About International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD):

• IDPD, observed annually on December 3, celebrates the resilience, contributions, and leadership of persons with disabilities (PwDs) worldwide. 
• This day serves as a reminder of the global commitment to fostering inclusivity, advocating for the rights of PwDs, and creating equitable opportunities for all. 
• This year's theme is “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future”.
• The IDPD was proclaimed in 1992 by United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3.
• It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development and increase awareness of their situation in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
• Building on many decades of UN work in the field of disability, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted in 2006, has further advanced the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international development frameworks.

Initiatives by the Indian Government:

• India has made significant strides in promoting the rights and inclusion of Divyangjan through various policies and campaigns. A few of these initiatives are listed below:
  • Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
  • Accessible India Campaign
  • Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)
  • District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC)
  • Assistance to Persons with Disabilities for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/ Appliances (ADIP) Scheme.
  • Schemes For Implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 (SIPDA): It is a comprehensive "Central Sector Scheme" that encompasses 10 sub-schemes.

Q1: What is the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 (RPwD Act)?

It was enacted in the year 2016 and came into force on 19th April, 2017. It replaced the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights, and Full Participation) Act, 1995. The objective of the RPwD Act is to ensure that all persons with disabilities can lead their lives with dignity, without discrimination, and with equal opportunities. The Act lays down specific provisions to uphold such rights. It incorporates the rights of persons with disabilities covered under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), to which India is a signatory.

News: International Day Of Persons With Disabilities: Empowering The Deaf, Celebrating Abilities And Advancing Inclusion

About Global One-Stop Centres:

• These centres aim to provide comprehensive assistance to women in vulnerable situations, addressing their immediate needs and offering critical support.
• Out of the nine proposed OSCs, seven will include shelter homes and will be set up in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia (with centres in both Jeddah and Riyadh).
• The remaining two centres, located in Toronto and Singapore, will operate without shelter home facilities.
• To facilitate the rollout of these initiatives, the Ministry of External Affairs has opened a dedicated budget line for these missions.
• The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) will play a vital role in extending welfare measures to distressed Indian nationals, particularly women.
  • The ICWF has significantly expanded its scope to address a wide range of issues faced by overseas Indians.
  • The fund now covers emergency assistance such as boarding and lodging, air travel for those stranded, legal aid, medical care, and the repatriation of mortal remains.
  • The ICWF guidelines include specific provisions for legal assistance and counselling for women abandoned by their overseas Indian or foreign spouses.
  • Legal panels have also been established in countries with large Indian diasporas to provide timely and efficient support.
  • In cases involving minor legal infractions, the fund allows for the payment of fines to secure the release of Indian nationals.

Q1: What is the One Stop Centre scheme?

It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme formulated under the union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD). It provides integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces under one roof.

News: Government Approves Global One-Stop Centres For Indian Women In Distress

About PRAGATI platform:

• It is a multi-purpose and multi-modal platform that is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments.
• It is also a robust system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability with real-time presence and exchange among the key stakeholders.
• The platform was launched on March 25, 2015.
• The system has been designed in-house by the PMOteam with the help of the National Informatics Center (NIC). 
• The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: Digital data management, video conferencing, and geospatial technology.
• It also offers a unique combination in the direction of cooperative federalism since it brings on one stage the Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the States. 
• With this, the Prime Minister is able to discuss the issues with the concerned Central and State officials with full information and the latest visuals of the ground-level situation.
• Key Features:
  • It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the States).
  • The Prime Minister will hold a monthly programme where he will interact with the Government of India Secretaries and Chief Secretaries through videoconferencing enabled by data and geo-informatics visuals.
  • The programme will be held once in every month on the fourth Wednesday at 3.30 PM, to be known as PRAGATI Day.
  • Issues to be flagged before the PM are picked up from the available data base regarding public grievances, ongoing programmes and pending projects.
  • The system will ride on, strengthen, and re-engineer the databases of the CPGRAMS for grievances, Project Monitoring Group (PMG), and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. PRAGATI provides an interface and platform for all these three aspects.
  • It will take into consideration various correspondences to the PM’s office by the common peopleor from high dignitaries of states and/or developers of public projects.
  • The issues flagged are uploaded seven days prior to the PRAGATI day (i.e., on the third Wednesday of every month).
  • These issues can be viewed by the Union Government Secretaries and Chief Secretaries after entering into the application.
  • Union Government Secretaries and Chief Secretaries have to put their comments and updates about the flagged issues within three days (i.e. by next Monday).
  • One day - Tuesday is available to the PMO team to review the data entered by the Union Government Secretaries and Chief Secretaries.
  • The design is such that when PM reviews the issue, he should have on his screen the issue as well as the latest updates and visuals regarding the same.

