We Promised & We Delivered

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WE PROMISED & WE DELIVERED 7 0 + questions came from Our 10 RED BOOKS In 2020. See Proof : www.crackias.com/proof

GUARANTEED PRELIMS SELECTION OR GET 100% FEE BACK LS passes MMDR amendment Bill2 U.S., China spar at Alaska meet3 ‘We’ve high hopes on India at HRC’5 New phase of U.S.-China ties comes with tests for India7 Delhi undermined: The Hindu Editorial on Centre’s bid to run the National Capital Territory9 Food processing scheme in Rural Uttar Pradesh11 Use of Satellite Imagery-Based Yield and Crop Health Estimation13 Participation of Women Farmers in Agriculture Sector14 Promotion and Preservation of endangered crafts17 Power Minister Shri R K Singh launches GRAM UJALA in Bihar19 Steps to tackle Cyber Crime against Childern23 One Stop Centres25 Malnutrition Amongst Children and Women44 India considers to go net-zero emissions by 2050. Can it achieve the target?46 Page 2 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2021-03-20 LS PASSES MMDR AMENDMENT BILL Relevant for: Indian Economy | Topic: Issues relating to Growth & Development - Industry & Services Sector incl. MSMEs and PSUs

Pralhad Joshi

The Lok Sabha on Friday passed a Bill to amend the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR Act) through a voice vote, with Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi stating that the amendments will create jobs and allow private players with enhanced technology into the mining sector.

“The reform in the mining sector would generate 55 lakh direct and indirect jobs. To enhance mining activity, we will allow the private sector with enhanced technology in mineral exploration,”Mr. Joshi told the Lok Sabha while moving the Bill. He said India produces 95 minerals and has same potential like South Africa and Australia but the mining sector was under-explored and India still had to import minerals like gold and coal.

The Minister said the mining sector right now contributes 1.75% to the country’s GDP but the proposed reforms will raise the contribution to 2.5% as it seeks to make a large number of mines available for auctions by resolving legacy issues.

Mr. Joshi said the Bill removes the distinction between captive and non-captive mines and seeks to introduce an index-based mechanism by developing a National Mineral Index (NMI) for statutory payments. The National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET), to see the functioning of the sector, will be made an autonomous body.

‘Exclude tribal areas’

Taking part in the debate, Congress MP Vincent Pala asked why the Mines and Minerals Bill was being amended every year and said either the officials of the Ministry were incompetent or some lobby was at work. He asked the government asked to exclude tribal areas under the Sixth Schedule.

“We are not against mining operations but we are against the way the hasty auctions which you are doing,” S.S. Ulaka, another Congress MP said. He suggested that a joint committee that included tribal members of Parliament, those from mining areas, besides oficials from the ministries of Tribal Affairs ministry, Environment and Forest ministry and Mines Ministry should be formed.

Extending his support to the Bill, Biju Janata Dal MP, Pinaki Misra said the Mines Ministry and the EnvironmentcrackIAS.com Ministry should work in synergy to promote the growth of the sector.

END Downloaded from crackIAS.com © Zuccess App by crackIAS.com Page 3 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2021-03-20 U.S., CHINA SPAR AT ALASKA MEET Relevant for: International Relations | Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed & developing countries on India's interests

Tough talk:Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, speaking to Chinese diplomats in Anchorage.APFREDERIC J. BROWN

The Biden administration’s first bilateral engagement with Beijing got off to a rocky start as the two sides traded barbs with each other in front of the press, during the opening session of their dialogue in Anchorage, Alaska.

The U.S. side, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, opened with remarks that included references to China’s actions in Tibet, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and accused Beijing of economic coercion. The Chinese side, led by Director of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi and State Councilor Wang Yi, questioned the U.S. narrative of China’s role in the world and expressed, often sarcastically, its own concerns about U.S. actions — domestic and international. Earlier this month, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price had said the U.S. would “certainly not pull any punches” while discussing its disagreements with China. Thursday’s opening remarks made evident that neither side was pulling any punches.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Blinken spoke of the rules based-international order. “The alternative to a rules-based order is a world in which might makes right and winners take all, and that would be a far more violent and unstable world for all of us,” he said, apparently referring to a China-led world order. He also said the U.S. would like to discuss its “deep concerns” with China’s actions in Xinjiang, Taiwan, Hong Kong, cyber attacks on the U.S. and “economic coercion” with regard to U.S. allies.

“Each of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability. That’s why they’re not merely internal matters and why we feel an obligation to raise these issues here today,” he said.

The main priorities of the U.S.’s approach to China and the world were the interests of the American people and protection of allies’ interests, Mr. Sullivan told the Chinese delegation.

Mr. Yang said China and the international community were following a UN-led order not “the so called ‘rules-based’ international order”. In an apparent reference to U.S. actions, Mr. Yang said: “We do not believe in invading through the use of force, or to topple other regimes through various means, or to massacre the people of other countries, because all of those would only cause turmoil and instability in this world.” He alsocrackIAS.com called the discussion a “strategic dialogue” as Chinese officials had been doing in the run-up to the Anchorage interaction, in contrast to Mr. Blinken and his colleagues, who had repeatedly emphasised that they did not consider this a strategic dialogue. U.S. officials have said future discussions would be contingent on China changing its behaviour. Mr. Yang, in an apparent tit-for-tat reference to human rights issues, said America faced “deep seated” challenges on the rights front and cited the Black Lives Matter movement. He also called the U.S. a “champion” with regard to cyberattack capabilities.

