Current Affairs 6 July 2021 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 6 July 2021 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Mishri Variety Of Cherries Horticultural Crops

Source : PIB
Food and Agriculture

What is discuss under Mishri Variety Of Cherries Horticultural Crops ?

1. Mishri variety of Cherries
2. What is horticulture ?
3. Supporting schemes in India

Why in News ?

Step towards boosting horticultural crops exports a first commercial shipment of Mishri variety of luscious cherries from Kashmir valley has been exported to Dubai recently.

Key Facts

• APEDA assisted the shipment of cherries to Dubai.

  

• Provide huge opportunities for exports of several temperate fruits like plums, pears, apricot and apples from Kashmir to especiallyto middle east countries in the forthcoming seasons.
• APEDA has also initiated awareness programme on National Programme on Organic Production and ISO-17065 requirements for the officials of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for ensuring exports of quality agricultural produce.
• Mishri variety of Cherries
  • Contain vitamins, minerals and plant compound with health benefits.
  • Jammu and Kashmir produces more than 95% of the total country’s production of commercial varieties of cherries in the country.

What is horticulture ?

• The term Horticulture is derived from the Latin words hortus (garden) and cultūra (cultivation).
• The process of cultivation of plants in gardens to produce food and medicinal ingredients, or for comfort and ornamental purposes.
• Horticultural crops include tree, bush, perennial fruits, perennial bush and tree nuts, vegetables etc.
• Horticulture mainly focus to improve plant growth, yields, quality, nutritional value, and resistance to insects, diseases, and environmental stresses. 
• Horticulture does not include large-scale crop production or animal husbandry focuses on the use of small plots with a wide variety of mixed crops.
• What are the advantages of Horticulture crop ?
  • Water utilisation is very low.
  • Profit margin is comparatively high.
  • Multiple crops are planted simultaneously.
  • Horticulture crops and fruits are more resilient to change in weather conditions.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
  • Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector.
  • This covering fruits, vegetables, root & tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.
  • Government of India contributes 60% of total outlay for developmental programmes in all the states except states in North East and Himalayas 40% share is contributed by State Governments.
  • GOI contributes 90% for North Eastern States and Himalayan States.
  • Major Scheme under MIDH
    • National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
    • Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH)
    • National Horticulture Board (NHB)
    • Coconut Development Board (CDB)
    • Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH)

New Ministry of Co-operation

Source : PIB
Governance

What is discuss under New Ministry of Co-operation ?

1. Need for New Ministry
2. How can a New Ministry created by the Government ?

Why in News ?

A separate Ministry of Co-operation has been created by the Government for realizing the vision of Sahkar se Samriddhi (prosperity through cooperatives).

Key Facts

• This ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative

  

  movement in the country.

• It will help deepen Co-operatives as a true people based movement reaching upto the grassroots.
• Need for New Ministry
  • In India a Co-operative based economic development model is very relevant where each member works with a spirit of responsibility.
  • The Ministry will work to streamline processes for Ease of doing business for co-operatives and enable development of Multi-State Co-operatives (MSCS).
  • Creation of a separate Ministry for Co-operation also fulfils the budget announcement made by the Finance Minister. 

How a New Ministry created by the Government ?

• The Ministries/Departments of the Government are created by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• Article 77 Constitution of India : Conduct of business of the Government of India
  • The President shall make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business.
  • All executive action of the Government of India shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the President.
• Under the above provision the President has made the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961.
  • The distribution of subjects among the Departments shall be specified in the Second Schedule to these Rules
  • A Ministry or Department is responsible for formulation of policies of the Government in relation to business allocated to it and also for the execution and review of those policies.
  • Each department is generally under the charge of a Secretary to assist the Minister on policy matters and general administration.
• Article 75 (1A) : The total number of Ministers including the Prime Minister in the Council of Ministers shall not exceed fifteen per cent.
• Currently on this date it comprises 22 cabinet Ministers, 29 Ministers of State, and 9 Ministers of State (Independent Charge).

What is Section 66A for UPSC ?

Source : India Today
Polity

What is discuss under What is Section 66A for UPSC ?

1. SC observation
2. Facts of the news
3. What is Section 66A of the IT Act ?

Why in News ?

Supreme Court recently issued a notice to the Centre on the use of Section 66A of the IT Act that was scrapped several years ago.

• SC observed the judgment striking down the law has not been implemented even now.
• The Shreya Singhal Judgment which struck down Section 66A, 1,307 cases were registered under the law.

Key Facts

• The notice came during the hearing of a plea filed by PUCL that pointed out that even after 7 years of the law being

  

  struck down, a total of 745 cases are still pending and active before the district courts in 11 states.

• The accused persons are being prosecuted for offences under Section 66A of the IT Act.
• The plea is based on data collated by the Internet Freedom Foundation which has been tracking cases under the provisions which have been declared invalid but are still being used by police to prosecute people.
• What did the court decided ?
  • Directed the Centre to file a counter-affidavit in the case.

What is Section 66A of the IT Act ?

• Section 66A of the IT Act was used to punish online communication which is considered grossly offensive, menacing, or to send communication which the sender knows to be false to cause annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will.
• Simply the provision allowed the police to arrest those who posted offensive content online. 
• The provision was struck down by the Supreme court on 24 March 2015.
• The Supreme Court struck down the section in March 2015 after hearing a petition filed against it by Mumbai-based law student Shreya Singhal.

Advisory Council for Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

Source : Indian Express
Government Policies

What is discuss under Advisory Council for Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) ?

1. About the Panel
2. Need and impact for Advisory Council
3. What is Open Network for Digital Commerce ?

Why in News ?

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Ministry of Commerce and Industry has initiated a project on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

Key Facts

• The task has been assigned to Quality Council of India (QCI).

  

• ONDC aims at promoting open networks developed on open sourced methodology using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform.
• ONDC is expected to digitize the entire value chain, standardize operations, promote inclusion of suppliers, derive efficiencies in logistics and enhance value for consumers.
• An advisory council has been constituted to advise the Government on measures needed to design and accelerate adoption of ONDC.
  • Set up a nine-member panel.
  • It including National Health Authority chief executive and Infosys chairman.
  • To suggest measures to design an open network for digital commerce (ONDC) that aims to curb monopolistic tendencies of e-commerce platforms, among others.
• Need and impact for Advisory Council 
  • Currently, different e-marketplaces have different set of rules, which at times make it difficult for small traders and suppliers to adopt.
  • Already the government’s draft e-commerce policy under the consumer protection Act.
  • Could tighten the norms that could force e-commerce platform to restructure their existing marketing tie-ups.

What is Open Network for Digital Commerce ?

• Open source means that the code or the steps of that process is made available freely for others to use redistribute and modify it.
• ONDC gets implemented and mandated, it would mean that all e-commerce companies will have to operate using the same processes.
• This could give a huge booster shot to smaller online retailers and new entrants.

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