The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched a pilot project to revive the Namda craft of Kashmir.
Key Features of Pilot Project for Namda Craft
The project was launched under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0.
It is to be implemented in twenty five batches. These 25 batches are to be trained in three cycles. Each training cycle will run for three and a half month.
The project will benefit 2,250 people.
The project will enhance the learning of the people through Recognition of Prior Learning (a component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana)
What is Namda craft?
Namda is a rug made of sheep wool. The craft uses felting technique instead of normal weaving process. Namda craft is predominantly used to make floor pieces. It is also used to make mattresses and bed covers.
Every Kashmiri household, rich or poor, has a culture of sitting on the floor. And the floor becomes extremely cold in winter. This is why Namda craft developed in Kashmir.
Making of Namda
Wool is evenly spread in a thick layer of grass or jute mat. The mat is then rolled tightly. The rolled mat is then tied up with a rope. It is then compressed by rolling to and fro on the floor. The rolling is done by using hands and legs and goes for an hour. During rolling, the fibre fuses together. The rope is then untied and the mat is unrolled. And the well-shaped Namda is made. The plain Namda is then hand embroidered. For a patterned Namda, the craftsmen felt in the design into the Namda fibre itself.
Why was the pilot project launched?
Due to lack of skilled manpower and low availability of raw material, the export of Namda craft has reduced by 100% between 1998 and 2008.
Namda Markets
The Namda market is primarily located in Baramulla, Rainwari and Anantnag areas of Kashmir. Europe and Japan are the most attractive export destinations of Namda. Namda is also made in Tonk in Rajasthan.
The GST revenue for the month of November 2021 was Rs 1,31,526 crores. This is the second highest collection since the introduction of GST in the country. The first highest collection was in April 2021.
GST Collections
The CGST was Rs 23,978 crores.
The IGST was Rs 66,815 crores. Of this Rs 32,165 crores was collected from the goods imported.
The cess collected was Rs 9,606 crores. This includes Rs 653 crores from the imported goods.
Inference
The high GST collection shows that country is line with economic recovery.
The GST revenue collected for the month of November is 25% higher than the GST revenue of November 2020. And is 27% higher than GST revenue collected in November 2019.
Reasons
The GST collection is high for the month of November because of the following initiatives:
Enhancement of system capacity
Auto population of returns
Nudging non – filers after last date of filing of returns
Blocking of E – way bills
Passing of input tax credit for non – filers
Revenue Buoyancy – A concern in GST collection rise
Revenue Buoyancy is the response of tax revenue to changes in economic drivers. It assesses the efficiency of tax system of a country. In simple terms, a tax is buoyant when the revenues increase by more than 1% for 1% increase in GDP.
The GST revenue has been increasing after COVID-19. Thus, the revenue buoyancy is seen as a concern here.
Also, the legally mandated compensation to states for revenue shortfall from implementation of GST ends in June 2022.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Department of Telecommunications operating under the Ministry of Communications conducted a Joint Cyber Drill 2021.
What is the India – ITU Joint Cyber Drill?
The cyber drill was conducted for the Critical Network Infrastructure operators of India. The Critical Network Infrastructure are the systems, assets and networks that are essential to ensure the security of a country.
It aims to improve the cyber security readiness of India. Also, it aims to improve the protection and incident response capability of the country.
During the cyber drill, the cyber attacks and information security incidents were simulated. And the participants were trained to defend and respond against such incidents. Thus, the drill helped to test the cyber capabilities of an organisation.
What are the benefits of India – ITU Joint Cyber Drill?
The drill emphasized the role of Computer Security Incident Response Team and Computer Incident and Response Team (CIRT). The CIRT is responsible for handling security breaches
It also strengthened India’s capability in protecting critical information infrastructure and building cyber resilience.
Terms related to the drill
CIRT: Computer Incident Response Team: This team is responsible for handling the security breaches.
CSIRT: Computer Security Incident Response Team: The main responsibility of CSIRT is to expose the cyber-attacks targeting an organsiation.
CERT: Computer Emergency Response Team: It is an expert group that handles the cyber threats and cyber-attacks. It includes the computer emergency readiness team and the CSIRT.
SOC: Security Operation Centre: It is a centralized function that employs people, technologies and processes to continuously monitor and improve the security of the organisation. It prevents, detects, analyses and responds to the cybersecurity incidents.
The Uttarakhand Government recently withdrew the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Act. The act was withdrawn due to the protests from priests and other stakeholders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the major shrines.
What is Char Dham Act?
The Char Dham Shrine Management Act was legislated by the Uttarakhand State Assembly in 2019.
The act constituted a board called Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Board. The board brought the Char Dham of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and 49 other temples under its purview.
The Chief Minister was the Chairman of the board and the Minister of Religious Affairs was the vice chairman. Two MLAs of Yamunotri and Gangotri were members of the board and a senior IAS officer was the Chief Executive Officer.
The board was responsible for management of temples. It had powers to frame policies, sanction expenditure, budget formulation. Also, the board had powers to give directions for the safe custody of temple jewellery and properties.
How were the shrines managed before the Char Dham act?
