UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 01-08-2020
iasparliament
August 01, 2020
1947 Agreement on Gurkha Regiment
From the first quarter of the 19th century, Gurkhas had served under the British, first in the armies of the East India Company, and then the British Indian Army.
East India Company first recruited Gurkhas after suffering heavy casualties during the Anglo-Nepalese War, also known as the Gurkha War.
The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.
It ensured that Gurkhas in British and Indian service would enjoy broadly the same conditions of service as that of British and Indian citizens.
In 1947, when India became independent, it was decided to split Gurkha regiments between the British and Indian armies.
After the 1947 Tripartite Agreement, the British Army amalgamated the Gurkha regiment into combined Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR).
Currently, the Gurkhas comprise up to 3% of the British Army.
The Gurkhas are recruited every year at the British Gurkha camp at Pokhara in Nepal.
The camp enlists fresh recruits not only for the British Army, but also for the counter-terror arm of the Singapore Police Force.
National Transit Pass System (NTPS)
Union Environment Ministry launched the National Transit Pass System (NTPS).
It is an online system for issuing transit permits for timber, bamboo and other forest produce.
Through mobile application e-pass will be issued for transit of forest produce.
NTPS will bring ease of business and expedite issuance of transit permits for timber, bamboo and other minor forest produce without physically going to forest offices.
The pilot project will be functional in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana for now.
The system will be will be operational in all states by November 2020, to enhance seamless movement of forest produce.
Transit of timber, bamboo and other forest produce is governed by various state specific acts and rules.
Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme
It is under the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
It is the merger of two centrally sponsored schemes namely,
Computerization of Land Records (CLR).
Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA&ULR).
The DILRMP has 3 major components
Computerization of land record
Survey/re-survey
Computerization of Registration.
The State Governments/UT Administrations will implement the programme with financial and technical supports from the Dept. of Land Resources.
The district will be taken as the unit of implementation, where all activities under the programme will converge.
Recently, Union Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has released a booklet on “Best Practices in Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP)”.
Muslim Women Rights Day
National Commission for Minorities organized a virtual conference on the occasion of Muslim Women Rights Day.
It is celebrated every year on August 1, the day which made Muslim women free from social evil of Triple Talaq.
The law which makes social evil of Triple Talaq a criminal offence has strengthened “self-reliance, self-respect and self-confidence” of the Muslim women of the country.
The day will help Muslim Women in realizing the goals of Political Empowerment and not Political Exploitation and push governments to undertake bold and big reforms for emancipation of Muslim Women.
Gramodyog Vikas Yojana
Gramodyog Vikas Yojana aims to promote and develop the village industries through common facilities, technological modernization, training etc.
The scheme is under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Under the scheme, R&D support would be given to the institutions that intend to carry product development, new innovations, design development, product diversification processes etc.
The village institutions will be provided market support by way of preparation of product catalogue, Industry directory, market research, new marketing techniques, buyer seller meet, arranging exhibitions etc.
Recently, a new programme has been approved under the scheme for the benefit of artisans involved in manufacturing of Agarbatti.
Under this mission, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), will provide training, and assist artisans with agarbatti manufacturing machines.
Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Alliance to End Plastic Waste was founded in 2019 as a nonprofit organization, in Singapore.
It helps to solve the serious and complex issue of 8 million tons of plastic waste entering the ocean every year.
Nearly 50 companies across the plastics value chain have joined the Alliance.
They have committed to invest USD 1.5 billion towards solutions that will prevent the leakage as well as recover and create value from plastic waste.
Recently, it has announced to invest between USD 70 million to 100 million in India over the next five years to reduce plastic waste.
Currently, ‘Alliance to End Plastic Waste’ is working on the Project Aviral which aims to reduce plastic waste in the Ganga River.