Mr. Wang accused the U.S. of wanting to create an advantage for itself going into the talks by imposing sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials. The State Department had announced sanctions on March 16 in response to Beijing’s move to decrease the proportion of Page 4 democratically elected lawmakers in Hong Kong’s legislature.

“This is not supposed to be the way one should welcome his guests,” Mr. Wang said.

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crackIAS.com Page 5 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2021-03-20 ‘WE’VE HIGH HOPES ON INDIA AT HRC’ Relevant for: International Relations | Topic: India - Sri Lanka

A file photo of Jaffna MP M.A. Sumanthiran.AP

The Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) “hopes are high” that India will vote for the UN resolution on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka next week, according to its spokesman and Jaffna legislator M.A. Sumanthiran.

Whether India votes for the resolution or abstains is “entirely a matter that they will decide”, but the TNA’s expectations are “clearly” that India must support and vote for the resolution, he says, speaking to The Hindu on the coming vote.

Despite its diminished presence in Parliament since the August 2020 general elections, the TNA remains the largest grouping representing the Tamils of the north and east in Sri Lanka, with 10 MPs in the 225-member House.

“Our hopes are high this time, since India’s statement at the Interactive Dialogue segment placed the political aspirations of the Tamil people on par with recognising the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka,” Mr. Sumanthiran says, referring to the intervention made by India’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, on February 25.

The Jaffna parliamentarian’s optimism about India’s likely vote is akin to that expressed by the Rajapaksa administration, which wants the exact opposite outcome on the resolution that the 47 members of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva will get to vote on next week. Colombo has sought India’s support at the highest levels to defeat the resolution, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage has said India has “assured” Sri Lanka of its support , although New Delhi has made no official statement in this regard.

However, citing India’s past voting patterns, vis-à-vis the seven UN resolutions on Sri Lanka since 2009, Mr. Sumanthiran points out that India has voted in favour of resolutions thrice — in 2009, 2012 and 2013 – while abstaining in 2014. “Given this track record, we do not expect India to vote against the resolution.”

Low expectations

Although the TNA is campaigning for the resolution to be adopted, most of Sri Lanka’s Tamil leadership, including the TNA, have already lowered their expectations of the Council, especially on accountability. In a joint letter to member states in January, TNA leader R. Sampanthan, Tamil National People’s Front leader G.G. Ponnambalam, and Tamil Makkal Tesiya Kootani leadercrackIAS.com and former Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran, along with some civil society organisations, sought to shift the question of accountability from the Council in Geneva to New York, to the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council, which can refer the matter to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

All the same the draft resolution accommodating some of the key issues highlighted in their joint letter is significant, according to Mr. Sumanthiran. “The prosecutorial mechanism has been left out, that is something we asked for; it stresses the importance of a comprehensive accountability process, while noting the lack of accountability in domestic mechanisms. So, although the resolution does not name the ICC — which anyway it cannot do since it has no mandate — it very clearly points to the ICC when these are read together.” Page 6 But some Tamil politicians and activists deem the resolution “watered down”, and criticise the TNA for supporting a “weak resolution” that does not factor in all the demands of Tamil people. “Weak or strong has to be evaluated in the context of what a world body such as the UN Human Rights Council can actually achieve. Given the powers of the Council, and the composition of the Council, I don’t think this is a weak resolution at all,” Mr. Sumanthiran says in response, asking critics if they are siding with the government that wants the resolution defeated.

Regardless of their clashing views on the resolution itself, both the TNA and its detractors would know well that taking Sri Lanka’s case to the ICC, as they had collectively sought, is not easy. The Government of Sri Lanka has categorically rejected international mechanisms. Further, UN bodies are not immune to geopolitical realities that play out and influence them.

Mr. Sumanthiran agrees. “Yes, one cannot go to the ICC without the cooperation of Sri Lanka. Or to a referral by the Security Council, where permanent members have veto powers. It seems almost impossible to go to the ICC, for instance, in the prevailing situation, but conditions do change, geopolitics also changes,” he notes, invoking India’s example.

Going back to 1987 when the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed, he recalls India’s alignment “more with Russia than the USA”, in the prolonged Cold War. “India was a regional power then, but perhaps not considered the regional superpower. Compare that with the current geopolitical reality, it is very, very different. China has entered the picture, as one that challenges the sole world power, the U.S. India is a regional superpower, and also aligned with the U.S. at least in so far as opposition to China is concerned. So, the equations have changed quite a bit.”

‘Govt. is desperate’

While acknowledging the difficulty in predicting exactly how countries may align or act in future, Mr. Sumanthiran still sees value in collecting and preserving evidence — that the resolution includes — for use at a future date. Pinning hopes on possible changes in international law and geopolitical factors, he speaks of a time “when it may become possible to actually refer the matter to the ICC, or to any other mechanism that may be available at that time. And I say this because the ICC itself is less than 20 years old.”

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government is “desperate to somehow avoid a debacle in Geneva”, he notes, referring to three recent moves — reversing the mandatory cremations policy for COVID-19 victims , the President wanting to meet families of the disappeared, and the President asking officials to prepare for Provincial Council elections.

