Tag: Public Awareness & General Administration

Public Awareness & General Administration Redrafted criminal Bills Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three redrafted Bills in the Lok Sabha to replace the existing Britishera criminal laws after withdrawing the three Bills that were introduced in August. Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSS), 2023 seeks to replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860 Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 will replace Indian Evidence Act, 1872 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 will replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.  

Public Awareness & General Administration Two bills on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) The two bills on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) were passed in Lok Sabha. J&K Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 It amends the J&K Reservation Act, of 2004. It provides reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to members of SCs, STs, and other Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC). J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 It amends the J&K Reorganisation Act, of 2019. Increases the total number of seats to 107 from 114 Reserves seven seats for SCs and nine seats for STs 100+ websites blocked for job frauds Recently, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) blocked over 100 websites based on inputs from Indian Cyber Coordination Centre (I4C). I4C was established by Ministry of Home Affair to deal with all types of cybercrime.  

Public Awareness & General Administration Draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill released The Union Health Ministry invited comments from the public and stakeholders on the proposed National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023. The Ministry proposes to finalise the Bill for setting up the National Pharmacy Commission and repealing the Pharmacy Act, 1948. The Bill aims to improve access to affordable and high quality pharmacy education and ensure the availability of pharmacy professionals nationwide. Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility PLI 2.0 Scheme for IT hardware The Union Government had approved PLI Scheme – 2.0 for IT hardware. The scheme covers laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, Servers and Ultra Small Form Factor devices. Note Objective of the scheme: To provide financial incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain.

Public Awareness & General Administration Union Law Ministry recommends extension of fast track courts for another 4 years The Union Law Ministry has recommended to the Union Cabinet to extend the Fast Track Special Courts Scheme for another 4 years. The Union Ministry has made this recommendation to provide speedy judgment in sexual assault cases. About Fast Track Special Courts Scheme The Criminal Procedure Code was amended in 2018 and 1,023 fast-track special courts were set up in 31 states and union territories across the country, including 389 fast-track courts to try cases under the POCSO (Prevention of Sexual Offenses Against Children Act) Act, for speedy adjudication of sexual assault cases.

Public Awareness & General Administration 'SAMUDRA' app The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth (MOES), launched a new mobile application Smart Access to Marine Users for Ocean Data Resources Advisories (SAMUDRA).  SAMUDRA offers comprehensive information on all ocean-related matters, useful for both seafarers and the fishing community. Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility Vishwakarma Yojana for traditional artisans Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced a scheme for artisans Vishwakarma Yojana with an allocation of up to 15,000 crore to help skill development among the youth.  Families of weavers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, laundry workers, barbers, and others will be empowered through the 'Vishwakarma Yojana'.  The Centre was working with women's SHGS with the aim of creating two crore lakhpati didis in villages.

Public Awareness & General Administration 4 key laws, get President’s assent President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to four key laws.  The laws were passed by Parliament in the recently concluded Monsoon Session. While the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act provides for a three- member authority that will handle the transfer and postings of Group A officers under the Delhi government, the data protection law will provide for a framework to prevent the misuse of an individual's data by online platforms. Delhi Services Bill, 6 others get President’s assent, become laws.  Seven new laws  The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023;  The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023;  The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023;  The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023;  The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Act, 2023;  The National Dental Commission Act, 2023 and  The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023. Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility Ensure Nutrition Program  The Tamil Nadu government has launched the 'Ensure Nutrition' scheme to address malnutrition among children under 6 years of age.  Under the scheme, 9.3 lakh moderately and severely malnourished children up to 6 years of age were screened.  Out of which 43,200 children were given various medical treatments including surgery at district primary care centres.  Also, under this scheme, 3,038 children with congenital defects such as congenital heart disease, congenital brain malformation, congenital visual impairment, congenital deafness, congenital leg deformity, etc. have undergone surgery and are currently doing well, according to the Tamil Nadu government.

Public Awareness & General Administration Deadline for pharma firms' certification To bring in better quality management that will help Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers grow their business nationally and internationally, the Health Ministry has given six months for small manufacturers and 12 months to large units, to get their World Health Organization-Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-GMP) certification. GMP comprises mandatory standards that build and bring quality to products by way of control on materials, methods, machines, processes, personnel, and facility or environment.  Note The GMP system was first incorporated in 1988 in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. e-clearance portal to bring bodies from abroad To avoid delays in the transportation of bodies, the Health Ministry announced the launch of an e-clearance portal, with the Delhi airport serving as the nodal centre for all international airports in the country, and providing 48-hour approval for the process. 

