Current Affairs 27 May 2021 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 27 May 2021  focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

1. Israel’s Human Rights Record Scrutiny
2. Van Gujjars Remain Nomadic
3. Complete Registration of unorganised workers
4. Mekedatu Unauthorised Construction
5. National Mission To Use Biomass In Coal

Prelims

1. Ayush Clinical Case Repository (ACCR) Portal
2. SeHAT OPD portal
3. The Eclipse and After
4. Eni International Award

Israel’s Human Rights Record Scrutiny

Source : Indian Express
GS II : Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate

Why in News ?

Organization of Islamic Cooperation are calling on the U.N. Human Rights Council to set up a permanent commission to report on human rights violations in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

Key Facts

• The calling for permanent commission to report on human rights violations in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank in the wake of recent Israel-Palestinians conflict.
• Pakistan, as the OIC’s coordinator sought to address the grave human rights situation in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

  

  • It was a special session of the Geneva-based council.
• This move will pave the way for creating a permanent commission to look up the human rights violation in the region.
• The committee will enquire
  • Underlying root causes of recurrent tensions
  • Frequent instability and protraction of conflict
• This is called as Commission of Inquiry a highest level of scrutiny that the council can authorise.
  • Israel earlier was against such committee on the view that it was against Isarel and urge member states to oppose.
  • United States quit the council in mid-2018 partially over his administration’s allegations that the council has an anti-Israel bias.

India Israel Relation Read here   : India Israel Relation UPSC

U.N. Human Rights Council

• An inter-governmental body within the United Nations system. It is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world.
• The headquarters of UNHRC is in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The UN General Assembly elects the members who occupy the UNHRC’s 47 seats for 3 years period.
• No member may occupy a seat for more than 2 consecutive terms.

Van Gujjars Remain Nomadic

Source : Down To Earth
GS III : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Why in News ?

Recently interim order in favour of Van Gujjar was passed by Uttarakhand High Court and held that Van Gujjars Remain Nomadic.

Key Facts

• Court uphold the Constitutional rights under Article 21.
• The court directed the district collector of Uttarkashi to conduct COVID test and if the test is negative they should be permitted to enter the park Govind Pashu Vihar National Park.
• Also directed the deputy director of Govind Pashu Vihar National Park to submit a report regarding the steps taken towards implementation of the order.

Article 21 : No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law, nor shall any person be denied equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.

What happen to the Community Recent Years ?

• There were several attempts to resettle the Van Gujjars, still several members continue to pursue a nomadic lifestyle.
• As a result of the enactment of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or Forest Rights Act (FRA) has changed things.
• Many in the Nomadic Community have to paid fines for violating the conditions set forth by the forest department.
• Community Forest Resource Right
  • Section 2 in The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
  • Community Forest Resource means customary common forest land within the traditional or customary boundaries of the village or seasonal use of landscape in the case of pastoral communities, including reserved forests, protected forests and protected areas such as Sanctuaries and National Parks to which the community had traditional access.
  • The section also prescribes the seasonal use of a landscape in case of pastoral communities.
• The COVID pandemic also affect the Nomadic community as the access of the access of the community within forests was restricted through out 2020.
  • This affect the health of their livestock and many baffaloes died.
  • Their income also reduced during the pandemic.

Complete Registration of unorganised workers

Source : Indian Express
GS III : Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

Why in News ?

Supreme Court asked the Centre and states to complete the registration of unorganised workers

• In order to return to their native villages after the Covid-induced national lockdown.
• Also it should be completed as early as possible.
• Thus they get the benefit of different welfare schemes.

Key Facts

• According to SC there should be a common Nation wide database for those who are working in unorganised sector in various sectors in various states.
  • Court gave two weeks time for filing affidavit regarding the setting up of database.

    

  • This direction came as a result of Suo Moto matter in which court was attending the problems related to migrant labourers during the lockdown.
  • For welfare schemes the states and centre must ensure the beneficiaries receives the benefits of the scheme.
  • Also court directed to provide dry ration through out the country for migrant labour that was earlier directed only for New Delhi, Haryana and UP.
• Under Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008 no states provide any registrations under this act.
• Ministry of Labour and Employment about data base
  • Ministry started the process for creating the data base withe collaboration from the state for unorganised sector.
  • The states and centre will complete database as early as possible.
  • The data base should consist of various skills, place of their earlier employment.

Mekedatu Unauthorised Construction

Source : The Hindu
GS III : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Why in News ?

National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone has appointed a joint committee to look into allegations of Mekedathu unauthorised construction activity taking place in Mekedatu.

Key Facts

• The Karnataka government had proposed to construct a dam across the Cauvery River.

