03 JUNE 2021 CURRENT AFFAIRS

1.SCHOOL BOARDS

The Class XII examinations of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) have been cancelled due to COVID-19.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

• CBSE is a Board of Education for public and private schools, under the Union Government of India.
• Administration: The Board functions under the overall supervision of the Controlling Authority which is vested with the Secretary (School Education & Literacy), Ministry of Education, , Government of India. 

HQ:

Historical Background:

• UP Board of High School and Intermediate Education was the first Board set up in 1921. It has under its jurisdiction Rajputana, Central India and Gwalior.
• In 1929, the then Government of India set up a joint Board in 1929 for all the areas which was named as the 'Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Rajputana'. This included Ajmer, Merwara, Central India and Gwalior.  
• In 1952, the constitution of the Board was amended wherein its jurisdiction was extended to part-C and Part-D territories and the Board was given its present name 'Central Board of Secondary Education'.
• It was in the year 1962 finally that the Board was reconstituted. 

Important Info :

• Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
• It is a privately held national-level board of school education in India.
• It conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education and the Indian School Certificate Examination for Class X and Class XII respectively.
• It was established in 1958.

HQ: New Delhi.

Source : The Hindu

2.NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (NHRC)

President Ram Nath Kovind formally appointed Justice Arun Kumar Mishra as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Justice Mishra's name was recommended by a high-powered selection panel consisting Prime Minister Modi; Union Home Minister; Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; Lok Sabha Speaker; and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

About:

• Background: NHRC was established in 1993. It is in conformity with the Paris Principles, adopted at the first international workshop on national institutions for the protection of human rights held in Paris in 1991.
• Status: It is a statutory organization established under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Functions:

• The purpose of the NHRC is, suo moto or through the petition of a person, to investigate the violation of human rights or the failures of the state or other to prevent a human rights violation.
• The commissions may also take on research about human rights, create awareness campaigns through various mediums, and encourage the work of NGOs.
• Composition: The Commission consists of a Chairperson, four full-time Members and four deemed Members. A Chairperson, should be retired Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court.
• Appointment: The Chairperson and members of the NHRC are appointed by the President of India, on the recommendation of a committee consisting of:
• The Prime Minister (Chairperson)
• The Home Minister
• The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Lower House)
• The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
• The Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Lower House)
• The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
• Justice Ranganath Misra was the first chairperson of NHRC from 1993 till 1996.

Source : The Hindu

3.BAL SWARAJ

According to Bal Swaraj Portal, as of May 29, 2021, nearly 10,000 children in the country are in immediate need of care and protection. They include children aged between zero and 17 orphaned or abandoned during the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.

About:

• Who created it? The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has created an online tracking portal “Bal Swaraj (COVID-Care)”
• Background: NCPCR has developed it in furtherance to its function as a monitoring authority under section 109 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and in view of the growing problem related to children affected by COVID-19
• Objective: This portal will do online tracking and real-time monitoring of Childrens who have lost both its parents or either of the parent during COVID-19 and are in need of care and protection under Section 2(14) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.
• Working: It will track children affected by COVID-19 right from the production of children before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to the restoration of the children to their parent/guardian/relative and its subsequent follow-up. The data will be filled in the portal by the District officers and State officers for each child.

Source : The Hindu

4.LONG PERIOD AVERAGE (LPA)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that monsoon rains in the month of June-September would be 101% of the Long Period Average (LPA) of 88 cm. Earlier, on April 16, it said the rain would be 98% of the LPA. In the agency’s parlance, this still constitutes ‘normal’ rainfall, which is anywhere from 96-104% of the LPA.

About:

• Long Period Average (LPA) is the averages of rainfall received over a 50-year period between 1951 and 2001. This average comes to 89 cm of rainfall.
• This is the average rainfall recorded during the months from June to September, calculated during the 50-year period, and is kept as a benchmark while forecasting the quantitative rainfall for the monsoon season every year. 
• Categories: IMD maintains five rainfall distribution categories on an all-India scale which are –
• Excess: If the rainfall is more than 110 % of this LPA.
• Above Normal: If the rainfall is between 104 and 110 % of this LPA.
• Normal: If the rainfall is between 96 and 104 % of this LPA.
• Below Normal: If the rainfall is between 90 and 96 % of this LPA.
• Deficient: If the rainfall is less than 90 % of this LPA.

Source : The Hindu

5.SEED MINIKIT PROGRAMME

The Seed Minikit Programme was launched by Union Agriculture Minster by distributing Seed Minikits (higher yielding varieties of seeds) of Pulses and oilseeds to farmers.

