Constitutional status to Backward Classes Commission
Lok Sabha cleared the Constitution 102nd Amendment Bill that grants constitutional status to the Backward Classes Commission.
The Commission is renamed as "National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes".
The bill says that any addition to the central list of communities under the other Backward Classes will have to be cleared through the Parliament.
It also seeks to insert a new article 342A that empowers the President to specify the communities which would fall under socially and educationally backward classes, for states and union territories, in consultation with the concerned governor.
The new Commission will hear the grievances of socially and educationally backward classes, a function which has been discharged so far by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
Presently, National Commission for Backward Classes is a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the power of enacting law in identifying the backward classes has been entrusted with the state government.
Nakshe Portal
A new web portal “nakshe” was launched by the Ministry for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, on the occasion of 250th anniversary of Survey of India (SoI).
Topographic maps containing natural and man-made geographical features including terrain or topography are prepared by the SoI and it is made available for free download from “nakshe” web portal.
Survey of India is the oldest scientific department in India, created in 1767 and one of the oldest survey establishments in the world.
Shodhganga
It is the repository developed to contain an electronic copy of all M.Phil/Ph.D thesis to make it accessible to all institutions.
The task of setting-up of this repository is assigned to Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an inter-university centre of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
It also provides access to Indian theses and dissertations in open access to world-wide academic community and making visibility of Indian research to other countries.
Swachhagraha “Bapu Ko Karyanjali”
It is a Mission, an exhibition to Mark 100th Anniversary of Champaran Satyagraha.