“But the lack of genuineness is there for all to see in the way they have approached all three matters,” he says, pointing to the government’s controversial choice of burial sites far away from capital Colombo, the lack of any follow-up since the announcement on meeting families of the disappeared, and the conflicting signals emerging from the government on provincial council elections.crackIAS.com

END Downloaded from crackIAS.com © Zuccess App by crackIAS.com Page 7 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2021-03-20 NEW PHASE OF U.S.-CHINA TIES COMES WITH TESTS FOR INDIA Relevant for: International Relations | Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed & developing countries on India's interests

A sharp exchange between top U.S. and Chinese officials in Alaska on Friday, played out fully in the eyes of the gathered media, marked the start of a new phase in U.S.-China relations — one that comes with fresh challenges for India.

If the acrimonious public exchange appeared to be a surprising departure from the diplomatic norms usually followed in such scripted meetings, it was, on one level, entirely expected.

After all, both sides had made clear in the lead-up to the Biden administration’s first in-person engagement with China that the meeting in Anchorage was more about drawing red lines than any real attempt at a reset. Even describing what the meeting actually was had emerged as a point of discord, labelled by Beijing as a “strategic dialogue” even as Washington disputed that description.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accompanied by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan for the talks with Yang Jiechi, Politburo member and Director of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister, set the tone by expressing “deep concerns with actions by China, including in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyberattacks on the U.S., and economic coercion toward our allies”.

What followed was a 16-minute speech from Mr. Yang, going far beyond the expected two- minute opening statement. To Washington’s contention that it was engaging China from a position of strength — the Alaska meeting pointedly followed the Quad leaders’ summit last week and Mr. Blinken’s recent visits to Japan and South Korea — Mr. Yang retorted, “the U.S. does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength”. The remarks were widely circulated in the Chinese media, welcomed as reflecting a new dynamic in the relationship.

The message from Beijing was that if Washington expected this meet to be about a one-way drawing of the red-lines, it was clearly mistaken. Meanwhile, the unequivocal message from Washington was that the Biden administration will certainly not be an Obama 2.0, a time when both sides emphasised cooperation.

Key takeaways

The main takeaway from Alaska is that any reset in ties from the turbulent Trump era is unlikely. At thecrackIAS.com same time, the acrimonious beginning, which to some degree was a result of public posturing by both sides who were concerned about sending the right messages to their audiences at home, may give way to some cautious engagement.

If China made a concession by travelling to Alaska, a point made by its officials, a return visit to Beijing by Mr. Blinken in coming months, should it take place, will underline that both sides are still seeking spaces to work together amid the rancour. Both, for instance, could still agree to cooperate on issues like climate change, the global economic recovery, and Afghanistan.

The other takeaway is the emergence of a drawing of battle lines between Washington and its Page 8 allies on one side, and on the other, Beijing and its main ally when it comes to the Indo-Pacific and Eurasia, Russia. China was quick to announce, before the Alaska talks, that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Beijing, days after President Biden called Russia’s Vladimir Putin “a killer”.

This will particularly pose a test for India’s diplomacy, starting with affecting India’s defence supplies from Russia, with the U.S. making it clear that importing Russian equipment like the S- 400 missile defence system will attract sanctions as well as the U.S. withholding high-tech exports.

While India confronts its own problems with China amid a slow-moving disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), it has still made clear it does not want to be part of any alliances. This balancing act is reflected in India’s varying multilateral engagements, ranging from the Quad to groupings like RIC (Russia-India-China), the BRICS, and the China and Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The U.S.-China divide will also mean a tightrope walk for India at the UN Security Council, where it is serving a two-year term as non-permanent member, as the split between the U.S., the U.K. and France on the one hand and Russia and China on the other grows ever wider, as seen in response to the Myanmar coup.

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crackIAS.com Page 9 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2021-03-20 DELHI UNDERMINED: THE HINDU EDITORIAL ON CENTRE’S BID TO RUN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY Relevant for: Indian Polity | Topic: Issues and Challenges Pertaining to the Federal Structure, Dispute Redressal Mechanisms, and the Centre-State Relations

The Centre’s Bill seeking to amend the law relating to the running of the National Capital Territory of Delhi claims that it is aimed at giving effect to the interpretation given by the Supreme Court judgments on Delhi’s governance structure. The proposed changes are the very antithesis of what the Court has said. The Bill, if it becomes law, will wholly undermine the Court’s efforts to strengthen the elected government vis-à-vis the appointed Lieutenant Governor. The Constitution Bench verdict of July 4, 2018, said: “The Lieutenant Governor has not been entrusted with any independent decision-making power. He has to either act on the ‘aid and advice’ of the Council of Ministers, or he is bound to implement the decision taken by the President on a reference being made by him.” The ‘aid and advice’ clause pertains only to matters on which the elected Assembly has powers under the State and Concurrent Lists, but with the exception of public order, police and land, and, wherever there are differences between the L-G and the elected government, the former should refer the question to the President. The Court was at pains to clarify that the power to refer “any matter” to the President did not mean that “every matter” should be referred thus. The guiding principle was that the elected government should not be undermined by the unelected administrator. The Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha does violence to this interpretation.

