Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- NCRB Report
- Artemis Mission
- SEED
- Facts for Prelims
1 . NCRB Report
Context: Rape, kidnapping, atrocities against children, robberies increased last year according to the latest NCRB report.
Key highlights of the report
- Violent crimes such as rape, kidnapping, atrocities against children, and robberies registered across India increased in 2021, after the pandemic-related restrictions led to a decline in these severe offences in 2020.
- Murders, which did not come down even in 2020, continued to increase in 2021 too.
- The number of registered rape cases increased.
- Cases related to kidnapping and abduction fell in 2019, but again rose to 1,01,707 in 2021.
- Murder cases continued their consistent increase with 29,272 cases in 2021, up from 29,193 in 2020 and 28,915 in 2019.
- However, the number of overall registered cognizable crimes decreased from 66 lakh in 2020 to 60.9 lakh in 2021, a 7.6% fall.
- The crime rate (crimes per 1 lakh people) also decreased from 487.8 in 2020 to 445.9 in 2021.
- The number of cases filed under Section 188 of the IPC has almost halved from 6.12 lakh cases in 2020 to 3.22 lakh in 2021.
- However, overall cognizable crimes in 2021 continued to be higher than 2019 levels (51.6 lakh cases), with COVID-related violations contributing to the bulk of the increase, despite the decline compared to 2020.
Reasons for decline
- The decline in overall crimes in 2021 can be attributed to a sharp decrease in cases registered under ‘disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant (Section 188 of the IPC).
- Such cases were registered mainly over violations of COVID-19 norms.
- They were also recorded under ‘Other IPC Crimes’ and ‘Other State Local Acts.’
- Cases filed under ‘Other IPC Crimes’ more than halved from 10.6 lakh in 2020 to 4.9 lakh in 2021.
Performance of various States
- The rate of violent crimes (per 1 lakh people) in 2021, among major States was the highest in Assam with 76.6 violent crimes per 1 lakh people.
- It was followed by Delhi at 57 and West Bengal at 48.7.
- The rate was the lowest in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
- The biggest increase in the rate of violent crimes was recorded in Odisha.
- The State’s violent crime rate increased from 38 in 2020 to 48.6 in 2021.
- Delhi also recorded a significant uptick in violent crimes with the rate increasing from 49.2 in 2020 to 57 in 2021.
About National Crime Records Bureau
- The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL).
- NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
- Established in 1986.
- It was set up based on the recommendation of the Task force, 1985 and National Police Commission, 1977 by merging the Directorate of Coordination and Police Computer (DCPC), Inter State Criminals Data Branch of CBI and Central Fingerprint Bureau of CBI.
- Earlier Statistical Branch of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) was also merged with NCRB, but was later de-merged
- Function: Act as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators.
- Mission: To Empower Indian Police with Information Technology and criminal Intelligence to enable them to uphold law and protect people. To provide leadership and excellence in crime analysis particularly for serious and organized crime.
2 . Space Launch System (SLS) & its Orion crew capsule
Context: An engine problem forced NASA to postpone for at least four days the launch of its colossal next-generation rocket ship on a long-awaited debut test flight around the moon and back 50 years after Apollo’s last lunar mission.
Recent developments
- The countdown was halted about 40 minutes before launch time as the 32-story-tall, two-stage Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and its Orion crew capsule awaited liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- The U.S. space agency cited a problem on one of the rocket’s main engines, after launch teams had begun filling its core fuel tanks with super-cooled liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellants.
- Mission engineers struggled to properly condition that engine to the right temperature for launch, the agency said.
- NASA did not give a new launch date but said its first available backup launch opportunity was set for September 2.
Artemis mission
- It is a robotic and human Moon exploration program led by the United States space agency, NASA, and involving three other partner agencies: European Space Agency (ESA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
- If successful, the Artemis program will reestablish a human presence on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
- Major components of the program:
- Space Launch System (SLS), Orion spacecraft, Lunar Gateway space station and the commercial Human Landing Systems, including Starship HLS.
- The long-term vision of the program is to establish a permanent base camp on the Moon and facilitate human missions to Mars.
- With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
What does this new Moon mission hope to achieve?
- The new program was named Artemis by NASA leaders.
- In Greek mythology, Artemis, the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, and vegetation, as well as of chastity and childbirth, was the twin sister of Apollo, the much-loved god of music and divination.
- The program’s first step will be the upcoming test flight of the Moon rocket, known as the Space Launch System (SLS), with the Orion capsule on top where astronauts will sit during future missions.
- This uncrewed flight, during which Orion will swing around the moon before returning to Earth, is to wring out any issues with the spacecraft before putting people on board.
