PIB Analysis : Date 28/12/2018

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PIB ANALYSIS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

Topics Covered

  1. India’s Second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 
  2. National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2018
  3. National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2018
  4. Satguru Ram Singh
  5. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
  6. MoUs signed
  7. Coastal Regulation Zone Notification
  8. Amendment to the POSCO Act
  9. Gaganyaan Programme

1 . India’s Second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Cabinet approves Submission of India’s Second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Background

  • India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • The Convention, in accordance with its Article 4.1 and 12.1, enjoins upon all Parties, both developed country Parties and developing country Parties to furnish information, in the form of a National Communication regarding implementation of the Convention. Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in its sixteenth session decided vide paragraph 60 (c) of decision 1 that developing countries, consistent with their capabilities and the level of support provided for reporting, should also submit biennial update reports containing updates of national greenhouse gas inventories and information on mitigation actions, needs and support received.
  • Decision 2 of COP17, in paragraph 41 (f) states that Biennial Update Reports shall be submitted every two years.
  • India has to submit Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change towards fulfilment of the reporting obligation under the Convention.
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Salient Features

  • The scope of BUR is to provide an update to India’s first BUR to UNFCCC. 
  • The BUR contains five major components — National Circumstances; National Greenhouse Gas Inventory; Mitigation Actions; Finance, Technology and Capacity Building Needs and Support Received and Domestic Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) arrangements.
  • BUR has been prepared based on a range of studies conducted at the national level.
  • The BUR has undergone multitier review process, through peer review, review by Technical Advisory Committee of Experts chaired by Additional Secretary (Climate Change) and by National Steering Committee chaired by Secretary (EF&CC).
  • The National Steering Committee is an inter-ministerial body comprising NITI Aayog, Agricultural Research and Education, Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Economic Affairs, External Affairs, New and Renewable Energy, Science & Technology, Coal, Power, Railway Board, Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Rural Development, Housing and Urban Affairs, Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Steel, Civil Aviation, Statistics and Programme Implementation and India Meteorological Department.
  • The BUR has been finalized after addressing all the relevant comments and modifications as per the multi-tier review process.

About the Report

  • In 2014, a total of 26,07,488 Gigagram (Gg) CC-2 equivalent* (around 2.607 billion tonnes of CC-2 equivalent) of GHGs were emitted from all activities (excluding LULUCF) in India. The net national GHG emissions after including LULUCF were 23,06,295 Gg COa equivalent (around 2.306 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent).
  • Out of the total emissions, energy sector accounted for 73%, IPPU 8%, agriculture 16% and waste sector 3%. About 12% of emissions were offset by the carbon sink action of forestland, cropland and settlements.

Major impact

  • Submission of India’s Second BUR will fulfil the obligation of India to furnish information regarding implementation of the Convention, being a Party.

2 . National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2018

Cabinet approves setting up of the National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2018

About the Bill

  • The draft bill provides for the constitution of a National Commission with three autonomous boards entrusted with conducting overall education of Homoeopathy by Homoeopathy Education Board.
  • The Board of assessment and rating to assess and grant permission to educational institutions of Homoeopathy and Board of ethics and registration of practitioners of Homoeopathy to maintain National Register and ethical issues relating to practice are under the National Commission for Homoeopathy.
  • It also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam which all graduates will have to clear to get practicing licenses. Further, a teacher’s eligibility test has been proposed to assess the standard of teachers before appointment and promotions.
  • It further aims at bringing reforms in the medical education of Homoeopathy in lines with the National Medical Commission proposed for setting up for Allopathy system of medicine. The CCH had been earlier superseded by Board of Governors through an Ordinance and subsequent amendment of Act.

3 . National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2018

Cabinet approves setting up of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2018

Salient features

  • The draft bill provides for the constitution of a National Commission with four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting overall education of Ayurveda, under Board of Ayurveda and Unani, Siddha &Sowarigpa under Board of Unaini, Siddha and Sowarigpa.
  • There are two common Boards namely, Board of assessment and rating to assess and grant permission to educational institutions of Indian systems of Medicine and Board of ethics and registration of practitioners of Indian systems of medicine to maintain National Register and ethical issues relating to practice under the National Commission for Indian Medicine.
  • It also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam, which all graduates will have to clear to get practicing licenses. Further, a teacher’s eligibility test has been proposed in the Bill to assess the standard of teachers before appointment and promotions.
  • The draft bill is aimed at bringing reforms in the medical education of Indian medicine sector in lines with the National Medical Commission proposed for setting up for Allopathy system of medicine.
  • The proposed regulatory structure will enable transparency and accountability for protecting the interest of the general public. The NCIM will promote availability of affordable healthcare services in all parts of the country.

