Internal Security
Fingerprint Bureau 2020
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) + NCRB) + Mains ( GS III Internal Security + Cyber awareness, police reforms)
What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Home Affairs digitally inaugurated the 21st All India Conference of Directors, Fingerprint Bureau 2020 and also the eCyber Lab set up by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS)

• Fingerprint is an essential tool because of its uniqueness, permanency, individuality and ease in acquisition.
• The digitization of records and fingerprint data is an important step forward in documenting and tracking crimes and criminals
• The fully computerized National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) would soon become functional and benefit police forces.
• The project - on the lines of the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) of the FBI in the US - hopes to create a repository of fingerprints of at least 1.5 crore criminals, enhance the ability to discern crime patterns and modus operandi across states, and communicate with state police departments to assist in crime prevention.
• NAFIS will be hosted at the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and implemented on a turnkey basis by the solution provider selected through a bid process.

eCyber Lab set up by NCRB

• State of the art cyber forensic tools, eCyber Lab will provide virtual experience in investigation of cyber crimes.
• NAFIS will be a game changer in investigation of crime .
• NAFIS will also provide aid to investigating officers in identifying criminals based on their fingerprints on real time basis.

Know! about NCRB

• The National Crime Records Bureau, abbreviated to NCRB, is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL).
• NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
• NCRB was set-up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators.
• It was set up based on the recommendation of the Task force,1985 and National Police Commission,1977 by merging the Directorate of Coordination and Police Computer (DCPC), Inter State Criminals Data Branch of CBI and Central Finger Print Bureau of CBI.
• Earlier Statistical Branch of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) was also merged with NCRB, but was later de-merged

Finger Prints in India 2019

• It is the 23^rd edition of annual publication of Central Finger Print Bureau (CFPB) under the aegis of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
• It presents the annual performance report for the calendar year 2019 of the Central and State/UT Finger Print Bureaux (SFPBx) including the activities, achievements, database status, trainings undertaken etc.

Prelims Factoids
Skal International Asia Area (SIAA)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Skal International Asia Area (SIAA)
What's the NEWS

• The UT of Jammu and Kashmir won the bid to host the 50th annual Skal International Asia Area (SIAA) Congress in 2021 during the annual general meeting recently against four other cities.

Skal International Asia Area (SIAA)

• Skål International is a an organisation of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship.
• The Congress is likely to be held between April 8 and 11 next year at Srinagar's Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
• The Skal is a Spain-based tourism body with 15,000 members and 150 chapters across the world.
• Kashmir won the spot against four top cities of Europe and Asia.
• This event will pave way for international tourism players to visit Kashmir and flip the international tourist footfall

Miscellaneous
Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index 2020' by international charity Oxfam

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the health spending index takeaways) + Mains ( GS II Social Issues - facts to substantiate answer related to Social issues and Health)
What's the NEWS

• The survey data show India spent less than 4% of its budget on health and ranked 155th on the health spending index.
• Its health budget is the fourth lowest in the world. Just half of its population have access to even the most essential health services
• The index has been topped by Norway followed by Denmark and Germany.
• India has been ranked 129 overall in the index.

Know! the report takeaways

• Globally, the report found, only 26 of the 158 countries surveyed were spending the recommended 15% of their budgets on health.
• Nigeria, Bahrain and India, (the last of) which is currently experiencing the world's fastest-growing outbreak of Covid-19, were among the world's worst performing countries in tackling inequality going into the pandemic
• According to the World Bank database, India was the 13th lowest (among 206 for which data was available) in terms of the percentage of total government expenditure that went to health in 2017.

