UPSC 2017-18: PIB Summary and Analysis Dec 12

100 % deployment of VVPATs at all Polling Stations bolsters confidence of voters in free & fair elections 

• In the VVPAT system, when a voter presses the button for a candidate of his choice in the EVM
  • The serial number of the candidate for whom vote has been casted.
  • Name of the candidate (for whom vote has been casted)
  • Symbol of the Party/individual candidate.
• The VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allow voters to verify that their votes were cast correctly, to detect possible election fraud or malfunction and to provide a means to audit the stored electronic results.

Energy Conservation Day

• The Energy Conservation Day is organized on 14th December each year by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), with an aim to demonstrate India’s achievements in energy efficiency and conservation, while working for its ambition of holistic development as part of the nation’s overall effort towards climate change mitigation.
• As part of its awareness outreach, BEE recognizes and encourages endeavours of industries in reducing energy consumption by felicitating them with National Energy Conservation Awards.
• BEE also awards prizes to the national winners of the annual National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation.

Details

• In order to realize its development goals, India’s energy demand is expected to double between 2013 and 2030, to approximately 1500 million tonnes of oil equivalent. The mission of BEE is to assist in developing policies and strategies that will help reduce this energy demand by promoting widespread adoption of energy efficiency measures.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is an agency of the Government of India, under the Ministry of Power created in March 2002 under the provisions of the nation’s 2001 Energy Conservation Act
• The mission of Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to “institutionalise” energy efficiency services, enable delivery mechanisms in the country and provide leadership to energy efficiency in all sectors of the country.
• The primary objective would be to reduce energy intensity in the economy.

Government issues new guidelines for grant of rewards to be paid to officers, informers and other persons in case of seizures of Narcotics drugs, Psychotropic substances 

• As per this policy, an officer is eligible for Rs. 20,00,000/- reward during his entire career and Rs. 50,000/- at a time. However a maximum reward of Rs. 2,00,000/- may also be given to an individual in exceptional cases by the Apex Central Rewards Committee. Up to 50% of the total admissible reward amount can be given at pre-trial stage if the test report from chemical lab turns positive
• As per this policy, the reward sanctioning authority should also consider the factors while granting reward to informers, like accuracy of the information, degree of risk involved, extent and nature of the help rendered by the informer and whether the information also gave clues of the person involved in the drug trafficking racket.
• Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs has been made the coordinating agency to process the reward proposal of other Central and State agencies working in the field of drug interdiction.

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

• The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
• As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.
• UNWTO encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximize tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimizing its possible negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as an instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.
• UNWTO generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world.

Context

• Mahesh Sharma leads Indian delegation to Second UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture at Muscot
• The Conference had also on its agenda themes such as culture and tourism as a factor of peace and prosperity; tourism development and protection of cultural heritage; culture and tourism and urban development and creativity; and exploring cultural land escapes in tourism. The conference also finalized the 2030 Agenda.