Q1: What is CPGRAMS?

Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is an online platform available to the citizens 24x7 to lodge their grievances to the public authorities on any subject related to service delivery. It is a single portal connected to all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India and States. Every Ministry and States have role-based access to this system. CPGRAMS is also accessible to the citizens through standalone mobile application downloadable through Google Play store and mobile application integrated with UMANG.

News: PRAGATI platform helped expedite nation’s 340 infra projects of $205 billion, reveals Oxford report

About Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users' Conference (AOMSUC):

• The first AOMSUC was held in Beijing, China, in 2010. Since then, it has been hosted annually in various locations across Asia-Oceania.
• The AOMSUC has become a premier event for meteorologists, earth scientists, satellite operators, and students from across the region and the globe.
• This year’s conference is hosted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, and it will feature high-quality oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, and a training workshop focused on applying current satellite data for meteorological and climatological applications.
• The conference aims to:
  • Promote the importance of satellite observations
  • Advance satellite remote sensing science
  • Provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration between satellite operators and users
  • Inform the community about the current status and future plans of international space programs
  • Encourage the development of new technologies for weather satellite sensing
  • Engage young scientists in the field

Q1: What is meteorology?

It is a scientific study of atmospheric phenomena, particularly of the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Meteorology entails the systematic study of weather and its causes, and provides the basis for weather forecasting. See also climatology.

News: Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users' Conference (AOMSUC-14) New Delhi, India

About Nazca Lines:

• Nazca Lines are a group of geoglyphs, or large designs made on the ground by creators using elements of the landscape such as stones, gravel, dirt or lumber.
• Location: These are located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, some 400 km south of Lima.
• The Nazca Lines were discovered by hikers in the mid 1920s and later on Peruvian archaeologist Toribio Mejia Xesspe studied them systematically in 1926. 
• These are believed to be the greatest known archaeological enigma, owing to their size, continuity, nature and quality.
• They depict creatures from both the natural world and the human imagination.
  • qThey include animals such as the spider, hummingbird, monkey, lizard, pelican and even a killer whale. Ancient artisans also depicted plants, trees, flowers and oddly shaped fantastic figures, as well as geometric motifs, such as wavy lines, triangles, spirals and rectangles.
• The vast majority of the lines date from 200 B.C. to A.D. 500, to a time when a people referred to as the Nazca inhabited the region.
• The earliest lines, created with piled up stones, date as far back as 500 B.C.
• The Lines were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.

What are Geoglyphs?

• Geoglyphs are motifs created on the ground by manipulating surface stones, soil, or gravel. 

Q1: What is a World Heritage site?

A World Heritage site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). 

News: How AI has helped discover hundreds of mysterious Nazca geoglyphs in Peru

About Exercise Harimau Shakti:

• It is a joint military exercise conducted between India-and Malaysia.
• Indian contingent comprising personnel is being represented by a Battalion of MAHAR Regiment.
• It is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Malaysia. Last edition was conducted in Nov 2023 at Umroi Cantonment in Meghalaya, India.
• Aim of the Joint Exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate. The exercise will focus on operations in the jungle environment.
• The exercise will be conducted in two phases.
  • The first phase will be focused on cross training between both the Armies including lectures, demonstrations, and practices of various drills in jungle terrain.
  • In the final phase both the Armies will take active part in a simulated exercise, wherein troops will execute various drills including Anti-MT Ambush, Occupation of Harbour, Carrying out Recce Patrol, Ambush and an Attack on area taken over by the terrorists.
• Significance: It will enable both sides to share best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures of conducting joint operations. It will facilitate developing inter-operability, bonhomie and camaraderie between the two armies.