Vulnerable employment (75%)

• India, which has weak labour rights and a high incidence of vulnerable employment (about 75%), is eighth from the bottom," the report said. India and Haiti are the only countries outside Africa in the bottom 10.
• In both Bangladesh and Pakistan, 57% of the workers are vulnerable

Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index 2020

• The index ranks 158 countries measuring their policies and actions in three areas

1. Public services(health, education and social protection) - India's Rank - 141
2. Taxation - India's Rank - 19
3. Workers rights - India's Rank - 151
As these three areas are directly related to reducing inequality

NITI Aayog
India Energy Modelling Forum (governing structure)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about IEMF + SEP ) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations + GS III Infrastructure development - energy)
What's the NEWS

• Further to the constitution of the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF)-jointly launched by NITI Aayog and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the US-India Strategic Energy Partnership-on 2 July, NITI Aayog announced its governing structure

US-India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP)

• It is a part of the Sustainable Growth pillar of the US-India Strategic Energy Partnership (SEP), IEMF aims to engage Indian researchers, knowledge partners, think tanks and national and international government agencies and departments for modelling and long-term energy planning.
• The governing structure of IEMF will consist of an inter-ministerial and a steering committee.
• The inter-ministerial committee will be convened by NITI Aayog and headed by its CEO, and comprise senior officials from the ministries of petroleum and natural gas; power; new and renewable energy; coal; environment, forest and climate change; and department of science and technology.
• This committee will review the studies/modelling activities and provide directions and new areas of research.

The steering committee will comprise representatives of the:

• Government(ministries of environment, forest and climate change; new and renewable energy; statistics and programme implementation; Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council; Coal Controller's Organization; Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell; Central Electricity Authority; and NITI Aayog)
• Industry Associations(FICCI and CII)
• Academia(IIT Bombay, Ahmedabad, and Delhi)
• Policy research organizations, think tanks and funding agencies
• India and the US have a long-standing collaboration on energy.
• The Sustainable Growth pillar, one of the four of the US-India SEP, is being chaired by NITI Aayog and USAID.

• This pillar brings together Indian and US researchers and decision-makers to collaborate in three focal areas:

1. energy data management
2. energy modelling
3. promotion of low carbon technologies

• IEMF was launched under the area of energy modelling.
• Through collaborations with global energy modelling forums, such as Stanford Energy Modelling Forum and Energy Modelling Platform for Europe, IEMF hopes to share and learn from best practices.

NITI Aayog
Atal Innovation Mission collaborates with CGI to promote Innovation across schools

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the SOI - highlights + about AIM's ATL)
What's the NEWS

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with CGI India in order to further rev up the innovation across the schools.

Know! about AIM's ATL

• AIM and CGI India which is one among the largest IT and business consulting services firms has collaborated for creating a successful and innovative workforce from the ATL schools.
• AIM is the flagship programme of the Government of India that promotes a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across country.
• Its ATLs are accessed by over 2.5 million school kids in India.
• ATL is a dedicated innovation workspace set-up at schools where students get access to do-it-yourself (DIY) kits and learn to tinker and create innovative solutions using the latest technologies.

Statement of Intent (SOI) - takeaways

• As part of the SOI, CGI has agreed to adopt 100 schools with ATLs across Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to promote and train students.
• CGI volunteers will coach and mentor students at the ATLs to enhance technical literacy and provide immersive learning experiences to the students through hands-on experience using STEM tools.
• CGI will also conduct training workshops for teachers at select schools on topics such as design thinking, computational thinking, robotics and coding.
• CGI has agreed to adopt and support 100 ATL across the country with their technical expertise and proficiency.
• This will enable the ATL students to be more connected to the 4th industrial revolution happening in India.
• CGI will also run capacity building Unbox tinkering Workshops for ATL teachers to build innovative mindset in teachers

Flagship schemes/initiatives of NITI Aayog
Atal Tinkering Lab

• In ATLs, students of class 6th to 12th acquire a problem-solving attitude, develop innovative solutions leveraging technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturised electronics, IOT and programming and DIY kits, with support from teachers and mentors.

Atal Innovative Mission

• AIM is the Government of India's flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• AIM's objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country.

Six major initiatives of AIM:

• Atal Tinkering Labs-Creating problem-solving mindset across schools in India.
• Atal Incubation Centers-Fostering world class start-ups and adding a new dimension to the incubator model.
• Atal New India Challenges-Fostering product innovations and aligning them to the needs of various sectors/ministries.
• Mentor India Campaign- A national Mentor network in collaboration with public sector, corporates and institutions, to support all the initiatives of the mission.
• Atal Community Innovation Centre- To stimulate community centric innovation and ideas in the unserved /underserved regions of the country including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
• ARISE-To stimulate innovation and research in the MSME industry.

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