Daily Current Capsules - 02^nd AUGUST 2019

State Specific
Union Cabinet approves J&K Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the EWS reservation provisions) + Mains ( GS II social issues + issues relating to development and management of social issues like education and human resource + centre-state relations)
What's the NEWS

• The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (2^nd Amendment) Bill was approved by the Union Cabinet
• The bill will pave the way for the extension of 10 percent reservation for the poor in educational institutes and government offices of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The 10 percent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be in addition to the existing reservations in the state.

Know! more about the EWS reservation

• The Union Government had approved a constitutional amendment in January 2019 to provide 10 percent reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections in general category for direct recruitment in higher education and government jobs.
• The 10 percent reservation is over and above the existing reservation cap of 50 percent.
• The Union Government stated that those with an annual family income of less than Rs 8 lakh will be categorized as economically weaker and deemed eligible for the reservation quota.
• The Supreme Court had earlier refused to order a stay on the government's decision to grant 10 percent quota to economically weaker sections in jobs and admissions.
• The court had, however, agreed to examine the validity of the law and issued a notice to the Centre on the pleas.
• The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the reservation bill on January 8 and 9 respectively and it was later signed by President Ram Nath Kovind.

National Affairs
Rajya Sabha passes Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about motor vehicle amendment bill 2019) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors)
What's the NEWS

• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Rajya Sabha
• It will improve road safety, facilitate citizens in their dealings with transport departments, strengthen rural transport, public transport and last mile connectivity through automation, computerization and online services.
• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is based on the recommendations of the Group of Transport Ministers (GoM) of States constituted by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways to address the issue of road safety and to improve the facilitation of the citizens while dealing with transport departments.
• The GoM was headed by Shri. Yoonus Khan, the then Transport Minister of Rajasthan, and had 18 State Transport Ministers from different political parties as members.

Know! the important provisions of the bill

• The amendments in the Bill mainly focus on issues relating to improving road safety, citizens' facilitation while dealing with the transport department, strengthening rural transport, last mile connectivity and public transport, automation and computerization and enabling online services.

Some of the important areas of amendment are as follows:

• In the area of road safety, the Bill proposes to increase penalties to act as deterrent against traffic violations.
• Stricter provisions are being proposed in respect of offences like juvenile driving, drunken driving, driving without licence, dangerous driving, over-speeding, overloading etc.
• Stricter provisions for helmets have been introduced along with provisions for electronic detection of violations. Penalty regarding motor vehicles is to be increased by 10 % every year..
• The Bill mandates automated fitness testing for vehicles. This would reduce corruption in the transport department while improving the road worthiness of the vehicle.
• The Bill allows the central government to order for recall of motor vehicles if a defect in the vehicle may cause damage to the environment, or the driver, or other road users

National Road Safety Board

• The Bill provides for a National Road Safety Board, to be created by the central government through a notification.
• The Board will advise the central and state governments on all aspects of road safety and traffic management including standards of motor vehicles, registration and licensing of vehicles, standards for road safety, and promotion of new vehicle technology.
• To help road accident victims, Good Samaritan guidelines have been incorporated in the Bill.
• The Bill provides for a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims during golden hour.
• The Bill has included the driver's attendant in 3rd Party insurance. re will be no cap on liability of insurers. There will be a 10 time increase in insurance compensation, from Rs 50, 000 to Rs 5 lakh.

Space Awareness
Cabinet approves ISRO Technical Liaison Unit at Moscow

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ISRO's technical liaison unit) + Mains (GS III space awareness)
What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the setting up of ISRO Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) at Moscow, Russia.

Know! more about ITLU

• The ISRO Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) at Moscow will enable effective technical coordination for timely interventions on diversified matters with Russia and neighbouring countries for realization of the programmatic targets of ISRO.
• The Liaison Officer, deputed at ITLU from ISRO provides technical information about the developments in research and technology and inputs arising from their meetings with researchers, government agencies and industries in the respective countries.
• They also support the ongoing bilateral programmes of cooperation in space technology and act on behalf of ISRO on the matters referred.

