• 05 Sep 2024

33% Quota for Women in Police Force

Why in News? 

Recently, the Rajasthan government approved  33% reservation for women in the police force, along with an additional 5% allowance for pensioners.

Key Points

• The Cabinet approved an amendment to the Rajasthan Police Subordinate Services Rules, 1989.
• Approval was also given to amend Rules 67 and 87 of the Rajasthan Civil Services Pension Rules, 1996, under central government pension rules.
  • A 5% additional allowance was approved for pensioners aged 70 to 75
  • Specially-abled children, dependent parents, and specially-abled siblings can now be permanently added to the Pension Payment Order (PPO) if there is no other eligible member.
  • The gratuity and death gratuity for state employees were increased from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh.

Note: The Union government approved a 33% reservation for women in direct recruitment for non-gazetted posts (constable to sub-inspector) in Delhi in March 2015.

Green Manifesto, 2024

Why in News? 

Recently, the People for Aravallis group initiated the development of a ‘Haryana Green Manifesto 2024’ in response to the growing environmental crisis in the state.

Key Points

• Green Manifesto: The document was created after a unique participatory exercise, gathering inputs from rural and urban stakeholders across 17 districts of Haryana ahead of the assembly elections.
  • Experts in ecology, agriculture, urban planning, and sustainable architecture contributed to shaping a green vision for Haryana.
• Key Demands in the Green Manifesto:
  • Legally designate the Aravallis and Shivaliks as "critical ecological zones" to prohibit destructive activities and commercial projects.
  • Promote the use of alternative building materials to preserve the remaining hills.
  • Designate Mahendergarh district as a "pahadi dark zone" and cease all mining and stone-crushing operations due to critically low groundwater levels (1,500-2,000 feet).
  • Withdraw the state's appeal in the Supreme Court to legalize mining in the National Capital Region (NCR).
  • Remove landfills in Bandhwari, Pali, and near ITI colony on the Old Sohna-Alwar road.
  • Halt illegal dumping and burning of chemical waste from industrial units in Bhiwadi, Khori Khurd, and other villages in Nuh district.
  • Provide compensation and quality farmland to villagers whose lands have been impacted by these activities.
• Demands for Forest Protection:
  • Provide legal protection to all forests by including un-notified forests as "deemed forests" under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900.
  • Legislate a Tree Act for Haryana, similar to the stringent Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994.
  • Declare all open natural ecosystems (ONEs), such as the blackbuck natural habitat in Fatehabad district, as conservation or community reserves.
  • Remove Haryana’s ONEs from the Wasteland Atlas of India, which categorizes these ecosystems as ‘unproductive’ land for agriculture or industrial use.
  • Implement an action plan to increase Haryana’s forest and tree cover to 10% within four years.
  • Reintroduce traditional Haryana tree species, such as Lesoda, Khejri, Indrok, and Jaal, and promote native planting in an ecologically correct manner (tall trees, under-storey trees, shrubs, climbers, grasses) to create biodiversity-rich spaces.
• Demands for Food Security:
  • Promote crop diversification as a key climate-change adaptation strategy.
  • Ensure guaranteed purchase of every crop grown by farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the Centre.
  • Incentivize natural farming practices that improve soil health.
  • Scale up the ‘keeth pathshalas’ (insect schools), which have been educating farmers in some villages for the past 15 years, to all districts. These schools teach the balance between vegetarian and non-vegetarian insects, reducing the need for insecticide spraying.

Aravali Mountain Range

• The Aravallis is the oldest folded mountain on Earth.
• It spans over 800 km from Gujarat to Delhi (through Rajasthan and Haryana).
• The highest peak in the Aravalli Range is Guru Peak on Mount Abu.
• Impact on Climate:
  • The Aravallis have an impact upon the climate of northwest India and beyond.
  • During monsoons, the mountain range gently guides the monsoon clouds eastwards towards Shimla and Nainital, thus helping nurture the sub-Himalayan rivers and feeding the north Indian plains.
  • In the winter months, it protects the fertile alluvial river valleys (the para-Indus and Gangetic) from the assault of cold westerly winds from Central Asia.

SC Criticizes Appointment of New Director to Rajaji National Park

Why in News?

The Supreme Court recently criticized the Uttarakhand Chief Minister for the appointment of a forest officer (IFS) as the Director of Rajaji National Park.

Key Points 

• Appointment Dispute: Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s decision to appoint IFS officer as director of Rajaji National Park has sparked controversy due to his ongoing investigations by the CBI and ED for alleged illegal activities.
• Bypassing Officials: Allegations suggest that CM bypassed objections from the Forest Minister and Chief Secretary, who had recommended reconsideration of the appointment due to the officer’s involvement in previous legal issues.
• Supreme Court Observations: Emphasized that such decisions should not be made unilaterally.
  • The Court highlighted the importance of the public trust doctrine, stressing that the government's role is to protect natural resources responsibly, which was compromised in this case.

Rajaji National Park 

• Location: Haridwar (Uttarakhand), along the foothills of the Shivalik range, spans 820 square kilometres.
• Background: Three sanctuaries in the Uttarakhand i.e. Rajaji, Motichur and Chila were amalgamated into a large protected area and named Rajaji National Park in the year 1983 after the famous freedom fighter C. Rajgopalachari; popularly known as “Rajaji”.
• Features:
  • This area is the North Western Limit of habitat of Asian elephants.
  • Forest types include sal forests, riverine forests, broad–leaved mixed forests, scrubland and grassy.
  • It possesses as many as 23 species of mammals and 315 bird species such as elephants, tigers, leopards, deers and ghorals, etc.
  • It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2015.
  • It is home to the Van Gujjars in the winters.

