisans and weavers will benefit.
  
  Under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) is organising a Virtual Fair, connecting more than 150 participants from different regions of the country showcasing their products with unique designs and skills.
  
  Various exquisite handloom products and numerous other Geographical Indication (GI) Tagged products will be displayed to attract the attention of international buyers.
  
  Other events include the launching of a mobile app and backend website for Handloom Mark Scheme (HLM), the launching of My Handloom Portal, etc.
  
  HLM was launched in 2006 with the basic objective to brand Indian handloom products and secure a premium position for them in domestic as well as international markets.

Published date : 19 Aug 2020 03:57PM