  

• If the project is to be implemented without conducting any environmental impact assessment study and without obtaining necessary clearance, if any required, then it will be an unauthorised act affecting the environment.
• NGT also directed the joint committee to assess the damage caused to the environment in case of any construction made and determine the compensation payable by the respective authorities who are responsible.
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Department of Forests, State of Karnataka will be the nodal agency for coordination and for providing necessary logistics for this purpose.
• Tamil Nadu has opposed it on the grounds that the project violates the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award.

About the Mekedatu Project

• The Rs. 9,000 crore project approved by the State government in 2017 has received approval from the Union Water Resources Ministry for the detailed project report and is awaiting approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF).
  • 5,051 hectares of forests would be submerged and they included 3,181 hectares in the sanctuary and 1,870 hectares in the reserve forest.
  • The approval from MOEF is crucial since 63% of the forest area that will be submerged is in the sanctuary.
• Need for the project ?
  • Around 400 megawatts (MW) of power is proposed to be generated through the project.
  • Water could be drawn from the reservoir to partially meet the needs of Bengaluru

Why Tamil Nadu is against the project ?

• Karnataka had not sought prior permission for the project.
• Project would affect the flow of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
• Decisions of the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Tribunal are violated due to the construction of the reservoir.
• Supreme Court’s direction, the Centre constituted a Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)
  • It will monitor water management on a day-to-day basis, including the water level and inflow and outflow.

About the River – Kaveri/Cauvery

• Indian river flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• The river originates in Western Ghats and flows for about 800 km before its outfall into the Bay of Bengal.
• The Kaveri is considered to be one of the seven holy rivers of India.
• The river basin covers three states and 1 Union Territory
  • Karnataka, 34,273 square kilometres
  • Tamil Nadu, 43,868 square kilometres
  • Kerala, 2,866 square kilometres
  • Puducherry, 148 square kilometres
• Major Tributaries
  • Harangi River
  • Hemavati River
  • Lakshmana Tirtha
  • Amaravathi River
  • Bhavani River
  • Kabini River
  • Noyyal River

National Mission To Use Biomass In Coal

Source : Indian Express
GS III : Environmental Conservation and pollution related issues.

Why in News ?

In order to address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble burning and to reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation, Ministry of Power has decided : 

• To set up a National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants.
• This would further support the energy transition in the country and our targets to move towards cleaner energy sources.

Key Facts

• The modalities of operation and structure of the Nation Mission are under finalization.
• the Mission would have a Steering Committee headed by Secretary (Power) comprising of all stakeholders including representatives from Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) etc.
• The duration of proposed National Mission would be a minimum 5 years.
• There are 5 Sub-Groups are also proposed to be formed under the Mission.
• The proposed National Mission on biomass will also contribute in the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

National Mission on use of biomass in thermal power plants

• To increase the level of co-firing from present 5% to higher levels to have a larger share of carbon neutral power generation from the thermal power plants.
• To take up R&D activity in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets.
• To facilitate overcoming the constraints in supply chain of bio mass pellets and agro- residue and its transport upto to the power plants.
• To consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.

PRELIMS

Ayush Clinical Case Repository (ACCR) Portal

• Ayush Clinical Case Repository (ACCR) portal and the third version of AyushSanjivani App.
• Will serve as aplatform to support both Ayush practitioners and general public.
• It will document the strengths of Ayush systems for treatment of various disease conditions.
• Both the practitioners and the common people would be able to use and contribute through it.
• App would help Ayush to present itself more aggressively by utilising the scientific date gained through it.

SeHAT OPD portal

• Services e-Health Assistance & Tele-consultation (SeHAT) OPD portal launched.
• The portal provides tele-medicine services to the serving Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families.
• This is the final version of the SeHAT OPD portal with advanced safety features.
• More than 6,500 medical consultations have already been carried on the beta version by service doctors.
• The portal will help reduce the load on hospitals and patients will be able to get contactless consultations in an easy and effective manner.

The Eclipse and After

• Women-centric documentary films will be started by Films Division with The Eclipse and After a festival of films on women by women being screened online from 28 to 30 May 2021.
• The package of ten films made by women film makers tells stories of women coming out from the shadows of inequality and injustice.
• Also inspiring stories of strong-willed women who dared to break conventions to lead a life of self worth and accomplishment.

Eni International Award

• Bharat Ratna Professor C.N.R. Rao has received the International Eni Award 2020 for research into renewable energy sources and energy storage
• Also called the Energy Frontier award and is considered to be the Nobel Prize in Energy Research.
• working on hydrogen energy as the only source of energy for the benefit of all mankind.
• Hydrogen storage, photochemical and electrochemical production of hydrogen, solar production of hydrogen, and non-metallic catalysis were the highlights of his work.
• The award become internationally recognized over the years in the field of energy and environmental research.
  • It aims to promote better use of energy sources and encourage new generations of researchers in their work.

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