4 . Satguru Ram Singh

Culture Minister inaugurates an International Seminar to commemorate the 200th Birth Anniversary of Sikh philosopher, reformer and  freedom fighter , Sri Satguru Ram Singhji

About Satguru Ram Singh

  • Satguru Ram Singh is credited as being the first Indian to use non-cooperation and boycott of British merchandise and services as a political weapon. 
  • He later became the founder of Namdhari Sikhism.
  • The birth (Prakash) of Satguru Ram Singhji took place in 1816 in village Raiyan in district of Ludhiana in Punjab.
  • Satguru Ram Singh is credited as being the first Indian to use non-cooperation and boycott of British merchandise and services as a political weapon. 
  • He spearheaded the Namdhari sect to free the country.
  • He started Kuka Movement to free the country a month before the Mutiny of 1857. \
  • The Kuka Movement marked the first major reaction of the people in the Punjab to the new political order initiated by the British after 1849.
  • The Namdhari Movement, of which the Kuka Movement was the most important phase, aimed at overthrowing the British rule. The Namdharis were also known as “Kukas” because of their trademark style of reciting the “Gurbani” (Sayings/Teachings of the Guru). This style was in a high-pitched voice called “Kook” in Punjabi. Thus, the Namdharis were also called “Kukas”. 
  • He was a great social reformer  and preached against  killing the girl child in infancy and stood firmly against the Sati Pratha and urged people to remarry the widow to maintain her status in the society.
  • He started a new mass marriage system wherein the marriages were performed by spending a rupee and twenty five paisa only. The dowry was totally banned in any shape. Satguru Ram Singh inculcated the religious awareness among the people because it evokes the feeling of self-respect and sacrifices for the sake of the country.

5 . Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

More than 61 lakh beneficiaries enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana during the last two years till date

About Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana  (PMMVY) is a Maternity Benefit Programme that is implemented in all the districts of the country in accordance with the provision of the National Food Security Act, 2013.

Objectives

  • Providing partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentive s so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first living child.
  • The cash incentive provided would lead to improved health seeking behaviour amongst the Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW& LM).

Benefits under PMMVY

  • Cash incentive of Rs 5000 in three instalments i.e. first instalment of Rs 1000/ – on early registration of pregnancy at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) / approved Health facility as may be identified by the respective administering State / UT, second instalment of Rs 2000/ – after six months of pregnancy on receiving at least one ante-natal check-up (ANC) and third instalment of Rs 2000/ – after child birth is registered and the child has received the first cycle of BCG, OPV, DPT and Hepatitis – B, or its equivalent/ substitute.
  • The eligible beneficiaries would receive the incentive given under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) for Institutional delivery and the incentive received under JSY would be accounted towards maternity benefits so that on an average a woman gets Rs 6000 / – .

Target beneficiaries

  1. All Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers, excluding PW&LM who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force.
  2. All eligible Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers who have their pregnancy on or after 01.01.2017 for first child in family.
  3. The date and stage of pregnancy for a beneficiary would be counted with respect to her LMP date as mentioned in the MCP card.
  4. Case of Miscarriage/Still Birth :
    • A beneficiary is eligible to receive benefits under the scheme only once.
    • In case of miscarriage/still birth, the beneficiary would be eligible to claim the remaining instalment(s) in event of any future pregnancy.
    • Thus, after receiving the 1st instalment, if the beneficiary has a miscarriage, she would only be eligible for receiving 2nd and 3rd instalment in event of future pregnancy subject to fulfilment of eligibility criterion and conditionalities of the scheme. Similarly, if the beneficiary has a miscarriage or still birth after receiving 1 st and 2nd instalments, she would only be eligible for receiving 3rd instalment in event of future pregnancy subject to fulfilment of eligibility criterion and conditionalities of the scheme.
  5. Case of Infant Mortality: A beneficiary is eligible to receive benefits under the scheme only once. That is, in case of infant mortality, she will not be eligible for claiming benefits under the scheme, if she has already received all the instalments of the maternity benefit under PMMVY earlier.
  6. Pregnant and Lactating AWWs/ AWHs/ ASHA may also avail the benefits under the PMMVY subject to fulfilment of scheme conditionalities.

6 . MoUs Signed

Cabinet apprised of two Bilateral MoUs between India and Cuba, and India and Korea in the area of Biotechnology

Major impact

  • The MoUs have been signed to strengthen the Indo-Cuba and Indo-Republic of Korea bilateral ties, to work out the future agenda for the collaboration for Innovation in S&T Diplomacy to evolve a concrete strategic plan in the area of biotechnology education, training and research.
  • The proposal has the potential towards employment generation for more than 50 postgraduates and Ph.Ds in biological sciences and related areas for a period of upto five years.

Indo-Cuba Collaboration

  • India and Cuba signed a bilateral MoU to deepen collaboration on biotechnology on 22nd June 2018 during the visit of Hon’ble President of India to Havana, Cuba. The Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of the Republic of Cuba, have signed the MoU on 22nd June,2018 at Havana.

India-Republic of Korea Collaboration

  • India and Korea have signed an MoU in the area of Biotechnology and Bio-economy. The MoU aims to broaden and deepen cooperation between the two countries in Science & Technology, in the fields of Biotechnology and encouraging industrial R&D and related bilateral investment flows.

Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, Amendment to the POSCO Act, Gaganyaan Programme

  • Covered under Daily Current Affairs

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