Relevance IN - Prelims (about International Yoga Day 2020)
What's the NEWS

• Ministry of Culture is Celebrating International Yoga Day 2020 by organising a campaign Namaste Yoga from 19^th to 21^st June, 2020 to achieve the goal of making yoga an indispensable part of everyone's life.
• 2020 Theme: "Yoga for Health - Yoga at Home"

• Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga' derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.
• Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131.
• The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.
• The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.
• The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69^th session of the General Assembly

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about National Testing Agency + about National Test Abhyas ) + Mains ( GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
What's the NEWS

• The Human Resource Development Ministry announced that National Testing Agency (NTA) has launched Hindi Tests feature on National Test Abhyas mobile app.
• Competitive exam students preferring Hindi can now practice on their mobile devices with Hindi mock tests released on the National Test Abhyas smartphone app by NTA.

National Test Abhyas mobile app.

• It was launched last month by NTA which conducts competitive exams like JEE and NEET
• It is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered smartphone app to empower engineering and medical aspirants to prepare safely from their homes, for entrance exams including JEE Main, NEET.
• So far, more than 16.5 lakhs tests have been given by students on this app, and more than 9.56 lakh students have downloaded the App.
• Similar to the experience in English language, every day, the NTA will release one new test in Hindi on the app, which students can download to attempt.
• With a list of daily tests for exams including JEE Main, NEET and other exams to be added soon

Know! about National Testing Agency (NTA)

• National Testing Agency (NTA) has been established as a premier, specialist, autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher educational institutions.
• National Testing Agency (NTA) is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• NTA is responsible for conducting the Joint Entrance Examination - Main (JEE Main), National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG), National Eligibility Test (NET), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT).
• NTA holds the Joint Entrance Examination - Main (JEE Main) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG) twice a year
• The NTA will be chaired by an eminent educationist who will be appointed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Science and Technology
SATYABHAMA
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Satyabhama Portal + NGO Darpan Portal) + Mains ( GS III Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life + GS II development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups)

What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Mines has launched SATYABHAMA (Science and Technology Yojana for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement) Portal for Science and Technology Programme Scheme of Ministry of Mines

Know! all about the Portal

• The portal has been designed, developed and implemented by National Informatics Centre (NIC), Mines Informatics Division.
• In contrast to present system where research proposals are submitted physically by the Scientists / Researchers, SATYABHAMA Portal allows online submission of project proposals along with monitoring of the projects and utilization of funds / grants.
• The researchers can also submit progress reports and Final Technical Reports of the projects in the electronic format in the portal.
• The Portal is integrated with NGO Darpan Portal of NITI Aayog.
• Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India provides funds to various academic institutions, for implementing R&D projects under Science and Technology Programme Scheme of Ministry of Mines with the vision to promote research in applied geosciences, mineral exploration, mining and allied areas
• The Portal will increase efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of the Scheme.
• The SATYABHAMA Portal can be accessed at research.mines.gov.in.

NGO Darpan Portal

• The NGO-Partnership System (NGO-PS) Portal (NGO-DARPAN) was earlier maintained by erstwhile Planning Commission, which has been replaced by the NITI Aayog w.e.f. 1st January, 2015.
• The Portal, therefore, is being maintained at present under the aegis of NITI Aayog.
• NITI Aayog invites all Voluntary Organizations (VOs)/ Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to Sign Up on the Portal.
• VOs/NGOs play a major role in the development of the nation by supplementing the efforts of the Government.
• This portal enables VOs/NGOs to enrol centrally and thus facilitates creation of a repository of information about VOs/NGOs, Sector/State wise.

Government Schemes
Scheme of Special Micro-Credit Facility launched for Street Vendors

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about PM SVANidhi ) + 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

• A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), in order to engage SIDBI as the Implementation Agency for PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) - a Special Micro-Credit Facility for Street Vendors.

Know! about the Memorandum of Understanding (highlights)

• SIDBI will implement the PM SVANidhi Scheme under the guidance of MoHUA.
• It will also manage the credit guarantee to the lending institutions through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
• It will develop and maintain a customized and integrated IT Platform providing end-to-end solutions, including documentation of all the processes and workflows for an end-to-end solution, through a Portal and a Mobile App, to ensure engagement and information flow between Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Lending Institutions, Digital Payment Aggregators and other stakeholders.
• It will leverage the network of lending Institutions like Scheduled Commercials Banks (SCBs), Non-Bank Finance Companies (NBFCs), Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs), Co-operative Banks, Small Finance Banks (SFBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), etc. for the Scheme implementation.

Know! about PM SVANidhi

• PM SVANidhi was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairshad, on June 01, 2020 for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.
• This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors. Under the Scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year.
• On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis.
• There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan.
• The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month.

