Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS | Free PDF Download -10th & 11th September 2018 -

Table of Contents

Curb Lynching

Lynching across India is a big issue and threat for society.
Charges are yet to be framed in the 2015 Dadri lynching case. Alwar in Rajasthan had the dubious distinction of being the first lynching after the July 17 SC order, a case revealing grave malfeasance of local police.
Supreme Court’s warning to 19 states that defaulted on complying with its July 17 directives to curb lynchings sends down a strong message.
The ultimatum to these states to implement the guidelines or risk having their home secretaries summoned to court for contempt should be adequate to prompt the laggards to act.
SC’s directives included preventive, remedial & punitive measures
SC’s directives include a designated officer at district level to prevent mob violence, asking police officers to be firm in using statutory powers to disperse mobs, constant patrolling of sensitive areas, and lodging FIRs for inciting violence.
SC also prescribed awareness campaigns, fast tracking of cases, and imposing maximum punishment for lynchings.
Supreme Court has correctly deduced that the spate of lynchings and emboldening of mobs is a law and order issue needing administrative redress.
A new law to tackle lynchings may not help: we have many laws what is lacking is its implementation.
Worse: a panel of senior bureaucrats in their report to a Group of Ministers, that passes the buck to social media and threatens to jail local heads of platforms where rumours are disseminated.
Given these realities, SC must call for regular status reports on progress of earlier cases.
Its administrative prescriptions for curbing lynching should ideally have come from governments, and show up bureaucratic lethargy as well as lack of political will and commitment to good governance on the part of the latter.

MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, and Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Tripura jointly inaugurated three projects in Bangladesh via video conference.
These include 500 MW additional power supply from India to Bangladesh, Akhaura – Agartala Rail Link and Rehabilitation of the KulauraShahbazpur section of Bangladesh Railways.
Mr Modi said India and Bangladesh have worked towards increasing connectivity in the last couple of years.

Petrol Prices

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a two rupee cut in VAT on petrol and diesel to check mounting cost of the fuel. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced the reduction in the state assembly.
He said the state government was currently levying 4 rupees per litre VAT on petrol and diesel. Mr Naidu said, the state would have to forego a revenue of 1,120 crore rupees due to the measure.
Yesterday, Rajasthan had slashed VAT on petrol and diesel.

Defence Ministry

- The mid-air re-fuelling of wet contact trial for Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas MK-1 was successfully carried out from an Indian Air Force base.
- Defence Ministry, in a release, said, the trial was part of the Air-to-Air refuelling flight tests conducted by the Indian Air Force.

The Ministry said, Indian Air Force provided all required support to DRDO including the tanker aircraft for the successful test flight.
The Air-to-Air refuelling capability for Tejas is a force multiplier for the Indian Air Force, giving the aircraft the potential to stay airborne for much longer periods of time.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has complimented DRDO, Indian Air Force, HAL and other agencies involved in the mission. Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
With an aim to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses, the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ was launched by the Union government in July 2015. .
The scheme is being implemented by Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India in association with the Department of Pharmaceuticals,

Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

While India boasts of over 3600 Jan Aushadi stores that supply a product basket of about 1100 items, the state of Maharashtra has 259 such stores.
These stores particularly cater to the poor and disadvantaged sections of the society by providing them generic medicines at affordable prices.
Giving a new fillip to the scheme, the government has also started the sale of sanitary napkins at these stores at an effective price of two rupees 50 paise per pad.
With an earmarked budget of 74.61 crore rupees this year, the scheme now renamed as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana is not only revolutionising the healthcare sector but is also changing the lives of Jan Aushadi store owners for the better.

Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant

The Nation paid tributes to Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant on his 131st Birth Anniversary.
In his tribute, President Ramnath Kovind said, Pandit Pant played a pivotal role in laying the foundations of the Nation during the Freedom Movement.
In his message, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said, Pandit Pant was a crusader for the cause of downtrodden and poor sections of the society.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to pay homage to his indomitable leadership and selfless dedication for the Nation.