Indore-Manmad Rail Project

Why in News? 

Recently, the Indore-Manmad Railway Project has been approved, marking a historic milestone for railway development in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Key Points 

• Project Overview: The project covers 309 kilometers (out of which 170.056 km will be covered in Madhya Pradesh and 139.376 km in Maharashtra) with a total cost of Rs. 18,036.25 crore.
  • It will link Indore in Madhya Pradesh to Manmad in Maharashtra, connecting important districts (Barwani, Khargone, Dhar, and Indore) and enhancing regional connectivity.
• Economic and Social Benefits: Expected to generate direct employment during construction and after completion in underdeveloped districts like Barwani and Khargone, and enhance logistics for industries.
  • Railway line will greatly benefit the Scheduled Tribe communities in the Malwa and Nimar regions, driving positive change and opening new opportunities.
• Agricultural Impact: Improves transportation for onion-producing hubs (Nashik, Dhule, and Nandurbar) and other agricultural products.
• Religious Tourism: The rail line will facilitate easier access to major religious sites, including Jyotirlingas, promoting religious tourism.
• Project Funding and Contributions: Madhya Pradesh will contribute Rs.1,362.80 crore (10% of the state’s share), while Maharashtra will not contribute financially. The remaining funds are provided by the Central Government.
• Central Support: Central Government has supported the project under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan 

• Aim: To ensure integrated planning and implementation of infrastructure projects in the next four years, with focus on expediting works on the ground, saving costs and creating jobs.
  • The Gati Shakti scheme will subsume the Rs 110 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline that was launched in 2019.
  • Besides cutting logistics costs, the scheme is also aimed at increasing cargo handling capacity and reducing the turnaround time at ports to boost trade.
  • It also aims to have 11 industrial corridors and two new defence corridors - one in Tamil Nadu and other in Uttar Pradesh. Extending 4G connectivity to all villages is another aim. Adding 17,000 kms to the gas pipeline network is being planned.
  • It will help in fulfilling the ambitious targets set by the government for 2024-25, including expanding the length of the national highway network to 2 lakh kms, creation of more than 200 new airports, heliports and water aerodromes.

Exit Polls Banned

Why in News? 

Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notification banning the release of exit polls for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Key Points 

• Exit polls are banned from being conducted or published from 7:00 AM on September 18, 2024, to 6:30 PM on October 5, 2024.
  • An exit poll is conducted immediately after people have voted, and assesses the support for political parties and their candidates.
• The move is a standard procedure to ensure fairness and prevent exit polls from influencing voter behavior during the election process.
  • The ban is based on Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which prohibits the conducting, publishing, or publicizing of exit polls.
•  Exit poll results can be published 30 minutes after the last vote is cast.
• Under Section 126(1)(b) of the RP Act, 1951, displaying any election-related material, including opinion polls, is prohibited during the 48 hours before the end of polling.
  • An opinion poll is a pre-election survey to gather voters’ views on a range of election-related issues.

Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950

• Key Provisions:
  • Lays down procedures for delimitation of constituencies.
  • Provides for the allocation of seats in the House of the People and in the Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils of States.
  • Lays procedure for the preparation of electoral rolls and the manner of filling seats.
  • Lays down the qualification of voters.
    

Representation of the People Act (RPA),1951

• Key Provisions:
  • It regulates the actual conduct of elections and by-elections.
  • It provides administrative machinery for conducting elections.
  • It deals with the registration of political parties.
  • It specifies the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of the Houses.
  • It provides provisions to curb corrupt practices and other offences.
  • It lays down the procedure for settling doubts and disputes arising out of elections.

Rise in Militancy in Jammu

Why in News? 

The Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has witnessed a notable increase in militant attacks since mid-2021, culminating in recent incidents including the ambush on Army vehicles in Kathua district and targeted strikes in other areas

Key Points

• Reasons for Rise in Militancy in Jammu: 
  • Strategic Shift: The pursuance of zero terror policy in Kashmir have provided militants to an opportunity to operate in Jammu.
  • In 2020, perceived low militancy in Jammu led to troop movements to Ladakh (along LAC after the Galwan Accident), potentially prompting militants to relocate.
• Strategic Importance of Jammu: Jammu serves as a crucial gateway to the rest of India, making it an attractive target for militants aiming to disrupt normalcy and create fear.
• Geostrategic Considerations: The proximity to the Line of Control (LoC) provides militants easier access from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, facilitating infiltration and logistics support. 
• Economic Disparities: Lack of economic opportunity and development in remote and border areas of Jammu create fertile ground for recruitment of local youths by militant groups.
• Lack of Human Intelligence:  The locals who provided information decades ago are now in their 60s or 70s, and the security forces have not nurtured relations with younger generations, highlighting a gap in human intelligence gathering.

Note:

• Terrorism: Terrorism under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2012, involves using violence or threats to create fear for political, ideological, or extremist aims, impacting national or global security.
• Militancy: Militancy refers to a readiness to use violence or combativeness, encompassing various groups or individuals including armed religious factions, often used interchangeably with terrorism but suggesting a potentially less extreme level of violent expression compared to terrorism.