Relevance IN - Prelims (about PSAZ) + Mains (GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• The Cauvery Delta Region in the Tamil Nadu state will be declared a protected special agricultural zone (PSAZ)

Know! more about the Protected special agricultural zone(PSAZ)

• To ensure that agriculture is not affected, the Cauvery delta regions in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Cuddalore, Ariyalur, Karur and Tiruchirapalli will be converted into a Protected Special Agriculture Zone
• Only agricultural and allied industries should be allowed in delta region and it cannot be used for any other non-agricultural activities.

Know! why this declaration has been taken by the State government

• This announcement comes weeks after the CM wrote to PM Modi requesting him to revoke the amendment in the Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006.
• The Environment Impact Assessment has recently amended by the central government tp give permission for ONGC and other private firms
• The Central Government in 2019 awarded the oil and gas exploration projects in the Cauvery basin.
• This invoked large protests amid water crisis in crisis in the state as the hydrocarbon exploration in the delta region requires excess amount of fresh water.
• The Cauvery delta region is an important agriculture region in Tamil Nadu and farmers continue to do agriculture, despite climate challenges.
• Projects like hydrocarbon exploration have raised concerns among farmers and other agriculture-based labourers.
• Since the delta region is close to the sea, there is a need to safeguard the region.

State Specific
The Filament-free Kerala Project
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Filament-free Kerala project and about Urja Kerala mission)
What's the NEWS

• Kerala Finance Minister announced that the state will impose a ban on the sale of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and incandescent (filament) bulbs starting November this year as part of sustainable energy policy.

Know! more about it

• The streetlights and bulbs in government offices across the state will be converted to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
• It is in line with the government project of ‘Filament-free Kerala' envisaged in 2018 as part of the state's Urja Kerala mission.
• LED bulbs are energy-efficient than filament or CFL bulbs and will, therefore, generate less waste. Also, filament bulbs contain the mercury element which, when broken, is polluting in nature.

Filament-free Kerala project

• The filament-free Kerala project will be implemented by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the Energy Management Centre, Kerala.
• Consumers in the state can place orders for LED bulbs on the KSEB website in exchange for existing filament bulbs.

Indian and its Neighbourhood
India, Bangladesh, Nepal move to facilitate vehicle movement within three nations, leaving aside Bhutan

Relevance IN - Prelims (about BBIN) + Mains (GS II Indian and its neighbourhood)
What's the NEWS

• India, Nepal, and Bangladesh decided to go ahead to implement a four-nation agreement inked almost five years ago to facilitate hassle-free movement of vehicles within the three nations, in spite of dilly-dallying by the pact's fourth signatory - Bhutan.
  

Know! about the trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

• The officials of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal met in New Delhi and agreed to ink a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which would be similar to the four- nation pact signed on June 15, 2015, but would be effective only for movement of vehicles within the three nations without any obligation for Bhutan.
• They also agreed to work fast on two separate protocols, which, once finalized, would govern the movement of passenger and cargo vehicles among the three nations.
• Bhutan also sent its officials to take part in the meeting hosted by India but as observers.

Know! about BBIN

• The BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) for Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic was inked on June 15, 2015.
• New Delhi took the lead in negotiating the four-nation agreement, which, if implemented, would have made it possible for vehicles registered in one of the four countries to move into or transit though the other three nations without any hassle.
• India was keen to ink such an agreement to promote sub-regional connectivity as similar initiatives involving all the eight nations in entire South Asia region could not move ahead due to the reluctance of Pakistan.
• Bhutan - like India, Nepal and Bangladesh - did sign the agreement, but the upper House of the tiny nation's Parliament - National Council - declined to ratify it.
• The members of the National Council had apprehension that Bhutan's unspoilt environment and culture would be in peril when such a large number passenger and cargo vehicles from Bangladesh, Nepal and India would be allowed to roll into the tiny Himalayan Shangri La.
• The BBIN motor vehicle pact was conceived after a similar agreement proposed within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was blocked by Pakistan in November 2014.