Growing elderly population in India

The share of the elderly in India living alone or only with a spouse increased from 9 per cent in 1992 to 19 per cent in 2006.
Since 1991, the number of households has grown faster than the population.
Nuclear families now constitute 70 per cent of all households.
Growing life expectancy and lower fertility rates mean an increasing share of elderly in the population
The modernising forces of demographic change, growth-induced geographic mobility and a sense of individualism, have transformed society within a span of one generation.
Better economic opportunities mean that children are leaving home earlier than they used to, migrating not to the neighbouring town, but across states and countries.
According to the 2017 Economic Survey, 90 lakh people, on average, migrated between Indian states for either work or education each year between 2011 and 2016.
Urban living is predominantly nuclear, and only 8.3 per cent of the urban elderly live in joint families.
The share of adult children who said that caring for their elderly parents was their duty fell from 91 per cent in 1984 to 51 per cent in 2001.
The Government of India in 2007 enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, which made it a legal obligation for children to provide maintenance to parents in the form of a monthly allowance.
In 2018, the revised Act seeks to increase the jail term for negligent children, broaden responsibility beyond biological children and grandchildren and expand the definition of maintenance to include safety and security.
This law will ultimately safeguard the rights of those elderly who have seen abuse and help them pursue legal action.
But when financial needs are met, and social ones remain, the bite of law is limited.
Isolation and loneliness among the elderly is rising.
Nearly half the elderly felt sad and neglected, 36 per cent felt they were a burden to the family.
One in every five people will be above the age of 60 by 2050.
As the trends of smaller families and reductions in the cost of mobility continue, it is our values that will determine what the future looks like.
In Kerala, there has been a 69 per cent increase in the residents of old age homes in 2011-15.
For a society caught between greater economic opportunities and individual freedoms on one hand and traditional values and moral responsibilities on the other, finding a balance is not straightforward.

PMO

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today announced a significant increase in remuneration for ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
Those receiving 3000 rupees so far, would now receive 4500 rupees.
Those getting 2200, would now get 3500 rupees.
The honorarium for Anganwadi helpers has also been increased from 1500 to 2250 rupees.
The announcement which will be effective from next month was made during Mr Modi’s video bridge interaction with lakhs of ASHA, Anganwadi and ANM workers.
The Prime Minister announced the doubling of routine incentives given by the government to ASHA workers. He said all ASHA workers and their helpers would be provided free insurance cover.
Mr Modi also announced that Anganwadi workers and helpers using techniques such as Common Application Software would get additional incentives.
The incentives ranging from 250 to 500 rupees, would be based on performance.
The Prime Minister appreciated ASHA, Anganwadi and ANM workers for their efforts to improve delivery of health and nutrition services, and achieve the goal of the POSHAN Abhiyan – reduction of malnutrition in the country. He also hailed the health workers for not only taking care of children, but also pregnant women.

New India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon people to build a New India, taking inspiration from the life of Swami Vivekananda.
He was addressing a programme to mark the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic Chicago speech through video conferencing in New Delhi.
The function was organized by Sri Ramakrishna Math at Coimbatore.
Mr Modi said, the philosophy of Ek Bharat, Sreshtha Bharat is the essence of Swami Vivekanand’s address.
Through his address, Swami Vivekananda thrown light of Indian culture, philosophy and ancient traditions for the entire world.

Road Transport and Highways Ministry

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari today said that by the completion of the NDA government’s 5-year term, his ministry will construct 2 lakh kilometer of roads in the country.
He was speaking after laying the foundation stone of Delhi- Saharanpur Highway in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. • He said the earlier regime in the state was not providing NOC to the Highway.
The 154 km long National Highway will be developed in three phases.
It will open the doors of development for Baghpat, Saharanpur, Shamli and Muzaffarnagar.