The Bill seeks to declare that in the context of legislation passed by the Delhi Assembly, all references to the ‘government’ would mean the “Lieutenant Governor”. Indeed, Delhi is a Union Territory; but it is somewhat incongruous for a territory with an elected House to be declared the sole domain of the L-G. The apex court had rightly concluded that the scheme set out in the Constitution and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, envisages a collaborative structure that can be worked only through constitutional trust. The proviso to Article 239AA, which empowers the L-G to refer a difference of opinion with the Council of Ministers to the President, does not mean that the administrator is given an opportunity to come up with a different opinion on every decision made by the Ministry. Yet, it is precisely what the Bill proposes to do. And it is quite incongruous that instead of Parliament identifying the matters on which the L-G’s opinion should be sought, the Bill proposes that the L-G himself would specify such matters. The clause that declares void any rule that empowers the Assembly or its Committees to discuss any matter of day-to-day administration or conduct enquiries amounts to a rollback of representative government. The ‘Union Territory’ concept is one of the many ways in which India regulates relations between the Centre and its units. It should not be used to subvertcrackIAS.com the basis of electoral democracy.

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From the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, to the landmark Ayodhya verdict, 2019 proved to be an eventful year.

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crackIAS.com Page 11 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 FOOD PROCESSING SCHEME IN RURAL UTTAR PRADESH Relevant for: Indian Economy | Topic: Food processing and related industries in India: scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements and supply chain management

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing the Central Sector Umbrella Scheme - Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) for overall growth and development of the food processing sector, including the processing of agro- products. The scheme has an outlay of Rs. 6000 crore for the period 2016-17 to 2019-20. The period has since been extended to FY 2020-21. The component schemes of PMKSY are - (i) Mega Food Park, (ii) Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, (iii) Creation /Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities, (iv) Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Clusters, (v) Creation of Backward & Forward linkages,(vi) Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure, (vii) Human Resource and Institutions, (viii) Operation Greens.

Under component schemes of PMKSY, MoFPI provides mostly credit-linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing/preservation industries. PMKSY is not any region or state-specific but demand- driven and is implemented across the country including the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. So far, Ministry has approved 23 Cold Chain projects, 3 Agro-Processing Clusters, 22 Food Processing Units, 6 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects & 9 Food Test Laboratory projects in Uttar Pradesh under corresponding component schemes of PMKSY.

As part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative, MoFPI is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme-PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) for providing financial, technical and business support for setting up/upgradation of 2 lakh micro food processing enterprises through credit linked subsidy during five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs.10,000 crore. Out of this, a total of 37826 units have been allocated to Uttar Pradesh with an outlay of Rs 1731.60 crore for the next five years.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Shri Rameswar Teli in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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APS/JK crackIAS.com The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing the Central Sector Umbrella Scheme - Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) for overall growth and development of the food processing sector, including the processing of agro- products. The scheme has an outlay of Rs. 6000 crore for the period 2016-17 to 2019-20. The period has since been extended to FY 2020-21. The component schemes of PMKSY are - (i) Mega Food Park, (ii) Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, (iii) Creation /Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities, (iv) Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Clusters, (v) Creation of Backward & Forward linkages,(vi) Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure, (vii) Human Resource and Institutions, (viii) Operation Greens. Page 12 Under component schemes of PMKSY, MoFPI provides mostly credit-linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing/preservation industries. PMKSY is not any region or state-specific but demand- driven and is implemented across the country including the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. So far, Ministry has approved 23 Cold Chain projects, 3 Agro-Processing Clusters, 22 Food Processing Units, 6 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects & 9 Food Test Laboratory projects in Uttar Pradesh under corresponding component schemes of PMKSY.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Shri Rameswar Teli in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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APS/JK

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crackIAS.com Page 13 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 USE OF SATELLITE IMAGERY-BASED YIELD AND CROP HEALTH ESTIMATION Relevant for: Indian Economy | Topic: Agriculture Issues and related constraints

The Dr. P K Mishra Committee was constituted in September, 2013 to review the implementation of crop insurance schemes in India. The Committee submitted its report in May, 2014 recommending the use of satellite remote sensing data for various applications related to yield and crop health estimation for crop insurance. In this regard, several activities have been carried out, such as -

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today.

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APS

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today.

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APS

crackIAS.comEND Downloaded from crackIAS.com © Zuccess App by crackIAS.com Page 14 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN FARMERS IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR Relevant for: Developmental Issues | Topic: Rights & Welfare of Women - Schemes & their Performance, Mechanisms, Laws Institutions and Bodies

The guidelines of the various beneficiary oriented schemes of the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare provide that States and other Implementing Agencies to incur atleast 30% expenditure on women farmers. These schemes include Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms, National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Oilseed & Oil Palm, National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, Sub-Mission for Seed and Planting Material, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture.

The Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development launched a specific scheme namely ‘Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)’, as a sub component of DAY- NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana — National Rural Livelihoods Mission). This scheme is being implemented since 2011 with the objective to empower women by making systematic investments to enhance their participation and productivity, as also create sustainable livelihoods of rural women. The program is implemented in project mode through State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) as Project Implementing Agencies.