Written reply in the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha (important takeaways)
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative Report

• The report observes that in India, there were 271 million fewer people in poverty in 2016 than in 2006, which shows improvement in status.
• The report noted that of the 10 selected countries for which changes over time were analysed, India and Cambodia reduced their Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) values the fastest-and they did not leave the poorest groups behind.
• Several schemes with direct as well as indirect interventions to address the problem of malnutrition among women and children are being implemented as direct targeted interventions across the country like Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) and PradhanMantriMatruVandanaYojna (PMMVY) under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme.

POSHAN Abhiyaan

• The goals of POSHAN Abhiyaan are to achieve improvement in nutritional status of children from 0-6 years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers in a time bound manner with fixed targets.

Information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha
Schemes for Welfare of Women and Children

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing two Centrally Sponsored Umbrella schemes - Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Mission for Empowerment and Protection for Women across the country

Umbrella ICDS :

• The Anganwadi Services Scheme is a unique programme for early childhood care and development.

It offers a package of six services

1. Supplementary Nutrition
2. Pre-School Non-Formal Education
3. Nutrition and Health Education
4. Immunization
5. Health Check-Up and
6. Referral Services.

•  The beneficiaries under the Scheme are children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)

• targets to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies by reducing mal-nutrition/under nutrition, anemia among young children as also, focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

• PMMVY scheme provides cash incentive amounting to Rs.5,000/- in three instalments directly to the Bank/Post Office Account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mother(PW&LM) in DBT Mode during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling specific conditions.

Scheme for Adolescent Girls

• aims at out of school girls in the age group 11-14, to empower and improve their social status through nutrition, life skills and home skills.

National Creche Scheme

• It provides day care facilities to children of age group of 6 months to 6 years of working women.
• The facilities are provided for seven and half hours a day for 26 days in a month. Children are provided with supplementary nutrition, early childcare education, and health and sleeping facilities.

Mahila Shakti Kendra scheme

• It empowers rural women through community participation by involvement of Student Volunteers.
• The scheme is envisaged to work at various levels and at the national and state level technical support to the respective government on issues related to women is provided.

Swadhar Greh scheme

• targets women victims of unfortunate circumstances who are in need of institutional support for rehabilitation so that they can lead their life with dignity.

Ujjawala

• It is a comprehensive scheme with the objective to prevent trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, to facilitate rescue victims and placing them in safe custody, to provide rehabilitation services by providing basic amenities/needs, to facilitate reintegration of victims into the family and society, to facilitate repatriation of cross border victims.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme

• It is a tri-ministerial initiative of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development with a focus on awareness and advocacy campaign for changing mindsets, multi-sectoral action in select districts, enabling girls' education and effective enforcement of Pre-Conception & Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act.
• The specific objectives of the scheme is to address declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) by preventing gender biased sex selective elimination; ensuring survival and protection of the girl child and ensuring education and participation of the girl child.

One Stop Centre (OSC)

• It facilitates access to an integrated range of services including police, medical, legal, psychological support and temporary shelter to women affected by violence. The Scheme is funded through the Nirbhaya Fund.

Women Helpline Scheme

• It is being implemented since 1^st April, 2015 to provide 24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence through referral and information about women related government schemes/programmes across the country through a single uniform number (181).

Mahila Police Volunteers (MPVs) Scheme

• It is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• It envisages engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers in States/UTs who act as a link between police and community and facilitates women in distress.

Global Gender Gap Index

• Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) published by the World Economic Forum in 2018 ranks 149 countries on their status of gender equality through various parameters.
• On this index, India ranked 108^th on its performance on gender equality.
• In the Global Gender Gap Index 2020, the number of countries increased to 153 in which India's ranking was 112^th.
• India's score has moved from 0.665 in 2018 to 0.668 in 2020.
  

• Constitutional Provisions - Articles such as Article 14, Article 15 (3), Article 39A, and Article 42 make special provisions for rights of women to ensure gender equality.
• Legislative Provisions - Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Act (PCPNDT), 1994; Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013; Equal Remuneration Act, 1976; Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (Amended in 2017) aimed at mandating women's rights.

