08 September 2019: PIB Summary & Analysis

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

September 8th, 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

68th Plenary of the North Eastern Council

Context

• Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah today addressed the opening session of the 68th Plenary of the North Eastern Council in Guwahati

North Eastern Council

• The North Eastern Council is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region which consists of the eight States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
• The North Eastern Council was constituted in 1971 by an Act of Parliament. The constitution of the Council has marked the beginning of a new chapter of concerted and planned endeavour for the rapid development of the Region.
• Over the last 35 years, NEC has been instrumental in setting in motion a new economic endeavour aimed at removing the basic handicaps that stood in the way of normal development of the region and has ushered in an era of new hope in this backward area full of great potentialities.

Bilateral meeting with China

Context

• The Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), held a bilateral meeting with China.
• Minister also stated the various efforts made by the Government to improve efforts towards afforestation, by highlighting the recent distribution of CAMPA funds to various states.

About CAMPA

• Due to certain discrepancies in the implementation of compensatory afforestation, some NGOs had approached The Hon’ble Supreme Court for relief.
• The Hon’ble Supreme Court on 10th July 2009 issued orders that there will be a Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) as National Advisory Council
• The Council will be under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Environment & Forests for monitoring, technical assistance and evaluation of compensatory afforestation activities.

Objectives of CAMPA

• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) are meant to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating for forest land diverted to non-forest uses.
• National CAMPA Advisory Council has been established as per orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court with the following mandate:
  • Lay down broad guidelines for State CAMPA.
  • Facilitate scientific, technological and other assistance that may be required by State CAMPA.
  • Make recommendations to State CAMPA based on a review of their plans and programmes.
  • Provide a mechanism to State CAMPA to resolve issues of an inter-state or Centre-State character.
• State CAMPA
  • The State CAMPA would presently receive funds collected from user agencies towards compensatory afforestation, and all other amounts recovered from such agencies under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and presently lying with the Adhoc CAMPA.
  • The State CAMPA would administer the amount received from the Adhoc CAMPA and utilize the funds collected for undertaking compensatory afforestation, assisted natural regeneration, conservation and protection of forests, infrastructure development, etc.
  • State CAMPA would provide an integrated framework for utilizing multiple sources of funding and activities relating to protection and management of forests and wildlife.
  • Its prime task would be regenerating natural forests and building up the institution engaged in this work in the State Forest Department including training of the forest officials of various levels with an emphasis on training of the staff at cutting edge level.
  • In short, the department would be modernized to protect and regenerate the forests and wildlife habitat.

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September 8th, 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here