29 June 2018: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

29 June 2018: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Suresh Prabhu launches Mobile App ‘ReUnite’

• Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu today launched a mobile application called ReUnite which helps to track and trace missing and abandoned children in India. He appreciated the work being done by the NGO, Bachpan Bachao Andolan & Capgemini for developing this app.
• The app is multiuser where parents and citizens can upload pictures of children, and provide detailed description like name, birth mark, address, report to the police station, search and identify missing kids.
• The photographs will not be saved in the mobile phone’s physical memory.
• Amazon Rekognition, web facial recognition service, is being used to identify missing kids. The app is available for both Android and iOS.

Bachpan Bachao Andolan:

• Bachpan Bachao Andolan, (BBA) is India’s largest movement for the protection of children and works along with law enforcement agencies and policymakers. BBA has played a very important role in formulation of several laws for protection of child’s rights. It began from the Nithari case in 2006 which finally culminated with the Supreme Court passing the landmark judgement in 2013 ordering that FIR has to be lodged in all cases of missing children.
• Nobel Laureate and founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Kailash Satyarthi, was also present on this occasion.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recovers smuggled Exotic Birds

• Live exotic birds of foreign origin smuggled into India from Bangladesh through Indo-Bangla border at North 24 Parganas are being transported in a vehicle heading towards Kolkata via Chakdaha/Kalyani Expressway, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths immediately swung into action.
• Three Red and Blue Macaws, three Eclectus parrots, eight Pygmy Falcons, and seven white ducks were found badly crammed up in plastic bags and kept inside the car and also in the dicky of the vehicle. 
• DRI immediately contacted the office of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, West Bengal and also the Director of Alipore Zoo, Kolkata. Accordingly, the items were taken by DRI to Kolkata Zoo to whom the birds were handed over. 
• Illegal import of wildlife which is in violation of the Wild Life Protection Act automatically becomes a violation of the Customs Act by virtue of Section 111(d) of the Customs Act. cri 
• All the birds have consequently been seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 read with the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. Further investigation is in progress.
• DRI is committed to combating Wild Life Crime including cross border crime such as trafficking in wild life art-crafts. 

12^th Statistics Day celebrated today

• National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation celebrated 12^thStatistics Day on 29^th June, 2018 at Sankhyiki Bhawan, New Delhi.
• In recognition of the notable contributions made by Professor PC Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics, statistical system and economic planning.
• In 2007, Government of India designated 29^th June as the “Statistics Day” in the category of Special Days to be celebrated every year at the National level.
• The theme selected for the Statistics Day this year is ‘‘Quality Assurance in Official Statistics’. The theme has been chosen to underscore the importance of compliance with essential parameters of quality in statistical systems and products. 

Women in Prisons

• It was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• It aims to build an understanding of the various entitlements of women in prisons, the various issues faced by them and possible methods for resolution of the same.
• It contains recommendations for improving the lives of women under incarceration, addressing a wide range of issues pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth in prison, mental health, legal aid, reintegration in society and their care giving responsibilities among others.

Statistics:

• As per most recent data available from the end of 2015, there are 4,19,623 persons in jail in India, of which, 17,834 (about 4.3%) are women. Of these, 11,916 (66.8%) are undertrial prisoners
• In India, an analysis of prison statistics at five-year intervals reveals an increasing trend in the number of women prisoners – from 3.3% of all prisoners in 2000 to 4.3% in 2015.

Recommendation:

• The report proposes that bail should be granted to those under-trial women who have spent one-third of their maximum possible sentence in detention, by making necessary changes in Section 436A of the CrPC which provides for release after half of the maximum sentence has been served.
• Considering the needs of women in their post-natal stages, the report recommends a separate accommodation for mothers in post-natal stage to maintain hygiene and protect the infant from contagion, for at least a year after childbirth. Apart from the needs of pregnant and lactating women, the report has also suggested that special provisions relating to health and nutrition be made for women who have recently given birth outside prison, or who have undergone abortion or miscarriage.
• To make legal aid more effective, the report suggests that legal consultations must be conducted in confidentiality and without censorship.
• The report proposes a comprehensive after-care programme to be put in place, covering employment, financial support, regaining of child custody, shelter, counselling, continuity of health care services etc. Counselling should also be provided to family members and employers to adequately receive the woman after release.
• The report also recommends that prison authorities should coordinate with local police to ensure released prisoners are not harassed by them due to the attached stigma. At least one voluntary organisation should be designated in each district to help with integration of released prisoners.

PM meets members of Mission Shaurya Team

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today met a group of ten tribal students from Maharashtra.
• The students were a part of a team of the “Mission Shaurya” initiative of the Adivasi Vikas Vibhag of the Maharashtra State Government.
• Five students out of this group successfully scaled Mt. Everest in May 2018.

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