Daily Current Affairs for 12th August 2021

GS PAPER II

National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)

Why in News

Recently, Prime Minister of India launched ‘National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)’ with the objective to become self-reliant country in edible oils.

National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)

• The National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) aim for self-reliance in edible oil involves investment of over Rs. 11,000 crore.
• Other objective of the scheme is to harness domestic edible oil prices that are dictated by expensive palm oil imports.
• The special emphasis of the scheme will be in India’s north-eastern states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to the conducive weather conditions in the regions.

Significance of National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)

• The NEMO-OP project will boost the cultivation of oil palm to 10 lakh hectares by 2025-26 and 16.7 lakh hectares by 2029-30, spread across 19 Southern and the North-Eastern States.
• The government is targeting to gear up the domestic production of palm oil by over three times to 11 lakh tonnes by 2025-26 to the dependency of country’s imports.
• This scheme will provide financial assistance to the palm oil farmers to boost the productivity and will get remuneration under a price and viability formula.

Edible Oils

• The fat of plant, animal or microbial origin, which is liquid at room temperature and is suitable for food use is generally called ‘Edible or cooking oil’.
• It is of various types. For example: olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, argan oil and rice bran oil.
• Edible oil of animal origin: fish oil, microbial oil, etc.

India in edible oil

• India is the leading importer of edible oil in the world, with a share of 20.7%, followed by the European Union with 13.5% share and China with 12.8%.
• In 2016-17, the total domestic consumption of palm oil by India was 9.3 million MT, with 98.97% of it imported from Malaysia and Indonesia which means India was producing domestically only 1.027of its requirement.
• As the second-largest consuming country, India needs about 25 million tonnes of edible oil a year to meet its domestic requirements.
• About 10 million tonnes of edible oil is produced domestically from primary i.e., soybean, rapeseed and mustard, groundnut, sunflower, safflower and niger and secondary sources i.e., palm oil, coconut, rice bran, cotton seeds and tree borne oilseeds.
• The remaining 60% of requirement imported from foreign nations.
• With India viewing cheaper and greater imports in June 2021 to cut domestic edible oil prices, the cost of palm oil rose from $527.50/MT on May 5, 2020, to $971/MT on June 29 in the international market. This steep hike led to rise in prices of edible oils in India.

Government schemes in edible oil field

• In between 2011-14, the Oil Palm Area Expansion (OPAE) and National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP 2014), were launched to increase domestic cultivation of oil palm.

Challenges

• Farm-size:
• Farm size one of the biggest challenges in the palm-oil production.
• The largest exporters of palm oil are Indonesia and Malaysia.
• In Indonesia, plantations usually span over 4,000-5,000 hectares with a processing plant on the site.
• They are usually owned by corporations and make up nearly 70 per cent of the area under oil palm.
• Water-intensive crop:
• Another vital difference is related to water availability.
• Oil palm is a water-intensive crop and is more suited for cultivation in rain abundant regions.
• In oil palm growing regions of Andhra Pradesh where the annual rainfall is between 800 and 1,000 mm, irrigation needs are met through groundwater.

Solution

• Intervention of private entity:
• India needs to attract corporate bodies towards palm oil production and derive maximum benefit of 100% foreign direct investment.
• Usage of useless/barren lands:
• The wasteland, degraded land, and other lands of state can be given on lease, rent or bought by private entrepreneurs, cooperative bodies or joint ventures for oil palm plantation.
• Combine farming:
• A combination of individual farming, contract farming and captive plantation can boost oil palm cultivation in the country.
• Incentives for palm-oil farming:
• Farmers need to be nudged and incentivised to cultivate oil palm and oilseeds.
• For oil palm, they should be compensated at least for six years for their land against the potential loss and should also be provided with a one-time irrigation subsidy.
• It will help India to save foreign exchange to empower our own country’s farmers.

