1. Winter Session, 2021 of Parliament adjourned sine die, a day ahead of schedule
Tags: National News
- The Winter Session, 2021 of Parliament has been adjourned sine die on Wednesday, 22nd December 2021.
- The Session was curtailed 1 day earlier than scheduled on completion of Essential Government Business. .
- 11 Bills were passed by both the Houses of Parliament which includes one Appropriation Bill relating to the Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2021- 22
- One Bill namely the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was referred to the Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament and five Bills are being referred to Standing Committees.
Detailed
Termination of Parliament Session:
- A sitting of Parliament can be terminated by adjournment or adjournment sine die or prorogation or dissolution (in the case of the Lok Sabha).
- Adjournment: It suspends the work in a sitting for a specified time, which may be hours, days or weeks.
- Adjournment sine die: It means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period. In other words, when the House is adjourned without naming a day for reassembly.
- The power of adjournment as well as adjournment sine die lies with the presiding officer (Speaker or Chairman) of the House.
- Prorogation: The word Prorogation means discontinuing without dissolving. The President issues a notification for prorogation of the session after the business of a session is completed and the presiding officer declares the House adjourned sine die.
- The President can also prorogue the House while in session.
- Dissolution: Only the Lok Sabha is subject to dissolution. Rajya Sabha, being a permanent House, is not subject to dissolution.
- A dissolution ends the life of the existing House, and a new House is constituted after general elections are held. The President is empowered to dissolve the Lok Sabha.
Appropriation Bill
- A Money Bill passed annually (or at various times of the year) providing for the withdrawal or appropriation from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India, of moneys, voted by Lok Sabha and moneys charged on the Consolidated Fund for the services of a financial year or a part of a financial year.
- It is passed by Lok Sabha, transmitted to Rajya Sabha and will be deemed to have been passed by both Houses after expiry of 14 days under Article 109(5).
2. Cabinet approves Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Copra for 2022 season
Tags: National News
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for 2022 season.
- The decision is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
- It assures a minimum of 50 percent as margin of profit as one of the important and progressive steps towards making possible doubling of farmers' incomes by 2022.
- Copra refers to the dried sections of the meet of coconut from which coconut oil is expelled. The MSP declared is for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of both ball copra and milling copra (for coconut oil).
Detailed
Minimum Support Price (MSP)
- MSP is the rate at which the government purchases crops from farmers, and is based on a calculation of at least one-and-a-half times the cost of production incurred by the farmers.
- MSP is a “minimum price” for any crop that the government considers as remunerative for farmers and hence deserving of “support”.
- MSP is fixed twice a year separately for Kharif and Ravi Seasons.
- MSP doesnt have any legal backing.
- The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.
- CACP is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- The mandated crops are-
- Cereals - Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Sorghum, Pearl millet, Barley, Ragi
- Pulses - Chickpea / Gram, Tur, Moong, Urad, Lentil
- Oilseeds - Peanut, Rapeseed, Soyabean, Sesame, Sunflower, Safflower, Niger seed
- Commercial crops - Copra, Sugarcane, Cotton, Raw jute
- Factors for Recommending the MSP:
The CACP considers various factors while recommending the MSP for a commodity, including cost of cultivation.
- The supply and demand situation for the commodity,
- Market price trends (domestic and global) and parity vis-à-vis other crops
- Implications for consumers (inflation)
- Environment (soil and water use) and
- Terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture sectors.
3. Local Brand from North East - “Namdapha Goodness”
Tags: National News
- Launched by - North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCRMS), Meghalaya in collaboration with Changlang Community Resource Management Society (CCRMS), Arunachal Pradesh
- NERCRMS is a registered society under the aegis of North Eastern Council (NEC) and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Govt. of India
- It is named after iconic Namdapha National Park located in the Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Aim - To boost the sale of locally produced goods of the Community Based Organization (CBO) members and to generate sustainable employment opportunities among the village communities and unemployed youths through the manufacturing, marketing and distribution related activities
Detailed-
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER)
- Established in 2001
- It is the nodal Department of the Central Government to deal with matters related to the socio-economic development of the eight States of Northeast India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim
- Minister of Development of North Eastern Region is G. Kishan Reddy
North Eastern Council (NEC)
- It is a statutory advisory body constituted under the North Eastern Council Act 1971.
