Insights Daily Current Affairs, 04 July 2018

insightsonindia.com/2018/07/04/insights-daily-current-affairs-04-july-2018

InsightsIAS July 4, 2018

Insights Daily Current Affairs, 04 July 2018

Paper 1:

Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture
from ancient to modern times.

Meghalaya Celebrates Behdienkhlam Festival

Context: Behdienkhlam, one of the most

colourful festivals of the State, was
recently celebrated in the Jaintia Hills,
Meghalaya.

About the festival:

Behdienkhlam is a major festival

of the people in the Jaintia Hills.
It is celebrated to invoke the gods
for a bumper harvest and drive away plague.
It is the ritualistic expression of the relentless struggle of mankind to overcome the
destructive forces of nature, including diseases, since the dawn of civilization.
During the festival, decorated and colourful raths are immersed in ‘Wah Ainar,’ a
muddy pool.
The non-Christian ‘Pnar’ people who believe either in the traditional faith of
‘Niamtre’ or Hinduism observe this festival.

What’s important?

For Prelims: Behdienkhlam, Pnar.

Sources: the hindu.

Paper 2:

Topic: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Payments Council of India

Context: Payments Council of India (PCI), an apex body representing companies in

payments and settlement system, has a new Chairman in Vishwas Patel.

ABOUT PCI:
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The Payments Council of India was formed under the aegis of IAMAI in the year 2013
catering to the needs of the digital payment industry.

Functions:

The Council was formed inter-alia for the purposes of representing the various
regulated non-banking payment industry players, to address and help resolve various
industry level issues and barriers which require discussion and action.
The council works with all its members to promote payments industry growth and to
support our national goal of ‘Cash to Less Cash Society’ and ‘Growth of Financial
Inclusion’ which is also the Vision Shared by the RBI and Government of India.
PCI works closely with the regulators i.e. Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Finance
Ministry and any similar government, departments, bodies or Institution to make ‘India
a less cash society’.

About IAMAI:

The Internet and Mobile Association of India [IAMAI] is a young and vibrant
association with ambitions of representing the entire gamut of digital businesses in
India.
It was established in 2004 by the leading online publishers, but in the last 10 years
has come to effectively address the challenges facing the digital and online industry
including mobile content and services, online publishing, mobile advertising, online
advertising, ecommerce and mobile & digital payments among others.
It is the only professional industry body representing the online and mobile VAS
industry in India.
The association is registered under the Societies Act and is a recognized charitable
institution in Maharashtra.

What’s important?

For Prelims: PCI, IAMAI.

Sources: the hindu.

Topic: Issues related to education.

‘Happiness curriculum’ for school students

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Context: The Delhi government has launched a “happiness curriculum” in state-run
schools.

About Happiness Curriculum:

The curriculum will be taught to around eight lakh students from nursery up to Class
8 of all Delhi government schools from the new academic session.
The curriculum involves a “happiness period” of 45 minutes and five minutes of
meditation before each class. It will include meditation, moral values and mental
exercises.

What’s important?

For Prelims: Happiness curriculum- where it has been introduced, features.

For Mains: Need, significance and similar innovative measures.

Sources: the hindu.

Topic: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

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Context: The Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC) has launched its, in-house
developed, single-umbrella e-marketing system
named Khadi Institution Management and
Information System (KIMIS). The system can be
accessed from anywhere in the country for the
sale and purchase of Khadi and Village
Industries products.

About Khadi & Village Industries

Commission (KVIC):

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body established by
an Act of Parliament (Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956). In April 1957,
it took over the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.

Functions: It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India, which seeks to – “plan,
promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and
village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural
development wherever necessary.”

The Commission has three main objectives which guide its functioning. These are:

The Social Objective – Providing employment in rural areas.

The Economic Objective – Providing salable articles.
The Wider Objective – Creating self-reliance amongst people and building up a
strong rural community spirit.

What’s important?

For Prelims and Mains: KVIC and its important functions.

Sources: pib.

Topic: mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment
of these vulnerable sections.

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)

Context: Chairperson NCST Presents Special Report on “Indira Sagar Polavaram

Project” Affected Tribal People to President of India.

Facts for Prelims:

The report and recommendations are under Article 338A(5)(e) of the Constitution on
the measures to be taken by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the effective
implementation of constitutional safeguards and other measures for the protection, welfare
and socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes who are affected on account of
Polavaram Irrigation Project, Andhra Pradesh.
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About the project:

Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project which has been accorded national
project status by the central government.

This dam across the Godavari River is under construction located in West
Godavari District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh state and its reservoir
spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa States also.
The project is multipurpose major terminal reservoir project on river Godavari for
development of Irrigation, Hydropower and drinking water facilities to East Godavari,
Vishakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The project is likely to displace over 1.88 lakh people across 222 villages and so far,
1,730 persons in six villages have been rehabilitated by the government.