- In addition to the mission’s function as a proving ground for technologies needed for a much longer trip to Mars, NASA is also hoping to start companies looking to set up a steady business of flying scientific instruments and other payloads to the moon, and to inspire students to enter science and engineering fields.
- In recent years, China has successfully landed three robotic missions on the Moon.
- China’s expanding space ambitions, which include a lunar base in the 2030s, also provided motivation for Artemis.
- India and an Israeli nonprofit also sent landers in 2019, although both crashed. A South Korean orbiter is on its way.
- For scientists, the renewed focus on the Moon also promises new data in the coming years.
About Space Launch System (SLS) rocket
- It is touted as the most powerful, complex rocket in the world.
- It represents the biggest new vertical launch system the U.S. space agency has built since the Saturn V rocket flown during Apollo, which grew out of the U.S.-Soviet space race of the Cold War era.
- The maiden journey of the SLS-Orion marks the kickoff of NASA’s highly vaunted moon-to-Mars Artemis programme, the successor to the Apollo lunar missions of the 1960s and ‘70s.
- The voyage is intended to put the 5.75-million-pound vehicle through its paces in a rigorous demonstration flight, pushing its design limits, before NASA deems it reliable enough to carry astronauts in a subsequent flight targeted for 2024.
3 . Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified, Nomadic, Semi nomadic Tribes
Context: Union Social Justice Ministry received 402 applications online from across the country for benefits under the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified, Nomadic, Semi-nomadic (SEED) Tribes. More than 10 crore Indians from 1,400 communities belong to these groups, show the latest estimates available with the government. None of the applications received so far on the SEED’s online portal has been approved yet.
About Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified, Nomadic, Semi-nomadic (SEED) Tribes
- Establishment: In February 2022, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launched the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) for the welfare of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities.
- Budget: The SEED Scheme with an approximate cost of Rs. 200 crore is to be spent over a period of five years starting the Financial Year 2021-22 to 2025-26.
- Implementing agency: An online portal developed by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment.
- The other implementing agencies are the Ministry of Rural Development, National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and National Health Authority (NHA).
- Mechanism: The funds will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries in their account.
Major components of the Scheme
- Educational empowerment: A component of free Coaching for DNT Students has been envisioned for the educational empowerment of these communities.
- The objective of this component is to provide good coaching quality for DNT candidates to enable them to appear in competitive examinations/ admission to professional courses for obtaining an appropriate job in public/private Sector.
- The selection of the candidates for each course will be based on a system generated merit list through the online portal.
- Approximately 6250 students will be provided free coaching under this component in five years.
- The total funds spent over the five years will be Rs.50 crores.
- Health Insurance: It is most likely that members of DNT/NT/SNT communities have little or no access to medical facilities and other benefits available under the mainstream health policies.
- The primary objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to the National Health Authority (NHA) in association with State Health Agencies (SHAs) for providing a health insurance cover of Rs. Five lakhs per family per year to DNT, NT and SNT families as per norms of “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.”
- Approximately, 4,44,500 families will be covered under health insurance in five years. The total funds spent in the five years will be Rs.49.0 crores.
- Facilitate livelihoods: The decline of traditional occupations of DNT/NT/SNT communities has exacerbated their poverty.
- The primary objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) for undertaking institution building in association with State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) of state Governments/UTs at community level.
- A livelihood initiative to enhance productivity growth in key livelihood sectors for employment generation for DNT/NT/SNT communities through investments in institutional support and technical assistance is being carried out.
- Approximately, 2000 clusters will benefit from this component in five years.
- Housing: At present, a very large number of families belonging to the DNT/NT communities are without permanent shelters.
- Considering the shortage of houses for DNTs, it has been proposed to earmark a separate outlay for PMAY to support specific importance in providing houses only for DNTs living in rural areas who have not taken benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
- The admissible support is Rs 1.20 lakhs in plains and 1.30 lakhs in hilly areas (per unit assistance).
- Approximately, 4,200 houses will be constructed under this component in five years. The total funds spent over the five years will be Rs.50 crores.
Denotified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes and Semi Nomadic Tribes
- The term ‘De-notified Tribes’ stands for all those communities which were once notified under the Criminal Tribes Acts, enforced by the British Raj between l87l and I947. These Acts were repealed by the Independent lndian Government in l952, and these communities were “De-Notified”. A few of these communities which were listed as de-notified were also nomadic.
- Terms such as nomads and semi-nomads are applied to ‘social groups who undertook a fairly frequent, usually seasonal physical movement as port of their livelihood strategy in the recent past.
- The term semi-nomad is mostly used to describe those sections of nomads whose duration, distance and frequency of movement is comparitively less than others. The distinction between nomads and semi-nomods do not involve distinguishable ethnic categories or social groups, it rather describes the degree of mobility practiced by them.
