• 04 Apr 2024

Chandigarh Sets Up Panels for Poor Prisoner Relief

Why in News?

Recently, the Chandigarh administrator has constituted two committees for the implementation of a scheme to provide relief to poor prisoners who cannot be released from jail due to financial constraints like non-payment of fines or bail amount.

Key Points

• The Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme has been finalised by the Union ministry of home affairs and for its implementation.
• Administration has constituted:
  • One “Empowered Committee” to be headed by the district collector (DC) and district magistrate (DM), and its members will be the secretary, district legal services authority, superintendent of police (SP) and chief judicial magistrate.
  • Oversight committee will have a legal remembrancer-cum-director of prosecution, and secretary (Home/Jail), state legal services authority, and registrar general, Punjab and Haryana high court as its members; and the Chandigarh inspector general of prisons will be the member convener of the committee.
• The committee will assess the requirement of financial support in each case for securing bail or for payment of fine, etc, and based on the decision taken, the DC and DM will draw money from the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) account and take necessary action.
• The committee may appoint a nodal officer and take assistance of any civil society representative, social worker and district probation officer to assist them in processing cases of needy prisoners.

The Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme

• It is an initiative by the Government of India to provide financial assistance to poor prisoners who are unable to pay fines or bail amounts, preventing their release from jail.
• The scheme aims to address the issue of overcrowding in prisons and ensure that no prisoner remains incarcerated solely due to financial constraints.

NABARD Extends Financial Support to Bihar

Why in News?

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) extended financial support of Rs 10372.86 crore in Bihar during the financial year 2023 – 24 in the form of refinance,direct finance, and grant support.

• This is the highest financial support extended by NABARD to the state in a year so far and recorded a growth of 21 % over the previous financial year (2022-23).

Key Points

• Refinance was extended for production credit, investment credit and for paddy procurement operations of different commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Co-Operative Banks, while direct finance support was extended to the state government for the creation of rural infrastructures.
  • The grant support was extended to various agencies for piloting developmental initiatives in the field of Farmers’ Producer Organisations (FPOs), Watershed Development, Tribal Development, Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) Computerisation programme, Skill and Enterprise Development, Financial Literacy and Awareness programmes in the rural areas.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

• It is a development bank focussing primarily on the rural sector of the country. It is the apex banking institution to provide finance for Agriculture and rural development.
• Its headquarter is located in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital.
• It is responsible for the development of the small industries, cottage industries, and any other such village or rural projects.
• It is a statutory body established in 1982 under the Parliamentary act-National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981.

The Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)

• They were established in 1975 under the provisions of the Ordinance promulgated on 26th September 1975 and Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976.
• RRBs are financial institutions which ensure adequate credit for agriculture and other rural sectors.
• The RRBs combine the characteristics of a cooperative in terms of the familiarity of the rural problems and a commercial bank in terms of its professionalism and ability to mobilise financial resources.

Cooperative Banks

• It is an institution established on a cooperative basis to deal with the ordinary banking business. Cooperative banks are founded by collecting funds through shares, accepting deposits, and granting loans.
• They are Cooperative credit societies where members from a community group together to extend loans to each other, at favorable terms.
• They are registered under the Cooperative Societies Act of the State concerned or the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
• The Co-operative banks are governed by the:
  • Banking Regulations Act, 1949.
  • Banking Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955.
• They are broadly divided into Urban and Rural cooperative banks.

Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies

• PACS are cooperative societies that provide short-term credit and other services to their members, who are mostly farmers.
• They are the grassroots level institutions of the cooperative credit structure in India.
• PACS are being transformed by computerisation, undertaking multiservice, distribution of electricity, water, medicines and offering services as Common Service Centres (CSC).

SJVN Partners with IIT Patna to Improve Tunneling Project Performance

Why in News?

Recently, SJVN Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Patna (IIT Patna) to use advanced geological models in SJVN's tunnelling projects, thus significantly reducing time and cost overruns.

Key Points

• One of the key outcomes of this partnership will be the development of predictive analytics algorithms.
  • These algorithms, leveraging integrated geotechnical data, will forecast potential risks and provide early warning systems specifically tailored for tunnelling projects.
  • Such proactive measures are expected to substantially mitigate time and cost overruns during project execution.
• The primary focus of the MoU is to develop cutting-edge methodologies which integrate diverse geotechnical data sources.
  • These would include geological surveys, borehole data, geophysical measurements and monitoring data from projects of SJVN.
• The collaboration also aims to evaluate the intricate relationship between overburden and deformation, thereby enhancing the evaluation and design of support systems crucial for tunnelling projects.
  • By harnessing integrated geotechnical data and 3D geological models, SJVN and IIT Patna aim to identify and analyze potential risks and hazards.

