09 December 2019: PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam.

December 9th, 2019 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. UDAN Scheme
2. Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)
3. Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA)
4. Archaeological Survey of India has identified 138 monuments as Must See Monuments
5. Zonal Cultural Centers
6. Green Good Deeds Initiative
7. International Solar Alliance
8. Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) Scheme
9. Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019
10. Human Rights Day
11. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Training (PMMMNMTT)
12. National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme

UDAN Scheme

Context:

4 Airports/Airstrips & 6 Water Aerodromes in Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Island Region up for Bidding under UDAN 4.0.

Details:

• These efforts are in the direction to provide aerial connectivity to the region (of Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands).
• The move will not only boost tourism but will also transform the economic situation of the region.

For more on UDAN Scheme, click here.

Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)

Context:

SFIO’s Market Research Analysis Unit prepares 55 reports on fraud & misappropriation by Companies; SFIO assigned 12 for the probe.

About the SFIO:

• Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is a fraud-investigating agency set up to investigate corporate frauds of very serious and complex nature.
• The authorisation of SFIO is limited to investigating frauds related to a company under the Companies Act.

For more on the SFIO, click on the linked article.

Investor Education & Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA)

Context:

The government amended IEPFA Rules, 2016, to simplify refund of claims.

About the IEPFA:

For more on the IEPFA, check PIB dated 5^th Dec 2019.

Archaeological Survey of India has identified 138 monuments as Must-See Monuments

Context:

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has identified 138 numbers of monuments as “Must See Monuments”.

Details:

• There are 38 World Heritage Sites in India, out of which 22 Cultural Sites including monuments/buildings and caves are under the protection of the ASI.
• The ‘Must See’ list features outstanding Indian monuments and archaeological sites, under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India including those that feature on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
• Such monuments and sites display exceptionality in terms of art and architecture, planning and design, are a unique testimony to the civilization of the past and show exemplary engineering skills.

About the ASI:

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an attached office under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
• It is the premier organization for archaeological excavations and researches, conservation of monuments, and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
• It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first Director-General.
• The most important of the society’s achievements was the decipherment of the Brahmi script by James Prinsep in 1837. This successful decipherment inaugurated the study of Indian palaeography.

Zonal Cultural Centers

Context:

The Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centers to promote inter-state cultural development programmes.

Details:

• The mandate of the Ministry of Culture is to protect, preserve and promote various forms of folk art and culture throughout the country.
• To meet this objective, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur.
• These ZCCs engage cultural troupes from different States to participate in the major festivals under the National Cultural Exchange Programme (NCEP).
• They also organize various cultural festivals and programmes on a regular basis in all the States/UTs of India.
• All the ZCCs along with other organizations under the Ministry of Culture have participated in the Kumbh Mela, 2019 at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

The 7 Zonal Cultural Centres with their HQs are given below:

Green Good Deeds Initiative

Context:

‘Green Good Deeds’ initiative to promote environmental awareness and to mobilize people’s participation for conservation of the environment.

Details:

• The Green Good Deeds was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
• It has been launched to protect the environment and promote good living in the country.
• The initiative is about simple, practical steps that students/teachers/citizens can perform in their day-to-day life towards the protection of the environment.
• The idea behind this initiative is to sensitise people and students, in particular about climate change and global warming.
• The Ministry has drawn up a list of over 500 green good deeds and asked people to fulfil their green social responsibility.

International Solar Alliance

Context:

India calls for a speedier expansion of the International Solar Alliance.

For more on the International Solar Alliance, click here.

Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) Scheme

Context:

The Government has introduced 33 tranches of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs).

For more on Sovereign Gold Bonds, check CNA dated March 18, 2019.

Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Context:

Lok Sabha passed the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Details:

• The Bill seeks to enhance the punishment for existing offences like illegal manufacture, sale, transfer, etc.; illegal acquiring, possessing or carrying prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition; and illegal manufacture, sale, transfer, conversion, import, export, etc., of firearms.
• It also proposes to define new offences and prescribes punishment for them, such as taking away firearms from police or armed forces, involvement in an organized crime syndicate, illicit trafficking including smuggled firearms of foreign make or prohibited arms and prohibited ammunition, use of firearms in a rash and negligent manner in celebratory gunfire endangering human life, etc.
• Further, the Bill seeks to enhance the period of arms license from three years to five years and also to issue arms license in its electronic form to prevent forgery.
• The Amendment assumes significance in recent times as law enforcement agencies have indicated a growing nexus between possession of illegal firearms and commission of criminal offences.
• The trans-border dimensions of illegal arms trafficking are causing a threat to internal security and to prevent the usage of illicit firearms so trafficked has also become a prime concern.
• To effectively curb crimes related to or committed by using illegal firearms and to provide effective deterrence against violation of the law, there is an urgent need to strengthen the existing legislative framework by making appropriate amendments in the Arms Act, 1959.
• The licenses and arms ownership of sportspersons would not be adversely affected because of the Bill.
• The provisions related to ownership of arms by retired and serving personnel of armed forces also remain unaffected by the Amendment.

History of the Act:

• The original law was brought by the British after the Revolution of 1857, in order to prevent such a rebellion in the future.
• Mahatma Gandhi also connected the issue of arms ownership with the basic rights of Indians and demanded a repeal of the Indian Arms Act, 1878.
• This demand was also included in the eight-point agenda that Mahatma Gandhi presented to Lord Irwin.

Human Rights Day

Context:

Human Rights Day is celebrated on the 10^th of December every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948.

Details:

• The Declaration recognizes that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of mankind are the foundation of justice, freedom and peace in the world.
• The United Nations’ theme for this year’s Human Rights Day is: “Youth Standing up for Human Rights.”
• The youth will be celebrated as agents of change and encouraged to amplify their voices against racism, hate speech, bullying, discrimination, and fight for climate justice, among other issues, and engage a broad range of global audiences in the promotion and protection of rights.

Read about the National Human Rights Commission here.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Training (PMMMNMTT)

Context:

The government is providing quality teachers in schools and colleges through PMMMNMTT.

About the PMMMNMTT:

• The aim of this mission is to provide quality teachers in schools and colleges, attract talented people to the education sector and improve quality in teaching.
• The mission aims to set the teaching standard so that an organized cadre of professional teachers can be created. The objective of this mission is to develop innovative teaching methods and high-level institutional facilities in all the constituent areas of education.
• The scheme was launched in 2014.
• It is now under implementation in 42 institutions.
• It is under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Read more on the PMMMNMTT here.

National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme

Context:

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is implementing the ‘National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme’ (NAQUIM) for aquifer mapping in the country including in areas which have recorded a high depletion of groundwater, in phases.

About the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme:

• Aquifer mapping refers to groundwater resource mapping.
• The NAQUIM was launched in 2012, with CGWB as the executing body.
• The Programme aims to cover more than 25 million square kilometres that have been delineated “hydrogeologically mappable”.
• Since groundwater is a key component in a number of programmes launched by various Union government ministries, a carefully-crafted convergence of NAQUIM outputs can help in optimising the benefits.
• One of the major objectives of NAQUIM is to promote participatory groundwater management.

December 9th, 2019 PIB:- Download PDF Here

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