Q1: What are the key facts about the Mahar Regiment?

This regiment, since its raising on 01 October 1941 has fought with unique distinction and honour, emerging victorious on several battlefields and has been awarded nine Battle Honours and 12 Theatre Honours post-Independence. The Regiment has earned numerous gallantry awards including the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and Ashok Chakra (AC). 

News: INDIA - MALAYSIA JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE HARIMAU SHAKTI COMMENCES IN BENTONG CAMP, MALAYSIA

About National Housing Bank (NHB):

• It is an apex agency established to promote housing finance companies (HFCs) in India. 
• It is an All-India Financial Institution (AIFl) wholly owned by the Government of India (GoI).
• NHB supervises HFCs, while regulation of HFCs is with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Formation:
  • The National Housing Policy, 1988, envisaged the setting up of NHB as the apex-level institution for housing.
  • In pursuance of the above, NHB was set up on July 9, 1988, under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
  • RBI contributed the entire paid-up capital.
• NHB is wholly owned by the GoIpost the 24 April 2019 notification of RBI i.e. The entire paid-up capital of NHB is held by the government.
• In terms of the amendment made to the National Housing Bank Act, 1987, pursuant to the Union Budget announcements for 2019-20, the regulatory powers (including registration of HFCs) of NHB over HFCs were transferred to the RBI with effect from August 9, 2019. 
• The broad functions of NHB as a part of its objective of building a strong, healthy, cost-effective, and viable Housing Finance System include:
  • Supervision and grievance redressal regarding HFCs
  • Financing
  • Promotion and Development.
• The general superintendence, direction, and management of the affairs and business of NHB vest in its Board of Directors.
• Head Office: New Delhi
• NHB RESIDEX: It is the country’s first official housing price index (HPI). It captures movements in the prices of residential real estate prices. 

Q1: What are All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs)?

AIFIs are specialized institutions established to provide long-term finance to various sectors of the economy. Unlike commercial banks, AIFIs do not accept deposits from the public. They focus on specific sectors such as agriculture, industry, infrastructure, and housing, among others. These institutions are regulated and supervised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other relevant regulatory authorities.

News: Aviom India Housing flags fraud, warns of payment delays amid NHB audit

About High Risk Food:

• Food products that come under the “High Risk” category are subjected to mandatory risk-based inspections.
• They include dairy, meat, fish egg, and food items intended for nutritional use, prepared food, Indian sweets and nutrients, and related preparations such as fortified rice kernel.
• In its order, the FSSAI has made amendments in its Risk-Based Inspection Policy to include the packaged drinking water and mineral water categories.
• This means that these products will now be subject to mandatory inspections and third-party audits.
• All centrally licensed manufacturers under high-risk food categories shall get their businesses audited annually.
• This aims to improve the safety and quality standards of these products for consumers.
• Previously, the packaged drinking water industry had called for simplified regulations, requesting the removal of dual certification requirements from both BIS and FSSAI.

Key Facts about the FSSAI

• It is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Functions
  • It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
  • It lays down standards and guidelines in relation to articles of food, and provides for licensing, registration, and accreditation for food business operators.
  • It directly monitors compliance of food regulations, especially in the area of food imports to India. 
  • It is also responsible for the accreditation of food testing laboratories throughout India.
  • It is responsible for the Food Certification in India.

Q1: What is the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)?

BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking, and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

News: FSSAI classifies packaged drinking water as ‘High Risk Food Category’