About:

• The Seed Minikits programme is a major tool for introducing new varieties of seeds in the farmers fields and is instrumental for increasing the seed replacement rate.
• The mini kits are being provided by the Central Agencies National Seeds Corporation (NCS), NAFED and Gujarat State Seeds Corporation and wholly funded by the Government of India through the National Food Security Mission.
• 20,27,318 Seed Minikits of pulses, about 10 times more than last year, and more than 8 lakh Soybean seed mini kits and 74 thousand Groundnut mini kits are to be provided free of cost directly to the farmers under the National Food Security Mission. 

Source : PIB

6.INDIA CYCLES4CHANGE

The India Cycles4Change challenge is beginning to gain momentum in Indian cities.

About:

• The challenge was launched under the Smart Cities Mission by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 25th June, 2020, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As the COVID-19 pandemic was making inroads across the country, cycling saw a huge rise in demand.
• The lockdown restrictions had significantly affected the commuters of public transport, who saw cycling as a personal and COVID-safe alternative for short and medium distance commute.
• Moreover, cycling was also seen as a means of staying healthy- physically and mentally by the people who were confined to their homes.
• In this backdrop, with the launch of India Cycle4Change challenge, 107 cities registered to be a part of the cycling revolution and 41 cities undertook initiatives vis. surveys, discussions, pop-up cycle lanes, safer neighbourhoods, open street events, cycle rallies, or online campaigns that were aimed at creating a cycle friendly city.
• The Smart Cities Mission, in association with Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) conducted training modules and other capacity building initiatives to guide 107 cities on various cycling initiatives. 

Source : PIB

7.SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)

The Union Cabinet of India has approved the ratification of an Agreement on “Cooperation in the field of Mass Media” between all the Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The Agreement was signed in June, 2019.

About:

• What is it? The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation. It is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance and has been the primary security pillar of the region.
• History: It was established in 2001. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.
• The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO. It meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organisation.
• The organisation has two permanent bodies:
• the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing.
• the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

Membership:

• Eight member states: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• Four observer states: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia.

Source : The Hindu

8.FLYING TRAINING ACADEMIES

India is set to get 8 new Flying Training Academies under the liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

About:

• These academies will be set up at Belagavi, Jalgaon, Kalaburagi, Khajuraho and Lilabari.
• The set-up of these 8 FTOs is aimed at making India a global flying training hub and to prevent the exodus of Indian cadets to foreign FTOs.
• Additionally, these FTOs will also be designed to cater the flying training requirements of cadets in India’s neighbouring countries.
• To make FTOs attractive for bidders, AAI reduced the minimum annual rental significantly to Rs.15 lacs. Furthermore, the concept of airport royalty was scrapped to make these ventures business-friendly. 

Source : PIB

9.MODEL TENANCY ACT

The Union Cabinet has approved the Model Tenancy Act for circulation to all States / Union Territories for adaptation by way of enacting fresh legislation or amending existing rental laws suitably. It will help overhaul the legal framework with respect to rental housing across the country.

Salient features of the act:

• The government had first released the draft of the MTA in 2019. The Act aims to bridge the trust deficit between tenants and landlords by clearly delineating their obligations.
• Besides, The Act is expected to give a fillip to private participation in rental housing as a business model for addressing the huge housing shortage.
• The Model Tenancy Act will provide a model for urban and rural properties, as well as a template for residential and commercial properties.
• In case of dispute between landlord and tenant, a rent authority, or a rent court would be available for speedy resolution.
• A tenant will have to submit a security deposit of two months for residential premises. For commercial property, a tenant will have to pay six-month rent.
• The tenant cannot sublet a part of or the whole property to someone else.
• If the tenant fails to vacate the premises on the expiration of the period of tenancy or termination of tenancy, the landlord is entitled to double the monthly rent for two months and four times after that.
• the landowner would give a notice in writing three months before revising rent. The landlord cannot hike the rent in the middle of the tenure.

Source : LiveMint

10.MGNREGA SCHEME

The Centre has asked the States to split wage payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme into separate categories for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and others from this financial year.

About:

• Government of India has decided to provide separate budget heads for SC and ST categories under MGNREGS from the financial year 2021-22 for wage payment.
• The existing system for wages under the scheme is for only one type that is there is no category wise provision of wage payment.
• Workers’ rights advocates said this will complicate the payment system, and expressed fears that it may lead to a reduction in scheme funding.

Source : The Hindu