- The De-notified and Nomadic communities have diverse ideological patterns, culture, political and social lifestyle, customs and traditions. The customs of Nomadic communities have a long tradition of continuity and many of their practices claim on ancient heritage. They hove their own Gods and Goddesses. Moreover, their own festivals and celebrations ore diversified.
- The social and cultural characteristics of nomadic communities are closely related with their economic activities. Most of the communities follow a traditional system of moving in groups of five to twenty with a senior member who is responsible for settling disputes, leading each group. Each of these sub groups travelled independently on different routes in order to earn their livelihood. ln some communities there is a system of meeting of meeting on annual customary camping, where reunions, marriages and even cattle trading took place.
- As is the case with most of the communities in lndia, large majority of De-notified and nomadic communities are primarily patriarchal.
- Historically, Nomadic Tribes and De-notified Tribes never had access to private land or home ownership. These tribes used forests and grazing lands for their livelihood and residential use. These communities had “strong ecological connections. Many of them are dependent upon various types of natural resources and carve out intricate ecological niches for their survival. The changes in ecology and environment seriously affect their livelihood options.
Status in India
- The Government in July 2014 had constituted National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (NCDNT) for a period of three years to prepare a State-wise list of castes belonging to Denotified and Nomadic Tribes and to suggest appropriate measures in respect of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes that may be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Government.
- As per the report of National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes submitted in December 2017. There are a total of 425 Denotified Tribes, 810 Nomadic Tribes and 27 Semi Nomadic Tribes in India.
- The Renke Commission (2008) was earlier commissioned to identify and list the DNT communities.
- Various committees were set for the empowerment of the DNTs: Ayyangar Committee, 1949, Kalelkar Committee, 1953, Idate Commission, 2014.
Other initiatives by Government
- Based on the recommendations of the Idate Commission, the Government of India constituted the Development and Welfare Board for DNTs, SNTs &NTs (DWBDNCs) in 2019.
- A committee has also been set up by the NITI Aayog to complete the process of identification of the De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DNCs).
- The survey work of identification of DNT Communities and placing them in a category of SC/ST/OBC is also under process in NITI Aayog and Anthropological Survey of India (ASI).
- The Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNCs) was mandated to formulate and implement welfare and development programmes for these communities.
4 . Facts for Prelims
NPPA
Context: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is working more as a facilitator and not just as a regulator, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said at its silver jubilee celebrations on Monday.
About National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
- The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority was set up as an attached office of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (now Department of Pharmaceuticals since July 2008) on 29th August 1997.
- Its functions
- To implement and enforce the provisions of the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO), 1995/2013 in accordance with the powers delegated to it.
- To undertake and/or sponsor relevant studies in respect of pricing of drugs/formulations.
- To monitor the availability of drugs, identify shortages, if any, and to take remedial steps.
- To collect/maintain data on production, exports and imports, market share of individual companies, profitability of companies etc. for bulk drugs and formulations.
- To deal with all legal matters arising out of the decisions of the Authority.
- To render advice to the Central Government on changes/revisions in the drug policy.
- To render assistance to the Central Government in the parliamentary matters relating to drug pricing.
e- Samadhan portal
Context: The University Grants Commission will soon launch a single window for submitting grievances by merging the different portals and helplines that exist currently, with the aim to fast-track the resolution of such complaints and monitor institutes that are slow in responding to them. The portal, “UGC e-samadhan”, will be available 24×7. It will also provide a toll- free number (1800-1110656) to lodge complaints.
About e- Samadhan portal
- The resolution of Public Grievances has always been a top priority of the Government.
- The Department of Redressal of Public Grievances, Government of Himachal Pradesh took advantage of ICT enhancements and came up with “eSamadhan – Online Public Grievance Monitoring System” in the year 2008.
- It is an online public grievance monitoring system set up by the government.
- Users can submit an application of grievances or demands and know the current status of the grievance or demand by entering the application number.
- Users can also receive status of application through SMS and view other information like grievance cell, committees, etc. Login facility is available for various government departments and officials.
- From 2018 till date, the system has been integrated with other systems also and it has been renamed as Samgr(comprehensive) eSamadhan.
Fraud registry
Context: The Reserve Bank is considering setting up a fraud registry to create a database of fraudulent websites, phones and various modus operandi used for digital fraud.
About fraud registry
- It will be created by the Reserve Bank of India
- It will have a database of fraudulent websites, phones and various modus operandi for digital fraud.
- The mechanism is aimed at preventing fraudsters from using banking infrastructure.
- It would help prevent fraudsters from repeating the offence as the websites or phone numbers would be blacklisted.
- There is no definite timeline for setting up this registry.
- The aggregated fraud data will be published to educate customers on emerging risks.
- At present, different stakeholders including different departments like payments and settlement and supervision of RBI are being consulted.