Centre for Excellence in Blockchain Technology
Relevance: Mains: G.S paper III: Economy
Why in news?
- Bengaluru has come up with a Centre for Excellence in Blockchain Technology.
- This technology helps in enhancing transparency and trust in e-Governance system by allowing all stakeholders benefit from shared learning, experiences and resources.
Key facts
- Set up by the National Informatics Centre, the Centre for Excellence would help to bring a revolutionary change in the lives of the people by delivering e-governance services effectively through the data-centric model.
- Around 16,000 courts have been transformed as e-courts in India and technologies related to Direct Benefit Transfer and e-scholarship developed by NIC have been widely accepted by people as they are user-friendly.
- It is needed of making the feedback system robust through technology, so that, the government can understand the needs of the people and act accordingly.
- The Centre for Excellence will provide world-class blockchain services to government by identifying and sharing suitable data for the use of government departments.
Law against sexual harassment at work
Relevance: Mains: G.S paper II: Governance
Why in news?
- The Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, which was constituted to strengthen the legal framework to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace, has finalised its recommendations which will be put up for comments from the public soon.
Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace Act, 2013:
- The Women and Child Development Ministry had steered the Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act in 2013, which was applicable to government offices, the private sector, NGOs and the unorganised sector.
- It made the employer responsible to prevent or deter acts of sexual harassment at the workplace.
- The 2013 Act had shortcomings like giving the powers of a civil court to the internal complaints committee without specifying if the members need to have a legal background. It only imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on employers for non-compliance.
- The Act said the employer shall provide assistance to the woman if she chooses to file a complaint under the IPC “against the perpetrator after the conclusion of the enquiry”.
- The proposed amendments would be largely based on the Vishaka Guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in 1997, on which the 2013 Act was based.
ICP Biratnagar
Relevance: Mains:G.S paper III: Economy
Why in news?
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart K P Sharma Oli inaugurated Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Biratnagar.
About:
- Jobgani-Biratnagar international trade point is one of the important trade points between the two countries. Biratnagar is also the third-largest Revenue Collecting Customs Office of Nepal.
- ICP Biratnagar has the facilities for immigration clearance of foreign passengers, export and import cargo handling. It is designed to handle around 500 trucks per day.
- India has traditionally been Nepal’s largest trading partner. Presently, over 65 percent of Nepal’s trade is with India and also over 65 percent of Nepal’s exports are to India.
Integrated Check Posts (ICPs):
- ICPs house all regulatory agencies like Immigration, Customs, border security, etc. together with all support facilities like parking, warehousing, banking, hotels etc. in a single complex.
- Rationale behind their establishment is to secure the country’s borders while facilitating legitimate trade and commerce.
- Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), under Department of Border Management (Ministry of Home Affairs).