Current Affairs 16 April 2021 – IAS Current Affairs
Current Affairs 16 April 2021 focuses on Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :
- UNFPA’s population report
- Eatsmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge
- Overseas Citizens of India Changes
UNFPA’s population report
Why in News ?
United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) flagship State of World Population Report 2021 titled ‘My Body is My Own’ launched on 15 April 2021.
About the Report
- Nearly half the women from 57 developing countries do not have the right to make decisions regarding their bodies, including using contraception, seeking healthcare or even on their sexuality.
- Based on the availability of records 55% of women are fully empowered to make choices over healthcare, contraception and the ability to say yes or no to sex.
- Only 75% of countries legally ensure full and equal access to contraception.
- Violations Cited
- Child marriage
- Female genital mutilation
- Lack of contraceptive choices leading to unplanned pregnancy,
- Unwanted sex exchanges
- Impact of COVID 19
- Women around the world are denied the fundamental right of bodily autonomy with the COVID-19 pandemic
National Family Health Survey 2015-16 (NFHS-4)
- 12% of currently married women (15-49 years of age) independently make decisions about their own healthcare.
- 63% decide in consultation with their spouse.
- 23% it is the spouse that mainly takes decisions about healthcare.
- 8% of currently married women (15-49 years) take decisions on the use of contraception independently.
- 83% decide jointly with their spouse.
- 47% women using a contraceptive were informed about the side effects of the method.
- 54% women were provided information about other contraceptives.
Why Bodily Anatomy Important ?
- Bodily autonomy is essential to achieving the UNFPA’s goals of ending the global unmet need for contraception, preventable maternal deaths, gender-based violence and harmful practices by 2030.
Definition for Bodily Anatomy
- Their power to make their own decisions about their reproductive health care, contraceptive use and sexual relations
- Also the extent to which the laws of the countries support or interfere with a woman’s right to make these decisions.
Source : The Hindu
GS I : Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies
Eatsmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge
Why in News?
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge.
EatSmart Cities Challenge aims to motivate Smart Cities to develop a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment supported by institutional, physical, social, and economic infrastructure along with the application of ‘smart’ solutions to combat food related issues.
Transport4All Digital Innovation Challenge aims to develop digital solutions that will make public transport safe, affordable, comfortable, and reliable for all.
About EatSmart Cities Challenge
- Eat Smart Cities Challenge will have a positive impact on the lives of urban population
- It helps in motivating them to eat right.
- It will be a game changer in creating social and behavioural change towards food safety, hygiene and nutrition.
- It will be a competition among cities to recognise their efforts in adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right India.
- This is a partnership with Smart Cities Mission.
- At the end of first phase of the challenge, 11 cities will be selected for further assesssment.
Eat Right India movement initiated by FSSAI under the aegis of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has gone a long way in creating awareness amongst the people about eating safe, healthy and sustainably.
Transport 4 All (T4All) Challenge
- Aims to invest in public transport as a social good, completely revamp informal transit services, and prioritise digital innovation to improve user experience.
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Transport 4 All challenge in collaboration with ITDP.
- Challenge aims to bring together cities, citizen groups, and start-ups to develop solutions that improve public transport to better serve the needs of all citizens.
- First edition of the Challenge focuses on digital innovation.
- Cities and start-ups will receive guidance to develop and test various solutions, learn from them, and scale them to build people’s trust in public transport and enhance their mobility.
Three Stages of the Challenge
The Transport4All through Digital Innovation Challenge comprises three stages:
- Stage I PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION : Cities, with the support of NGOs, identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transport operators face
- Stage II SOLUTION GENERATION : Start-ups develop prototypes of solutions to improve public transport with inputs from cities and NGOs
- Stage III PILOT TESTING : Cities engage start-ups for large-scale pilots and refine the solutions based on citizen feedback
Source : PIB
GS II : Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Overseas Citizens of India Changes
Why in News ?
The Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) will not be required to register for a fresh OCI card every time a new passport is issued in their name.
Who is an OCI ?
- Government of India launched the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Scheme in 2005 by amending to Citizenship Act, 1955.
- Later in January 2015, the Government of India discontinued the PIO card and merged it with OCI card.
- Anyone who is applying for OCI card should hold a valid Passport of another country.
- They do not have
- Right to vote.
- Right to any public service jobs
- The chance to hold offices of Prime Minister, President, Vice -President, Judge of Supreme Court and High Court, member of Parliament or Member of state legislative assembly or council.
- Authority to own agricultural property.
- Benefits of holding OCI Card
- Treated at par with Indian citizens in matters of traffic in airfares in Indian domestic sectors.
- Same treatment as of NRIs in respect to Inter-country adoption of Indian children.
- Lifelong Visa to visit India multiple times with some exceptions.
- OCI card holders have similar facilities that are extended to NRIs in economic, financial and educational fields.
What are the recent changes ?
- The Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) will not be required to register for a fresh OCI card every time a new passport is issued in their name.
- If a person has obtained registration as OCI cardholder after attaining the age of 20 years, there will be no requirement of reissue of the OCI card.
Source : The Hindu
GS II : Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.