• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 came into force 10 years ago.

EVOLUTION

• Supreme Court , noting the absence of any law “enacted to provide for effective enforcement of the basic human right of gender equality” guarantee against “sexual harassment at workplaces”, laid down a set of guidelines in 1997 called Vishakha Guidelines, to fill the statutory vacuum till a law could be enacted.
• These were to be “strictly observed in all workplaces” and were binding and enforceable in law.
  • The Court drew its strength from several provisions of the Constitution including Article 15 (against discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, and place of birth) and
  • General Recommendations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which India ratified in 1993.
• Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill was introduced in 2007.
  • It was later tabled in Parliament and went through amendments.
  • The amended Bill came into force on December 9, 2013, as the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) or PoSh Act.

ABOUT POSH

• The PoSH Act defines sexual harassment to include unwelcome acts such as physical contact and sexual advances, a demand or request for sexual favours, making sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, and any other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature.
• Under the Act, an employee is defined not just in accordance with the company law.
  • All women employees, whether employed regularly, temporarily, contractually, on an ad hoc or daily wage basis, as apprentices or interns or even employed without the knowledge of the principal employer, can seek redressal to sexual harassment in the workplace.
• The law expands the definition of ‘workplace’ beyond traditional offices to include all kinds of organisations across sectors, even non-traditional workplaces and places visited by employees for work.
  • It applies to all public and private sector organisations throughout India.
• The law requires any employer with more than 10 employees to form an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). It has to be headed by a woman, have at least two women employees, another employee, and, to pre-empt any undue pressure from senior levels, to include a third party such as an NGO worker with five years of experience, familiar with the challenges of sexual harassment.
• The Act mandates every district in the country to create a local committee (LC) to receive complaints from women working in firms with less than 10 employees and from the informal sector, including domestic workers, home-brd workers, voluntary government social workers and so on.
• Written Complaint should be filed within 3 months (extendable by 3 months) of sexual harassment incident.

• The Odisha Government invoked the Orissa Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA) prohibiting strikes by paramedical staff, including nurses, pharmacists, technicians, Class III and IV employees, to ensure that medical services are not disrupted.
• As per Section 2 (b) of the Orissa Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988, strike means the cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any essential service acting in combination or a concerted refusal or refusal under a common understanding of any number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment and includes unauthorised absence from duty.

ABOUT ESMA

• The Essential Services Maintenance Act is an act of parliament 1968  under list no. 33 in the  7^th schedule under the concurrent list of the Indian constitution.
  • Each state has its own unique and separate provision of the Essential services maintenance act.
• It empowers the government  to define any economic activity  or service as essential  whose obstruction would affect the normal life of the people.
  • For e.g- Hospital sector, services like electricity, water supply , telephone, air traffic control.
• It is a principal and typical method of states to handle strikes by its employees.
• It can be imposed for a maximum period of 6 months and can be extended.
• The act gives the police the right to arrest the protestors without warrant violating the act’s provisions.

ABOUT RIGHT TO STRIKE

• It is a basic right of workers, a principle means to legitimately promote and defend their economic and social interest.
• Under article 19, right to protest is a fundamental right but not right to strike.
• It is a legal right with restrictions as per Industrial dispute act 1947.

• The indigenous Koya tribe inhabiting the Papikonda hill range along the rivers Godavari and Sabari in Andhra Pradesh have decided to do away with millennia-old traditions in an attempt to conserve the Indian Bison (Bos gaurus).
• Papikondalu hill range or the’ Bison hill range,’ is home to the Indian Bison.
  • In 1978, a portion of the hill range was declared a sanctuary, with Indian Bison as its megafauna species.
  • The sanctuary was declared as a national park was made in 2008.

ABOUT KOYA TRIBE

• Known as Koya, Koitur in their dialect.
• Population is mainly found in hilly and forested regions of Andhra pradesh , Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
• Speak the Koya language (Koya basha), a Dravidian language related to Gondi.
  • They also speak Odia and Telugu languages.
• Traditionally they are pastoralists and shifting cultivators. Some are artisans specializing in bamboo furniture and crafts.
• Pendul is commonly practiced form of marriage.
• The Koyas adopted Bison horns to discover their two cultural forms:
  • the Kommu Koya dance, during which two Bison horns are adorned on the head as part of the attire, and
  • the Permakore flute, which is made of a single horn.
    • The Koyas have moved on from using traditional Indian Bison horns to palm leaves to craft their traditional flute, Permakore.
    • In the Koya language, ‘Permam’ stands for Indian Bison or Guar, and ‘Kore’ stands for ‘horn’, and thus, the flute made of Bison horn is called Permakore.
    • On one corner of the horn is a bamboo pipe inserted from where the air is blown into the horn to produce sound.
    • The Permakore is played at a designated time and place to give a call to the entire village to go hunting in the forest.

ABOUT INDIA BISON OR GAUR (BOS GAURUS)

• Indian Bison is the tallest species of wild cattle found in India and largest extant bovine.
• About 13,000 to 30,000 gaurs in the world with approximately 85% of the population present in India.
• They prefer evergreen forests and moist deciduous forests but can survive in dry deciduous forests also.
• The Indian Bison is herbivorous by nature, moves in groups, and preys mainly on bamboo leaves.
• It is also the State Animal of Goa and Bihar.
• Protection status
  • IUCN Red List- Vulnerable
  • Wild Life Protection Act, 1972- Schedule I

• Training launch of ‘Agni-1’ missile was carried out successfully from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
• Agni-1 is a proven very high precision missile system.
• The user training launch, carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command, successfully validated all operational and technical parameters.