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN Limited)

• It is an Indian public sector undertaking involved in hydroelectric power generation and transmission.
• It was incorporated in 1988 as Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation, a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh.

Uttarakhand High Court Seeks State Govt. Reply on Horizontal Reservation Plea

Why in News?

Recently, The Uttarakhand High Court sought a reply from the Uttarakhand government on a petition challenging 30% horizontal reservation to domiciled women of the state in government jobs.

Key Points

• The petition challenges Section 3(1) of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Act, 2022, saying 30% reservation for women of the state is beyond the scope of Article 16 of the Constitution of India.
• As per the case, Uttarakhand Public Service Commission had released an advertisement for various posts of PCS (provincial civil services) on March 14, 2024.
  • Clause 10(d) of the advertisement provides for 30% horizontal reservation for female candidates who are native of Uttarakhand.
  • The petitioner challenged the reservation and said horizontal reservation based only on domicile should not be made.
    • Section 3(1) of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Act, 2022 is unconstitutional because it violates the Article 16 of the Constitution of India.

Article 16 of the Constitution of India

• It provides for the grounds of positive discrimination or Reservation in government jobs.
  • Article 16(4) provides that the State can make any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favor of any backward class of citizens who, in the opinion of the state, are not adequately represented in the services under the State.
  • Article 16(4A) provides that the State can make any provision for reservation in matters of promotion in favor of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes if they are not adequately represented in the services under the State.
  • Article 16(6) provides that the State can make any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favor of any economically weaker sections.

PepsiCo India Establishing Flavor Plant in Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

Recently, PepsiCo India announced to invest Rs 1,266 crore to set up a flavour manufacturing facility at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh as part of its expansion plans in the country.

Key Points

• The plant, spread over 22 acres, will play a significant role in scaling up PepsiCo's beverage production in India, generating employment and positively impacting the local economy.
  • The construction of the upcoming plant is slated to start in 2024 and is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2026.
  • The new unit will be the company's second flavour manufacturing facility in India. PepsiCo's first flavour manufacturing facility is in Channo, Punjab.
• PepsiCo India said in line with its global sustainability goals, the new manufacturing facility will operate entirely on renewable energy sources leading to a reduction in carbon footprint by an impressive 1.9 metric tonne per day.
• With zero liquid discharge technology, the plant aims to achieve approximately 90% overall water efficiency, ensuring responsible management of water resources, and replenishing 100% of the water used at the facility.

Note: The components of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), including reverse osmosis, enable extensive reuse and recovery of water and salts, and the process minimizes the freshwater requirements.

Gagan Shakti-2024

Why in News?

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to commence a ‘Gagan Shakti-2024’,10-day exercise to test its capabilities and preparedness for high-intensity operations.

Key Points

• IAF showcases its might and capability during the exercise “in a realistic environment“ from April 1-10, 2024, involving all air force bases and assets scattered across the country.
  • ‘Gagan Shakti’ was last held in 2018 when the IAF clocked more than 11,000 sorties during the two-phase air manoeuvre that saw the concentration of the force’s deployed assets move from the western sector to the eastern front in less than 48 hours.
  • It sought to test the IAF’s readiness for a two-front war with China and Pakistan.
• The latest drills follow the Vayu Shakti-2024 exercise, conducted at the Pokhran air-to-ground range near Jaisalmer, where the IAF deployed its frontline assets, including the Rafale fighter jets, Mirage-2000s, Sukhoi-30 MKIs, Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), Jaguars, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, Apache attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and surface-to-air missile systems.
  • This year’s Vayu Shakti was followed by the tri-services Bharat Shakti exercise. The integrated tri-services ‘live fire and manoeuvre’ exercise displayed how the Indian military plans to leverage its indigenous capabilities for dominating the battlefield and crushing any threat to national security.
  • The exercise featured several weapons and systems, including Tejas LCA Mk-1, the light combat helicopter Prachand, armed advanced light helicopters, T-90 tanks, BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, drone launched precision guided munitions, a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles, rockets, air defence weapons, and artillery guns such as the Dhanush, Sharang and K9 Vajra.
• The IAF will host ‘Tarang Shakti’, a mega exercise that is expected to bring together 12 global air forces, with a focus on improving interoperability, imbibing best practices from one another and boosting military cooperation among the participating countries.
  • It will be the biggest multi-nation air exercise to be conducted on Indian soil.
  • It will involve fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters, mid-air refuellers, airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, and unmanned systems.