Rapid Fire Current Affairs | 29 Mar 2023
SMILE and SHRESHTA Scheme
The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in India is implementing two schemes: The Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) and the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE).
SHRESHTA provides financial assistance to NGOs for education projects related to students belonging to Scheduled Castes, with three types of projects covered they are Residential Schools, Non-Residential Schools, and Hostels, both for Primary and Secondary Students. The scheme has been revised and a new component, Mode-I, has been added for quality residential education for meritorious SC students in top-class residential High Schools through a nationwide entrance test conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA).
SMILE, on the other hand, supports marginalized individuals for livelihood and enterprise, but does not specifically cover persons belonging to Scheduled Castes.
Initiatives Against Cyber Crime
The Indian government has taken several measures to combat cybercrime and other criminal activities in the country. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has been established under the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide a platform for dealing with cybercrimes in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
The I4C has recommended the blocking of over 500 internet-based applications, which were found to be involved in criminal activities. In addition, the National Database of Offends of Foreign Origin (NDOFO) has been launched, which is a registry of foreigners involved in crime in India and has details of convicted and accused foreign offenders
The National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO) is another initiative that has a searchable registry of convicts involved in sexual offences such as rape, molestation, stalking, and child abuse. The NDSO has a record of 13 lakh offenders so far. To further combat financial fraud, a cyber fraud helpline number 1930 has been established. If a victim of financial fraud complains immediately on the toll-free number, agencies can freeze the SIM card and bank account involved in the crime, increasing the chance of recovering the money.
Read more: Cyber crimes
Conducive Policy in J&K
During the annual session of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), Indian government highlighted its efforts to create a conducive environment for investment in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) through improved law and order situations and policies.
The government is also working towards reducing logistics costs to 7.5% of GDP from the current 13%, as development without the development of infrastructure and reduction of logistics costs is not possible. To achieve this, the government has planned to invest ₹100 lakh crore in infrastructure, including mega projects such as doubling railway lines, dedicated freight corridors, and 11 industrial corridors.
Read More: Jammu and Kashmir
India and Romania Defence Cooperation
The Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations of Romania held a bilateral meeting with Indian officials. The meeting covered a wide range of issues, including military to military cooperation, military training and courses, defence co-development and co-production, and capacity building.
The two countries signed an Agreement on Defence Cooperation, further enhancing bilateral defence cooperation. During the meeting, both sides discussed regional security challenges and expressed their commitment to work together to enhance cooperation in all defence sectors.
This meeting reflects the growing partnership between India and Romania in the field of defence, as both countries seek to strengthen their capabilities and promote stability and security in the region.
