NATIONAL SECURITY TO TRIBAL RIGHTS: HERE’S WHAT IS IN FOCUS FOR THE GOVT
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
BIG ISSUE PM Narendra Modi announced that India’s first indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant, had successfully completed its first patrol. The fully operational submarine completed the sea leg of India’s nuclear triad, giving it enduring nuclear strike and counterstrike capabilities. Nuclear triad is the ability to launch a nuclear second strike from sea, air or land. SIGNIFICANCE The US, Russia, the UK, France and China are the only countries that can deliver nuclear warheads from a submarine. The 6,000-tonne Arihant is armed with 12 B-05 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) capable of delivering nuclear warheads up to 750 km. WHAT NEXT India needs to deploy more SSBNs (ship submersible ballistic nuclear) to reinforce its deterrence force at sea. The second Arihant-class submarine, called INS Arighat, was launched in 2017 and may join the Naval fleet in 2021.
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
BIG ISSUE More than 530 child care institutes (CCIs) have been shut down so far as part of a crackdown launched by the women and child development ministry after a sex scandal surfaced at a shelter home in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur earlier this year. The scandal, which was revealed after an audit of shelter homes by TISS, involved the alleged sexual abuse of 34 girls. SIGNIFICANCE In August, union minister of women and child development Maneka Gandhi directed all states to conduct inspections at all CCIs. The Centre also instructed state govts to conduct immediate inspections at all childcare homes run by the Missionaries of Charity. WHAT NEXT The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights conducted social audits of the CCIs and also directed unregistered institutes to register themselves within two months
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
BIG ISSUE The government has tightened norms for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), its flagship farm insurance scheme. A new rule says if insurance companies fail to clear claims of farmers within two months of harvest, they may be deemed to be “automatically approved”. SIGNIFICANCE This means insurance firms will not be able to verify claims or carry out further checks to ascertain validity of claims of farmers if they don’t do it within two months. This will curb delayed payouts, a major grievance of farmers. WHAT NEXT The politically significant insurance scheme is set to undergo more changes. The government plans to study some insurance models adopted overseas.
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
BIG ISSUE The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has constituted a five-member committee to be chaired by the secretary (tribal welfare) of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration to review mechanisms for preventing the landing of foreign nationals in the North Sentinel Island. This is being done to ensure that inhabitants of the island are not endangered by unauthorised visitors. SIGNIFICANCE The committee has been set up after the alleged killing of a US national Allen Chau by the Sentinelese. Efforts are underway by the administration to retrieve the body of Chau. The island is out of bounds as the tribes inhabiting the island shun contact with outsiders. WHAT NEXT NCST chairperson NK Sai has said the vulnerability of the Sentinelese tribe has increased manifold, and any steps to recover Chau’s body will disturb peace of the island. The panel has 30 days to submit it report.
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
BIG ISSUE The Centre approved building the Kartarpur road corridor up to the international border between India and Pakistan as an integrated development project to mark 550th birth anniversary of the Guru Nanak, which falls next year. The project corridor will have several amenities for pilgrims intending to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistan. SIGNIFICANCE This corridor, with four lanes and a service road, will be a landmark project between India and Pakistan and has the potential to boost religious tourism. Gurudwara Darbar Sahib is the final resting place of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith. WHAT NEXT The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is tasked with building the 4 km stretch till the India-Pakistan border. Construction work is yet to be awarded.
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING
BIG ISSUE Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has appointed EY India, a business and management consulting firm, to carry out the staffing audit that was recommended by a committee chaired by Sam Pitroda in 2014. The decision in this regard was taken by its board during a meeting this month. The Pitroda committee was formed to suggest ways to revive the public broadcaster. SIGNIFICANCE The Pitroda panel in 2014 proposed an audit of staff to reduce the headcount at the public broadcaster that spends more on salaries than programming. Last year, a parliamentary standing committee asked the ministry to prepare a plan on implementing the panel’s views. WHAT NEXT The exercise will be carried out in All India Radio and Doordarshan, the broadcast arms of Prasar Bharati. It is expected to address issue such as the wide gap between the sanctioned strength and the on-roll employees.