Social Issues
The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan launched by Prime Minister (Part -II)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan ) + Mains ( GS II Social issues, Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister launched a massive employment -cum- rural public works Campaign named ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan' to empower and provide livelihood opportunities in areas/ villages witnessing large number of returnee migrant workers affected by the devastating COVID-19.

Know! more about the abhiyaan

• The Abhiyaan was flagged off from village Telihar, Block Beldaur, district Khagaria, Bihar on June 20
• The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is being undertaken in 116 districts of 6 states.
• It will be implemented at the grassroots level with active coordination between 11 ministries of the Central Government.
• The Abhiyaan will continue for 125 days, and 25 works have been identified which will be taken up for completion.
• The Abhiyaan will be a convergent effort between different Ministries/Departments, namely; Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, New & Renewable Energy, Border Roads, Telecom and Agriculture, to expedite implementation of 25 public infrastructure works and works relating to augmentation of livelihood opportunities.
• The Ministry of Rural Development is the nodal Ministry for this campaign and the campaign will be implemented in close coordination with the State Governments.

The major objectives of the initiative include:

• Provide livelihood opportunity to returning migrants and similarly affected rural citizens
• Saturate villages with public infrastructure and create livelihood opportunities
• The basket of a wide variety of works will ensure that each migrant worker is able to get an opportunity of employment according to his skill, in the coming 125 days.
• The Program will also prepare for expansion and development of livelihoods over a longer term.

International
EAG plenary meet
Relevance IN - Prelims ( facts about EAG+FATF + black and grey list) + Mains ( GS II Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate + Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests
What's the NEWS

• Indian officials attended the virtual 32nd special Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG) plenary meeting, under the aegis of the Financial Action Task Force.

Know! about EAG

• The EAG is a regional body comprising nine countries: India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. It is an associate member of the FATF.

Know! about FATF's plenary meet

• The FATF's virtual plenary meet will be held on June 24, which will also be attended by the officials concerned through video-conferencing.
• The FATF Plenary, the decision making body, meets three times a year around February, June and October

Know! about FATF

• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
• The inter-governmental body sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society.
• As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas. (It does not have any role in law enforcement matters, investigations or prosecution.)
• The FATF has developed the FATF Recommendations, or FATF Standards, which ensure a co-ordinated global response to prevent organised crime, corruption and terrorism.
• The FATF monitors countries to ensure they implement the FATF Standards fully and effectively, and holds countries to account that do not comply.

Know! about the genesis of FATF

• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was established in July 1989 by a Group of Seven (G-7) Summit in Paris, initially to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering.
• In October 2001, the FATF expanded its mandate to incorporate efforts to combat terrorist financing, in addition to money laundering.
• In April 2012, it added efforts to counter the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
• Since 2000, FATF has maintained the FATF blacklist and the FATF grey list

• Only those countries are included in this list that FATF considers as uncooperative tax havens for terror funding.
• Countries that are supporting terror funding and money laundering activities are placed in the Blacklist
• These countries are known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs)

Grey list

• Grey list is a warning given to the country that it might come in Black list
• If a country is unable to curb mushrooming of terror funding and money laundering; it is shifted from grey list to black list by the FATF.

Grey list ( what if a country comes under the list)

• Economic sanctions and problem in getting loans from international institutions (IMF, World Bank, ADB etc.)
• International boycott and Overall Reduction in its international trade

Know! the status of Pakistan

• Pakistan, which continues to remain on the "grey list" of FATF, had earlier been given the deadline till the June plenary to ensure compliance with the 27-point action plan against terror funding networks and money laundering syndicates, or face "black listing".
• The deadline has been shifted to the October 18-23 plenary and working group meetings, scheduled to be held in Paris owing to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
• Pakistan was included in the grey list for the first time in 2012
• On 29 June, 2018 FATF Grey listed Pakistan for the second time.
• India, USA and UK want that Pakistan should be included in the black list of FATF while China and Turkey are opposing this move.

International
World Refugee Day 2020

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about World refugee day + conventions)
What's the NEWS

• World Refugee Day, international observance observed June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.
• According to the United Nations, every minute, 20 people are forced to leave behind everything, and escape conflict and war.
• The theme of World Refugee Day this year is "every action counts." The focus is to bring about changes to make the world more inclusive.

Know! about refugee

• According to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, people who fled their homes and countries due to "a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion" is a refugee.

Know! about World Refugee Day

• On December 4, 2000 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution relating to the status of refugees, and decided that June 20 would be marked as World Refugee Day, to spread awareness and honour the resilience of refugees.
• Non-refoulement is a fundamental principle of international law that forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on "race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion".
• India is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and does not have a national refugee protection framework.
• However, it continues to grant asylum to a large number of refugees from neighbouring States and respects UNHCR's mandate for other nationals, mainly from Afghanistan and Myanmar.
• While the Government of India deals differently with various refugee groups, in general it respects the principle of for holders of UNHCR documentation.

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