Know! the Benefits

• ISRO will be able to collaborate with Space agencies/industries in Russia and neighbouring countries for mutually synergetic outcomes.
• ISRO's Gaganyaan programme requires development of some of the key technologies and establishment of specialized facilities, which are essential to support life in space.
• Keeping in view the 15^th August, 2022 timeline for realization of the Gaganyaan human space programme, it is prudent to avail technical cooperation from International space agencies, who have already demonstrated their technical capabilities in specific areas.
• Russia, being one of the space faring nations, it is envisaged to collaborate with Russia extensively in various fields of relevance.

Know! more about ITLU

• Department of Space has instituted technical Liaison Units, namely ISRO Technical Liaison Units (ITLU) at Washington, USA and Paris, France with the prime objective to liaise with various Government and space agencies in USA and Europe, respectively.
• Space cooperation has been one of the major links between India and Russia almost from the beginning of the space era and currently both sides are actively pursuing interactions in diversified areas of space programme.
• Apart from intensifying cooperation with Russia, India has expanded its space cooperation with countries near to Russia.
• This calls for extensive uninterrupted coordination & interface support for increased level international technical collaboration.

Cabinet Decisions
Cabinet approves signing of the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements resulting from mediation by India

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about UN convention on international settlement agreement UNISA +ADR mechanism)
What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements (UNISA) resulting from mediation by the Republic of India scheduled to be held at Singapore on 7^th August, 2019, or at United Nations Headquarters.

Benefit of signing this agreement

• Signing of the Convention will boost the confidence of the investors and shall provide a positive signal to foreign investors about India's commitment to adhere to international practice on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Know! the Initiatives to promote ADR Mechanisms:

• In order to encourage international commercial arbitration in India, to evolve a comprehensive ecosystem of arbitration the Government is establishing the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) as a statutory body.
• The Commercial Courts Act, 2015, has been further amended and legislative exercise to further amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, is currently underway.
• These initiatives are being taken with a view to encourage the settlement of commercial disputes, domestic and international, in India through ADR Mechanism of Arbitration, Conciliation and Mediation.

Know! the genesis of UNISA)

• The United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation ("the Convention") on 20th December 2018.
• The General Assembly authorized that the Convention will open for signature at a signing ceremony to be held on 7^th August 2019 in Singapore and will be known as the "Singapore Convention on Mediation" (the Convention).
• The Convention provides a uniform and efficient framework for the enforcement of international settlement agreements resulting from mediation and for allowing parties to invoke such agreements, akin to the framework that the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York, 1958) (the "New York Convention") provides for arbitral awards.

Science and Technology
Atal Community Innovation Centre

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ACIC ) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of IT , space computers, robotics etc)
What's the NEWS

• Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas &Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) to encourage the spirit of innovation at the community level.
• This initiative aims to encourage the spirit of innovation through solution-driven design thinking to serve society.
  

Know! all about ACICs

• ACICs will encourage students, researchers and other individuals/group of individuals to ideate and design novel solutions. ACICs will also connect innovative thinkers to our market and mainstream economy.
• ACIC is a new initiative of Atal Innovation Mission to support community innovation drive in the country. The program is directed to encourage the spirit of innovation through solution driven design thinking to serve the society.
• It will focus on underserved/ unserved regions of the country which at present lack a vibrant start-up and innovation ecosystem.
• ACIC will be established either in PPP mode or with support of PSUs and other agencies.
• The maximum grant-in-aid support form AIM will be up to 2.5 crores subject following compliance to ACIC guidelines and contributing matching form the host institutions and their funding partner(s).

Know! the features of the program:

1. Enabling infrastructure for building innovation ecosystem
2. Community oriented approach to innovation by enabling solutions through advanced tinkering
3. Offer opportunities to innovators to ideate in areas of societal importance
4. Capacity building of communities in evolving technologies and taking their solutions from ideation to prototype.
5. Promoting design thinking process to spur innovation
6. Providing a framework to engage local industries to facilitate offering of innovative solutions in their products, services and processes
7. Public private Partnership (PPP) mode to ensure financial sustainability and participation of central agencies, PSUs etc. to mobilize resources for running the program
8. Offer an opportunity for everyone to innovate, ideate and design impactful solutions, irrespective of their age.
9. One of the unique feature of this program wherein talented students and youth of ITI and Diploma will be offered opportunity to display their and build innovative solutions through ACIC.
10. The program will offer a big leapfrog jump towards establishing Indian for further scale up the ranking in Global Innovation Index.

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