SHREYAS Scheme

Recently the Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched the “Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS)”.

• The objective of scheme is to provide industry apprenticeship opportunities to the general graduates exiting in April 2019 through the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)
• It aims to enhance the employability of Indian youth by providing ‘on the job work exposure’ and earning of stipend.
• The scheme is for students in degree courses, primarily non-technical, to introduce employable skills into their learning, promote apprenticeship as integral to education.
• SHREYAS portal will enable educational institutions and industry to log in and provide their respective demand and supply of apprenticeship. The matching of students with apprenticeship avenues will take place as per pre-specified eligibility criteria.
• These courses will be available to them from Academic year April-May, 2019. More than 40 higher educational institutions have already been tied up for taking up embedded apprenticeship courses.
• The scheme would be operationalised by coordination of Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Labour.

Objectives of the Scheme

• To improve employability of students by introducing employment relevance into the learning process of the higher education system
• To forge a close functional link between education and industry/service sectors on a sustainable basis.
• To provide skills which are in demand, to the students in a dynamic manner.
• To establish an ‘earn while you learn’ system into higher education.
• To help business/industry in securing good quality manpower.
• To link student community with employment facilitating efforts of the Government.

Stakeholders

• Institutions: The higher education institutions would explain the scheme along with various options to the students who are in the final year, and elicit their interest in participation.
• Sector Skill Councils (SSCs): SSCs would identify industries for apprenticeship, and would also conduct assessment leading to certification. Whereas the certification is not a guarantee for placement, it is expected to vastly enhance a candidate’s choice of securing employment.

• Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE): MSDE would not only monitor the programme, progress of the apprentices, but would finance the programme by disbursing the claims from the business enterprises towards stipend reimbursement as per the NAPS.
  • The ongoing efforts of the SSCs would be monitored by MSDE, which would also periodically introduce new SSCs into the SHREYAS fold. The entire programme would progress with dynamic interface & information sharing between MHRD and MSDE.

Geneva Convention for Prisoner of Wars

In response to Indian action against terrorists camp in Balakot, Pakistani Airforce attacked Indian military installations.

• In this engagement, India lost one MiG 21. The pilot is missing in action and Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody.
• India has cited the Geneva Conventions, 1949 while demanding the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan, who is in Pakistan's custody.

Geneva Convention

• What are the Geneva Conventions?
  • The 1949 Geneva Conventions are a set of international treaties that ensure that warring parties conduct themselves in a humane way with non-combatants such as civilians and medical personnel, as well as with combatants who are no longer actively engaged in fighting, such as prisoners of war (POW), and wounded or sick soldiers.
  • All countries are signatories to the Geneva Conventions.
• Does the captured pilot count as a prisoner of war?
  • The provisions of the conventions apply in peacetime situations, in declared wars, and in conflicts that are not recognized as war by one or more of the parties.
  • India has said its airstrikes were a “non-military” intelligence-led operation — both sides are bound by the Geneva Conventions. This means the IAF officer is a prisoner of war, and his treatment has to be in accordance with the provisions for PoWs under the Geneva Conventions.
• What are the provisions for PoWs?
  • The convention is very exhaustive and deals with every kind of situation that may arise for a captive and captor, including the place of internment, religious needs, recreation, financial resources, the kinds of work that captors can make PoWs do, the treatment of captured officers, and the repatriation of prisoners.
  • Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention.
  • In particular, no prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest.
  • Likewise, prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.
• What rights is a PoW entitled to?
  • Article 14 of the Convention lays down that PoWs are “entitled to in all circumstances to respect for their persons and their honour”.
  • In captivity, a PoW must not be forced to provide information of any kind under “physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion”. Refusal to answer questions should not invite punishment. A PoW must be protected from exposure to fighting. Use of PoWs as hostages or human shields is prohibited, and a PoW has to be given the same access to safety and evacuation facilities as those affiliated to the detaining power.
  • Access to health facilities, prayer, recreation, and exercise are also written into the Convention. The detaining power has to facilitate correspondence between the PoW and his family and must ensure that this is done without delays. A PoW is also entitled to receive books or care packages from the outside world.
• What do the provisions say about the release of prisoners?
  • Parties to the conflict “are bound to send back” or repatriate PoWs, regardless of rank, who are seriously wounded or sick, after having cared for them until they are fit to travel”. The conflicting parties are expected to write into any agreement they may reach to end hostilities the expeditious return of PoWs. Parties to the conflict can also arrive at special arrangements for the improvement of the conditions of the internment of PoWs, or for their release and repatriation.
  • At the end of the 1971 war, India had more than 80,000 Pakistani troops who had surrendered to the Indian Army after the liberation of Dhaka. India agreed to release them under the Shimla Agreement of 1972.
• In such situations, who monitors whether the Geneva Conventions are being followed?
  • The Geneva Conventions have a system of “Protecting Powers” who ensure that the provisions of the conventions are being followed by the parties in a conflict. In theory, each side must designate states that are not the party to the conflict as their “Protecting Powers”. In practice, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) usually plays this role.
  • During the Kargil War, Pakistan returned Flt Lt Nachiketa, who was captured after ejecting from his burning Mi27, after keeping him for eight days. This was after intense diplomatic efforts by the Vajpayee government and by ICRC. Another PoW, Squadron Ldr Ajay Ahuja, was killed in captivity.

SATAT Scheme

Recently the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas has handed over the 100^th Letter of Intent (LOI)  to the Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) Entrepreneur (producer) under the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme.

• SATAT has following four objectives:
  • Utilising more than 62 million metric tonnes of waste generated every year in India,
  • Cutting down import dependence,
  • Supplementing job creation in the country, and
  • Reducing vehicular emissions and pollution from burning of agricultural / organic waste.

Compressed Bio-Gas

• Bio-gas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has pure methane content of over 90%.
• Compressed Bio-Gas is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential.
• CBG can be used as an alternative, renewable automotive fuel. Given the abundance of biomass in the country, CBG has the potential to replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years.
• Advantages of converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale:
  • Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution.
  • Additional revenue source for farmers.
  • Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment.
  • Support to national commitments in achieving climate change goals.
  • Reduction in import of natural gas and crude oil.
  • Buffer against crude oil/gas price fluctuations.

RIC Summit

Recently, 16th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC Meeting) took place in Zhejiang, China on 27 February 2019.

• RIC meeting is important as Russia, India and China are countries that carry important voices in international politics and have the potential to significantly influence world events.

Joint communique

• RIC committed itself to multilateralism and the principles of Charter of the United Nations.
• Countries called for the comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of the developing countries so that it can adequately respond to global challenges.
• During the summit, RIC acknowledged the importance of BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as important, effective mechanisms for promoting multilateralism.
• RIC reiterated the importance of various regional fora and organizations such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)，the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD).
• RIC strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It called for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). It also called for the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions against terrorism.
• RIC also stressed that those committing, orchestrating, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice.
• RIC also called for the adoption of the convention against drug trafficking, peaceful uses of outer space, prohibition of biological, chemical weapons.
• RIC called for peace in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process, welcomed the significant and positive changes in Korean Peninsula, supported Iran-Nuclear Deal, supported the two-state solution to achieve settlement of the Palestinian issue.
• The minister also called for diplomatic and Political solution to the crisis in Yemen, Syria, and Venezuela.

Important Fact For Prelims (28th February 2019)

National Science Day

• 28^th of February is celebrated as National Science Day in India.
• On this day in 1928, Sir C V Raman discovered a phenomenon of scattering of photons which was later known as ‘Raman Effect’ after his name.
• In 1930, he received Nobel Prize for this remarkable discovery. This was the first Nobel Prize for India in the field of Science.
• The theme for the National Science Day 2019 is “Science for people and people for science”.

Khelo India App

• Khelo India app helps create awareness about sports and fitness, especially among youngsters.
• The emphasis is on developing the sporting ecosystem in India and turning the country into a global sporting superpower in the years to come.
• Khelo India App is developed by the Sports Authority of India.
• The App has three features which will help identify potential champions among children, across the country.
• The first section gives information about the basic rules and regulations of 18 sports disciplines.
• The second section includes data of sporting facilities across the country.
• The third section has eight tests which can be taken to ascertain a young athlete's level of fitness.

Indian Sign Language Dictionary

• Recently, the government has released second edition of the Indian Sign Language dictionary, which aims to give deaf people the constitutional right to speech and opportunity of freedom of expression (Article 19) and also bringing them into the mainstream of the society.
• The first edition of the dictionary was launched with 3,000 words on March 23, 2018.
• With the second edition, the dictionary now comprises 6,000 Hindi and English words and their corresponding graphic representation under the categories of academic, legal, medical, technical and everyday terms.
• The dictionary has been developed by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• According to Census 2011, there are 50.71 lakh hearing impaired persons in India and most of them use Indian Sign Language to communicate.

Modify Eviction Order: Centre urges SC

• The Centre has urged the Supreme Court to modify its recent order directing the eviction of thousands of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other traditional forest dwellers whose claims for forest land rights have been rejected under the Forest Rights Act of 2006.
• The Centre said that the claims of lakhs of forest-dwelling STs and other traditional forest dwellers were rejected by the States without observing due process of law. Following were the arguments of Centre:
  • The forest land claims of these tribes and forest dwellers, who live from the forest, are mostly rejected by the States. Being poor and illiterate people who live in remote areas, they do not know the appropriate procedure for filing claims.
  • The gram sabhas, which initiate the verification of their claims, are low on awareness about how to deal with these claims.
  • The rejection orders are not even communicated to the forest-dwelling STs and communities.

Apatani Tribes in Arunachal Pradesh

• Aaptani are a tribal group of people living in the Ziro valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
• They speak a local language called Tani and worship the sun and the moon.
• They follow a sustainable social forestry system.
• They celebrate major festivals – Dree with prayers for a bumper harvest and prosperity of all humankind and Myoko to celebrate Friendship.
• The Apatanis practice aquaculture along with rice farming on their plots. Rice-fish culture in the valley is a unique practice in the state, where two crops of rice (Mipya and Emoh) and one crop of fish (Ngihi) are raised together.

Academy Award-2019

• Recently, the 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2018.
• It took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.