TISS-IRMA : social issue updates:2013 (1 to 20)

see : updates no 21 to 26
recommended post : Women empowerment , Child issue 

1. PRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE SIGNED ORDINANCE ON FOOD SECURITY

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the ordinance on food security on 5 July 2013 which seeks to give legal rights to 67 per cent of the population over subsidised grains every month.

    2.MARRAKESH TREATY FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED SIGNED

The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or otherwise Print Disabled was adopted by more than 150 countries at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Diplomatic Conference hosted by Morocco in Marrakesh, Morocco on 28 June 2013. The treaty will provide access to various books for the print disabled, visually impaired as well as blind.

   3.ANDHRA ASSEMBLY PASSED BILL TO RESTORE GENDER BALANCE

Andhra Pradesh state Assembly on 19 June 2013 passed the bill called the Andhra Pradesh Bangaru Talli Girl Child Promotion and Empowerment Bill 2013 which provides, among other benefits, financial assistance of 2500 rupees to a family on birth of a girl child. Each such family would get a total of 55000 rupees till the girl's 21st birthday and upon completion of intermediate (Plus-2) or graduation, an additional 50000 rupees or one lakh rupees respectively would be given as incentive.

  4.GOVT. TARGET TO ACHIEVE 80% LITERACY RATE BY 2017

The Union Government of India on 12 June 2013 announced that it has set a target to achieve 80 percent literacy rate in the country by 2017. The literacy rate of the country at present is 74 percent. The government is aimed to strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions as it serves as a vital leverage to promote education in general and literacy in particular.

   5.UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION PASSED ON NAXAL VIOLENCE

The meeting of all political parties on Naxal violence unanimously passed a resolution on 10 June 2013 in New Delhi. It strongly condemned the brutal killing of political leaders and workers by the CPI (Maoist) on 25 May 2013 at Jiram Ghati, District Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Twenty six persons, mostly members of the Congress party, some security persons and innocent villagers, lost their lives in this dastardly attack on a peaceful convoy returning from a political event.

  6.WORLD LEADERS SIGNED AGREEMENT TO TACKLE MALNUTRITION

World leaders on 8 June 2013 signed a global agreement to fight malnutrition in children and made commitments of up to 4.15 billion dollars to tackle under nutrition up to 2020. The agreement, called Global Nutrition for Growth was signed during the central London summit. The summit was participated by two Presidents and four Prime Ministers from Africa, philanthropist Bill Gates, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Unilever chief executive Paul Polman.

  7.GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH RASHTRIYA UCHHTAR SHIKSHA ABHIYAN

The Union government of India on 8 June 2013 decided to launch National Higher education Campaign, Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, to focus on equity based development, improvement in teaching-learning quality and research. Under it, funds will be provided to public Universities and Colleges so that higher educational institutes do not rely heavily on the affiliation fees.

   8.SCHEME ROSHNI TO TRAIN YOUTH IN NAXAL-HIT AREAS LAUNCHED

The Ministry of Rural Development on 7 June 2013 launched a new skill development scheme designed to offer employment to tribal youth in 24 Naxal -affected districts. The scheme, which is named Roshni is supposed to provide training and employment to an anticipated 50000 youth in the 10-35 years age group, for a period of three years. As per the Ministry 50 per cent of the beneficiaries of the scheme will be women only.

  9.DBTL SCHEME LAUNCHED IN 18 DISTRICTS OF INDIA

The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, M. Veerappa Moily launched the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Scheme in 18 districts on 1 June 2013 at Tumkur near Bangalore. The scheme was also flagged off by Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy.

 10.First All-Women Police Station became Functional in Itanagar

 To deal with the Crimes against the women, the first all-women police station started functioning in Itanagar,  Arunachal Pradesh on 4 June 2013. With the opening of the first all-women police station, the state Government has tried to showcase its concern towards the protection of women in the state.

see : updates no 21 to 26

recommended post : Women empowerment , Child issue 

11.MAHARASHTRA TO SET EDUCATION COMMISSIONERATES FOR TRIBALS

Maharashtra government in Month of June 2013 decided setting up separate education commisionerates in order to provide education to students of the tribal community. The Commissionerates for tribals will be named by Adivasi Shikshan Ayuktalay and will first come up in four divisions of the state and the head office will be in Nashik.

12.NORTHERN RAILWAY TO DEPLOY ELECTRIC GOLF CARTS FOR ELDERLY

The Northern Railway decided in June 2013 to install the golf carts for physically challenged as well as senior citizens at all the railway stations in Delhi.

13.GOVT DECIDED TO SET UP TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTES

The Union Government of India on 24 May 2013 announced that under the 12th Five Year Plan it will set up Institutes of Teacher Training at Block Level in 196 districts. The decision of the union Government will help in strengthening the teacher training capacity across the nation.

14.AGE LIMIT UNDER JSY FOR INSTITUTIONAL DELIVERIES RELAXED

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 21 May 2013 relaxed the eligibility parameters for the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), with an expectation of reducing the neonatal and maternal mortality in young mothers. Janani Suraksha Yojana provides financial assistance to mothers for institutional deliveries. With the relaxation of the scheme, the women who belong to Below Poverty Line (BPL) category can get an access to JSY benefits irrespective of their age and the number of Children they have.

15.AFGHANISTAN BLOCKED LAW ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Afghanistan Parliament on 19 May 2013 blocked law aimed at strengthening provisions for women's freedom. The Parliament argued that parts of the law violated Islamic principles and encouraged disobedience.

16.MONETARY ASSISTANCE UNDER IAY HIKED

The Union Government of India on 13 May 2013 hiked the monetary assistance by 25000 rupees under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), the housing scheme for the poor, giving priority to the scheduled castes, tribes and minorities. The cost for 250 square foot housing unit has gone up to 70000 rupees in plain areas and 75000 rupees in hilly and difficult areas from 45000 rupees.

17.JHARKHAND TO IMPART TECHNICAL TRAINING TO UNEMPLOYED YOUTH

The Government of Jharkhand on 12 May 2013 decided to impart Technical Skill Development Training to all unemployed youth of the naxal affected areas. This government's decision has come in the wake of recent success of one such project in Chaibasa where the unemployed youths of erstwhile naxal affected areas of Saranda were trained in a special institute- Gurukul. Saryu is one such naxal affected area of Jharkhand and presently, a special development plan called Saryu Development Plan, is being carried out there.

18.MINISTER FOR WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT LAUNCHED ISSNIP

The Minister for Women & Child Development, Krishna Tirath on 9 May 2013 launched the World Bank assisted ICDS Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP). The aim of the programme is improvement of child development and nutritional outcomes for children in selected districts having higher proportional of child under nutrition.

19.HARYANA GOVERNMENT ISSUED SHIKSHA SETU CARDS TO STUDENTS

State Government of Haryana on 5 May 2013 issued Shiksha Setu Cards for Government Schools to keep students and teachers updated about the performance of students.

20.GOA LAUNCHED DIGITAL KRISHI CARD FOR FARMERS

Goa Government on 29 April 2013 launched a digital Krishi Card which is supposed to help farmers in making use of benefits such as subsidies and loans given by the State Government. The Digiltal Krishi card was officially launched by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar which is based on the database created by the State Agriculture Department at Porvorim.

see : updates no 21 to 26

recommended post : Women empowerment , Child issue