Current Affairs 30-NOV-2023 (The Hindu)

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

(D => Pg-11)

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

• Launch: April 2020.
• Aim: To provide free food grains to inter-state migrants and poor people.
• Included under: Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

• Economic Stimulus Package: May 2020.
• Aim: To create a self-sufficient and resilient India.
• Focus: Cottage industry, MSMEs, laborers, middle-class people, industries, etc.

PM-GKAY Details

• Objective: To address the issue of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Implementing Agency: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• Extension Period: 5 years (Jan 1, 2024, to Dec 31, 2028).

Benefits of PM-GKAY

• Beneficiaries: 81.35 crore people.
• Allocation: 5 kg of free wheat/rice per person per month.
• Wheat in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Gujarat.
• Rice in the rest of the states/UTs.
• Extension Period (Until Dec 2022): Food grains provided over and above the monthly entitlements under the NFSA, 2013.

NFSA, 2013

• Providing Food Grains at Subsidized Rates:
• Rice: Rs. 3 per kg.
• Wheat: Rs. 2 per kg.
• Entitlements:
• AAY cardholders: 35 kg.
• Priority Households (PHH): 5 kg of food grains per person per month.

News (Jan 2023)

• Merger of PM-GKAY with NFSA:
• Providing food grains at free of cost.
• Discontinuation of extra provision of food grains.

Practice Question – Prelims

With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), consider the following statements:

1. The eligible beneficiaries under this scheme are provided with food grains at a subsidized rate.
2. The inter-state migrants are covered under this scheme.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC)

(D => Pg-10)

Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC)

• Launch: October 2019 under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.
• Aim of the Act: To expedite trials and deliver immediate relief to victims of sexual offenses.
• Courts' Focus: Timely disposal of cases related to rape and the POCSO Act.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Implementing Agency: Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice.

Features of the Scheme

• Budget: Rs. 1952.23 crore.
• Centre’s Share: Funded from Nirbhaya Fund.

Nirbhaya Fund

• Established: April 2015 in memory of Jyoti Singh (Nirbhaya).
• Non-lapsable Corpus Fund.
• Administration: Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
• Purpose: Utilized to improve the safety and security of women.

Other Features

• Courts' Composition: 1 Judicial Officer + 7 Staff Members.
• Participation: 30 States & UTs.
• Establishment: 761 Fast Track Special Courts, including 414 exclusive POCSO Courts.
• Online Monitoring Framework: Monitoring monthly case statistics.
• Scheme Duration: Recently extended until March 31, 2026.

Practice Question – Prelims

Consider the following statements regarding Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) scheme:

1. It was launched under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.
2. It was brought up to expedite the trials of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs.
3. It is fully funded by the central government.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Rat Hole Mining

(D => Pg-10)

Rat Hole Mining

It is a form of mining process that involves digging narrow, horizontal tunnels (usually 3-4 feet high) into the ground. This method is notably used in Meghalaya for coal mining.

Why it is Employed in Meghalaya

• Terrain and Economic Viability:
  • Coal seams in Meghalaya are very thin.
  • Traditional opencast mining is costly.
  • Rat hole mining is economically viable.
• Limited Control Over Land:
  • Meghalaya is a Sixth Schedule State (Coal Mines Nationalisation Act of 1973 does not apply in Meghalaya).
  • Landowners own the minerals beneath their land.
  • Lack of stringent regulations.

Issues with Rat Hole Mining

• Safety Hazard:
  • Risks to workers include poor ventilation, lack of structural support, and the potential for flooding.
  • Fatal for workers.
• Environmental Degradation:
  • Issues include deforestation, land degradation, and contamination of water bodies with sulfates, iron, and heavy metals.
  • Example: Lukha and Myntdu rivers
• Exploitation and Child Labor:
  • Children are mainly employed due to their ability to fit into the narrow tunnels.

National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in April 2014.

UPSC PYQ 2019

Under which Schedule of the Constitution of India can the transfer of tribal land to private parties for mining be declared null and void:

a) Third Schedule

b) Fifth Schedule

c) Ninth Schedule

d) Twelfth Schedule