Before the act, the temples were managed under the Shri Badrinath – Shri Kedarnath Act, 1939. Under the act, Shri Badrinath – Shri Kedarnath Mandir Samiti was constituted. The Samiti was chaired by a person appointed by the Government. The committee was responsible for making decisions related to funds, donations and development works in and around the temples.
Why was Char Dham Act proposed?
Most of the provisions of Shri Badrinath – Shri Kedarnath Act, 1939 were not relevant to the present context. Thus, the Char Dham Bill was proposed. It aimed to rejuvenate the temples.
Why did priests and other stakeholders protest against the Char Dham Act?
According to the protestants, the Government wants to take control over the financial and policy decisions of the temple. In Gangotri and Yamunotri, the temples were earlier under the control of local trusts. The Government had no say and no share in the donations made by the devotees.
The Judges Bill was introduced by The Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha. The bill intends to amend the High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Condition of Service) Act.
What is Judges Bill?
The bill seeks to bring clarity whether the SC and HC judges are entitled to get additional pension on attaining a certain age. Currently, every retired judge or his family (after his death) is entitled to get an additional quantum of pension. This is generally referred as family pension.
What is the issue? Why is a clarity needed?
Currently, the retired High Court and Supreme Court judges are provided with additional quantum of pension on completing 80 years or 85 years or 90 years or 95 years or 100 years which ever the case may be. These are the slabs of the pension. Now the confusion is should the pension be given from the first day of the month when he completes the age or the first day of the month when he enters the age. The bill inserts explanation about this issue.
What clarity does the bill provide?
The bill says that the pension shall be provided on the first day of completing the age and not in the starting. For this, Section 17B and Section 16B are to be included.
What do the courts say about this?
In 2018, the Guwahati High Court pronounced that the additional quantum of pension shall be made available from the first day he is entering the slab (80 years or 85 years, etc.)
In 2020, the Madhya Pradesh High Court also pronounced the same.
What are the constitutional provisions in regard to their salaries?
The salaries of SC judges are fixed based on Article 125. The Article 125 says that the salaries of SC judges are determined by the parliament by law. Also, the parliament shall decide on the privileges and allowances provided to the judges in respect of leave of absence and pension.
The Andhra Pradesh Government recently released Rs 686 crores for the Vidya Deevena Scheme. This is the third tranche of the scheme. It is an education assistance scheme.
Key Features of Vidya Deevena Scheme
The Vidya Deevena Scheme provides scholarships (in terms of fee reimbursements) to students who are not able to pay their college fees.
It is a fee reimbursement scheme. That is, the students pay the educational institutes and the government pays the students. Here, full reimbursement is not done. Full reimbursement includes college fees, hostel fees, mess fees. The scheme reimburses college fees alone.
The scheme mainly focuses on students seeking higher education.
If the student has attendance is less than 75% then the fee disbursement is not done. Also, the scheme is not applicable for students in private or deemed universities.
The scheme is not applicable for distant learning and NRI quota.
The official website to apply for Vidya Deevena scheme is NAVASAKAM.ap.gov.in.
Benefits of Vidya Deevena Scheme
Since 2019, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has spent Rs 6,259 crores for fee reimbursement under the scheme. This has benefitted 21.48 lakh students.
Through the scheme, the Government of Andhra Pradesh is aiming for 100% literacy rate in the state.
It mainly intends to fulfil the dreams of students pursuing higher education without burdening their families.
As of November 2021, 2,118 students studying in private universities have benefitted through the scheme.
Who are eligible beneficiaries of the scheme?
Any students whose family income is less than Rs 2.5 lakhs is eligible under the scheme. The students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Backward classes, scheduled tribes, minorities, economically backward classes, Kapus and Differently abled are also eligible. Also, students belonging to families with 25 acres of dry land and 10 acres of wetland are also eligible. The income tax payers are not eligible. The family should not own a four-wheeler. None of the family member should be a government official or pensioner.
Every year the World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1. The day is being celebrated since 1988. It is celebrated to create awareness against the spread of HIV infection. It is one of the 11 official Global Public Health campaigns of World Health Organisation. The Other 10 campaigns are as follows
Theme of World AIDS Day
This year the World AIDS Day is celebrated under the following theme
Ending Inequalities
AIDS awareness week
Every year the last week of November is celebrated as AIDS awareness week. The first AIDS Awareness Week was celebrated in 1984 in San Francisco.
AIDS in India
According to the National AIDS Control Organisation, around 2.14 million people live with AIDS in India as of 2017. India is home to the third largest population of persons with AIDS in the world after South Africa and Nigeria as of 2018. However, the prevalence rate of AIDS in India is lesser than that of many other countries. In 2016, the prevalence rate of AIDS was at 0.3% in India. This was the 80th highest in the world.
India fights the disease through antiretroviral drugs and education programmes.
National AIDS Control Organisation
It was established in 1992 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It takes leadership in controlling AIDS in India. It conducts estimates of the disease once in every 2 years along with National Institute of Medical statistics and Indian Council of Medical Research. The first such Estimation in India was done in 1998 and the last was done in 2017.