- The eight States of Northeast India viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, are members of the council.
- Chief Ministers and Governors of each state represents them.
- The headquarters of the council is situated in Shillong , Meghalaya.
- Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER)
- It acts as the regional socio economic planning body since 2002.
Namdapha National Park
- It lies at the international border between India and Myanmar within Changlang District in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
- It is the only Park in the World to have the four species of big cat namely the Tiger (Panthera Tigris), Leopard (Panthera Pardus), Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia) and Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa).
- Hoolock Gibbons, the only ‘ape’ species found in India is found in this National Park.
4. Tolkāppiyam translated into Hindi
Tags: National News
- Translated by - Central Institute of Classical Tamil
- Released by - Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar
- Aim - To provide accessibility and wider readership to the Classical Tamil texts.
- Tolkappiyam is the most ancient text of Tamil grammar and poetics. It is part of the Sangam Literature that flourished under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai around 3rd Century BC to 3rd Century AD.
Detailed-
Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar released the Hindi translation of Tolkāppiyam and the Kannada translations of 9 books of Tamil Sangam literature.
Tolkappiyam
- Tolkappiyam is the most ancient Tamil grammar text and the oldest work of Tamil literature.
- Some in the Tamil tradition place the text in the mythical second sangam, variously in 1st millennium BCE or earlier.
- Tolkappiyam, a unique work on grammar and poetics, in its three parts of nine sections each, deals with Ezhuttu(letter), Col (word) and Porul (subject matter).
- Almost all levels of the human language from the spoken to the most poetic lie within the purview of Tolkappiyar’s analysis as he treats in exquisitely poetic and epigrammatic statements on phonology, morphology, syntax, rhetoric, prosody and poetics.
Tamil Literature
- Tamil writing systems dates back to 250 BCE.
- According to the Tamil legends, there were three Sangams (Academy of Tamil poets) held in the ancient South India popularly called Muchchangam.
- The First Sangam, is believed to be held at Madurai, attended by gods and legendary sages. No literary work of this Sangam is available.
- The Second Sangam was held at Kapadapuram, only Tolkappiyam survives from this.
- The Third Sangam was also held at Madurai. A few of these Tamil literary works have survived and are a useful sources to reconstruct the history of the Sangam period.
- Tamil sangam poetry contains 2381 poems in Tamil composed by 473 poets, some 102 anonymous.
- Most scholars suggest the historical sangam literature era to be among the finest of world literature.
- Out of the large body of literature, only a grammatical work in verse called Tolkāppiyam, the eight anthologies (Ettuttokai) and Ten Songs (Pattuppattu) have survived the ravages of time.
Union Minster of Education - Dharmedra Pradhan
Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT)
- CICT formerly known as the Centre of Excellence for Classical Tamil (CECT) is a body established by the Government of India with a view to promoting the cause of Classical Tamil.
- Headquarters - Chennai.
- It awards the Kural Peedam Award, a lifetime achievement presidential award given to eminent scholars of classical Tamil since 2005.
5. National Oxygen Stewardship Program
Tags: National News
·Nodal Ministry - Union Health Ministry
·Launched by - Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare
- Aim - Repurpose, Re-orient and Upskill the existing manpower to ensure rational utilization and avoid any wastage of medical Oxygen and to be prepared for any upcoming Covid Surge without creating any undue stress on the health system.
- Identify and train at least one “Oxygen Steward” in each district across the country on Oxygen therapy and management
Detailed-
- Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, inaugurated the National Oxygen Stewardship Program of the Union Health Ministry, at AIIMS New Delhi.
- The initiative aims to train all healthcare workers engaged in Oxygen management and administration with the essential knowledge and skills to ensure rational utilization and avoid any wastage of medical Oxygen, especially in resource constraint times.
- It envisages to identify and train at least one “Oxygen Steward” in each district across the country. These trained professionals would be responsible for leading the training on Oxygen therapy and management in their respective districts and also support audit of oxygen delivery and preparedness for a surge scenario.
