India and its neighbourhood- relations.

                                          

KANISHKBIOSCIENCE E -LEARNING PLATFORM - Help you think beyond the issue but relevant to the issue from UPSC prelims and Mains exam point of view. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event.  Also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background. This helps you study a topic holistically and add new dimensions to every current event to help you think analytically.

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiDqLyxXg_CtLFZoWTFOWjw  

 

China gears up for ‘strategic period’:

Context:

China’s ruling party-Communist Party of China (CPC)– sets long-term targets for boosting economy and military power.

Key targets announced:

It announced three goals to be achieved by 2025, 2027 and 2035:

1    Boosting domestic consumption and innovation.
2    A national security and defence modernisation plan ahead of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) centennial in 2027.

3   A ‘Vision 2035’ longer-term economic blueprint that calls for “big leaps” in economic strength and technological prowess.

Significance:

The new economic blueprint would broadly push for China to double its GDP and current per capita GDP of $10,000 by 2035.

    The plan is also to realise what it called “the unity of a rich country and a strong Army”.
    It stressed the importance of informatisation and to “strengthen military training and war preparation”.

Sources: the Hindu.



 

    Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices.

What is Rural Development Fund?

Context:

The Centre has asked the Punjab Government to explain its utilisation of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) that it gets largely from the Food Corporation of India (FCI). This has enraged the state government.

What is Rural Development Fund or RDF?

RDF is the 3 per cent cess levied on the purchase or sale of agricultural produce under the Rural Development Fund Act, 1987 which is executed by Punjab Rural Development Board (PRDB) with the Chief Minister as its chairman.

From where does Punjab get this fund and what is it used for?

It comes mainly from central government’s purchase agency, Food Corporation of India, which buys around 13 million tonnes of wheat and 16 million tonnes of paddy every year.

    This fund is supposed to be used for the creation and maintenance of rural infrastructure in and outside mandis. But there have been charges in the past that it was diverted by the state for other purposes.
                                                              Prelims Link:

1. About RDF.
2. How is it funded?
3. What is it used for?
4. Powers of Centre wrt to RDF.

Mains Link:

What is Rural Development Fund? What is its significance? Discuss.

Sources: Indian Express.

                                Land reforms in India.

Draft model Act on land titles:

Context:

The NITI Aayog has released the draft model Act and rules for states on conclusive land titling.

Objective: To reduce litigations and ease the land acquisition process for infrastructure projects.

Under The Model Act:

1    State governments will have the power to order for establishment, administration and management of a system of title registration of immovable properties.
2    The land dispute resolution officer and land title appellate tribunal are one-shot institutions which will fade away as the work reduces.
3    After three years of its notification, the register of title attains conclusivity without any external action.
4    Conclusive land titles are guaranteed by the state for correctness and entail provision for compensation by the state in case of any dispute.
5    Any person aggrieved may file an objection before the Title Registration Officer within three years from the date of such notification. Following this, the Title Registration Officer shall make an entry to that effect in Register of Titles and in the Register of Disputes and refer the case to the land dispute resolution officer.
6    A party aggrieved with an order of the land dispute resolution officer may file an appeal before the Land Titling Appellate Tribunal within 30 days of passing of such an order.
7    A special bench of High court shall be designated to deal with appeals against the orders passed by the Land Titling Appellate Tribunal.

Need for and significance of Conclusive Land titles:

Conclusive land titles are guaranteed by the state for their correctness and entail provision for compensation by the state in case of any disputes.

1    Conclusive land titling will facilitate easy access of credit to farmers and reduce a large number of land-related litigations.
2    It will also enable transparent real estate transactions and land acquisition for infrastructure development.
3    Guaranteed title systems have been developed and adopted in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

 

Sources: Economic Times.

 

Facts for Prelims

WII to conduct study on Olive Ridley turtles:

The Odisha government has requested the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to conduct a fresh study for identifying the movement of Olive Ridley sea turtles, which would help the State renew its conservation efforts along its coast.

Key facts:

1    The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
2    They inhabit warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
3    These turtles, along with their cousin the Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
4    Rushikulya rookery coast in the Ganjam district of Odisha, Gahirmatha beach and the mouth of the Debi River, are the major nesting sites in Odisha.

fream_work

 Punjab waives vehicle tax for bus operators:

The Punjab government has ordered 100% waiver on motor vehicle tax till December 31 for all stage carriage, mini and school buses, while deferring payment of arrears of taxes, without interest and penalty, to March 31, 2021.

Power scheme for women scientists:

POWER- Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research.

1    It is a scheme to mitigate gender disparity in science and engineering research funding in various S&T programs in Indian academic institutions and R&D laboratories.
2    Launched by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

It will have two components namely: (1) SERB-POWER Fellowship; (2) SERB- POWER Research Grants.

{ With input from news agency language)

 

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