Way forward

• Currently, India produces 37.31 million tonnes of oilseeds from 28.82 million hectares of land.
• Even if 10% of the area of cultivation is diversified for palm oil plantation, the oil produced can be increased eight times.
• Providing incentives and subsidies to India can reduce its dependence on imports from Malaysia and Indonesia. The need of the hour is to minimise our dependence on imported edible oil.
• India has identified a potential area of one million hectares for palm cultivation, and this has to be consistently increased, which will be a decisive step towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in edible oil.

GS PAPER II

Model Tenancy Act

Why in news

Recently, the Cabinet has been approved the Model Tenancy Act (MTA).

Model Tenancy Act (MTA)

• Model Tenancy Act aims to promote rental housing by balancing and protecting the interests of both the tenants and landlords by regulating renting of premises in an efficient and transparent manner through an adjudicating mechanism for speedy dispute resolution.
• To ensure speedy dispute resolution it is provisioned that Rent Court and Rent Tribunal both shall endeavour to dispose the cases within sixty days and in case of delay in disposal, reasons for delay are mandated to be recorded in writing.
• For disputes related to essential services, it is provided that the Rent Authority, after examining the matter, may pass an interim order directing restoration of supply of essential services immediately.
• Further, Rent Authority shall conduct an enquiry within one month of filing of application by the tenant in this regard.
• Under the provisions of MTA, the information and documents submitted by landlord and tenant for intimation of tenancy will be in sole custody of Rent Authority.
• Unless otherwise agreed between landlord and tenant in the tenancy agreement, roles and responsibilities on both parties have been clearly delineated in the schedule-II of the Act.
• This will help in avoiding disputes between landlord and tenant and will not hinder flexibility in framing tenancy agreement.

Significance of Model Tenancy Act

• Protect the rights of the tenants:
• Firstly, the existence of pro-tenant rent control laws across Indian states continues to be an obstacle.
• These laws protect the rights of the tenants while diluting those of the homeowners.
• In the case of housing that was not vacant, as per the National Sample Survey Organisation’s data of 2012, 71% of households living in rented accommodations did not have a written contract.
• This informality could be, in part, a result of this pro-tenant character of the rent control laws and partly because of the large proportion of informal housing.
• Rental market of India:
• Acknowledging the issues with the rental housing sector today, the Union cabinet recently approved the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, which can significantly boost India’s rental markets.
• The Act addresses various challenges that exist in the rental market for both homeowners and tenants, ranging from the fear of illegal occupation/eviction, arbitrary security deposit and structural maintenance-related demands, and high transaction and legal costs.
• Fast-track disposal of rental disputes:
• To fast-track the disposal of rental disputes, the Model Tenancy Act, 2021 envisions improved contract enforcement through a three-tier dispute redressal mechanism.
• However, protracted litigation remains a risk. While the adjudicatory bodies at the second and third-tier of appeal are required to dispose of cases within a 60-day timeline, no such time limit is placed on the first tier, the rent authority.
• The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 is expected to provide a fillip to private participation with the formalisation of rental housing markets in India.
• With a legal framework in place, the private sector can enter into affordable rental housing markets through models like “Build to Rent” and “Rent to Own”.
• While the Model Tenancy Act, 2021 provides a promising framework for tenancy agreements in the future, past rental agreements under the states’ respective rent control laws will continue.

Way Forward

• While the Act is a much-needed reform for India’s housing sector, one hope that states use this opportunity to unlock the economic value of vacant housing and increase access to good quality housing, for all demographics.

GS PAPER II

National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Why in News

The Rajya Sabha recently passed the ‘National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill’, 2021’and ‘National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021’.

Key Points

• The ‘National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ which seeks to save the actions done, decisions made, liability incurred by the Board of Governors constituted as per the provisions of the ‘Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021’ till the constitution of ‘National Commission under National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020’.
• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021, seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 and help make available the Indian system of medical professionals across the country.
• The amendment Bills were required to be introduced because even though the Acts were live since 20^th September 2021, the national commissions could not be set up immediately as nomination of members and recruitment of staff for the secretariats was taking time.
• In the case of NCIM, as the tenure of its Board of Governors was coming to an end on April 23 2021, the government came out with Ordinance on April 22 to extend the period.
• Similarly, in the case of NCH, such as Ordinance was passed on May 16, a day before the term of the existing official body was coming to an end.
• Subsequently, the NCIM was constituted on June 11 and NCH on July 5.
• These commissions have the responsibility in setting syllabus for undergraduate postgraduate and research programmes in medical colleges offering courses in Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy and approving new colleges across the country, among other things relating to education.
• These bills proposed to amend the ‘National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020’ to insert a new sub-section (5) in section 58.
• Objective of the bill is to provide all acts, and powers and functions of the Central Council exercised and performed by the Board of Governors under the repealed Act, immediately before the commencement of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under that Act and shall continue in force unless and until superseded by anything done or any action taken under that Act.
• The newly-introduced Bills, however, are intended to keep the validity of all decisions taken by the Boards of Governors of NCIM and NCH till these bodies were constituted.

GS PAPER II

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)

Why in News

The ‘National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)’ has released a report assessing minority schools in the country.

Key Points

• The ‘National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)’ has released a report titled: “Impact of Exemption under Article 15 (5) with regards to Article 21A of the Constitution of India on Education of Children in Minority Communities”, in which it has assessed minority schools (schools run by minority organisations) in the country.
• Minority schools are exempt from implementing ‘Right to Education policy’ and do not fall under the government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
• Through this report, the NCPCR has recommended that these schools be brought under both RTE and SA, amongst a host of other recommendations.

Highlights of the report

• According to the NCPCR survey report, 74 per cent of students in Christian missionary schools belonged to non-minority communities.
• Overall, 62.50 per cent of students in such schools belonged to non-minority communities.
• According to the NCPCR report, only 8.76 per cent of the students in minority schools belong to socially and economically disadvantaged background.
• Since minority schools are outside the purview of the RTE Act, there is no compulsion to admit students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Constitutional provision of Right to Education

• The 86^th Constitutional Amendment Act was introduced in the Indian Constitution in 2002, provided the Right to Education as a fundamental right.
• It inserted in Article 21A of the Indian Constitution, which made the ‘Right to Education’ a fundamental right for children aged between 6 and 14 years.
• In 2006, the 93^rd Constitution Amendment Act inserted Clause (5) in Article 15 which enabled the State to create special provisions, such as reservations for advancement of any backward classes of citizens like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in all aided or unaided educational institutes, except minority educational institutes.
• The government subsequently brought the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which centres on inclusive education for all, making it mandatory to include underprivileged children in schools.
• Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act provided for 25% reservation of seats in unaided schools for admission of children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
• As opposed to these Acts, Article 30 of the Constitution states the right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions, with a view to provide opportunities to children from different religious and linguistic minority communities to have and conserve a distinct culture, script and language.
• In 2012, through an amendment, the institutions imparting religious education were exempted from following the RTE Act.
• Later on, in 2014, while discussing the validity of exemption under Article 15 (5), the Supreme Court declared the RTE Act inapplicable to schools with minority status with the view that the Act should not interfere with the right of minorities to establish and administer institutions of their choice.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a central government scheme implemented in partnership with the state governments.
• It aimed to provide “useful and relevant, elementary education’’ to all children between six and 14 years.
• The government subsequently brought the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which centres on inclusive education for all, making it mandatory to include underprivileged children in schools.

GS PAPER III

Earth Observation Satellite EOS-03

Why in news

Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) suffered a massive loss during the launch of an important earth observation satellite when the GSLV rocket carrying it malfunctioned about five minutes from the lift-off.

Key Points

• The launch was supposed to place EOS-03, an earth observation satellite, into a geostationary orbit.
• However, five minutes after the lift-off, the GSLV rocket malfunctioned leading to the failure of the mission.
• The cryogenic upper stage has an indigenously developed cryogenic engine fuelled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at very low temperatures.
• The cryogenic stage is supposed to be much more efficient and provides greater thrust to propel heavier rockets like GSLV that are designed to carry bigger payloads into space.
• But these are also much more complex than conventional liquid and solid propellants, because of the extremely low temperatures, hundreds of degree Celsius below zero that has to be maintained.
• ISRO has had a few difficulties with the cryogenic stage earlier as well, though several launches have been completed successfully as well.
• This was the 14^th launch involving a GSLV rocket and fourth failure.
• The Mark-II version of GSLV was last used to successfully launch GSAT-7A, a communication satellite, in December 2018.
• The last failure of this rocket had happened way back in 2010.

Earth Observation Satellite

• An Earth observation satellite or Earth remote sensing satellite is a satellite designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography and others.
• The most common type are Earth imaging satellites, that take satellite images, analogous to aerial photographs; some EO satellites may perform remote sensing without forming pictures, such as in GNSS radio occultation.
• The first remote sensing satellite, Sputnik 1, launched on 4^th October, 1957
• It was an artificial satellite and launched by the Soviet Union.
• Sputnik 1 sent back radio signals, which scientists used to study the ionosphere.
• As of 2008, more than 150 Earth observation satellites were in orbit, recording data with both passive and active sensors and acquiring more than 10 terabits of data daily.
• Most Earth observation satellites carry instruments that should be operated at a relatively low altitude.
• The Earth observation satellites ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat of European Space Agency as well as the MetOp spacecraft of EUMETSAT are all operated at altitudes of about 800 km.

Earth Observation Satellite-3

• EOS-03 is a part of the new generation of earth-observation satellites.
• This mission provide an almost real-time images of large parts of the country that could be used for monitoring of natural disaster like floods and cyclones, water bodies, crops, vegetation and forest cover.

GS PAPER II

National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)

Why in News

Recently, Prime Minister of India launched ‘National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)’ with the objective to become self-reliant country in edible oils.

National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)

• The National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) aim for self-reliance in edible oil involves investment of over Rs. 11,000 crore.
• Other objective of the scheme is to harness domestic edible oil prices that are dictated by expensive palm oil imports.
• The special emphasis of the scheme will be in India’s north-eastern states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to the conducive weather conditions in the regions.

Significance of National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NEMO-OP)

• The NEMO-OP project will boost the cultivation of oil palm to 10 lakh hectares by 2025-26 and 16.7 lakh hectares by 2029-30, spread across 19 Southern and the North-Eastern States.
• The government is targeting to gear up the domestic production of palm oil by over three times to 11 lakh tonnes by 2025-26 to the dependency of country’s imports.
• This scheme will provide financial assistance to the palm oil farmers to boost the productivity and will get remuneration under a price and viability formula.

Edible Oils

• The fat of plant, animal or microbial origin, which is liquid at room temperature and is suitable for food use is generally called ‘Edible or cooking oil’.
• It is of various types. For example: olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, argan oil and rice bran oil.
• Edible oil of animal origin: fish oil, microbial oil, etc.

India in edible oil

• India is the leading importer of edible oil in the world, with a share of 20.7%, followed by the European Union with 13.5% share and China with 12.8%.
• In 2016-17, the total domestic consumption of palm oil by India was 9.3 million MT, with 98.97% of it imported from Malaysia and Indonesia which means India was producing domestically only 1.027of its requirement.
• As the second-largest consuming country, India needs about 25 million tonnes of edible oil a year to meet its domestic requirements.
• About 10 million tonnes of edible oil is produced domestically from primary i.e., soybean, rapeseed and mustard, groundnut, sunflower, safflower and niger and secondary sources i.e., palm oil, coconut, rice bran, cotton seeds and tree borne oilseeds.
• The remaining 60% of requirement imported from foreign nations.
• With India viewing cheaper and greater imports in June 2021 to cut domestic edible oil prices, the cost of palm oil rose from $527.50/MT on May 5, 2020, to $971/MT on June 29 in the international market. This steep hike led to rise in prices of edible oils in India.

Government schemes in edible oil field

• In between 2011-14, the Oil Palm Area Expansion (OPAE) and National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP 2014), were launched to increase domestic cultivation of oil palm.

Challenges

• Farm-size:
• Farm size one of the biggest challenges in the palm-oil production.
• The largest exporters of palm oil are Indonesia and Malaysia.
• In Indonesia, plantations usually span over 4,000-5,000 hectares with a processing plant on the site.
• They are usually owned by corporations and make up nearly 70 per cent of the area under oil palm.
• Water-intensive crop:
• Another vital difference is related to water availability.
• Oil palm is a water-intensive crop and is more suited for cultivation in rain abundant regions.
• In oil palm growing regions of Andhra Pradesh where the annual rainfall is between 800 and 1,000 mm, irrigation needs are met through groundwater.

Solution

• Intervention of private entity:
• India needs to attract corporate bodies towards palm oil production and derive maximum benefit of 100% foreign direct investment.
• Usage of useless/barren lands:
• The wasteland, degraded land, and other lands of state can be given on lease, rent or bought by private entrepreneurs, cooperative bodies or joint ventures for oil palm plantation.
• Combine farming:
• A combination of individual farming, contract farming and captive plantation can boost oil palm cultivation in the country.
• Incentives for palm-oil farming:
• Farmers need to be nudged and incentivised to cultivate oil palm and oilseeds.
• For oil palm, they should be compensated at least for six years for their land against the potential loss and should also be provided with a one-time irrigation subsidy.
• It will help India to save foreign exchange to empower our own country’s farmers.

Way forward

• Currently, India produces 37.31 million tonnes of oilseeds from 28.82 million hectares of land.
• Even if 10% of the area of cultivation is diversified for palm oil plantation, the oil produced can be increased eight times.
• Providing incentives and subsidies to India can reduce its dependence on imports from Malaysia and Indonesia. The need of the hour is to minimise our dependence on imported edible oil.
• India has identified a potential area of one million hectares for palm cultivation, and this has to be consistently increased, which will be a decisive step towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in edible oil.

GS PAPER II

Model Tenancy Act

Why in news

Recently, the Cabinet has been approved the Model Tenancy Act (MTA).

Model Tenancy Act (MTA)

• Model Tenancy Act aims to promote rental housing by balancing and protecting the interests of both the tenants and landlords by regulating renting of premises in an efficient and transparent manner through an adjudicating mechanism for speedy dispute resolution.
• To ensure speedy dispute resolution it is provisioned that Rent Court and Rent Tribunal both shall endeavour to dispose the cases within sixty days and in case of delay in disposal, reasons for delay are mandated to be recorded in writing.
• For disputes related to essential services, it is provided that the Rent Authority, after examining the matter, may pass an interim order directing restoration of supply of essential services immediately.
• Further, Rent Authority shall conduct an enquiry within one month of filing of application by the tenant in this regard.
• Under the provisions of MTA, the information and documents submitted by landlord and tenant for intimation of tenancy will be in sole custody of Rent Authority.
• Unless otherwise agreed between landlord and tenant in the tenancy agreement, roles and responsibilities on both parties have been clearly delineated in the schedule-II of the Act.
• This will help in avoiding disputes between landlord and tenant and will not hinder flexibility in framing tenancy agreement.

Significance of Model Tenancy Act

• Protect the rights of the tenants:
• Firstly, the existence of pro-tenant rent control laws across Indian states continues to be an obstacle.
• These laws protect the rights of the tenants while diluting those of the homeowners.
• In the case of housing that was not vacant, as per the National Sample Survey Organisation’s data of 2012, 71% of households living in rented accommodations did not have a written contract.
• This informality could be, in part, a result of this pro-tenant character of the rent control laws and partly because of the large proportion of informal housing.
• Rental market of India:
• Acknowledging the issues with the rental housing sector today, the Union cabinet recently approved the Model Tenancy Act, 2021, which can significantly boost India’s rental markets.
• The Act addresses various challenges that exist in the rental market for both homeowners and tenants, ranging from the fear of illegal occupation/eviction, arbitrary security deposit and structural maintenance-related demands, and high transaction and legal costs.
• Fast-track disposal of rental disputes:
• To fast-track the disposal of rental disputes, the Model Tenancy Act, 2021 envisions improved contract enforcement through a three-tier dispute redressal mechanism.
• However, protracted litigation remains a risk. While the adjudicatory bodies at the second and third-tier of appeal are required to dispose of cases within a 60-day timeline, no such time limit is placed on the first tier, the rent authority.
• The Model Tenancy Act, 2021 is expected to provide a fillip to private participation with the formalisation of rental housing markets in India.
• With a legal framework in place, the private sector can enter into affordable rental housing markets through models like “Build to Rent” and “Rent to Own”.
• While the Model Tenancy Act, 2021 provides a promising framework for tenancy agreements in the future, past rental agreements under the states’ respective rent control laws will continue.

Way Forward

• While the Act is a much-needed reform for India’s housing sector, one hope that states use this opportunity to unlock the economic value of vacant housing and increase access to good quality housing, for all demographics.

GS PAPER II

National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Why in News

The Rajya Sabha recently passed the ‘National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill’, 2021’and ‘National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021’.

Key Points

• The ‘National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ which seeks to save the actions done, decisions made, liability incurred by the Board of Governors constituted as per the provisions of the ‘Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021’ till the constitution of ‘National Commission under National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020’.
• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021, seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 and help make available the Indian system of medical professionals across the country.
• The amendment Bills were required to be introduced because even though the Acts were live since 20^th September 2021, the national commissions could not be set up immediately as nomination of members and recruitment of staff for the secretariats was taking time.
• In the case of NCIM, as the tenure of its Board of Governors was coming to an end on April 23 2021, the government came out with Ordinance on April 22 to extend the period.
• Similarly, in the case of NCH, such as Ordinance was passed on May 16, a day before the term of the existing official body was coming to an end.
• Subsequently, the NCIM was constituted on June 11 and NCH on July 5.
• These commissions have the responsibility in setting syllabus for undergraduate postgraduate and research programmes in medical colleges offering courses in Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy and approving new colleges across the country, among other things relating to education.
• These bills proposed to amend the ‘National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020’ to insert a new sub-section (5) in section 58.
• Objective of the bill is to provide all acts, and powers and functions of the Central Council exercised and performed by the Board of Governors under the repealed Act, immediately before the commencement of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under that Act and shall continue in force unless and until superseded by anything done or any action taken under that Act.
• The newly-introduced Bills, however, are intended to keep the validity of all decisions taken by the Boards of Governors of NCIM and NCH till these bodies were constituted.

GS PAPER II

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)

Why in News

The ‘National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)’ has released a report assessing minority schools in the country.

Key Points

• The ‘National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)’ has released a report titled: “Impact of Exemption under Article 15 (5) with regards to Article 21A of the Constitution of India on Education of Children in Minority Communities”, in which it has assessed minority schools (schools run by minority organisations) in the country.
• Minority schools are exempt from implementing ‘Right to Education policy’ and do not fall under the government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
• Through this report, the NCPCR has recommended that these schools be brought under both RTE and SA, amongst a host of other recommendations.

Highlights of the report

• According to the NCPCR survey report, 74 per cent of students in Christian missionary schools belonged to non-minority communities.
• Overall, 62.50 per cent of students in such schools belonged to non-minority communities.
• According to the NCPCR report, only 8.76 per cent of the students in minority schools belong to socially and economically disadvantaged background.
• Since minority schools are outside the purview of the RTE Act, there is no compulsion to admit students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Constitutional provision of Right to Education

• The 86^th Constitutional Amendment Act was introduced in the Indian Constitution in 2002, provided the Right to Education as a fundamental right.
• It inserted in Article 21A of the Indian Constitution, which made the ‘Right to Education’ a fundamental right for children aged between 6 and 14 years.
• In 2006, the 93^rd Constitution Amendment Act inserted Clause (5) in Article 15 which enabled the State to create special provisions, such as reservations for advancement of any backward classes of citizens like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in all aided or unaided educational institutes, except minority educational institutes.
• The government subsequently brought the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which centres on inclusive education for all, making it mandatory to include underprivileged children in schools.
• Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act provided for 25% reservation of seats in unaided schools for admission of children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
• As opposed to these Acts, Article 30 of the Constitution states the right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions, with a view to provide opportunities to children from different religious and linguistic minority communities to have and conserve a distinct culture, script and language.
• In 2012, through an amendment, the institutions imparting religious education were exempted from following the RTE Act.
• Later on, in 2014, while discussing the validity of exemption under Article 15 (5), the Supreme Court declared the RTE Act inapplicable to schools with minority status with the view that the Act should not interfere with the right of minorities to establish and administer institutions of their choice.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a central government scheme implemented in partnership with the state governments.
• It aimed to provide “useful and relevant, elementary education’’ to all children between six and 14 years.
• The government subsequently brought the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which centres on inclusive education for all, making it mandatory to include underprivileged children in schools.

GS PAPER III

Earth Observation Satellite EOS-03

Why in news

Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) suffered a massive loss during the launch of an important earth observation satellite when the GSLV rocket carrying it malfunctioned about five minutes from the lift-off.

Key Points

• The launch was supposed to place EOS-03, an earth observation satellite, into a geostationary orbit.
• However, five minutes after the lift-off, the GSLV rocket malfunctioned leading to the failure of the mission.
• The cryogenic upper stage has an indigenously developed cryogenic engine fuelled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at very low temperatures.
• The cryogenic stage is supposed to be much more efficient and provides greater thrust to propel heavier rockets like GSLV that are designed to carry bigger payloads into space.
• But these are also much more complex than conventional liquid and solid propellants, because of the extremely low temperatures, hundreds of degree Celsius below zero that has to be maintained.
• ISRO has had a few difficulties with the cryogenic stage earlier as well, though several launches have been completed successfully as well.
• This was the 14^th launch involving a GSLV rocket and fourth failure.
• The Mark-II version of GSLV was last used to successfully launch GSAT-7A, a communication satellite, in December 2018.
• The last failure of this rocket had happened way back in 2010.

Earth Observation Satellite

• An Earth observation satellite or Earth remote sensing satellite is a satellite designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography and others.
• The most common type are Earth imaging satellites, that take satellite images, analogous to aerial photographs; some EO satellites may perform remote sensing without forming pictures, such as in GNSS radio occultation.
• The first remote sensing satellite, Sputnik 1, launched on 4^th October, 1957
• It was an artificial satellite and launched by the Soviet Union.
• Sputnik 1 sent back radio signals, which scientists used to study the ionosphere.
• As of 2008, more than 150 Earth observation satellites were in orbit, recording data with both passive and active sensors and acquiring more than 10 terabits of data daily.
• Most Earth observation satellites carry instruments that should be operated at a relatively low altitude.
• The Earth observation satellites ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat of European Space Agency as well as the MetOp spacecraft of EUMETSAT are all operated at altitudes of about 800 km.

Earth Observation Satellite-3

• EOS-03 is a part of the new generation of earth-observation satellites.
• This mission provide an almost real-time images of large parts of the country that could be used for monitoring of natural disaster like floods and cyclones, water bodies, crops, vegetation and forest cover.