In order to familiarize women with the latest techniques in agriculture and allied sectors, trainings are being imparted to women farmers under schemes of DAC&FW and DAY-NRLM. These include Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms (ATMA) under Sub- Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE) and Cooperative Education Field Projects under various National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) Schemes. Skill training courses in agriculture and allied areas (of minimum 200 hours duration) are also being conducted for farmers including women farmers through National Training Institutes, State Agricultural Management & Extension Training (SAMETIs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) across the country. Under DAY-NRLM, the trainings on the agro-ecological practices are being provided through the community resource persons. KVKs established by Indian Council Agricultural Research (ICAR) impart training to farmers including women farmers on various aspects of agriculture and allied sectors. The KVKs also organize women farmer specific training programmes related to agriculture & allied areas.

Government is taking various measures to increase the participation of women farmers in agriculture sector. This includes providing additional support and assistance to women farmers, over and above the male farmers under few Schemes ; provision of 30% of funds for women under various beneficiary oriented schemes/programmes ; taking pro-women initiatives such as supporting farm women’s food security groups, inclusion of one Gender Coordinator/State in the teamcrackIAS.com of committed extension functionaries supported under ATMA component of SMAE, undertaking macro/micro level studies in critical thrust area related to women in agriculture, delivery of Gender Sensitization Capsule Module on Gender Learning through training programmes at National/Region/State Level, publication of farm women friendly literature viz. compilation of gender friendly tools/technologies; Farm Women Friendly Handbook and compilation of best practices/success stories of the women farmers, etc.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today. Page 15 ****

APS

Government is taking various measures to increase the participation of women farmers in agriculture sector. This includes providing additional support and assistance to women farmers, over and above the male farmers under few Schemes ; provision of 30% of funds for women under various beneficiary oriented schemes/programmes ; taking pro-women initiatives such as supporting farm women’s food security groups, inclusion of one Gender Coordinator/State in the team of committed extension functionaries supported under ATMA component of SMAE, undertaking macro/micro level studies in critical thrust area related to women in agriculture, delivery of Gender Sensitization Capsule Module on Gender Learning through training programmescrackIAS.com at National/Region/State Level, publication of farm women friendly literature viz. compilation of gender friendly tools/technologies; Farm Women Friendly Handbook and compilation of best practices/success stories of the women farmers, etc.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today.

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crackIAS.com Page 17 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 PROMOTION AND PRESERVATION OF ENDANGERED CRAFTS Relevant for: null | Topic: Promotion and Preservation of Culture Incl. UNESCO

The Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) implements various schemes for promotion and preservation of endangered crafts including Khetaembroidery and handicrafts artisans through “National Handicraft Development Programme (NHDP)” and Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS).The NHDP has following components:

The CHCDS has following components:

Approx. 250 women are engaged in embroidery work. 55 artisans have been enrolled under PAHCHAN initiative. The Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) is also setting up training cum exhibition centre for the promotion of Kheta embroidery. In addition, the first phase of Technical Training Programme under SAMARTH scheme of the Ministry of Textiles is being conducted for promotion and development of Kheta Embroidery benefiting 30 artisans.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Textiles, Smt. SmritiZubinIrani in Lok Sabha today.

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The CHCDS has following components: crackIAS.com Approx. 250 women are engaged in embroidery work. 55 artisans have been enrolled under PAHCHAN initiative. The Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) is also setting up training cum exhibition centre for the promotion of Kheta embroidery. In addition, the first phase of Technical Training Programme under SAMARTH scheme of the Ministry of Textiles is being conducted for promotion and development of Kheta Embroidery benefiting 30 artisans.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Textiles, Smt. SmritiZubinIrani in Lok Sabha today. Page 18

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crackIAS.com Page 19 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 POWER MINISTER SHRI R K SINGH LAUNCHES GRAM UJALA IN BIHAR Relevant for: Indian Economy | Topic: Issues Related to Poverty, Inclusion, Employment & Sustainable Development

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship ,Shri R K Singh launched the GRAM UJALA programme in Arrah, Bihar through a virtual event today .

While speaking at the event the Power Minister said that our rural population was still unable to afford discounted LEDs. This is why we have now created GRAM UJALA – a customized program for rural India, based uniquely and innovatively on carbon finance. LEDs will be available for only Rs 10 each for each household, in exchange for working condition old incandescent lamps. Each household will get up to 5 LEDs.

Power Minister further stated that the GRAM UJALA programme will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action. If all 300 million lights in India were replaced, the total energy savings would be 40,743 million kWh/year, avoided peak demand of 22,743MW/year and CO2 reductions of 37 million tons per year.

Mr. Alok Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Power said that this is a very important initiative based on an innovative model utilising Carbon Credits. Gram Ujala will not only give a fillip to our fight against climate change by increasing energy efficiency, but also usher in a better standard of life, financial savings, and better safety for the citizens in rural areas.

UndercrackIAS.com the programme, 7 watt and 12-Watt LED bulbs with 3 years warranty will be given to rural consumers against submission of working Incandescent bulbs. The Gram Ujalaprogramme will be implemented in villages of the 5 districts only and consumers can exchange a maximum of 5 LED bulbs. These rural households will also have metres installed in their houses to account for usage. Further on, carbon credit documentation will be sent to UN accredited validators for inclusion into the Shine Program of activities. Carbon credits will be prepared under the Shine Program of Activities with an option for verifying under the Voluntary Carbon Standard, depending on the needs of buyers. Carbon Credit Buyers will also be sought through an open process based on initial discussions with the market. The balance cost and margin on the LED cost will be recouped through the carbon credits earned. Page 20

With price being one of the principal barriers, the GRAM UJALA programme has been designed to support widespread distribution by removing the chief barrier for rural consumers. In addition, the energy savings garnered will reduce household’s energy outlay, enabling higher disposable income and savings.