Schemes/Programmes -

• BetiBachaoBetiPadhao (BBBP) ensures the protection, survival and education of the girl child.
• Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) aims to empower rural women with opportunities for skill development and employment.
• Working Women Hostel (WWH) ensures the safety and security for working women.
• Mahila Police Volunteers(MPV) envisages engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers in States/UTs who act as a link between police and community and facilitates women in distress.
• RashtriyaMahilaKosh (RMK) is an apex micro-finance organization that provides micro-credit at concessional terms to poor women for various livelihood and income generating activities.
• The National Crèche Scheme ensures that women take up gainful employment through providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment to the children.
• Pradhan MantriMatruVandnaYojna aims to provide maternity benefit to pregnant and lactating mothers.
• Pradhan MantriAwaasYojana aims to provide housing under the name of the woman also.
• DeenDayalUpadhyay National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) focuses on creating opportunities for women in skill development, leading to market based employment.
• Pradhan MantriUjjwalaYojana empowers women and protects their health by providing LPG cylinder free of cost.
• Pradhan MantriSukanyaSamriddhiYojna- Under this scheme girls have been economically empowered by opening their bank accounts.
• Female Entrepreneurship: To promote female entrepreneurship, the Government has initiated schemes like Stand Up India and Mahila e-Haat (online marketing platform to support women entrepreneurs/ SHGs/NGOs). Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) provides access to institutional finance to micro/small business.

Education

• Several steps and initiatives have also been taken up in school education system such as National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and flagship programme like SamagraShiksha and the subsequent Right to Education Act (RTE).
• Kasturba Gandhi BalikaVidyalayas (KGBVs) have been opened in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs).

Political Participation

• Government has reserved 33% of the seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions for women.
• Capacity Building of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) programme by Ministry of Women and Child is conducted with a view to empower women to participate effectively in the governance processes.

Polity
SC upholds constitutional validity of SC/ST Amendment Act, 2018
Relevance IN - Prelims(about the provisions of SC/ST act) + Mains (GS II Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
What's the NEWS

• The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018 enacted to nullify the effects of the March 20, 2018 judgment of the court which had diluted the provisions of the Act.
• The Centre had filed a review petition before the Supreme Court asking to review its order passed on March 20, 2018.

Know! the March 20, 2018 judgment

• A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court had held in its March 20, 2018 verdict that there will be no automatic arrest on a complaint filed under the SC/ST Amendment Act 2018. The bench had also introduced anticipatory bail provision under the Act.
• However, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on September 30, 2019 restored the automatic arrest in cases of atrocities against SC and STs.
• The Centre had filed a review petition before the Supreme Court asking it to review its March 2018 order.

Know! the Amended SC/ST Act

• In the amended SC/ST Act, preliminary inquiry is not a must and no prior approval is also required for appointing authorities for senior police officers to file FIRs in cases of atrocities on SC and ST.
• The Act also does not provide for anticipatory bail to the accused being charged with SC/ST Act. Courts can, however, quash FIRs in exceptional circumstances.
• The apex court stated that pre-arrest bail should be granted only in extraordinary situations where a denial of bail would mean miscarriage of justice.

Bilateral Relations
Jerusalem-Mumbai Festival to showcase special links between two cities
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the festival and its objective) + Mains ( GS II Bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• The first ‘Jerusalem-Mumbai Festival' will be held in the capital of Maharashtra this week to showcase the special links between the two cities and to promote ties between India and Israel

Know! more about the festival

• The two-day festival starting on February 15 will seek to promote artistic cooperation in the diverse fields of culture, such as culinary art, music and dance.
• In the first such collaborative cultural event for the Jerusalem municipality in an Asian city, Jerusalem-Mumbai Festival looks to showcase the special links between the two cities while demonstrating their unique cultural traditions
• The event is also an opportunity to promote collaborations between Jerusalem and Maharashtra in the cultural domain and will serve as another milestone in the growing partnership between the two countries.
• The decision was taken to promote such collaboration between India and Israel during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Jewish state in July 2017.
• The Jerusalem municipality has done such cultural collaborations in cities like Prague, Moscow and Brussels in line with its tradition to expose young artists to different cultures.

Know! about India-Israel Relations

• In July 2017, Narendra Modi became the first ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel.
• The Israeli PM also visited India in January 2018 in a highly televised visit to commemorate 25 years of Indian-Israeli relations.
• India is the largest buyer of Israeli military equipment and Israel is the second-largest defence supplier to India after Russia.

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