Mission Solar Charkha
Context :
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the Mission Solar Charkha in 2018-19 for implementation of 50 Solar Charkha Clusters across the country.
The aims and objectives of Mission Solar Charkha are:-
- To ensure inclusive growth by generation of employment, especially for women and youth and sustainable development through solar charkha cluster in rural areas.
- To boost rural economy and help in arresting migration from rural to urban areas.
- To leverage low-cost, innovative technologies and processes for substance.
Till date, 10 projects have been approved under Mission Solar Charkha. One Solar Charkha cluster has been identified in Andhra Pradesh.
The scheme envisages to generate direct employment to nearly one lakh persons.
Efforts to Boost Defence Sector
Context :
The efforts made by Government to boost country’s defence sector during the last two years .
Efforts made by govt. to Boost Defence Sector :
Industrial licensing : Industrial licensing regime for Indian manufacturers in Defence sector has been liberalized. Defence Products list requiring Industrial Licences has been rationalised and manufacture of most of the parts and components does not require Industrial Licence.
FDI: FDI Policy has been revised and under the revised policy. Foreign Investment is allowed under automatic route upto 49% and above 49% through government route, wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded.
Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) : Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) was revised in 2016. Specific provisions have been introduced for stimulating growth of the domestic defence industry. A new category of procurement ‘Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)}’ has been introduced in DPP-2016 to promote indigenous design and development of defence equipments.
“Make” Procedure : In February, 2018 a separate procedure for ‘Make-II’ sub-category has been notified wherein a number of industry friendly provisions have been introduced.
iDEX: Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework, was launched with the aim to achieve self-reliance and to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace Sector by engaging Industries including MSMEs, startups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.
Indigenisation policy: Government has notified a Policy for indigenisation of components and spares used in Defence Platforms in March, 2019 with the objective to create an industry ecosystem which is able to indigenize the imported components (including alloys & special materials) and sub-assemblies for defence equipment and platforms manufactured in India.
Defence Corridors: Government has decided to establish two defence industrial corridors to serve as engines of economic development and growth of defence industrial base in the country.
Testing facilities: The Test facilities/infrastructure available with various Government agencies (OFB, DPSUs, DRDO, DGQA, DGAQA & SHQs) have been made available to private sector with the objective to assist them in design and development of defence systems.
Privatisation ofCompanies
Context :
Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs informed Lok Sabha about privatisation of companies.
Highlights :
- The Government has given ‘in-principle’ approval for Privatisation of 24 CPSEs including Subsidiaries, Units and Joint Ventures with sale of majority stake and transfer of management control.
- The Government follows a policy of strategic disinvestment of CPSEs, which are not in ‘priority sectors’.
- For this purpose, NITI Aayog has been mandated to identify such CPSEs based on the criteria of
- (i) National Security;
- (ii) Sovereign function at arm’s length,
- (iii) Market Imperfections and Public Purpose
- For this purpose, NITI Aayog has been mandated to identify such CPSEs based on the criteria of
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
Context :
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 is the upgraded version of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 1.0.The scheme is extended to all educational institutes.
Key Points :
- Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is a flagship program of the Ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD).
- It aims to link the Higher Education Institutions with a set of at least (5) villages, so that these institutions can contribute to the economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base.
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an Inclusive India.
The main objectives of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) are as under:
- To engage the faculty and students of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in identifying development issues in rural areas and finding sustainable solutions for the same.
- Identify & select existing innovative technologies, enable customisation of technologies, or devise implementation method for innovative solutions, as required by the people.
- To allow HEIs to contribute to devising systems for smooth implementation of various Government programmes.
Performance So Far :
- Currently under the scheme, 13072 villages have been adopted by 2474 Institutes.
- The technological interventions under the UBA cover different subjects broadly categorized like in the area of sustainable agriculture; water resource management; artisans, industries and livelihood; basic amenities (infrastructure & services) and rural energy system.
- This has transformed the living conditions in villages and has been beneficial for rural India.
UP property damage ordinance
Context:
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved an ordinance that would allow the state to recover the cost of damages to public property from riots accused individuals.
About the UP property damage ordinance :
- The ordinance makes provisions for the setting up of claims tribunals, one or more, to “investigate the damage caused (during protests) and to award compensation” and to cover “cost of action” taken by police and administration for prevention of damage to public properties.
- Sweeping powers have been granted to a new claims tribunal, including on collecting compensation ex-parte if required, that is, without hearing the individual who is accused of vandalism.
- The award of compensation made by the tribunal will be final and cannot be appealed against before any civil court.
- Composition: The tribunal will be headed by a retired district judge appointed by the state government and may include a member who is an officer of the rank of Additional Commissioner.
- The law allows the constitution of multiple tribunals for a single event to ensure that the proceedings are concluded “preferably within three months” and allows the tribunal to appoint one assessor “who is technically qualified to assess such damage from a panel appointed by the state government”.
- Procedure to be followed: The tribunal, may follow “summary procedure as it thinks fit” and has the powers of a civil court for evaluating evidence and enforcing the attendance of witnesses. It bars any civil court from interfering with any directives of the claims tribunal.
- Burden of proof: The ordinance also places the burden of proving that one has no “nexus” to a protest, hartal, strike, bandh, riot or public commotion — during which any destruction of public or private property was caused – on the individual, failing which the individual’s properties will be seized.
- Principle of absolute liability under law shall apply once “the nexus with the event that precipitated the damage is established”. The law, however, does not specify what the nature of the “nexus” would be.
- Under Section 21(2), the new law says that while liability will be borne by the “actual perpetrators of the crime”, one who “instigates” or “incites” the crime would share the liability as per the decision of the claims tribunal. However, the law does not discuss what action constitutes incitement or instigation.