- Thus this program aims to “repurpose, re-orient and upskill the existing manpower” in order to make sure that any unforseen incident arising due to the pandemic gets managed professionally without any undue stress on the systems.
Government’s efforts in ensuring increased oxygen availability-
- Government of India has sanctioned more than 1500 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plants of which 1463 have been commissioned. It includes 1225 PSA plants which have been installed and commissioned under PMCARES Fund in every district of the country.
- The States have also been asked to install PSA plants in public and private health facilities.
- The recently launched ‘Oxycare’ dashboard is another important initiative towards oxygen administration.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare - Mansukh L. Mandaviya
Union Health Secretary - Rajesh Bhushan
6. Vernacular Innovation Program (VIP)
Tags: National News
- Launched by - Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog.
- Aim - To enable innovators and entrepreneurs in India to have access to the innovation ecosystem in 22 scheduled languages by the Government of India.
- For this purpose, Vernacular Task Force (VTF) will be created in each of the 22 scheduled languages
- It will also have a Train-the-Trainer program in collaboration with IIT Delhi
- CSR Sponsors will support the program
- It will help India in building a strong local network of design experts and innovation practitioners, by removing the language barrier
What is VIP?
- Vernacular Innovation Program (VIP) is an initiative of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, targeted at separating creative expression from the language of transaction in India’s innovation ecosystem.
- This program is designed to lower the language barrier for vernacular innovators when learning design thinking and entrepreneurship, accessing markets, attracting investments, and influencing innovation policy.
- To accomplish this objective a Vernacular Task Force(VTF) will be created in each of the 22 scheduled languages.
- Industry mentors will also lend design thinking expertise, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sponsors will generously support the program
- VIP will assist local entrepreneurs, artisans, and innovators to seamlessly assimilate the knowledge cum technical materials that AIM will develop, thus helping India in building a strong local network of design experts and innovation practitioners,
What is VTF?
- Vernacular Task Force(VTF) is an integral part of the Vernacular Innovation Program (VIP) for creating the necessary resources as well as the ecosystem activities.
- Each task force comprises vernacular language teachers, subject experts, technical writers, and the leadership of regional Atal Incubation Centers (AICs).
- The VTF Team will learn, contextualize, implement & translate the Design Thinking and entrepreneurship concept in their respective languages.
- Further, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) will launch a Train-the-Trainer program where it will collaborate with the Design Department of IIT Delhi to coach the VTF in design thinking and entrepreneurship and the adaptation of these subjects in the 22 languages and cultures.
- Post this training from December 2021 to April 2022, the ecosystem will be opened up to vernacular innovators with regular ecosystem services.
Niti Aayog’s Argument
As per the 2011 census, only 10.4% of Indians speak English, out of which only 0.02% as their first language, and the rest as their second, third, or fourth language. Ten years later these numbers are not likely to be very different.
So, there needs to be a platform which creates equal opportunity for the vernacular innovators who represent the staggering 90% of our population. After all, this excluded population, no matter which Indian language they speak, is at least as creative as the rest.
According to Niti Aayog, India may be the first nation in the world to launch such an initiative where an innovation ecosystem catering to 22 languages plus English is being built.
By providing access to learning in one’s language and culture, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) looks forward to enriching the local, regional, national, and global innovation pipelines.
7. Special Package for Andhra instead of Special Category Status
Tags: National News
The central government has extended a special financial package in place of the Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.
The Special Assistance Measure to the successor State of Andhra Pradesh was extended, keeping in mind-
The obligation arising from the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014
The recommendations of the Finance Commission
NITI Aayog, report on ‘Developmental support to the successor State of Andhra Pradesh under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014’
The special assistance measure would provide for the additional Central share the State might have received between the 2015-16 and the 2019-20 financial year, if the funding of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) had been shared in the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the State.
The Special assistance would be provided by way of repayment of loan and interest for the Externally Aided Projects (EAP) approved during the above period.
Special Category Status (SCS)
It is a classification given by the Centre to assist the development of states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages.