Public Awareness & General Administration Panel submits report on sub-categorisation of OBCs The Justice G. Rohini Commission for the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste groups submitted its report to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, nearly six years after the Union government first assigned the task to it.  It had received up to 14 extensions from the government in the past six years.  Note The government had formed the commission in 2017, to be headed by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice, Justice G. Rohini.  The commission was asked to examine the extent to which reservation and other benefits for OBCs are concentrated among some dominant caste groups.  The commission has suggested breaking the caste groups into broad categories, with the dominant castes [with most access to benefits] getting the smallest share of the 27% reservation, and the historically crowded-out caste groups getting the largest share of the reservation pie. OBC Commission First Backward Class Commission, 1953 – Kaka Kalelkar. Second Backward Class Commission, 1979 – B.P. Mandal. Indra Sawhney v. Union of India case, 1992. National Commission for Backward Classes, 1993. 123rd Constitution Amendment bill, 2017. The bill got the President assent in August 2018 and provided the constitutional status to NCBC. Lok Sabha passes Bill on birth registration The Lok Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 that paves the way for digital birth certificates which will be a single document to be used for admission to educational institutions, applications for driving licences, government jobs, passports or Aadhaar, voter enrolment, and registration of marriage, and others. All States had consented to the provisions of the legislation that was also put up for consultation in public domain. The database will also update the National Population Register, ration cards, property registration. 

Latest Court Verdict  HC imposes Rs.5,000 cost on encroacher  The Madras high court has imposed a cost of 5,000 on a petitioner who committed in encroachment case.  The amount shall be payable to the bank account to be opened by the registrar judicial of Madurai bench for donating law books to a separate section in the name of 'Madurai bench of Madras high court' in Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai.  A division bench of justice S S Sundar and justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that the facts narrated in the affidavit filed in support of this petition are misleading. Political parties and Political system in India Gender parity on Rs panel Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar nominated four women MPs to the panel of vice-chairpersons. The move gives women equal representation on the panel for the first time in the history of the Rajya Sabha, even as the women's reservation Bill, that was first introduced in 1996, remains pending. The panel has a total of eight members. Among the newly nominated members, S. Phangnon Konyak is the first ever woman from Nagaland to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.  The other members are nominated member P.T. Usha, Biju Janata Dal's Sulata Deo and Nationalist Congress Party's Fauzia Khan. About Rajya Sabha  Chairman (Vice President of India) – Jagdeep Dhankhar  Other names - Permanent house/ Council of States/ Upper house  Maximum Membership limits - 250 members  Present strength - 245 members.  Elected members -233  Nominated by the President - 12 (for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services) Public Awareness & General Administration Uniform Civil Code  The 22nd Law Commission of India extended the deadline for the public and organisations to send their feedback on the Uniform Civil Code.  On June 14, the law panel sought…

Public Awareness & General Administration Land Record Digitisation President Droupadi Murmu was awarding Bhoomi Samman Award 2023 to 68 district collectors and nine State Secretaries for achieving 100% digitisation of all land records as part of the Union Government’s Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme. It is aimed at reducing the court cases involving land disputes and effective implementations of various welfare schemes of the government. The digitisation process of the land records will help mitigate the huge pendency of court cases involving land disputes cutting down the GDP loss to the country’s economy due to projects being stalled over litigation involving land disputes. Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh informed that the Department of Land Resources has achieved 94% digitisation targets pan-India and is aiming for 100% by March 31, 2024. He further added that these land records will also come in handy for effective and efficient implementation of the various services. Govt. Welfare Schemes 'Naan Mudhalvan' - 'Step Up' scheme The Department of School Education has announced that 15 thousand students have been enrolled in educational institutions after identifying students who drop out after completing 12th standard. Government of Tamil Nadu 15,713 students were enrolled in the educational institutions after the completion of the three phases of the 'Yurvuku Padi' program effectively coordinated by the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation with the support of the District Administration, School Education Department, Social Welfare Department, Leading Banks, Backward Welfare Department, Adi Dravidar Welfare Department and Skill Development. I am Mudhalvan's 'Rise Step Scheme' was conducted in three phases. In which the students identified by the School Education Department were mobilized to divisional camps by the Principal Education Officer. Organized by the Collector, District Skill Development Officer, District Employment Officer coordinated the activities of the camp. In these camps, banks explained…