• India will host the 2025 International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) Annual Conference at Kochi, Kerala in February 2025.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

• The Theme of 2025 Conference will be: “Next Generation Administrative Reforms – Empowering Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile”.
• The conference aims to explore strategies that enable citizen empowerment and ensure effective governance at all levels.
• The 2025 conference is set to witness the participation of 30 member countries, 18 national sections, and over 50 IIAS universities and institutes of public administration.
• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances is an institutional member of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences IIAS since 1998.
• As an institutional member of IIAS, India has contributed significantly to the deliberative democracy, research publications, fiscal processes of budget/ audit through the institutional mechanisms of the Council of Administration and the Finance Committee.

ABOUT IIAS

• The IIAS (International Institute of Administrative Sciences), established in 1930, serves as a global federation dedicated to advancing administrative sciences. It comprises member states, national sections, and academic research centres, all collaborating to address contemporary policy challenges related to public administration.
• It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

• The World Bank (WB) launched its first dedicated road safety project in South Asia with a USD 358 million financing agreement signed in Dhaka with the government of Bangladesh.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• The Bangladesh Road Safety Project (BRSP) was inaugurated at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• This project aims to improve road safety and reduce fatalities and injuries from road crashes in selected cities, high-risk highways, and district roads.
• The two National Highways, Gazipur-Elenga (N4) and Natore-Nawabganj (N6), passing through the five divisions of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh, will be taken up for the implementation of this project.
• This project will improve road safety by providing facilities including improved engineering designs, signage and marking, pedestrian facilities, speed enforcement, and emergency care.

• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj introduced the draft resolution titled ‘Memorial wall for fallen United Nations peacekeepers’ in the UN General Assembly Hall.

MEMORIAL WALL –

• The UN General Assembly has adopted a draft resolution introduced by India to establish a memorial wall in the UN Headquarters to honour fallen peacekeepers.
• The resolution was submitted by 18 countries including Bangladesh, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Nepal, Rwanda and the U.S.
• The resolution was co-sponsored by nearly 190 UN Member States and was adopted by consensus.
• In 2015, the Permanent Mission of India to the UN launched a virtual memorial wall, dedicated to the Indian troops who made the supreme sacrifice while doing active service as UN peacekeepers.
• The initiative was a precursor to the eventual construction of the Peacekeepers Memorial Wall.
• It is an appropriate way to commemorate all the troops from UN member states who had given their lives while on duty under the Blue Flag of the United Nations.

INDIA’S CONTRIBUTION TO UN PEACEKEEPING –

• India is currently the 3rd largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping with more than 6,000 military and police personnel.
• About 177 Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice, the highest number by far from any troop-contributing country.

• The Centre has discontinued the sale of rice and wheat from the central pool under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to State governments, a move that will hit some States, including Karnataka, offering free grains to the poor.

ABOUT OPEN MARKET SALE SCHEME (OMSS):

• Under OMSS, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) sells surplus stocks of wheat and rice at pre-determined prices through e-auction in the open market.
• Objective: To enhance the supply of food grains, especially wheat, during the lean season and thereby moderate the open market prices, especially in the deficit regions.
• The FCI conducts a weekly auction to conduct this scheme in the open market using the platform of commodity exchange NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited).
• The State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations are also allowed to participate in the e-auction, if they require wheat and rice outside the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme (TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS).
• The reserve price is fixed by the government. In the tenders floated by the FCI, the bidders cannot quote less than the reserve price.
• The present form of OMSS comprises 3 schemes as under:
  • Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
  • Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction by dedicated movement.
  • Sale of Raw Rice Grade ‘A’ to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.

KEY FACTS ABOUT FOOD CORPORATION OF INDIA (FCI):

• It is a statutory body set up in 1965 (under the Food Corporation Act, 1964) against the backdrop of major shortage of grains, especially wheat, in the country.
• It comes under the ownership of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• FCI was mandated with three basic objectives:
  • To provide effective price support to farmers;
  • To procure and supply grains to pds for distributing subsidized staples to economically vulnerable sections of society;
  • Keep a strategic reserve to stabilize markets for basic foodgrains;

• INS Vikramaditya has recently been operationalised after an exhaustive refit lasting nearly two and a half years.

ABOUT INS VIKRAMADITYA:

• It is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier which entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013.
• It has been renamed in honour of Vikramaditya, a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India.

HISTORY:

• The carrier served with the Soviet Navy and later with the Russian Navy (as Admiral Gorshkov) before being decommissioned in 1996.
• It was later bought by India in 2004 for $2.33bn.
• It was commissioned in 2013 after refurbishing.