SCS was first accorded in 1969 to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Nagaland.
There is no provision of SCS in the Constitution.
It was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC)
The 14th Finance Commission has done away with the 'special category status’ for states, except for the Northeastern and three hill states.
National Development Council (NDC)
It is the apex body for decision creating and deliberations on development matters in India, presided over by the Prime Minister. It was set up on 6 August 1952.NDC has been proposed to be abolished. But to date, no resolution has been passed to abolish it. Since the inception of NITI Aayog's Governing Council (which has almost the same composition and roles as NDC), the NDC has had no work assigned to it nor did it have any meetings
8. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s 2-day visit to Myanmar
Tags: International News
- Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla flew for a two day visit to Naypyitaw and Yangon, in Myanmar to meet the State Administration Council (SAC) chaired by General Min Aung Hlaing.
- Shringla is expected to speak to the Tatmadaw (military) about India’s growing security concerns over insurgent groups based along the 1,600km India-Myanmar border which have carried out attacks in recent months
- This visit along with appointment of Mr. Vinay Kumar as the new Ambassador to Myanmar last November is an official acknowledgment of India’s recognition of the coup in Myanmar.
- State Administration Council”, is an 11 member group of military officials and civilians set up by Min Aung Hlaing, who toppled the elected National Unity Government of Aung San Suu Kyi last February and subsequently named himself “Prime Minister”.
Myanmar (Burma)
Capital - Naypyidaw
Currency - Kyat
Legislature - Assembly of the Union
Prime Minister - Min Aung Hlaing
Nobel Laureate - Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League of Democracy (NLD) party, was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
9. Special Package for Andhra instead of Special Category Status
Tags: National News
- The central government has extended a special financial package in place of the Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.
- The Special Assistance Measure to the successor State of Andhra Pradesh was extended, keeping in mind-
- The obligation arising from the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014
- The recommendations of the Finance Commission
- NITI Aayog, report on ‘Developmental support to the successor State of Andhra Pradesh under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014’
- The special assistance measure would provide for the additional Central share the State might have received between the 2015-16 and the 2019-20 financial year, if the funding of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) had been shared in the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the State.
- The Special assistance would be provided by way of repayment of loan and interest for the Externally Aided Projects (EAP) approved during the above period.
Special Category Status (SCS)
- It is a classification given by the Centre to assist the development of states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages.
- SCS was first accorded in 1969 to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Nagaland.
- There is no provision of SCS in the Constitution.
- It was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC)
- The 14th Finance Commission has done away with the 'special category status’ for states, except for the Northeastern and three hill states.
National Development Council (NDC)
- It is the apex body for decision creating and deliberations on development matters in India, presided over by the Prime Minister. It was set up on 6 August 1952.
- NDC has been proposed to be abolished. But to date, no resolution has been passed to abolish it. Since the inception of NITI Aayog's Governing Council (which has almost the same composition and roles as NDC), the NDC has had no work assigned to it nor did it have any meetings.
10. The word “Anti-National” is not defined in Indian law
Tags: National News
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha, that the word ‘antinational’ has not been defined under any legislation or rule or any other legal enactment that is enforced in this country.
- The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 inserted the word ‘antinational activity’ in Article 31D of the Indian Constitution (during Emergency) which was. subsequently, omitted by the 43rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1977.
- According to the Union Home Ministry, ‘Public Order’ and ‘Police’ are State subjects as per the 7th Schedule of the Constitution and so, the “data about the number of people arrested for indulging in anti-national activities is not maintained centrally.
- National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its annual ‘Crime in India’ report for 2017, created a chapter on ‘Crime Committed by Anti National Elements’ in which they listed “North East insurgents, Left Wing Extremists, and Terrorists (including Jihadi terrorists)” as the three antinational elements.
Union Minister of Home Affairs - Amit Shah
Union Home Secretary - Ajay Kumar Bhalla
National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB)
- NCRB is an Indian government agency set up in 1986.
- It acts as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators.
- It is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
- Headquarters - New Delhi
- Current Director - Ramphal Pawar (IPS).