About NCST:

NCST was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in
the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. By this
amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely- (i) the National Commission for
Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and (ii) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

Composition: The term of office of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and each member is

three years from the date of assumption of charge. The Chairperson has been given the
rank of Union Cabinet Minister and the Vice-Chairperson that of a Minister of State and
other Members have the ranks of a Secretary to the Government of India.

Powers: NCST is empowered to investigate and monitor matters relating to safeguards

provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws or under Govt. order. The
Commission is also authorized to inquire into specific complaints relating to rights and
safeguards of STs and to participate and advise in the Planning Process relating to socio-
economic development of STs and to evaluate the progress of their development under the
Union and States.

Report: The commission submits its report to the President annually on the working of
safeguards and measures required for effective implementation of Programmers/ Schemes
relating to welfare and socio-economic development of STs.

What’s important?

For Prelims: NCST, Polavaram project.

For Mains: Issues associated with Polavaram project.

Sources: the hindu.

Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and
the performance of these schemes.

Brus of Mizoram

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Context: In a major breakthrough on
repatriation laced Bru persons from
Mizoram since 1997, an agreement has
been signed by Government of India,
Governments of Mizoram and Tripura and
Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum
(MBDPF).

The central government will provide

financial assistance for rehabilitation
of Bru community members in Mizoram and address their issues of security,
education, livelihood, etc. in consultation with the governments of Mizoram and
Tripura.

What’s the issue?

A bout of ethnic violence forced thousands of people from the Bru tribe to leave their homes
in Mizoram. As many as 32,876 people belonging to 5,407 families are living in the refugee
camps in the Jampui Hills of Tripura.

The displaced Bru people from Mizoram have been living in various camps in Tripura
since 1997. In 1997, the murder of a Mizo forest guard at the Dampa Tiger Reserve
in Mizoram’s Mamit district allegedly by Bru militants led to a violent backlash against
the community, forcing several thousand people to flee to neighbouring Tripura.
The Bru militancy was a reactionary movement against Mizo nationalist groups who
had demanded in the mid-1990s that the Brus be left out of the state’s electoral rolls,
contending that the tribe was not indigenous to Mizoram.

Facts for Prelims:

The Brus, also referred to as the Reangs, are spread across the northeastern states of
Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram.

What’s important?

For Prelims: Bru community.

For Mains: Bru militancy- causes, effects and solutions.

Sources: the hindu.

Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.

United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)

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Context: UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres has appointed Major General
Jose Eladio Alcain of Uruguay as Chief
Military Observer and Head of Mission for
the United Nations Military Observer
Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP),
which monitors the ceasefire in the
disputed Jammu and Kashmir.

About UNMOGIP:

UNMOGIP, one of the oldest UN mission, was deployed in January 1949 to

supervise the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in the State of Jammu and
Kashmir.
The tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments
pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of 17 December 1971 and to
report thereon to the Secretary-General.
The group, based in Rawalpindi, is composed of 43 military observers and 23
international civilian personnel.

India’s position:

Since the Simla Agreement of 1972, India has adopted a non-recognition policy
towards third parties in their bilateral exchanges with Pakistan over the question
regarding the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The military authorities of Pakistan have continued to lodge alleged ceasefire
violations complaints with UNMOGIP.
The military authorities of India have lodged no complaints since January 1972
limiting the activities of the UN observers on the Indian-administered side of the Line
of Control, though they continue to provide necessary security, transport and other
services to UNMOGIP.

What’s important?

For Prelims and Mains: UNMOGIP- composition, mandate and India’s stand.

Sources: the hindu.

Facts for Prelims:

Global Mobility Summit:

Context: NITI Aayog, in collaboration with various ministries and industry partners, is
organising ‘MOVE: Global Mobility Summit’ in New Delhi.

Significance: It will be the first Global Mobility Summit of its kind, with over 1,200
expected participants from across the world including Government leadership,
Industry leaders, Research Organizations, Academia, Think Tanks and Civil Society
Organisations.

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 Objectives of the summit: To help drive Government’s goals for vehicle
electrification, renewable energy integration and job growth and also speed up India’s
transition to a clean energy economy.

WAPCOS Limited:

Context: WAPCOS celebrated its 50th foundation day on July 3rd, 2018.

Key facts:

WAPCOS Limited is a MINI RATNA-I Public Sector Enterprise under the aegis of
Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
It was incorporated in 1969 under the Companies act. 1956.
The company provides consultancy services in the fields of water resources, power
and infrastructure.

Cvigil:

What is it? It is a mobile app launched by the Election Commission of India to enable
citizens to report on violation of election code of conduct. It will be operational only where
elections are announced.

Fighter aircraft Tejas:

Context: India’s homegrown fighter aircraft Tejas commences operations.

Key facts:

Tejas is a single-seat, single-jet engine, multirole light fighter.

It is the smallest and lightest multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft in the Indian Air
Force.
It has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)
and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

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