FEATURES:

• It has an overall length of about 284 meters and a maximum beam of about 60 meters.
• The ship has a total of 22 decks. It can carry more than 1,600 personnel, including crew.
• Displacement: 44,500 Tonnes
• It has a maximum speed of more than 30 knots and can achieve a maximum range of 7,000nmi.
• It can endure up to 45 days at sea.
• It is powered by 08 new-generation steam boilers.
• The ship has the ability to carry over 30 aircraft comprising an assortment of MiG 29K/Sea Harrier, Kamov 31, Kamov 28, Sea King, ALH-Dhruv and Chetak helicopters.
• The aircraft carrier can be armed with a wide range of weapons, including anti-ship missiles, beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, guided bombs, and rockets.
• The ship is equipped with state-of-the-art launch and recovery systems along with aids to enable smooth and efficient operation of ship-borne aircraft.

• People forcefully displaced due to violence, climate crises saw the sharpest rise in 2022.
• It is released annually by the United Nations refugee agency, Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• The number of people who were uprooted from their hometowns due to social and climate crises in 2022 was 21% higher than in 2021.
• More than 108.4 million people were forcibly displaced by the end of 2022, 30% of them were children.
• Of these, 35.3 million were people who had to move to another country for safety (refugees).
• A large share of refugees was from Ukraine, because of Russia-Ukraine War and the displacement of Ukrainians also was the global fastest since World War II.
• Displacement because of Climate disasters – Climate disasters caused 32.6 million internal displacements throughout 2022 and 8.7 million of the people did not manage to return home by the end of the year.
• Disaster related internal displacement accounted for more than half (54 %) of all new displacements in 2022.
• At the end of 2022, an estimated 4.4 million people worldwide were stateless or of undetermined nationality, 2% more than at the end of 2021.
• Stateless people are those who are not recognised as citizens by any government.

UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

• It is a United Nation Refugee Agency.
• It aimed to save lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution.
• It serves as the ‘guardian’ of the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol.
• So far, 146 countries are party to the 1951 Convention, and 147 to the 1967 Protocol.
• Countries that have ratified the Refugee Convention are obliged to protect refugees that are on their territory, in accordance with its terms.
• India is not a member to this convention nor to the protocol.

• Tamil Nadu announced that it has withdrawn the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

GENERAL CONSENT OF CBI

• The CBI is governed by The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, and it must mandatorily obtain the consent of the state government concerned before beginning to investigate a crime in a state.
• General consent is normally given by states to help CBI to conduct a seamless investigation of corruption cases against central government employees in their states. This essentially means consent by default and CBI may begin investigations into a case in a state with the premise that consent has been already given to it.
• Consent given to the CBI can come in two forms – either case specific or general. In the first form, the CBI has to apply for consent on a case-by-case basis and can’t act before the consent is given.
• In the absence of general consent, CBI would have to apply to the state government for its consent in every individual case, and before taking even small actions.

WHY IS CONSENT NEEDED?

• The CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DPSEA). Under this law, the CBI is a special wing of the Delhi Police and hence, its original jurisdiction is restricted to the Capital.
• Therefore, the CBI must mandatorily obtain the consent of the state government concerned before beginning to investigate a crime in a state.
• Many states have alleged that the central government was using the CBI to unfairly target the opposition.

IMPLICATIONS OF WITHDRAWAL OF GENERAL CONSENT

• No registration of fresh cases: Withdrawal of general consent also means that the CBI will not be able to register any fresh case involving central government officials or private persons in a particular state without prior permission of that state government.
• Loss of power: CBI officers will lose all powers of a police officer as soon as they enter the state unless the state government has allowed them.
• States that have withdrawn the general consent – Tamil Nadu, Mizoram, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Jharkhand, Punjab and Meghalaya.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (CBI)

• It is the premier investigating police agency in India. It has its origin in the Special Police Establishment set up in 1941 to probe bribery and corruption during World War II. Later, it was set up by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1963 after Santhanam committee recommendation.
• The CBI is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Personnel, Pension & Public Grievances, Government of India.
• It is also the nodal police agency in India, which coordinates investigations on behalf of Interpol Member countries.
• The CBI is different from the National Investigation Agency, which has jurisdiction all over the country.