The programme will provide clean energy access and make a significant contribution towards mitigating climate change and achieving a sustainable future .Under the GRAM UJALA programme, CESL will distribute high quality LED bulbs, at an affordable cost of 10 rupees per bulb in rural areas. Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a PSU under Ministry of Power. In the first phase of this programme, 15 million (1.5 crore) LED bulbs will be distributed across villages of Aarah (Bihar), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh), Nagpur (Maharashtra), and village in western Gujarat. Gram Ujalaprogramme will be financed entirely through carbon credits and will be the first such programme in India.

The GRAM UJALA programme will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action energy savings of 2025 million KWh/year and CO2 reductions of 1.65 million T CO2/year. The programme will enable better illumination, at an affordable price of INR 10/bulb. This will usher in a better standard of life, financial savings, more economic activity, better safety for rural citizens and help in achieving a sustainable future.

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Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship ,Shri crackIAS.comR K Singh launched the GRAM UJALA programme in Arrah, Bihar through a virtual event today . Page 21

Under the programme, 7 watt and 12-Watt LED bulbs with 3 years warranty will be given to rural consumers against submission of working Incandescent bulbs. The Gram Ujalaprogramme will be implemented in villages of the 5 districts only and consumers can exchange a maximum of 5 LED bulbs. These rural households will also have metres installed in their houses to account for usage. Further on, carbon credit documentation will be sent to UN accredited validators for inclusion into the Shine Program of activities. Carbon credits will be prepared under the Shine Program of Activities with an option for verifying under the Voluntary Carbon Standard, depending on the needs of buyers. Carbon Credit Buyers will also be sought through an open process based on initial discussions with the market. The balance cost and margin on the LED cost willcrackIAS.com be recouped through the carbon credits earned. Page 22 With price being one of the principal barriers, the GRAM UJALA programme has been designed to support widespread distribution by removing the chief barrier for rural consumers. In addition, the energy savings garnered will reduce household’s energy outlay, enabling higher disposable income and savings.

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crackIAS.com Page 23 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 STEPS TO TACKLE CYBER CRIME AGAINST CHILDERN Relevant for: Developmental Issues | Topic: Rights & Welfare of Children - Schemes & their Performance, Mechanisms, Laws Institutions and Bodies

As per information provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) the total number of cases registered under Cyber Crime against Children (involving communication devices as medium/target) during 2019 was 305. As informed by NCRB, the latest data pertains to 2019.The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act had been amended in 2019 to include the definition of child pornography under Section 2(da) and punishment provided under Section 14 and Section 15 of the Act.

Further the Government has taken several steps to tackle cyber crime against children. These, inter alia include :

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Shri Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Shri Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. Page 24

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crackIAS.com Page 25 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 ONE STOP CENTRES Relevant for: Developmental Issues | Topic: Rights & Welfare of Women - Schemes & their Performance, Mechanisms, Laws Institutions and Bodies

Government has approved 733 One Stop Centre (OSC) across the Country, out of which 700 are operational. The OSCs provide a range of services such as police facilitation, legal aid, psycho-social counselling, medical aid and temporary shelter in an integrated manner, under one roof, for violence affected women and women in distress.

The State wise list of the approved and operational OSCs alongwith the number of women that have approached the OSCs is at Annexure.Under the scheme, funds are directly released to Districts upon approval of proposal. The Ministry of Women and Child Development regularly follows up with the District Administration and the State Governments through formal communications, e-mails, phone calls, virtual meeting through Video Conference etc. for speedy implementation of the scheme for the benefit of women.

In the Budget 2021-22 for 'Sambal' (which includes One Stop Centre (OSC), Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV), Women Helpline (WHL), Swadhar, Ujjawala, Widow Homes) under Mission Shakti, provision of Rs. 587.00 crores has been made.

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Shri Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Annexure

State wise details of the approved and operational OSCs alongwith the number of women that has approached the OSCs.

PRESENT STATUS OF OPRATIONAL ONE STOP CENTRE

S.No.

State/ UTs

Total Number of Districts crackIAS.comNumber of OSCs Approved Number of Operational OSCs

Total Number of Cases

(From 1.04.2015 to 30.06.2020)

Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT) Page 26 3

1466

Andhra Pradesh

25841

Arunachal Pradesh

658

Assam

33 crackIAS.com33 2398

Bihar

38 Page 27 38

9221

Chandigarh (UT)

631

Chhattisgarh

20819

Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (UT)

686 crackIAS.com9. Goa

1500 Page 28 10.

Gujarat

7261

11.

Haryana

8150

12.

Himachal Pradesh

228

13.

Jammu & Kashmir (UT)

20 crackIAS.com20 20

2498

14.

Jharkhand

24 Page 29 24

704

15.

Karnataka

3560

16.

Kerala

3216

17.

