Current Affairs

by Guna Mathivanan
47. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (URBAN)
• The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
Programme launched by the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA), in
Mission mode envisions provision of Housing for
All by 2022, when the Nation completes 75 years
of its Independence.
• The Mission seeks to address the housing
requirement of urban poor including slum
dwellers through following programme verticals:
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban
 Slum rehabilitation of Slum Dwellers with
participation of private developers using land
as a resource
 Promotion of Affordable Housing for weaker
section through credit linked subsidy - The
credit linked subsidy will be available only for
loan amounts upto Rs 6 lakhs and such loans
would be eligible for an interest subsidy at the
rate of 6.5 % for tenure of 20 years or during
tenure of loan whichever is lower.
 Affordable Housing through Partnership The
Mission will provide financial assistance at the
rate of Rs. 1.5 Lakh per EWS house being built
under these different partnerships by
States/UTs/Cities.
 Subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house
construction /enhancement
Beneficiaries
• The mission seeks to address the housing
requirement of urban poor including slum
dwellers.
• A slum is defined as a compact area of at least
300 people or about 60 - 70 households of
poorly built congested tenements in unhygienic
environment usually with inadequate
infrastructure and lacking in proper sanitary and
drinking water facilities.
• Beneficiaries include Economically weaker
section (EWS), low-income groups (LIGs) and
Middle Income Groups (MIGs).
Beneficiaries
• The annual income cap is up to Rs 3 lakh for
EWS, Rs 3-6 lakh for LIG and Rs 6 + -18 lakhs for
MIG.
• EWS category of beneficiaries is eligible for
assistance in all four verticals of the Missions
whereas LIG and MIG categories are eligible
under only Credit linked subsidy scheme (CLSS)
component of the Mission.
• For identification as an EWS or LIG beneficiary
under the scheme, an individual loan applicant
will submit self-certificate/ affidavit as proof of
income.
 Beneficiaries
• A beneficiary family will comprise husband,
wife, unmarried sons and/or unmarried
daughters.
• The beneficiary family should not own a pucca
house either in his/her name or in the name of
any member of his/her family in any part of
India to be eligible to receive central assistance
under the mission.
• Mission will be implemented as Centrally
Sponsored Scheme (CSS) except for the
component of credit linked subsidy which will
be implemented as a Central Sector Scheme.
• The Mission also promotes women
“Preference is also given to differently
empowerment by providing the ownership of
abled persons, senior citizens, SCs, STs,
houses in the name of female member or in joint
OBCs, Minority, single women,
name.
transgender and other weaker &
vulnerable sections of the society”
Why in the news?
The Government approved 708 proposals for
construction of 3.61 lakh houses under Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) recently.
48. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural)
• In pursuance to the goal - Housing for all by 2022,
the rural housing scheme Indira Awas Yojana has
been revamped to Pradhan Mantri Awaas
Yojana – Gramin and approved during March
2016.
• Under the scheme, financial assistance is
provided for construction of pucca house to all
houseless and households living in dilapidated
houses.
• The scheme would be implemented in rural areas
throughout India except Delhi and Chandigarh.
• The cost of houses would be shared between
Centre and States.
Target Group:
• Identification of beneficiaries eligible for
assistance and their prioritisation to be done
using information from Socio Economic and Caste
Census (SECC) ensuring total transparency and
objectivity.
• The list will be presented to Gram Sabha to
identify beneficiaries who have been assisted
before or who have become ineligible due to
other reasons.
• The finalised list will be published.
• Funds will be transferred electronically directly
to the account of the beneficiary.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin)
• Under PMAY, the cost of unit assistance is to be
shared between Central and State Governments
in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for
North Eastern and hilly states.
• The unit assistance given to beneficiaries under
the programme is Rs 1,20,000 in plain areas and
to Rs 1,30,000 in hilly states/difficult areas .
• The beneficiary would be facilitated to avail loan
of up to Rs.70,000/- for construction of the house
which is optional.
49. Pencil Portal
• Online portal – “Platform for Effective
Enforcement for No Child Labour” (PENCIL)
• Organised by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, Government of India.
• It is an electronic platform that aims at
involving Centre, State, District, Governments,
civil society and the general public in achieving
the target of child labour free society
• The purpose of this portal is to provide a
mechanism for both enforcement of the
provisions of Child Labour Act and effective
implementation of the National Child Labour
Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of
child & adolescent labour
• Online complaints with regard to child labour
can also be filed by anybody on Pencil Portal
Components:
• The main components of PENCIL portal are
complaint corner, child & adolescent labour
tracking system, NCLP and State Resource
Centre which are connected with the Ministry of
Labour & Employment.
• The data obtained on the portal is to be shared
with the Ministry of Women & Child
Development, Ministry of Human Resource
Development and Ministry of Skill Development
& Entrepreneurship.
• At the State Government level the monitoring is
to be done by the State Resource Centre
established at the State Labour Department.
• At district level District Nodal Officers (DNOs) are
nominated to take action on the complaints of
their respective districts.
Why in the news?
• Union Minister of Women and Child
Development has Appealed to Citizens to report
the instances of Child Labour on PENCIL Portal or
by calling on Childline1098.
• The World Day Against Child Labour is observed
on 12thJune every year around the world.
• The International Labour Organization (ILO)
launched the World Day Against Child Labour in
2002 to focus attention on the global extent of
child labour and the action and efforts needed to
eliminate it.
 Related Information
NCLP
1. To eliminate all forms of child labour
2. To contribute to the withdrawal of all
adolescent workers from Hazardous
Occupations/ Processes and their Skilling and
integration in appropriate occupations
The scheme focuses on: 3. Raising awareness amongst stakeholders and
1. All child workers below the age of 14 target communities, and orientation of NCLP
years in the identified target area. and other functionaries on the issues of ‘Child
2. Adolescent workers below the age Labour’ and ‘employment of adolescent
workers in hazardous occupations/processes’;
of 18 years in the target area eng and
aged in hazardous occupations / 4. Creation of a Child Labour Monitoring,
processes Tracking and Reporting System.
3. Families of Child workers in the
identified target area.
Related Information
The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation)
Amendment Act, 2016
• The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation)
Amendment Act, 2016 completely prohibits the
employment of children below 14 years.
• The amendment also prohibits the employment
of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18
years in hazardous occupations and processes
and regulates their working conditions where
they are not prohibited.
• The amendment also provides stricter
punishment for employers for violation of the
Act and makes the offence of employing any
child or adolescent in contravention of the Act by
an employer as cognizable offence (without
warrant).
 ILO
1. International Labour Organization was created
in 1919, as a part of Treaty of Versailles.
2. The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the
ILO brings together governments, employers and
workers of 187 member States , to set labour
standards, develop policies and devise
programmes promoting decent work for all
women and men.
3. The International Labour Organization (ILO) is
devoted to promoting social justice and
internationally recognized human and labour
rights, pursuing its founding mission that social
justice is essential to universal and lasting
peace.
5. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. 4. In 1946, the ILO became a specialized agency of
6. 2019 – 100 years of ILO the newly formed United Nations.
7. It publishes Global Wage Report.
 Eight Core Conventions of ILO
1. Freedom of Association and Protection of the
Right to Organise Convention, 1948 – No 87
India & ILO 2. Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining
1. Freedom of Association and Convention, 1949 – No 98
Protection of Right to Organised 3. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 – No 29
Convention – No 87 4. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 – No
2. Right to Organise and Collective 105
Bargaining Convention – No 98 5. Minimum Age Convention, 1973 – No 138
“These two have not been ratified by 6. Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 –
India while the other six have been No 182
ratified by India” 7. Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 - No. 100
8. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation)
Convention, 1958 - No. 111
Historic Ratification
• For the first time in the International Labour
Organization (ILO)’s 101-year history, a labour
standard has been universally ratified, with the
Kingdom of Tonga being the last to ratify
Convention 182.
• It was also the most rapidly ratified Convention
in the history of the ILO, with the majority of
ratifications occurring within the first 3 years
after it was adopted in 1999.
• Convention 182 deals with Worst Forms of Child
Labour
50. Heat Waves
A Heat Wave is a period of abnormally high
temperatures, more than the normal maximum
temperature that occurs during the summer
season in the North-Western parts of India.

When does it occur?

Heat Waves typically occur between March and
June, and in some rare cases even extend till July.
 Criteria for heat waves:
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has
given the following criteria for Heat Waves :
 Heat Wave need not be considered till
maximum temperature of a station reaches at
least 40oC for Plains and at least 30oC for Hilly
regions
 When normal maximum temperature of a
station is less than or equal to 40oC Heat Wave
Departure from normal is 5oC to 6oC Severe
Heat Wave Departure from normal is 7oC or
more.
 When actual maximum temperature  When normal maximum temperature of a
remains 45oC or more irrespective of station is more than 40oC Heat Wave Departure
normal maximum temperature, heat from normal is 4oC to 5oC Severe Heat Wave
waves should be declared. Departure from normal is 6oC or more.
 Health Impacts of Heat Waves
The health impacts of Heat Waves typically involve
dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or
heat stroke.
Duration of a heatwave spell The signs and symptoms are as follows:
• A heatwave spell generally lasts for a 1. Heat Cramps: Ederna (swelling) and Syncope
minimum of four days and on some (Fainting) generally accompanied by fever below
occasions, it can extend up to seven or 39oC i.e.102oF.
ten days 2. Heat Exhaustion: Fatigue, weakness, dizziness,
• The longest recorded heat wave spell, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps
in recent years, was between 18 – 31 and sweating.
May 2015. 3. Heat Stroke: Body temperatures of 40oC i.e.
• This spell had severely affected parts 104oF or more along with delirium, seizures or
of West Bengal along with Odisha, coma. This is a potential fatal condition.
Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana
 Does all of India experience heatwave conditions?
• Heatwaves are common over the Core Heatwave
Zone (CHZ) — Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana,
Chandigarh, Delhi, West Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Vidarbha in
Maharashtra, parts of Gangetic West Bengal,
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as
categorised by India Meteorological
Department.
• Several recent studies indicate that CHZ
experience more than six heatwave days per
Why in the news? year during these four months.
According to the National Weather • Many places in the northwest and cities along
Forecasting Centre of the India the southeastern coast report eight heatwave
Meteorological Department, no Heat days per season.
Wave Conditions are likely over any part • However, the regions in the extreme north,
of the country during the next five days northeast and southwestern India are less prone
starting from June 12th. to heatwaves.
51. Battle over Basmati
• India, the world’s largest exporter of basmati
rice.
• Applied for protected geographical indication
(PGI) status from the European Union’s Council
on Quality Schemes for Agricultural Products
and Foodstuffs.
• This would give it sole ownership of the
basmati title in the EU
• Pakistan, which is the only other basmati rice
exporter in the world, has opposed this move
as it would adversely impact its own exports,
especially as the EU is a major market for its
basmati.
What is the dispute?
• India and Pakistan have long been claiming to
be the origins of Basmati rice, which is largely
produced in both countries.
• They are the only two countries which produce
Basmati in the world.
• The Punjab province, which was divided into
East Punjab (India) and West Punjab (Pakistan)
in 1947, is the origin of Basmati rice.
• Pakistan annually earns $2.2 billion compared
to India's $6.8 billion from Basmati exports.
Where does basmati actually grow?
• In India, historically, the long-grained,
aromatic rice has been cultivated in Indo
Gangetic plains at the foothills of the
Himalayas.
• In modern India, this region is spread over
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu
and Kashmir.
• Basmati has also been grown for centuries in
the Kalar tract, which lies between the Ravi
and Chenab rivers in Pakistan’s Punjab
province
 Why does the basmati title need protection?
• Given the high premium that basmati, an export-
oriented product, fetches in the international
market, there have been frequent disputes over
• The Agricultural and Processed Food granting the protected status to rice that may
Products Export Development have been bred from basmati varieties and has
Authority (APEDA) itself had stated the same qualities, but isn’t grown in the
that GI status is strongly linked to a historical basmati-growing belt.
particular geographical region and, • In India, for example, the Madhya Pradesh
based on this, AIREA has argued that government has been lobbying the central
granting MP’s request would open government for its basmati rice varieties to be
the door to other regions within granted the GI status, even taking the matter to
India as well as rival rice exporters the Supreme Court.
like China and Pakistan to grow • The All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA)
basmati varieties anywhere in their is opposed to this, on the basis that it
territories, thus diluting the power of compromises basmati’s integrity.
the basmati brand.
52. Equalisation Levy
• Equalisation Levy was introduced in India in
2016, with the intention of taxing the digital
transactions i.e. the income accruing to foreign e-
commerce companies from India
• Equalization levy of 6% was introduced on
payment of online advertisements made to non-
residents.
• This is to get companies such as Google and
Facebook, which earn advertising revenues, into
the tax net.
• The new 2% equalisation levy which was
introduced in 2020-21 budget - came into effect
since April 1, 2020 – applies specifically to the
Indian digital sales of non-resident e-commerce
operators.
 Equalisation Levy
• It is a direct tax levied on any purchase by an
An ‘e-commerce supply of services’
Indian or India-based entity through an overseas
means:
e-commerce platform.
• Online sale of goods owned by the E-
• The levy is seen aimed at taxing foreign
commerce operator; or
companies which have a significant local client
• Online provision of services provided
base in India but were billing them through their
by the E-commerce operator; or
offshore units, effectively escaping the country’s
• Online sale of goods or provision of
tax system.
services or both, facilitated by the E-
• The deadline for payment of the first instalment
commerce operator; or
for April-June is July 7.
• Any combination of the above
 Why in News?
• Recently, the United States announced and then
immediately suspended a 25% tariff on imports
from six countries, including India, as a
retaliatory measure against each of these
countries’ imposition of a digital services tax
impacting the giant tech corporations of Silicon
Valley, including the likes of Alphabet, Amazon,
Apple, Facebook and Microsoft.
Basis of US action? • The purported logic of suspending the tariff for up
• The essence of the argument made by to 180 days after announcing it is to allow time
the United States Trade for ongoing international tax negotiations to
Representative (USTR) office is that a continue, and seek a multilateral solution
“Section 301” investigation initiated by
the Trump administration in 2020
found digital services taxes imposed by
each of these countries to be
discriminatory against U.S. tech firms.
How will it affect India?
• The Finance Bill, 2021, introduced an amendment
imposing a 2% digital service tax on trade and
services by nonresident e-commerce operators
with a turnover of over ₹2 crore.
• According to reports, early estimates suggest this
tax could yield approximately $55 million
annually.
• On the other hand, close to $118 million of India’s
exports to the U.S. would be subject to the tariff
proposed by the USTR, impacting 26 categories of
goods, including basmati rice, cigarette paper,
cultured pearls, semi-precious stones, certain gold
and silver jewellery items and specific types of
furniture products.
53. AISHE 2020
• The Union Education Minister recently released
the report of All India Survey on Higher
Education 2019-20.
• This Report provides key performance indicators
on the current status of Higher education in the
country.
• This report is the 10th in the series of All India
Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) annually
released by the Department of Higher Education.
 About the survey
• To portray the status of higher education in the
country, the Ministry of Education has
endeavoured to conduct an annual web based All
India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) since
2010-11.
• The survey covers all the Institutions in the
• These are useful in making informed country engaged in imparting higher education.
policy decisions and research for • Data is being collected on several parameters
development of the education sector. such as teachers, student enrolment,
programmes, examination results, education
finance, infrastructure.
• Indicators of educational development such as
Institution Density, Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-
teacher ratio, Gender Parity Index, Per Student
Expenditure will also be calculated from the data
collected through AISHE.
 Highlights of 2020 survey
Total Enrolment:
It stands at 3.85 crore in 2019-20 as compared to
3.74 crore in 2018-19, registering a growth of 11.36
lakh (3.04 %).
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER)
The percentage of students belonging to the eligible
age group enrolled in Higher Education in 2019-20 is
27.1% against 26.3% in 2018-19 and 24.3% in 2014-
2015.
Gender Parity Index (GPI)
It is 1.01 in 2019-2020 against 1.00 in 2018-19
Pupil Teacher Ratio
indicating an improvement in the relative access to
• Pupil Teacher Ratio in higher education
higher education for females of eligible age group
is 26 in 2019-20.
compared to males.
• The Total Number of Teachers stands
at 15,03,156 comprising 57.5% male
and 42.5% female.
Highlights of 2020 survey
Female enrollment
• There has been an overall increase of over 18%
in female enrolment in higher education from
2015-16 to 2019-20.
Major Disciplines
• 3.38 crore Students enrolled in programmes at
under-graduate and postgraduate level.
• Out of these, nearly 85% of the students (2.85
crore) were enrolled in the six major disciplines
such as Humanities, Science, Commerce,
Engineering & Technology, Medical Science and
IT & Computer.
54. SMAM
• It is a sub mission under the umbrella scheme
of ‘Green Revolution– Krishonnati Yojana’.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
has launched a Sub-Mission on Agricultural
Mechanization (SMAM) in 2014-15.
• Under the scheme, subsidy is provided for
purchase of various types of Agricultural
implements and machinery used for tillage,
sowing, planting, harvesting, reaping, threshing,
plant protection, inter cultivation and residue
management.

Aim
• To increase the reach of farm mechanization to
small and marginal farmers and to the regions
& difficult areas where farm power availability is
low.
Objectives
• To promote ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ and ‘Hi-tech
Hubs of High-Value Machines’ to offset the
adverse economies of scale arising due to small
and fragmented landholding and high cost of
individual ownership;
• Creating awareness among stakeholders through
demonstration and capacity building activities.
• Ensuring performance testing and certification
of agricultural machines at designated testing
centres located all over the country.
 Significance of farm mechanisation
• To boost up mechanization in the agriculture
sector, improved agricultural implements and
machinery are essential inputs for modern
agriculture that will enhance the productivity of
crops besides reducing human drudgery and cost
• Mechanisation also helped in saving of cultivation.
nearly 1/3rd of the time of operations, • Mechanization also helps in improving the
30% reduction in labour requirements, utilization efficiency of other inputs therefore
11% reduction in seed rate, 26.6% considered to be one of the most important
reduction in weed instances, 22.4% segments of the agriculture sector to boost the
reduction in diesel consumption and income of farmers and growth of the
12.7% reduction in fertiliser agricultural economy.
requirements • The impact evaluation studies highlight the
overall positive impact of mechanisation on
farming as it was reported that mechanisation
helped in overall increase of 17.9% in
productivity and 14.1% in seed germination.
Why in the news?
• To empower the farmers through the SubMission
on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) scheme,
Government of India has released funds for
various activities of Farm Mechanization like
Establishment of Custom Hiring Centres, Farm
Machinery Bank, High-tech Hubs and distribution
of various agricultural machinery etc to different
states.
 About Green Revolution– Krishonnati Yojana
• Green Revolution– Krishonnati Yojana is an
• 5. Sub-Mission on Agriculture
Umbrella Scheme comprising both Central Sector
Extension (SMAE)
as well as Centrally Sponsored
• 6. Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting
Schemes/Missions. These schemes look to
Material (SMSP)
develop the agriculture and allied sector in a
• 7. Sub-Mission on Agricultural
holistic and scientific manner to increase the
Mechanization (SMAM)
income of farmers by enhancing production,
• 8. Sub-Mission on Plant Protection and
productivity and better returns on produce.
Plant Quarantine (SMPPQ)
This Umbrella Scheme has the following 12
• 9. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural
Schemes/Missions:
Census, Economics and Statistics
• 1. Mission for Integrated Development of
• 10. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural
Horticulture (MIDH)
Cooperation
• 2. National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm
• 11. Integrated Scheme on Agricultural
(NMOOP)
Marketing (ISAM)
• 3. National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
• 12. National e-Governance Plan in
• 4. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture (NeGP-A).
(NMSA)