Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 5th August 2021

ST SECRATARIAT

What is in news : The Karnataka cabinet on Wednesday decided to create a new Scheduled Tribes (ST) secretariat to oversee the utilisation of funds and implementation of programmes meant for their welfare.

SCHEDULED TRIBES IN KARNATAKA

7.5% of Karnataka's population
Among major STs, Koli Dhor have the highest (92.2per cent) rural population, followed by Gond (91.7per cent), Marati (90.8per cent) and Naikda (85.1per cent).

SCHEDULED TRIBES IN THE CONSTITUTION

Article 366 (25) defined scheduled tribes as “such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this constitution”
Tribal communities in India have been recognized by the Indian Constitution under ‘Schedule 5’ of the constitution
Article 342 provides for listing of scheduled tribes State/Union Territory wise and not on an all India basis.

OTHER DETAILS

According to the 2011 Census, the Scheduled Tribes account for 104 million representing 8.6% of the country’s population.
The essential characteristics of these communities are:-
- Primitive Traits
- Geographical isolation
- Distinct culture
- Shy of contact with community at large
- Economically backwards
Among the tribal groups, several have adapted to modern life but there are tribal groups who are more vulnerable. The Dhebar Commission (1973) created a separate category “Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs)” which was renamed in 2006 as “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

NEW COUNCIL OF MINISTERS - KARNATAKA

What is in news : New Chief minister of Karnataka has inducted 29 new council of ministers

What is in constitution :

Article 163 - Council of Ministers to aid and advise Governor
Article 164 - Ministers are appointed by Governer on aid & advice of Chief Minister
The minimum strength of council of ministers in a state as per Constitution is 12 and maximum is 15 percent of Legislative Assembly.
Oaths for ministers : oaths of office and of secrecy.
The Governor has discretionary powers and the validity of acts done using the discretionary powers cannot be questioned.

Did you know : President of India does not have existence without council of ministers, but Governor has (at the time of President’s rule).

STATE ELECTION COMMISSION

What is in news: Karnataka high court has opined State Election Commission (SEC) is not bound by the State Cabinet’s decision on election

Background : Karnataka State election commission had postponed elections to local bodies after directions of State cabinet owing to pandemic

STATE ELECTION COMMISSION

Article 243K(1) - Appointment of SEC for conducting elections to local bodies in state
Article 243K(2) - Tenure and appointment will be directed as per the law made by the state legislature
State election commissioner can be removed from his/her office except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of a High Court

MAHITI FOR MAINS

Challenges With Functioning of Election Commission Institution

Lack of Autonomy: Although the state election commission on many occasions tried to exercise its duties enshrined in the constitution of India, they struggled to assert their independence.
Lack of Safeguard for SEC: Though the State Election Commissioner shall not be removed from his/her office except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of a High Court (Art 243K(2)), yet it has been diluted on many instances. In the Aparmita Prasad Singh vs. State of U.P. (2007) the Allahabad High Court held that if the Governor has power to fix or prescribe tenure by rule, he also enjoys the power to amend the rule, either for extending the term of the tenure or reducing the same.
Non Uniform Service Conditions for SECs: Article 243K(2) states that the tenure and appointment will be directed as per the law made by the state legislature and thus each SEC is governed by a separate state Act.

QUESTION : Suggest measures on strengthening State elction commissions

POLITY & GOVERNANCE

COMMISSION FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

What is in news : The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Bill to formalise the Commission for Air Quality Management For National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.

Structure of the body:

Full time chairperson
Representatives from several Ministries
Independent experts
Task : Evolving policy and issuing directions to address air pollution in Delhi and the adjoining regions

AIR-QUALITY IN DELHI

According to air quality data compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Delhi is among the world’s most polluted cities.
Particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi, exceed national standards and the more stringent World Health Organization limits.
Delhi needs a 65% reduction to meet the national standards for PM2.5. Delhi’s toxic air also contains high doses of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
The lack of wind worsens the pollutant concentration. The Ministry of Earth Sciences published a research paper in October 2018 attributing almost 41% to vehicular emissions, 21.5% to dust and 18% to industries. Emission testing of vehicles is only 25%.
According to the WHO, India has the world’s highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma. Air pollution also impacts the environment through reduced visibility, acid rain, and formation of ozone at the tropospheric level.

MPLADS

What is in news : Half of funds allotted for MPLADS in 2020-21 lapsed due to incomplete works

MPLADS

Launched in December, 1993.
Seeks to provide a mechanism for the Members of Parliament to recommend works of developmental nature for creation of durable community assets and for provision of basic facilities including community infrastructure, based on locally felt needs.
The MPLADS is a Plan Scheme fully funded by Government of India.
The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crore.

Special focus:

MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent for areas inhabited by S.T. population.
In order to encourage trusts and societies for the betterment of tribal people, a ceiling of Rs. 75 lakh is stipulated for building assets by trusts and societies subject to conditions prescribed in the scheme guidelines.

SOCIAL ISSUES

SAMAGRA SHIKSHA SCHEME

What is in news : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, has given its approval for continuation of the revised Samagra Shiksha Scheme for a period of five years till 2026

About the scheme :

Under - Ministry of Human Resource Development
Subsumes the three Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE)
Scheme treats school education holistically as a continuum from Pre-school to Class 12.
The main emphasis of the Scheme is on improving the quality of school education by focussing on the two T’s – Teacher and Technology
a vocational subject is offered for Classes IX to XII along with the general education to provide necessary employability and vocational skills for a variety of occupations.
The vision of the Scheme is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education from pre-school to senior secondary stage in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-4) for Education

ENVIRONMENT & GEOGRAPHY

SATAT SCHEME

What is in news : Government has informer Parliament that 13 plants under SATAT have initiated supply of Compressed Bio Gas

SATAT INITIATIVE

Stands for Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation
Initiative aimed at setting up Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and makes them available in the market for use in automotive fuels by inviting Expression of Interest from potential entrepreneurs
Launched in October 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in association with the PSUs- Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd

Implementation
- CBG plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.
- CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.

MULLAPERIYAR DAM

What is in news : Kerala seeks consent of Tamilnadu to construct new dam at Mullaperiyar

About :

123-year-old dam
Located on the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers
Location - Idukki district
Height - 53.66 metres
Length - 365.85 metres
Operated and maintained by the Tamil Nadu for meeting the drinking water and irrigation requirements of five of its southern districts

The issue :

Although the dam is located in Kerala, it is operated by Tamil Nadu following an 1886 lease indenture for 999 years (the Periyar Lake Lease Agreement) that was signed between the Maharaja of Travancore and the Secretary of State for India for the Periyar Irrigation works.
The lease agreement was renewed in the 1970s by both Tamil Nadu and Kerala giving the former rights to the land and water from the dam, besides the authority to develop hydropower projects at the site. In return, Kerala would receive rent from Tamil Nadu.
The first cracks in this agreement surfaced in 1979 when a minor earthquake had resulted in cracks in the dam.
The Central Water Commission, under the Government of India, conducted a study and recommended lowering the water stored in the dam’s reservoir to 136 feet from 142 feet.
If definitive measures were implemented, only then could the Tamil Nadu administration raise water levels to the dam’s full capacity of 152 feet.
What Tamil Nadu says: Tamil Nadu claims that although it has undertaken measures to strengthen the dam, the Kerala government has blocked any attempt to raise the reservoir water level – resulting in losses for Madurai farmers.
Kerala’s arguments: Kerala, however, highlights fears of devastation by residents living downstream in the earthquake-prone district of Idukki.

DEFENCE

IAC - 1

What is in news : Sea trials of the country’s maiden indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1), built by the public sector Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL).