New Cell to Resolve Child Custody Disputes

The government has recently decided to establish a Mediation Cell under the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to resolve child custody disputes arising from cases of transnational marital discord.

• The cell will resolve the cases of children who were taken away by one of the spouses without the permission of the other due to marital discord from India to other countries or vice versa.
• It will also prepare a parental plan taking into account the best interest of the child.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.
• The Commission's Mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Note:

• UNCRC defines Child Rights as the minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be afforded to every citizen below the age of 18 regardless of race, national origin, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origin, wealth, birth status, disability, or other characteristics.
• These rights encompass freedom of children and their civil rights, family environment, necessary healthcare and welfare, education, leisure and cultural activities and special protection measures.
• The UNCRC outlines the fundamental human rights that should be afforded to children that suitably cover all civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of every child.

• Though the Government has not yet taken a decision on either acceding to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or framing a domestic law on the issue.

Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

• Hague Convention is a multilateral treaty which came into existence on 1st December, 1983.
• It is an international treaty to ensure the prompt return of a child who has been “abducted” from the country of their “habitual residence”.
• The Convention applies to children under age of 16 years.

Background

• In 2009, the Law Commission of India recommended signing The Hague Convention, because it “will in turn bring the prospects of achieving the return to India of children who have their home in India”.
• In February 2016, Punjab and Haryana High Court again referred the matter to the Law Commission and Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• In June 2016, a draft Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction Bill, 2016, with provisions similar to The Hague Convention, was proposed.
• After examining the Bill and the issue, the Law Commission submitted a revised version of the Bill, called The International Child Removal and Retention Bill, 2016, in October.
• In July 2017, the committee, comprising two HC judges, a Delhi HC judge, the chairman of the Punjab NRI Commission, a family law expert, and six representatives of various Ministries released a concept note for public suggestions.

India to host ‘2+2’ Dialogue Mechanism

India will host the inaugural round of the two-plus-two dialogue with the United States on September 6, 2018.

Key Highlights

• It is aimed at opening a new chapter in the strategic partnership between India and the United States.
• The Ministerial-level meeting will cover a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues of shared interest, with a view to strengthening strategic and security ties between the two countries.
• The ‘two-plus-two’ dialogue comes amidst prospects of India being imposed with unintended sanctions that are targeted at Iran and Russia.
• India wants the US to recognize that its purchase of the S-400 air defence system from Russia is a legacy decision that predates the enactment last year of the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions ACT.

NOTE: What is CAATSA?

• Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) is a legislation introduced in the United States that aims to counter anti-US aggression displayed by countries like Iran, North Korea and Russia through a series of punitive measures.
• Among the provisions of CAATSA are secondary sanctions on countries that are found to be dealing with the Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

• There are also concerns over how US sanctions on Iran will impact India’s energy ties with Tehran and New Delhi’s plans to develop the Iranian port of Chabahar.
• Although this is undoubtedly a serious challenge in the bilateral relationship, it is not insurmountable. Both sides will have to focus their efforts on finding a solution that preserves both their respective interests.

NOTE: What is the 2+2 Dialogue?

• The new dialogue format will replace earlier India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.
• It is similar to India’s 2+2 dialogue with Japan, Australia and South Korea format between foreign and defence secretaries of the two countries.
• The 2+2 Dialogue between the US and India aims to enhance strategic coordination between both countries and maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Flexi Fare System Affected Occupancy

Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report stated that the flexi-fare system in premium trains has led to increase in revenue but as compared to 2015-16, they have carried fewer travellers during September 9, 2016 to July 31, 2017. 

What is flexi-fare scheme?

• The flexi-fare scheme was introduced on September 9, 2016.
• In flexi-fare scheme, the fares increase 10% with every 10% of the seats sold.
• The aim of the flexi-fare system was to generate additional revenues and reduce cross-subsidisation from freight.

CAG’s Recommendation to Improve Occupancy

• The Railway Board should raise fares in all types of trains instead of targeting premium trains alone for dynamic/enhanced pricing.
• Lowering the share of seats under the dynamic fare system. “Instead of allotting 90 per cent seats or berths under the flexi-fare scheme, it is recommended that at least 50 percent seats/berths be allotted for normal fare.”
• The Railways should also consider occupancy levels (An occupancy level of 100% implies that all berths are allotted to one person each) while defining strategy i.e. flexi-fare scheme.
• Waitlisted passengers should be charged a lower fare.
• A route-wise analysis of the flexi-fare system should also be done while defining strategy.

Ganga Vriksharopan Abhiyan

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has launched afforestation drive in five Ganga basin states – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

• The campaign has been initiated as part of the Forest Interventions in Ganga (FIG) component of Namami Gange programme.
• State Forest Departments of these states have been made the nodal agencies for the smooth and effective execution of the campaign.
• In order to implement the afforestation project in a scientific manner, Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun was assigned the project to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the basis of which the State Forest Departments would carry out their plantation activities.
• The FRI report provides a multi-disciplinary approach with potential plantation and treatment models. Considering the type of natural ecosystem, identification of native vegetation, soil conditions and agro-climatic zones, potential models of various types have been developed.
• Besides maintenance of the ecological and geological integrities, the implementation plan aims to contribute towards the Clean Ganga Mission, by improving the base flow and filtration of the ground water pollution.

Namami Gange Programme

• Namami Gange Programme is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
• The program is being implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program ManagementGroups (SPMGs).