NACO has increased its number of centres providing free antiretroviral treatment from 54 to 91. The number of AIDS patients in the country have increased largely in 2020 due to COVID-19. The government programmes implemented to reduce AIDS in the country have come to halt due to COVID-19 crisis.
The Government of India recently formed an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) review panel. The panel will look in to the criteria of 10% reservation for the economically weaker section in government jobs and educational institutions.
What will the panel do?
The panel will review the criteria determining the EWS category.
It will examine approaches followed in identifying EWS category.
It will analyse and recommend a new criteria to identify the EWS in the country.
Why was the panel constituted?
The panel was formed following the Supreme Court query to the Government of India. The SC asked “On what rationale, the central government is fixing the quota eligibility at Rs 8 lakh?” For person to be labelled under OBC (Other Backward Caste), his income limit should be less than Rs 8 lakh per annum. This was questioned by the Supreme Court.
How is the EWS identified currently?
Apart from the above said Rs 8 lakh criteria, the following persons:
Owning five acres of agricultural land
Owning residential plot of 1,000 square feet
Owning residential plot of 100 square feet in notified municipalities
Owning residential plot of 200 square yards in areas other than the notified municipalities
Are not eligible to get 10% EWS quota.
What is the difference between OBC reservation and EWS reservation?
The OBC reservation is provided for the non – creamy layer of the Other Backward Classes section. They receive 27% reservation. The EWS reservation is for the “General Class”. They are not covered under OBC, SC or ST.
In OBC, the criteria of income of spouse is not included. But in case of EWS, it is included.
Panel Constituted under Article 15
Article 15 (4) says that nothing shall prevent the state from making special provisions for the advancement of the socially and educationally backward classes or scheduled tribes or scheduled caste.
The National Statistical Office recently released its findings of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). This is a Quarterly bulletin and is tenth is the series. This is for January to March 2021.
What are the key findings of 2021 survey?
The unemployment rate of people in the age of 15 years and above was 10.3%.
The unemployment rate of urban females was 11.8% in 2021. It was 13.1% in 2020.
The unemployment rate of urban males was 8.6% in 2021. It was 9.5% in 2020.
The Worker Population Ratio in urban was at 43.1%. It was 43.7% in 2020.
The Labour Force Participation Rate in urban areas was 47.5%. It was 47.3% in 2020.
What are the objectives of Periodic Labour Force Survey?
The main object is to estimate employment and unemployment indicators. This includes labour force participation rate, worker population ratio, unemployment rate, etc. This is done in two ways. They are
Collecting “Current Weekly Status”
Collecting data on “Usual Status”
This is done in both urban and rural areas annually. In CWS approach, the person is considered unemployed if he or she did not work for even for one hour in the week.
What is “Current Weekly Status” and “Usual Status” in PLFS?
The Current Weekly Status is the employment status of the individuals in the last seven days preceding the date of survey.
The Usual Status captures long term unemployment in the country. Here the status of the person in 365 days is decided based on his activity for longer period of time. If a person is employed for seven months employed and three months unemployed, then his usual status is “Employed”. If a person is three months employed and seven months unemployed, then his usual status is “Unemployed”.
What details are provided by quarterly PLFS bulletin?
The quarterly bulletins of PLFS provides worker Population Ratio, Unemployment Rate, Labour Force Participation Rate.
Labour Force Participation Rate: Percentage of persons working or seeking or available for work.
Worker Population Ratio: Percentage of employed persons in the population
Unemployment Rate: Percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in labour force.
Labour Force: The Labour force is the part of the population that supplies labour for the production of goods and services.
About PLFS
The survey was started in 2017. So far ten bulletins have been released. They are December 2018; March, June, September and December 2019; March, June, September and December 2020. The NSO had also released three annual reports. They are for the period 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. In every year, the survey was started in June and ended in July of the consecutive year.
Kyhytysuka sachicarum is a new marine reptile species discovered by an international team of researchers. It is an extinct species. It was discovered from fossils found in central Columbia. Earlier scientists believed that it belonged to Platypterygius genus. Recently, it was discovered that it is a different species. And thus it is now named as Kyhytysuka sachicarum.
Kyhytysuka sachicarum honours Muisca tribal
Kyhytysuka means “the one that cuts with something sharp”. The word belongs to the indigenous language of central Columbia.
The new species has been named Kyhytysuka sachicarum to honour the Muisca culture of central Columbia. The Muisca are also called Chibcha. They were conquered by the Spanish in 1537. They were mainly agrarians. They also extracted salt from the sea.
Features of Kyhytysuka
It was a mid – sized ophthalmosaurian. The Ophthalmosaurus belonged to the Jurassic period.
It had extremely large sized eyes, dolphin – shaped body.
The jaws had many robust teeth.
It had several adaptations.
It was a macro predatory vertebrate hunter, which means, it hunted larger vertebrates. Vertebrates are organisms with backbone. Organisms without backbone are called invertebrates.
The species was mostly found in shallow waters.
Unique Feature: Teeth
The dentary is the longest bone of the species. It measures 720 mm. The dentition is the most unique feature of the species. The teeth are seated in continuous grooves. The teeth are slightly curved posteriorly. Also, an alternating wave – like pattern is observed.