Bodoland dispute
Why in news?
- The central government extended the ban on the Assam-based insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by five more years for its involvement in violent activities and for joining hands with anti-India forces.
News summary
- Bodos are the single largest tribal community in Assam, making up over 5-6 per cent of the
state’s population. They have controlled large parts of Assam in the past. - The Bodo Accord was signed in 2003 which resulted in the establishment of a Bodoland Territorial Council under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.
- The four districts in Assam — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Udalguri and Chirang — that constitute the Bodo Territorial Area District (BTAD), are home to several ethnic groups.
- The Bodos have had a long history of separatist demands, marked by armed struggle. In December 2014, separatists killed more than 30 people in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur. In the 2012 Bodo-Muslim riots, hundreds were killed and almost 5 lakh were displaced.
Johads set
Why in news?
- The Haryana government has come out with a plan of rehabilitating over 16,400 Johads across the state in order to analyze pond water to ascertain its suitability for irrigation and other uses.
- The government has created a Pond Data Management Software and has started generating a 21-digit unique identification number each for such water body.
Important Facts
- A johad is a community-owned rainwater storage wetland mainly used for harnessing water resources in the state of Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh.
- It collects and stores water throughout the year, to be used for the purpose of recharging the groundwater in the nearby water wells, washing, bathing and drinking by humans and cattle. Some johads also have bricked or stones masonry and cemented ghat.
- Johad in Haryanvi language and Rajasthani language are also called sarovar, taal and talab in Hindi language, and water pond or lake in English. Johads are called as khadin in Jaisalmer district.
- Smaller cemented water tanks called tanki or tanka in parts of Rajasthan are also sometimes mistakenly referred to as johad. Concretised rain-fed tanka and canal-fed diggi are different from the johads.
Gamosa
Why in news?
- Kaso Sakhi (Friend of Turtles), a self-help group from Biswanath Ghat, Assam has woven 36 ‘gamosa’ with images of endangered turtles to spread the message of conservation of rare freshwater turtles.
News summary
- This has been done under a project initiated by the Wildlife Conservation Society/Turtle Survival Alliance and funded by the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund.
- A part of the money from this gamosa would go to conservation of rare turtles such as the Assam Roofed Turtle (Panghshura sylhetensis).
- Biswanath Ghat is located on the northern banks of the Brahmaputra, which flows through the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). Its high biodiversity led to the 401.5 sq km Biswanath Wildlife Division becoming a part of KNP.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India data
Why in news?
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released data for 2018-19 on enforcement of norms.
- This was the first year the data had been compiled for unsafe, substandard and labelling defects separately.
Key facts:
- About 3.7% of the samples collected and analysed were found unsafe, 15.8% sub-standard and 9% samples had labelling defects.
- There has been a 7% increase in the number of samples analysed during 2018-19 compared to 2017-18. Compared to the previous year, 25% more samples were found non-conforming. This shows that there has been better targeting of enforcement efforts by States/UTs.
- There has been a 36% increase in civil cases launched and a 86% increase in criminal cases
- Ten States/UTs that have performed well include Uttarakhand, Goa, Bihar, Sikkim, Gujarat and Telangana.
- Ten States that have performed poorly include Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Punjab. Many of the poorly performing States have not been able to put in place full-time officers and do not have proper testing laboratories.
ASI-protected temples
Why in news?
- The Minister for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel informed Lok Sabha about the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected temples in India.
News summary
- A total 651 Hindu temples in India are designated as Centrally Protected Monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- The largest number of Hindu temples under the ASI’s protection is in Karnataka, followed by Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
Rule 378 of the Rules
Why in news?
- The suspension of two Congress members by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after unruly scenes in the House has brought back focus on the conduct of MPs, and related issues.
News summary
- The Speaker shall preserve order and shall have all powers necessary for the purpose of enforcing own decisions.
- The Speaker, if is of the opinion that the conduct of any member is grossly disorderly, may direct such member to withdraw immediately from the House during the remainder of the day’s sitting.
- In the event of a member coming into the well of the House or abusing the Rules of the House persistently and wilfully, such member shall, on being named by the Speaker, stand automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less.
Nishank
Why in news?
- Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched the kartavya.ugc.ac.in portal on the occasion of ‘Constitution Day’ today, as a part of year long Nagrik Kartavya Paalan Abhiyan being observed throughout the country.
News summary
- The portal will be used primarily for holding monthly essay competitions for students as well as other activities like quizzes, debates, poster making etc pertaining to Nagrik Kartavya Paalan Abhiyan.
- On the occasion of the 70th year of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, it has been decided by the Government to run a Nagrik Kartavya Palan Abhiyan from 26th November 2019 to 26th November 2020, to create mass awareness about the Fundamental Duties as enshrined in Constitution.