Social Justice
The Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Amendment Bill

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the amendment bill - highlights) + Mains ( GS II Social Issues)
What's the NEWS

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021, which seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 has been passed by the Parliament
• The bill was introduced in the Parliament by the Government in the Budget session this year.

Know! about the amendments and new provisions

• The amendments include authorizing District Magistrate including Additional District Magistrate to issue adoption orders under Section 61 of the JJ Act, in order to ensure speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability.
• The District Magistrates have been further empowered under the Act, to ensure its smooth implementation, as well as garner synergized efforts in favour of children in distress conditions.
• As per the amended provisions of the Act,any Child Care Institutions shall be registered after considering the recommendations of the District Magistrate.
• The DM shall independently evaluate the functioning of District Child Protection Units, Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, Specialized Juvenile Police Units, Child care Institutions etc.
• Criteria for disqualification of the CWC members has also been introduced to ensure that only the persons capable of rendering quality service with requisite competence and integrity are appointed to CWC.
• Presently there are three categories (petty, serious and heinous) defined under the Act which are referred to, while considering the cases of children in conflict with law.
• It has been decided that offences where the maximum sentence is more than 7 years imprisonment but no minimum sentence has been prescribed or minimum sentence of less than 7 years is provided, shall be treated as serious offences within this Act.
• This bill seeks to increase the role of additional district magistrates and district magistrates regarding the matters which concern adoption and child care.
• The Act states that only on the issuance of an adoption order by the civil court child adoption becomes final.
• The Bill will amend the rule and instead of the court, the additional district magistrate as well as district magistrate will issue adoption orders.

Geo-imaging satellite, EOS-3
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about geo-imaging satellite, EOS-3 + SSLV + Space Activities Bill) + Mains (GS III awareness in the field of space)

What's the NEWS

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a geo-imaging satellite, EOS-3, capable of near-real time monitoring of natural disasters like floods and cyclones in the third quarter of 2021-22
• Apart from natural disasters, the satellite which is capable of imaging the country 4 to 5 times a day will be able to monitor water bodies, crops, vegetation condition, and forest cover changes among others

Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

• The first developmental flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2021 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• SSLV to be developed as a cost-effective, three stage, all-solid launch vehicle with a payload capability of 500 kg to 500 km planar orbit or 300 kg to Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit.
• SSLV is ideal for on-demand, quick turn-around launch of small satellites.
• The major technologies developed as part of realisation of SSLV are flexible nozzle control with electro-mechanical actuators for all stages, miniaturised avionics and a velocity-trimming module in the upper stage for precise satellite injection

Space Activities Bill

• The Space Activities Bill, which pertains to regulation and promotion of private players in space sector, is under active consideration by the government.
• The government is in the process of creating an ecosystem to encourage more private participation in indigenous production of space technologies, services and devices.
• Last year the Centre has already announced space sector reforms and created the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) as an independent nodal agency under the Department of Space with the mandate of promoting, handholding, licensing, authorising and monitoring private space activities in India.
• Access to Department of Space (DOS) facilities and expertise are extended to private entities to support their space activities.

Social Issues
World Day against Trafficking in Persons

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about World Day against Trafficking in Persons)
What's the NEWS

• In 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons and declared that such a day was necessary to "raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights."

Know! about World Day against Trafficking in Persons

• WHD Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex.
• Since 2003 the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has collected information on about 225,000 victims of trafficking detected worldwide.
• Globally countries are detecting and reporting more victims, and are convicting more traffickers.
• This can be the result of increased capacity to identify victims and/or an increased number of trafficked victims.
• Traffickers the world over continue to target women and girls.
• The vast majority of detected victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and 35 per cent of those trafficked for forced labour are female.
• In 2010, the General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat this scourge.
• One of the crucial provisions in the Plan is the establishment of a UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children.
• The theme for this year for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is ‘Victims' voices lead the way.'
• According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the 2010 Report on Human Trafficking indicated that 90% of trafficked persons belong to the most vulnerable groups.
• According to the UNODC, sexual exploitation is the most common form of human trafficking.

Environment
14 tiger reserves get CA|TS accreditation

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CA|TS + global tiger day + GTF)
What's the NEWS

• The Environment Ministry has released the names of the 14 tiger reserves that had received the accreditation of the Global Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS)
• CA|TS is a globally accepted conservation tool that sets best practice and standards to manage tigers and encourages assessments to benchmark progress.

