RAJASTHAN
- Government schools to plant trees equal to number of enrolments
- To raise awareness about the environment and encourage afforestation, Rajasthan education minister Govind Singh Dotasra announced that trees, equal to the number of enrolments in each school, will be planted by government schools in this session.
- The initiative is said to be inspired from Philippines, where the government had announced this year that every student studying in schools or colleges has to plant at least 10 trees before his/her graduation, to become eligible for a degree. The law has now been passed by the parliament and the trees planted should preferably be local species, suitable for the environment, location and topography.
INTERNATIONAL
- International Day Against Child Labour observed on June 12
- International Labour Organization (ILO) started to celebrate World Day Against Child Labour in 2002
- The day brings government employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015 to include a renewed global commitment to ending child labour.
- The protection of children embedded in the ILO’s Constitution (Preamble). One of the first Conventions adopted by the ILO was on Minimum Age in Industry (No. 5, 1919).
- 7 target set by the international community calling for an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025.
- India ranked 113 out of 176 countries in End of Childhood Index
- According to the 3rd End of Childhood Index Global Childhood Report 2019, India ranked 113 in 176 countries with 769 scores out of 1000.
- The Index released on May 28, 2019, by ‘Save the Children’, a United Kingdom (13K) based non-profit organization which works for child rights.
- The countries are decided on 8 parameters namely child mortality, malnutrition, lack of education, child labor, early marriage, adolescent birth, displacement by conflict and child homicide. Scores were out of 1000.The country topped Singapore with a score of 989 . 8 European countries figured among the top 10.South Korea at 10th position. The last rank is given to the Central African Republic 394
- India ranked fourth and Bhutan (98), Sri Lanka (56) and China (36)
The rate of child marriage reduced to 25%
The biggest score witnessed in Latvia and Estonia (both up 40 points from 927 to 967) and Lithuania (up 39 points from 934 to 973).
NATIONAL
- The Union Cabinet approved two Medical Bills that was lapsed in the 16th Lok Sabha session
- The Union Cabinet approved the two Medical Bills, Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill), 2019, and the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment Bill), 2019.Both the bills had lapsed in the 16th Lok Sabha session.
The Bills are to be reintroduced in the upcoming Parliament session.
Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill), 2019:
- The Bill is aimed at bringing inaccountability, transparency, and quality in the governance of medical education in the country. The bill will also provide for supersession of the Medical Council of India (MCI) for a period of two years from August 26, 2018.
- The Board of Governors shall exercise the powers and functions of the MCI as assigned under the IMC Act, 1956. The Board of Governors (BoG) members will be increased from existing7 to 12.
Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment Bill), 2019:
- The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment Bill), 2019 is intended to extend the period for reconstitution of theCentral Council from an existing period of one year to two years. Also, the tenure of the Board of Governors will be extended for a further period of one year with effect from May 17, 2019.
Dentists Act, 1948:
- The Centre has also approved the introduction of a Bill toamend the Dentists Act, 1948. The Bill aimed to make the Dental Council of India more effective. The Bill is expected to restructure the Dental Councils. Also, the representation of Central government members and elected members would no longer be made mandatory in the Dental Councils.
- PM Kisan Pension Scheme: Farmers’ contribution to be Rs 100 per month
- Central government plans to launch a village-level campaign to enroll an additional one crore farmers in Kisan Credit Card (KCC)scheme over the next 100 days,The scheme urged States to ensure wider coverage of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (PM-Kisan) and pension schemes Currently, there are about 6.92 crore KCC holders. Around 14.5 crore operational landholdings farmers eligible for an agricultural loan of up to ₹1.6 lakh. Among the major States that have poor KCC penetration are: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
- PM Kisan is a Centrally-sponsored income support scheme for farmers which would give them ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments.
The scheme extended to all farmers, irrespective of the size of landholdings.
The pension scheme would give ₹3,000 monthly to small and marginal farmers from the age of 60 between 18 and 40 years of age.Farmers will have to contribute ₹100 per month under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana for the monthly pension, according to the government.
- India successfully test fires hypersonic cruise missile
- India conducted a successful first test flight of the indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) from a base off the Odisha coast.
- The only other countries that possess this technology are the US, Russia and China.
- The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration vehicle that can cruise up to a speed of 6 Mach and rise up to an altitude of 32 km in 20 seconds.
- It has a range of uses, including missiles of the future, and energy-efficient, low cost and reusable satellite-launch vehicle.