ABOUT AGNI 1

• It is a short-range ballistic missile having range 700–900 km.
• It is a single-stage, solid-fuel missile.
• It is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with an estimated payload of 1,000 kg.
• It is road-mobile, which gives it a high degree of mobility and makes it difficult for an enemy to target.
• It was first test-fired in 2002 and first deployed in 2007 by Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command.
• It originated from India’s 1983 Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).

Agni-1 to 5 missiles are designed & developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).

• Representative from the Delhi government presented the “Kejriwal model of governance” at the COP28 in Dubai while representing the Capital at a discussion held by the C40.
• Delhi’s “breakthroughs” in fighting climate change were mentioned, including-
  • ‘City of Lakes’ project, which aims to rejuvenate water bodies in the city, and
  • Delhi’s “3i model” for Electric Vehicles, which focuses on “inclusion, incentivization, and innovation”.

ABOUT C40

• C40 is a global network of nearly a hundred mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis.

• In an effort to foster gender inclusivity and strengthen the skills of women military personnel in peacekeeping operations, the Indian Army conducted a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.
• The exercise was designed specifically for women officers from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• It was organized by the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK), a premier institution of the Indian Army dedicated to providing training in peacekeeping operations
• The TTX aligns with CUNPK’s ongoing commitment to strengthening international cooperation and capacity-building in peacekeeping missions, with a special emphasis on empowering women in the field.
• The tabletop exercise serves as a follow-up to the joint military training between India and ASEAN member states, highlighting India’s dedication to global peace, stability, and gender equality.

• UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change unveiled the “Green Rising” initiative at COP28 in Dubai.
• The global “Green Rising” initiative and the “Green Rising India Alliance” marks a collaborative effort involving UNICEF, Generation Unlimited, and a diverse network of public, private, and youth partners.
• The main goal is to mobilize millions of young people worldwide, encouraging their active participation in green initiatives addressing and adapting to the severe impacts of climate change on their communities.
• The “Green Rising” initiative focuses on engaging youth for impactful environmental actions at the grassroots level, aligning with the global effort to address the severe impacts of climate change.
• Through the YuWaah campaign in India, the focus is on engaging youth to drive impactful environmental actions at the grassroots level, inspired by the Mission Life movement.

ABOUT GENERATION UNLIMITED

• Launched in
• It is a global Public-Private-Youth Partnership aimed at co-creating and delivering innovative solutions on global scale.

• The sixth meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave was held at Mauritius recently.
• It agreed on a roadmap to ensure the security and stability of the Indian Ocean region in the face of non-traditional and emerging hybrid challenges.
• Ocean Information Services portal was also launched at the conclave.

ABOUT COLOMBO SECURITY CONCLAVE

• The conclave is a gathering of the region’s leaders focused on maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean.
• The Colombo Security Conclave was formed in 2011 as a trilateral maritime security of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
• The roadmap of activities was later expanded, with Mauritius joining as the fourth member and Bangladesh and Seychelles participating as observer countries.
• Secretariat- Colombo, Sri Lanka
• The five pillars of cooperation within the CSC encompass
  • maritime safety and security,
  • counterterrorism and counter-radicalisation initiatives,
  • the combat against trafficking and transnational organised crime,
  • cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure, and
  • humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

• The Gujarat government said that the central government has approved setting up a cheetah breeding and conservation centre in Banni Grassland
• The government said a proposal had been sent to the centre which has been accepted.
• Banni Grassland used to be the habitat of cheetahs, which became extinct over time.

About Banni Grassland

• Banni Grassland, considered one of the finest, spans 2,618 sq km and is located along the northern border of Kutch.
• It is also home to 40,000 Maldharis, a pastoral community known for rearing high-yielding buffaloes and cows.
• Banni comprises grassland and wetlands with rich flora and fauna.
• The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary which spans over an area of 380 Sq. km and the recently notified 227 Sq. km Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve are part of the Banni Grasslands.
• Research estimates indicate approximately 200 species of plants, 250 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles.
  • Flora – Prosopis Juliflora, Cressa critica, Cyperus spp, Sporobolus, Dichanthium, and Aristida.
  • Fauna- Nilgai, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Wild boar, Golden Jackal, Indian Hare, Indian Wolf, Caracal, Asiatic Wildcat and Desert Fox, Banni buffalo and the Kankrej cow etc.
• The grassland is facing encroachment due to increased agricultural activities.

• The Human Rights Day is celebrated around the world on December 10^th every year.
• It focuses on the fundamental rights and liberties of people and advocates for the rights that transcend nationality, gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality, religion, or any other distinctions.
• This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
• As per the official website of the United Nations, the regulated theme to celebrate Human Rights Day 2023 is ‘Freedom, Equality and Justice for All.’
• In 1950, Human Rights Day was formally established after the adoption of the UNGA Resolution 423.
  • As per the resolution, all the states and interested organisations were invited to celebrate the day and commemorate the proclamation of the UDHR.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 after World War II.
• UDHR encapsulates the common standard that every country and person should strive for in terms of human rights.
• UDHR consists of 30 articles that cover a wide range of fundamental human rights and freedom to which all people from different parts of the world are entitled.
• The UDHR also serves as a regulatory body for all other nations that strive to meet basic human needs, including socio-economic and political issues.

ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIA

• To preserve and protect human rights in a diverse country like India, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established on October 12, 1993.
• The NHRC is a human rights institution, which is a recommendatory body as per the Protection of Human Rights Act passed by the Parliament.
• The Commission reviews and safeguards the provisions provided under the Constitution and makes recommendations for the effective implementation of International Conventions.
• The Commission has also made several interventions on key issues of human rights which include child labour, prison reforms, right to health, right to food, mental healthcare, rights of persons with disability, sanitation, and rights of women.