NOTE

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is the implementation wing of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
• It is a registered society, originally formed by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• But now both NGRBA and NMCG are allocated to the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation(MoWR,RD &GR).
• Main pillars of the programme include sewerage treatment infrastructure, river-front development, river-surface cleaning, bio-diversity, afforestation, public awareness industrial effluent monitoring, and ganga gram.
• Its implementation has been divided into Entry-Level Activities (for immediate visible impact), Medium-Term Activities (to be implemented within 5 years of period) and Long-Term Activities (to be implemented within 10 years).

Significance of the programme

• It aims to bring greater awareness among people and other stakeholders regarding the importance of afforestation for the task of Ganga Rejuvenation.
• A number of schools, colleges and departments have been requested to “Adopt a Plant” for turning this campaign into a people’s movement.
• Plantation activities are being carried out with great enthusiasm all along the banks of the River Ganga with participation of local people.

Why is Afforestation in Ganga Basin important?

• Forests cause higher rainfall and raise water level in the rivers.
• Through their foliage, craggy bark and abundant leaf litter, trees and forests decrease the speed of water dispersion and favour slow but greater infiltration of rainwater to ensure smooth functioning of the hydrological cycle.
• The presence of healthy forest cover along the river provides self-cleaning ability to the river.
• Afforestation and augmentation of existing forest along the Ganga can strengthen the riparian ecosystem and contribute to the overarching cause of Ganga Rejuvenation.

‘Rent-A-Lab’ Policy to Bring Revenues to Institutions

The government has proposed a new policy that could transform scientific instruments in government labs into lucrative assets generating a steady rental income.

Key Highlights

• The policy, called the Scientific Research Infrastructure Management and Networks (SRIMAN), intends to hire out to researchers all lab equipment that cost more than Rs 10 lakh. However, for now, the policy wouldn’t apply to strategic sectors.
• The new system, according to the policy, envisages institutions declaring on a website how often their instruments would be available for use by those outside the department or university.
• The desired equipment would be available to researchers for a prescribed fee.

Why the Need for Such Policy?

• It is common to find in Indian laboratories, expensive equipment lying idle and these are plagued by issues such as maintenance and availability of spares.
• Several universities also cannot afford expensive equipment. At the same time, many of the equipment isn’t used beyond 20%-30% of their lifetime. The larger plan is to develop “clusters” of instrumentation facilities.

Cryptocurrencies Will Boost Illegal Transactions: RBI

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed the Supreme Court that dealing in cryptocurrency will encourage illegal transactions.
• According to the RBI, Cryptocurrencies are “a stateless digital currency” in which encryption techniques are used for trading and these ‘currencies’ operate independently of a Central bank, rendering it immune from government interference.
• An interdisciplinary committee headed by secretary of economic affairs Subhash Garg was set-up in 2017 to examine virtual currencies and recommend the regulatory framework for crypto currencies.
• The RBI had already issued a circular prohibiting use of these virtual currencies.

Cryptocurrency

• A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security.
• Cryptocurrencies use decentralized technology to let users make secure payments and store money without the need to use their name or go through a bank.
• They run on a distributed public ledger called blockchain, which is a record of all transactions updated and held by currency holders.
• The most common cryptocurrencies are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin.

Important Facts for Prelims (21st July 2018)

Van Dhan Yojana

• Van Dhan Yojana was launched in April 2018, in Chhattisgarh. A Van Dhan Vikas Kendra was set up under the program.
• The Van Dhan Vikas Kendra will cater to ten Self Help Groups of thirty tribal gatherers each.
• The selection of the tribal beneficiaries and formation of the SHGs has been undertaken by TRIFED.
• The Van Dhan Vikas Kendras will boost the economic development of tribals involved in the collection of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and provide a sustainable MFP-based livelihood in MFP-rich districts.

Eklavya Model Residential Schools

• Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) are being set up by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in States/ UTs from allocated grants provided under Article 275(1).
• As per Union Budget 2018-19, by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS.

Samagra Shiksha Scheme

• Samagra Shiksha - an Integrated Scheme for School Education has been launched by the Ministry of Human Resources as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• The programme subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
• It is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.  
• The main emphasis of the Scheme is on improving the quality of school education and the strategy for all interventions would be to enhance the Learning Outcomes at all levels of schooling.
• The Scheme will focus on-
  • Universal Access including Infrastructure Development and Retention
  • Gender and Equity
  • Inclusive Education
  • Quality
  • Financial support for Teacher Salary
  • Digital initiatives
  • Entitlements under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 including uniforms, textbooks etc
  • Pre-school Education
  • Vocational Education
  • Sports and Physical Education
  • Strengthening of Teacher Education and Training
  • Monitoring
  • Programme Management

Anamalai Tiger Reserve

• Anamalai Tiger Reserve is one of the four Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu. Mudumalai, Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserves and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary are the other three.
• It falls within the Western Ghats range of South West India, a region designated as one of 25 Global Biodiversity Hotspots.
• Animals and birds found: Elephant, gaur, tiger, panther, sloth bear, wild boar, wild dog, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, sambar, four horned antelope, chital, the trogar, pied hornbill and several eagles.
• The Tiger Reserve supports diverse habitat types like Wet evergreen forests, semi evergreen forests, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, dry thorn and shola forests. Other unique habitats like montane grass lands, savannah and marshy grass lands are also present.

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

• The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is a joint venture between Rosatom (Russia) and state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited.
• The power plant is located in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
• Kudankulam, or Koodankulam, is India’s first nuclear plant to use imported (Pressurised Water Reactor) PWR technology.
• The existing nuclear power plants in India use pressurised heavy water reactor or boiling water reactor technology.