Ladakh (UT)

27 crackIAS.com18. Lakshadweep (UT)

0 Page 30 19.

Madhya Pradesh

21126

20.

Maharashtra

4410

21.

Manipur

22.

Meghalaya

11 crackIAS.com11 11

335

23.

Mizoram

8 Page 31 8

233

24.

Nagaland

374

25.

NCT of Delhi (UT)

588

26.

Odisha

4898 crackIAS.com27. Puducherry (UT)

244 Page 32 28.

Punjab

4664

29.

Rajasthan

8837

30.

Sikkim

274

31.

Tamil Nadu

37 crackIAS.com38 32

6591

32.

Telangana

33 Page 33 33

15385

33.

Tripura

154

34.

Uttar Pradesh

146158

35.

Uttarakhand

2695 crackIAS.com36. West Bengal

0 Page 34

Total

730

733

700

305896

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BY/TFK

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Shri Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Annexure crackIAS.com State wise details of the approved and operational OSCs alongwith the number of women that has approached the OSCs.

PRESENT STATUS OF OPRATIONAL ONE STOP CENTRE

S.No.

State/ UTs Page 35 Total Number of Districts

Number of OSCs Approved

Number of Operational OSCs

Total Number of Cases

(From 1.04.2015 to 30.06.2020)

Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT)

1466

Andhra Pradesh

25841

Arunachal Pradesh

25 crackIAS.com25 24

658

Assam

33 Page 36 33

2398

Bihar

9221

Chandigarh (UT)

631

Chhattisgarh

20819 crackIAS.com8. Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (UT)

Page 37 686

Goa

1500

10.

Gujarat

7261

11.

Haryana

8150

12.

Himachal Pradesh crackIAS.com12 12

228

13.

Jammu & Kashmir (UT) Page 38 20

2498

14.

Jharkhand

704

15.

Karnataka

3560

16.

Kerala

14 crackIAS.com3216 17.

Ladakh (UT)

1 Page 39 27

18.

Lakshadweep (UT)

19.

Madhya Pradesh

21126

20.

Maharashtra

4410

21.

Manipur crackIAS.com16 16

22.

Meghalaya Page 40 11

335

23.

Mizoram

233

24.

Nagaland

374

25.

NCT of Delhi (UT)

11 crackIAS.com588 26.

Odisha

30 Page 41 4898

27.

Puducherry (UT)

244

28.

Punjab

4664

29.

Rajasthan

8837

30.

Sikkim crackIAS.com4 4

274

31.

Tamil Nadu Page 42 37

6591

32.

Telangana

15385

33.

Tripura

154

34.

Uttar Pradesh

75 crackIAS.com146158 35.

Uttarakhand

13 Page 43 2695

36.

West Bengal

Total

730

733

700

305896

****

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END Downloaded from crackIAS.com © Zuccess App by crackIAS.com crackIAS.com Page 44 Source : www.pib.gov.in Date : 2021-03-20 MALNUTRITION AMONGST CHILDREN AND WOMEN Relevant for: Developmental Issues | Topic: Health & Sanitation and related issues

Govt. has under taken several interventions under the Reproductive and Child Health Programme of National Health Mission, for carrying out various activities for management of nutrition and anaemia in women and children including the strategy for Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB), promotion of appropriate infant and young child feeding practices that include early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding till 6 months of age, use of ORS and Zinc in diarrhoea, and Vitamin A supplementation programme for all children below five years of age.

Village Health and Nutrition Days and Mother and Child Protection Card are the joint initiative of the Ministries of Health & Family welfare and the Ministry of Woman and Child for addressing the nutrition concerns in children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Janani Surksha Yojana (JSY) Scheme, incentivizes women for institutional delivery at public health facilities. Similarly, under Jananai Shishu Suraksha Yojana (JSSK), all infants seeking treatment in public health facilities are provided food, medicines and transport, free of cost as an entitlement. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), systematic efforts are undertaken to detect nutrition deficiency including anemia among children and adolescents respectively.

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Shri Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), malnutrition indicators like stunting and underweight prevalence declined in rural areas as compared with NFHS-3. Prevalence of anaemia in women of reproductive age (WRA) group 15-49 years in rural areas also declined. Malnutrition is a multi-dimensional issue, affected by a number of generic factors. Anaemia in pregnantcrackIAS.com women increases the risk of low birth weight for the newborn. Govt. has under taken several interventions under the Reproductive and Child Health Programme of National Health Mission, for carrying out various activities for management of nutrition and anaemia in women and children including the strategy for Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB), promotion of appropriate infant and young child feeding practices that include early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding till 6 months of age, use of ORS and Zinc in diarrhoea, and Vitamin A supplementation programme for all children below five years of age.

Village Health and Nutrition Days and Mother and Child Protection Card are the joint initiative of the Ministries of Health & Family welfare and the Ministry of Woman and Child for addressing the nutrition concerns in children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Janani Surksha Page 45 Yojana (JSY) Scheme, incentivizes women for institutional delivery at public health facilities. Similarly, under Jananai Shishu Suraksha Yojana (JSSK), all infants seeking treatment in public health facilities are provided food, medicines and transport, free of cost as an entitlement. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), systematic efforts are undertaken to detect nutrition deficiency including anemia among children and adolescents respectively.