The 14 tiger reserves are

• Orang, Manas and Kaziranga in Assam
• Kanha, Panna and Satpura in MP
• Pench in Maharashtra
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar
• Dudhwa in UP
• Sunderbans in West Bengal
• Parambikulam in Kerala
• Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka
• Annamalai and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.

Global Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) accreditation

• Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) has been agreed upon as accreditation tool by the global coalition of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) and has been developed by tiger and protected area experts.
• Officially launched in 2013, it sets minimum standards for effective management of target species and encourages assessment of these standards in relevant conservation areas.
• CA|TS is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation.
• This tool sets best standards and practices to manage the tiger population of the world and encourages their assessments for benchmarking of progress.
• It is being implemented in around 125 sites in seven tiger range countries.
• India has the highest number of 94 sites, out of which assessment of 20 tiger reserves were completed this year.
• Currently, the country has 51 tiger reserves which are spread across 18 states.
• CATS accreditation is a global recognition of good tiger governance.
• This recognition means a lot in the context of adaptation to climate change, sustainability of ecosystem services, and safeguarding disruption of zoonotic cycles, through an umbrella species approach.
• The aspects monitored for accreditation include the importance and status of a reserve, management, community participation, tourism, protection, habitat management, and tiger populations.

The Global Tiger Forum (GTF)

• It an international NGO working on tiger conservation, and World Wildlife Fund India are the two implementing partners of the National Tiger Conservation Authority for CATS assessment in India.

International Tiger Day

• Global Tiger Day is celebrated every year on July 29th as a way to raise awareness about this magnificent but endangered big cat.
• The day was founded in 2010, when the 13 tiger range countries came together to create Tx2 - the global goal to double the number of wild tigers by the year 2022.
• India counts the number of wild tigers every four years and showed a promising rise from 1411 in 2006 to 2226 in 2014.

The trend for rising population of tigers in India is as follows:

• In the year 2006 - 1411
• In the year 2010 - 1706
• In the year 2014 - 2226
• In the year 2019 - 2967..

• India is a habitat of about 70% of total tigers on the earth.
• The theme for this international day is - "Their Survival is in our hands".

Importance of conserving tiger population

• It is very important to focus on the conservation of tigers as they play an important role in maintaining and protecting a balanced ecosystem.
• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) states that since tigers are the top predators, they play a very important role in maintaining the planet's ecosystems harmony.
• By preying on the herbivore population, tigers have helped to keep the balance between the forest vegetation and the animals.
• In 1973, Project Tiger was started in India which was a unique plan to save tigers on the planet. Since it formative years there were 9 tiger reserves but the Tiger Project coverage has increased to 50.

Science and Technology
Intel launches ‘AI For All' initiative in partnership with CBSE

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about AI for ALL initiative)
What's the NEWS

• Chipmaker Intel has collaborated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to launch the ‘AI For All' initiative, aimed at creating a basic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) for people in India.
• Based on Intel's ‘AI For Citizens' programme, 'AI For All' is a 4-hour, self-paced learning programme that demystifies AI in an inclusive manner

Know! about the programme

• The programme aims to introduce AI to one million citizens in its first year,
• The AI For All initiative based on Intel's AI For Citizens program aims to make India AI-ready by building awareness and appreciation of AI among everyone
• The programme further strengthens Intel's commitment to collaborating with the Government of India to reach the full potential of AI and further the vision of a digitally-empowered India, she added.
• The four-hour open content resource, which is available in 11 vernacular languages, is divided into two sections - AI Awareness (1.5 hours) and AI Appreciation (2.5 hours).
• The segment on AI Awareness provides an elementary understanding of AI, misconceptions around AI, and its application potential.
• The AI Appreciation segment helps learners understand the key domains of AI, its impact across industries, and gets them started on building personal learning plans.
• At the end of each stage, participants will be given personalised digital badges that can be shared on social media.
• National Education Policy 2020 acknowledges the importance of AI and emphasises on preparing everyone for an AI-driven economy.
• AI For All is one of the largest AI public awareness programmes worldwide and will help demystify AI in an inclusive manner strengthening India's position as a global leader for emerging technologies

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