PARLIAMENTARY PANEL RECOMMENDS NEW LAW TO DEFINE POWER, FUNCTIONS OF CBI

• Highlighting withdrawal of general consent for CBI probe by many States, a Parliamentary Committee has said that an existing law governing the federal probe agency has “many limitations” and there is a need to enact a new legislation to define its status, functions and powers.
• The federal probe agency was established in It is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, enacted to regulate the functioning of the special police establishment set up in 1941 to investigate cases of bribery and corruption involving purchases and supplies during World War II.
• The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice said that according to the provisions of the DSPE Act, the consent of the State government is a prerequisite for any investigation by the CBI and as on date, nine States have withdrawn the general consent.
• The panel said that vacant posts in the CBI are not being filled up at the required pace and recommended that “every effort should be made to fill up vacancies at the earliest”.
• A total of 1,709 posts are vacant in the CBI against its sanctioned strength of 7,295.
• The panel further recommended that the Director of CBI should monitor the progress made in filling up of vacancies on a quarterly basis and take necessary measures to ensure that the organisation is sufficiently staffed.
• The Committee is of the opinion that in this age of transparency, every public authority should strive to proactively disclose the data available with it or held by it in public domain to the extent possible.

• The Union Cabinet recently approved the constitution of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to facilitate the “world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector”.

WHY DOES INDIA NEED A GRAIN STORAGE PLAN?

• India, the most populous country in the world, accounts for 18 per cent (1.4 billion) of the global population (7.9 billion).
• However, it accounts for only 11 per cent (160 million hectare) of the arable land (1,380 million hectare) in the world.
• Also, India runs the world’s largest food programme under the National Food Security Act, 2013, that covers about 81 crore people.
• Therefore, to ensure food security of a billion plus population, a robust network of foodgrain storage facilities becomes essential.
• At present, India has a foodgrain storage capacity of 145 million metric tonnes (MMT) against the total food production of 311 MMT—leaving a gap of 166 MMT.
• In the absence of sufficient storage facilities, foodgrains are sometimes stored in the open, which results in damage.
• India has a storage capacity of 47 per cent of its total foodgrains production.
• At the regional level, only a few southern states have the storage capacity of 90 per cent and above.
• In northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is below 50 per cent.

WHAT IS THE ‘WORLD’S LARGEST GRAIN STORAGE PLAN IN THE COOPERATIVE SECTOR’?

• At present, multiple government agencies, like the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehouse Corporation, Warehouse Development Regulatory Authority, Railways, and the civil supply departments of states are involved in grain management.
• Under the new plan, the Ministry of Cooperation aims to set up a network of integrated grain storage facilities through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across the country.
• According to the ministry, there are more than 1,00,000 PACS spread across the country with a huge member base of more than 13 crore farmers.
• This is one of the reasons why the PACS network was chosen for the new plan.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE PLAN?

• The plan is multi-pronged — it aims to address not just the shortage of agricultural storage infrastructure in the country by facilitating establishment of godowns at the level of PACS, but would also enable PACS to undertake various other activities, viz:
  • Functioning as Procurement centres for State Agencies/ Food Corporation of India (FCI);
  • Serving as Fair Price Shops (FPS);
  • Setting up custom hiring centers;
  • Setting up common processing units, including assaying, sorting, grading units for agricultural produce, etc.
• It would reduce post-harvesting losses.
• It would bring down the foodgrain handling and transportation cost.
• Farmers would have a choice to sell their produce depending on the market conditions, and not be forced into distress sale.

• About 66 per cent of the elderly women in Himachal Pradesh have been victims of physical violence with son being the perpetrator in 56 per cent of these cases.
• The percentage of older women facing physical abuse in the state is more than the national percentage of 50 per cent revealed the report titled ‘Women & Ageing: Invisible or Empowered?’ released on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
• The report claimed that the incidents of physical abuse against elders have been increasing at the rate of 16 per cent at national level and 15 per cent in HP.
• There are about 3.66 lakh elderly women in HP, higher in number than elderly male population.
• According to report, about 17 per cent of old women reported facing “disrespect” while another 17 per cent went through “emotional/ psychological abuse.
• In 56 per cent cases the main perpetrator was son, followed by the daughter-in-law at 15 per cent, and relatives at 12 per cent, he said, adding that 48 per cent of elderly women reported being “financially insecure.”
• The report, based on a survey conducted by Ipsos, studied trends in 20 states and five Union Territories with a total sample size of more than 7,900. The sample size in HP was 400.

• World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is observed on June 15 every year to raise awareness and combat this problem. This significant day aims to shed light on the abuse, neglect, and exploitation experienced by older individuals. It also emphasizes the importance of promoting their well-being and dignity.
• The theme for 2023 is “Closing the Circle: Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Older Age – Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses.” The theme underscores the intersection of gender-based violence and elder abuse, specifically focusing on the experiences of older individuals.