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Shri Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

*****

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crackIAS.com Page 46 Source : www.livemint.com Date : 2021-03-20 INDIA CONSIDERS TO GO NET-ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2050. CAN IT ACHIEVE THE TARGET? Relevant for: Environment | Topic: Environmental Degradation - GHGs, Ozone Depletion and Climate Change

Top Indian government officials are debating whether to set a target for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Doing so would mean an overhaul of a coal-reliant energy sector, transport, heavy industry and even the nation’s sluggish bureaucracy.

All that must be achieved while the world’s third-biggest emitter also meets the aspirations of 1.4 billion people for faster economic development, which will only happen with an accelerated pace of industrialization and energy demand.

Committing to a legally binding net-zero target would help India attract some of the trillions of dollars in investment that’ll be required for a green transformation, lawmaker Jayant Sinha, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and an advocate of a 2050 goal, said in an interview.

“The world is not going to achieve its targets of halting global warming unless India is able to reduce its carbon emissions and India changes its trajectory right now," Sinha said. Here are some of the key challenges:

Ramping Up Renewables

Reforming India’s electricity sector is key to delivering lower emissions. Renewables are already making some inroads in a system where coal is currently used for almost 70% of power generation. Since Modi took office in 2014 solar and wind capacity has expanded to about 93 gigawatts.

Meeting the nation’s existing target of 450 gigawatts of renewables by 2030 is already a massive lift. Hitting net zero will require an even more dramatic acceleration.

India will also need to fix its money-losing distribution utilities, make more land available for wind and solar farms, and support development of additional transmission networks. It’ll also have to balance its renewables push against a desire to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. Taxes on imports of foreign solar panels are intended to spur domestic manufacturing, but could make the rollout of cleaner energy more expensive in the short term.

Fossil Dependent Just threecrackIAS.com fuels meet about 80% of India’s energy demand: coal, oil and solid biomass such as fuelwood, animal waste and charcoal. Changing that mix will require more than simply adding more renewables.

Coal use is expected to rise, even if India stops building new power plants. That’s because existing coal power plants are running far below capacity, which the country will look to maximize. Oil and petroleum are used to power not only cars, trucks and railways, but also industrial machinery and even the pumps which deliver water for India’s agricultural sector. Tens of millions of homes still rely on cheap biomass fuels for cooking, and subsidies to switch them to cleaner liquefied petroleum gas cylinders have been trimmed. Page 47 To make matters worse, poor quality scrubbers on power plants burning coal make them a major contributor to poor air quality. The Indian capital New Delhi is the world’s most-polluted capital city, according to IQAir.

Rising Demand

India’s energy use doubled since 2000 as hundreds of millions of citizens added an electrical connection, and the nation’s consumption is forecast to accelerate sharply. It’ll be driven both by industry and households, which are adding appliances including air conditioners, refrigerators and space heaters.

The country will have the fastest growing rate of energy consumption globally through 2050, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts.

All that means India needs to add energy capacity equivalent to the entire European Union over the next two decades, the International Energy Agency said in February. Meeting that with cleaner electricity sources will require more hydro-power and nuclear energy, as well as wind and solar. The nation also needs stronger and more flexible electricity grids, and vastly improved energy efficiency measures.

Electrifying Transport

The global shift to electric vehicles is happening far more slowly in India, with the costs of battery powered-models too high, access to charging infrastructure limited and concerns over the reliability of power grids. By 2040, only about a third of new passenger cars sold will be battery-powered, compared with about 70% in China and Germany.

Freight vehicles also pose a challenge, and account for about 45% of the country’s road transport emissions. “It will be really difficult for India to replace oil as transportation fuel," said Senthil Kumaran, head of South Asia oil at industry consultant FGE. “Freight will rely on diesel no matter what."

Still, some firms are positioning for more uptake. Ola Electric Mobility Pvt. Ltd. hopes to make 10 million electric two-wheelers a year by the summer of 2022 at a plant on Bangalore’s outskirts. India is also examining plans to run long-haul vehicles on liquefied natural gas and hydrogen.

Cleaner Industry

As a still-industrializing economy, India’s emissions from making steel, cement, chemicals and other carbon-intensive materials is set to rise regardless of a climate push. But the country could make a dent in those emissions by deploying more energy-efficient measures, switching to cleanercrackIAS.com fuels and embracing carbon-capture technology. Increasing clean-energy spending will go a long way in helping the industrial sector. The IEA estimates that green investment across the energy sector, which includes energy, transport, and industry will need to be three times higher between 2025 and 2030, relative to the average from 2015 to 2020. That jump could help put the country on the greenest track that the IEA has modeled. How India supports research and innovation in technologies including energy storage and carbon-capture will be crucial to success in meeting any new target, said Santhosh Jayaram, head of climate change practice at KPMG India.

Better Bureaucracy Page 48 India will also have to give its under-funded environmental regulators more resources and power, and ministries will need to get better at translating policy into action. For decades, the nation has disappointed in efforts to improve crumbling infrastructure, extend access to public services and root out corruption.

One solution could be to set up a climate change commission, similar to bodies established in the U.K. and New Zealand, to monitor progress and help devise mechanisms to achieve long- term emission reductions, according to Sinha. The U.K.’s Climate Change Committee has been credited with pushing the government to set the most ambitious goal among G-20 nations.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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