November 2024

Download PDF
Daily Current Capsules - 27th December 2019

Governance
Good Governance Index launched

Relevance IN - Prelims (about good governance Index + about CSMOP) + Mains ( GS II Governance -Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures
What's the NEWS
  • The Central government launched the ‘Good Governance Index' at an event organized by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, on the occasion of Good Governance Day
Good Governance Day
  • The Good Governance Day is observed on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Know! more about Good Governance Index
  • Good Governance Index has been scientifically designed on various parameters of governance.
  • It has been designed keeping in mind the citizen-centricity, which is the prime mantra of Government
  • GGI would also seek to determine the status of governance as it exists today and it will provide reference threshold for future also.
  • The Good Governance Index is a uniform tool across States to assess the Status of Governance and impact of various interventions taken up by the State Government and UTs.
  • The objectives of GGI are to provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and UTs, enable states and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance and shift to result oriented approaches and administration.
  • The GGI takes into consideration ten sectors: 1). Agriculture and Allied Sectors, 2). Commerce & Industries, 3). Human Resource Development, 4). Public Health, 5). Public Infrastructure & Utilities, 6). Economic Governance, 7). Social Welfare & Development, 8). Judicial & Public Security, 9). Environment and 10). Citizen-Centric Governance.
  • These ten Governance Sectors are measured on total 50 indicators.
  • Difference indicators are given different weightage under one Governance Sector to calculate the value.
  • The states and UTs are divided into three groups: a). Big States, b). North-East & Hill States and c). UTs.
  • The states and UTs are ranked on all indicators separately, at the same time composite ranking is also calculated for these states and UTs under their respective groups based upon these indicators.
  • On the index, Tamil Nadu has got the highest score (5.62), followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh (5.4, 5.1, and 5.05) respectively.
  • Among the Northeastern and hill states, Himachal Pradesh is at the top with a score of 5.22, followed by Uttarakhand, Tripura, and Mizoram at 4.87, 4.5, and 4.41 respectively.
  • In the list of environment rankings, West Bengal is on top, followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar.
  • In economic governance ranking, Karnataka leads, followed by Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.
Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure (CSMOP)
  • The main features of the CSMOP, is to enables the march towards the digital Secretariat
  • The 1st CSMOP was published in 1955 and has been updated from time to time.
  • The last edition (14th edition) was published in 2015.
  • To meet the requirements of digital environment, DARPG has brought out 15th edition of CSMOP which integrates conventional office practices with e-office.
  • Presently, more than 90% ministries have adopted e-office and 14,56,739 files are running in about 84 Ministries/Departments through e-office.
  • In total. 57 ministries/departments have achieved desired target of 80% and above in e-office.
Government Schemes
Prime Minister Launches Atal Bhujal Yojana


Relevance IN - Prelims (about Atal Bhujal Yojana) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
What's the NEWS
  • The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the implementation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL), a Central Sector Scheme with a total outlay of Rs.6000 crore to be implemented over a period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25).
Know! more about the scheme
  • The scheme aims to improve ground water management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven States, viz. Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8350 Gram Panchayats in 78 districts in these States.
  • ATAL JAL will promote panchayat led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management
  • Out of the total outlay of Rs. 6000 crore, 50% shall be in the form of World Bank loan, and be repaid by the Central Government.
  • The remaining 50% shall be through Central Assistance from regular budgetary support. The entire World Bank's loan component and Central Assistance shall be passed on to the States as Grants.
ATAL JAL has two major components:
  • Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Component for strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable ground water management in the States
  • Incentive Component for incentivising the States for achievements in improved groundwater management practices
ATAL JAL will result in:
  • Institutional strengthening for improving ground water monitoring networks
  • Improved and realistic water budgeting based on an improved database and preparation of community-led Water Security Plans at Panchayat level
  • Implementation of Water Security Plans through convergence of various ongoing/new schemes of the Government of India and State Governments to facilitate judicious and effective utilization of funds for sustainable ground water management.
  • Efficient use of available ground water resources with emphasis on demand side measures such as micro-irrigation, crop diversification, electricity feeder separation etc.
Know! the present status of Ground water
  • Ground water contributes to nearly 65% of total irrigated area of the country and nearly 85% of the rural drinking water supply.
  • The limited ground water resources in the country are under threat due to the increasing demands of growing population, urbanization and industrialization.
  • Intensive, and unregulated ground water pumping in many areas has caused rapid and widespread decline in ground water levels as well as reduction in the sustainability of ground water abstraction structures.
  • The problem of reduction in ground water availability is further compounded by deteriorating ground water quality in some parts of the country.
  • The increasing stress on ground water due to over- exploitation, contamination and associated environmental impacts threaten to endanger the food security of the nation, unless necessary preventive / remedial measures are taken on priority.
Know! more about ATAL JAL Scheme
  • ATAL JAL has been designed with the principal objective of strengthening the institutional framework for participatory ground water management and bringing about behavioral changes at the community level for sustainable ground water resource management.
  • The scheme envisages undertaking this through various interventions, including awareness programmes, capacity building, convergence of ongoing/new schemes and improved agricultural practices etc.
Strategic Tunnel under Rohtang Pass named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Know! all about Rohtang Pass
  • Rohtang Tunnel, connecting Manali, Himachal Pradesh with Leh, Ladakh and Jammu Kashmir, will now be known as Atal Tunnel
  • The 8.8-kilometre long tunnel is the world's longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres.
  • It will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres and save crores of rupees in transport costs.
  • It is a 10.5-metre wide single tube bi-lane tunnel with a fire proof emergency tunnel built into the main tunnel itself.
  • The breakthrough from both ends was achieved on October 15, 2017.
  • The tunnel is now nearing completion and is a step in the direction of providing all weather connectivity to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh which otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six months during winters.
  • The historic decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken on June 03, 2000 when late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The foundation stone for the Access Road to the South Portal of the tunnel was laid on May 26, 2002.
  • The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) worked relentlessly to overcome major geological, terrain and weather challenges that included the most difficult stretch of the 587-metre Seri Nalah Fault Zone. The breakthrough from both ends was achieved on October 15, 2017.
  • The tunnel is now nearing completion and is a step in the direction of providing all weather connectivity to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh which otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six months during winters.
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog to Launch SDG India Index & Dashboard 2019-20
Relevance IN - Prelims (about SDG India Index) + Mains (GS II Governance and Social Justice - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.)
What's the NEWS
  • NITI Aayog will launch the second edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index, which documents the progress made by India's States and Union Territories towards implementing the 2030 SDG targets, on 30 December 2019 at NITI Aayog, New Delhi.
Know! more about SDG India Index
  • The SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019-20 have been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the United Nations in India, and the Global Green Growth Institute.
  • NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs in the country, at the national and sub-national level.
  • The SDG India Index, whose first edition was launched in December 2018, was the first tool developed by any large country to monitor the progress towards achieving SDGs at the sub-national level.
  • The SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019 tracks the progress of and ranks all States and UTs on 100 indicators drawn from MoSPI's National Indicator Framework, comprising 306 indicators.
  • It indicates where the country and its States and UTs currently are on SDG implementation, and charts the distance to be travelled to reach the SDG targets. The Index covers 16 out of 17 SDGs and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17. This marks an improvement over the 2018 Index, which covered only 13 goals.
KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS