Today's Current Affairs /Agreements

Today's  Current Affairs /Agreements

▶️According to Public Affairs Index (PAI) 2018, Kerala tops the list as best-governed state in the country followed by Tamil Nadu. The index was released by the think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC). Kerala has topped PAI as the best-governed state for the third consecutive year since 2016 among large states

Key Facts

Large States: Kerala has topped the list, followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat. Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar ranked the lowest, indicating higher social and economic inequalities in the states.

Smaller states (with population less than two crore): Himachal Pradesh topped the list followed by Goa, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura. Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya were ranked at bottom of the index among small states.

▶️2018 PAI also included separate index on children of India, giving measure of how child-friendly each of the states are. In this category of providing better living conditions for all children, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram topped the index

Public Affairs Index (PAI)

The index is released since in 2016 by Bengaluru base Public Affairs Centre (PAC), a not for profit think tank which aims to improve governance in India. It is based on 10 themes, 30 focus subjects and 100 indicators, relying solely upon government data. It covers wide range of themes such as support to human development, social protection, essential infrastructure, women and children, crime, law and order, delivery of justice, transparency and accountability, environment, fiscal management and economic freedom.

▶️Ministry of Home Affairs sponsored Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme was launched nationally in Gurugram, Haryana. It was launched by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of Union Human Resources Minister Prakash Javadekar. The programme aims to build bridge between Police and larger community through school students by inculcating values and ethics in them through classes in school and outside.

Student Police Cadet (SPC) Programme

The programme focuses on students of class 8th and 9th. It will be implemented first in government schools, in both urban and rural areas and later expanded to private schools. It takes special care to ensure that it does not increase workload of the students. It does not have any prescribed text book and also any exam. Only one class is proposed in a month under its schedule.

Programme will broadly cover two topics

Crime prevention and control: Topics covered under it include road safety, fight against social evils, community policing, safety of women and children, fight against corruption and disaster management.

 Values and ethics: Topics covered under it include values and ethics, empathy and sympathy, tolerance, patience, attitude, respect for elders, team spirit and discipline.

Handbook: Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) with support of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared handbook for imparting instructions. It will also enable learning through group discussions and audio-visual mediums.

Implementation: It will be steered by state level committee headed by Principal Secretary, Home Department with Principal Secretary, Education and Director General of Police (DGP) as members. Besides, similar committee will be formed at district level, headed by District Magistrate with District Inspector of Schools and Superintendent of Police (SP) as members.

Funding: Central Government has released amount worth Rs.67 crores to states for implementation of programme. Besides, amount of Rs 50,000 has been earmarked for each school for educational aids, training and contingency.

▶️Union Government has created Group of Ministers (GoM) and high-level committee to deliberate and make recommendations for a separate penal provision on incidents of mob violence. The GoM will be headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, whereas committee will be headed by Uion Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.

Gauba committee

It will include secretaries of departments of Justice, Legal Affairs, Legislative Department and Social Justice and Empowerment as its members. It will suggest measures and legal framework to effectively deal with incidents of mob violence and lynching. It will submit its recommendations to the GoM in four weeks.

Group of Ministers (GoM)

GoM includes Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot. It will examine recommendations given by Gauba committee and submit its report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Background

The move came after recent Supreme Court direction to central government on the issue of mob violence and lynching. The apex court had denounced sweeping incidents of lynching as an affront to the rule of law and called for law to deal with such horrendous acts of mobocracy. It had passed a series of “preventive, remedial and punitive” measures to deal with lynchings and mob vigilantism. It had made Centre and state governments accountable for mob violence and lynching and had asked them to take steps to curb and stop dissemination of irresponsible and explosive fake messages and videos on social media platforms which incite such incidents.

▶️India and Uganda signed four MoUs in the areas of defence cooperation, visa exemption for official and diplomatic passport holders, cultural exchange programme and material testing laboratory. The agreements were inked following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala.

Signed Agreements are

MoU on Defence Cooperation

MoU on Visa exemption for Diplomatic and official passport holders.

MoU on Cultural Exchange Programme.

MoU on Material Testing Laboratory.

Highlights of bilateral meeting

Both leaders comprehensively reviewed all aspects of bilateral relations. India announced two Lines of Credit worth nearly US $200 million to Uganda in energy, infrastructure, agriculture and dairy sectors.  India announced to continue to play a stable partner in the country’s journey towards development. It  also announced to give vehicles, ambulances and cancer therapy machine to Uganda.

India retired its commitment of training, capacity building and infrastructure creation are core areas of cooperation between both countries. Both countries also agreed to work together in trade, investment and tourism sectors, supporting mutual prosperity through reciprocity.

Significance of Visit

PM Modi visited Uganda on the second leg of his three-African nations tour after concluding his Rwanda visit. After concluding his Uganda visit, he will visit South Africa to attend 10th BRICS Summit at Johannesburg. It was first visit by Indian Prime Minister to Uganad in over 20 years. PM Modi also delivered keynote address at Ugandan Parliament, making him first Indian PM to do so.

India and Rwanda have signed eight agreements in the fields of defence, trade, agriculture, leather and allied products and dairy. The agreements were signed following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. PM Modi became first Indian Prime Minister to visit Rwanda.

Highlights of Bilateral meetings

PM Modi and Kagame held wide-ranging talks and discussed a host of measures to boost bilateral strategic ties. India assured Rwanda that India will continue to its development efforts. India also extended two lines of credit (LoCs) worth $200 million to Rwanda for development of industrial parks and Kigali Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and for development of three agricultural projects in Rwanda. PM Modi also announced opening of the first Indian diplomatic mission in Rawanda, which will help to establish communication between governments of two countries and also enable facilities for consular, passport and visa. Both countries also agreed to set up task force to enable digital learning mediums for children.

Signed Agreements are

Amendment on MoU on Cooperation in field of Agriculture and Animal Resources: It focuses on cooperation in agriculture and livestock with strong emphasis on research, technological development, capacity building and human resource development as well as investment mobilization.

Agreement on Cooperation Defence on Capacity Building, Defence, Industry, Science and Technology: Capacity Building, Defence, Industry, Science and Technology.

MoU on Cultural Exchange Program for year 2018-22: Music and Dance, Theatre, Exhibitions, Seminars and Conference, Archeology, Archives, Library, Museums, Literature, Research and Documentation etc.

MoU on Agricultural Research and Education between RAB and ICAR:Training and Research in Dairy, Processing of Dairy Products, Quality and Safety of Mil, Biotechnological Intervention in Livestock.

Trade Cooperation Framework:Facilitate, diversify and promote trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

MoU on Collaboration in the Areas of Leather and Allied Sectors between NIRDA and CSIR-CLRI

LoC Agreement for US $ 100 million for development of Industrial Parks and expansion of Kigali Special Economic Zones

LoC Agreement for US $ 100 million for Agriculture irrigation scheme in Rwanda

Girinka programme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted 200 cows to villagers from Rweru villages as part of Rwandan Government’s Girinka Programme. The programme was initiated by President Paul Kagame in response to alarmingly high rate of childhood malnutrition and as way to accelerate poverty reduction and integrate livestock and crop farming. Under this programme, poorest residing in region get cows from Government and gift first female calf to neighbour to promote brotherhood. The programme is based on premise that providing dairy cow to poor, transforms livelihoods, reconciles communities improving agricultural productivity through use of manure as fertilizers. The program has contributed to increase in agricultural production in Rwanda – especially milk production and products and has reduced malnutrition and increased incomes.