• The Street Vending Act (protection of livelihood and regulation of street vending) 2014 was not being implemented in the state. Former IAS officer and commissioner of Dharamsala MC JM Pathania said this while addressing a press conference recently.
• Pathania said that due to the non-implementation of the Act both the street vendors and common citizens in the cities and towns of the state were suffering.
• He said the state government had notified the rules for implementing the Street Vending Act in the state in the year 2016.
• Under the rules it was the duty of the officials governing the local bodies to identify vending zones in various parts of the city. In these vending zone facilities were to be provided to the street vendors under the National Urban Livelihood Mission.
• The Government of India was providing funds under various scheme for welfare and regulation of street vendors but the state government has failed take benefit of it, he said.
• Pathania said in Dharamsala Smart City a town vending committee was formed in the year 2016 which also had members of the local street vendors association. It identified and registered the street vendors in the city. A proposal was made under which a vending zone was to be brought up in McLeodganj. The proposal worth Rs 1 crore was sent to the union government, however, it was never followed.
• He said that lack of awareness regarding the Street Vending Act was leading to exploitation of the street vendors. Under the rules of the Street Vending Act 2014 notified by the state government the urban body can charge a maximum of Rs 1200 per month from the street vendors. However, the urban body here was charging Rs 1500 per month from the street vendors, he said.

• The world’s first intra-nasal vaccine for COVID developed by India has got approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation for restricted use in emergency situations in the age group of 18 and above.
• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said this while chairing the meeting of the Societies of Autonomous Institutions of the Department of Biotechnology in Delhi.
• The Minister informed that the product development and clinical trials were funded by the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the Mission COVID Suraksha Program.
• The Minister said that India’s efforts through Mission COVID Suraksha has not only strengthened Atmanirbhar Bharat but also bolstered India’s status as a worldwide vaccine development and manufacturing center.
• He also informed me about the decision to merge the 14 societies of Biotechnology Institutes into a single society in the interest of convenient functioning, cost-effectiveness and integrated working.

• A government-appointed gas price review panel, led by Kirit Parikh submitted its report to the government, recommending a floor and ceiling price for legacy fields and complete pricing freedom starting January 1, 2026.
• A fixed band of pricing for gas from legacy fields, which makes up for two-thirds of all natural gas produced in the country, would ensure a predictable pricing regime for producers and at the same time moderate prices of CNG and piped cooking gas which has shot up by 70% since last year on the back of a surge in input cost.
• The panel has suggested linking the price of gas produced by state-owned firms from fields given to them on a nomination basis to imported crude oil prices rather than benchmarking them to gas rates in international markets, Parikh said, adding the rates thus arrived would be subject to a floor and ceiling.
• State producers Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) will be paid a price linked to imported oil but it will have a minimum or floor price of $4 per million British thermal unit and a cap or ceiling price of $6.5.
• “We recognise that states have concerns and we are starting a process to build consensus for including gas in the goods and services tax (GST) regime,” he said.
• To address state concern of loss of revenue, the panel was in favour of setting up a mechanism similar to the compensation cess regime that made good for any revenue loss that states incurred by way of giving their right to levy VAT and other taxes on goods and services in first five years of implementation of GST regime from July 1, 2017.
• Also, the panel was in favour of moderation in rates of excise duty.
• The committee was tasked with suggesting a “fair price to the end-consumer” while ensuring a “market-oriented, transparent and reliable pricing regime for India’s long-term vision for ensuring a gas-based economy”.
• “Our mandate was to suggest a regime that would help raise domestic production to help meet the goal of 15% of energy coming from gas by 2030. And at the same time, provide fair price to consumers,” he said.
• The committee, he said, looked at the pricing of gas from two sources.
• The first set is the legacy or old fields which were given to ONGC and OIL on a nomination basis without any condition of sharing profits and therefore the government controls its price. The second set is for the ones that are in difficult geology.
• Gas from legacy fields is sold to city gas distributors who had to raise rates of CNG and piped cooking gas by over 70% after prices went up from $2.90 per million British thermal unit till March to $6.10 in April and further to $8.57 last month, reflecting a surge in global rates. This rise in rates, which narrowed the gap between CNG and polluting diesel, prompted the review.
• Parikh said the city gas will continue to get top priority in the allocation of APM gas. The sector will be in the ‘no-cut’ category, meaning supplies to other consumers will be cut first in case of a decline in production.

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog  has announced the launch of applications for Community Innovator Fellowship (CIF). The  initiative aims at  facilitating  knowledge building and provide infrastructure support to aspiring community innovators essential for their entrepreneurship journey.
• Currently there are 22 Community Innovator fellows being incubated at the Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) program of AIM.
• A Community Innovator Fellow is an individual with an entrepreneurial mind-set, with an idea to solve a community challenge through her or his enterprise. This is a one-year-long intensive fellowship program wherein an aspiring community innovator can apply irrespective of their socio-economic background.
• AIM has been setting up Atal Community Innovation Centres  across the country. Currently there are 14 such centres, spread across 9 states and 36 more are coming up in the near future to take the collective number to 50 such Centres.

• The 12th Edition of Exercise Agni Warrior, a bilateral exercise between the Singapore & Indian Army, which had commenced on 13 November 2022 concluded at Field Firing Ranges, Devlali (Maharashtra) on 30 November 2022. Exercise Agni Warrior, involved showcasing joint firepower planning, execution and use of New Generation Equipment by the Artillery arm of both armies.
• Exercise also included participation by both sides in a joint computer war-game as part of joint planning process. Both sides utilised niche technology and Artillery Observation Simulators as part of joint training phase. Expert academic discussions were conducted on modern trends in Artillery and refinement of Artillery planning process. Indigenously manufactured Artillery guns and howitzers also participated during the final phase of the exercise.
• The exercise achieved its aim of enhancing mutual understanding of drills & procedures and improving interoperability between the two armies. The closing event was witnessed by Mr Wong Wie Kuen, High Commissioner of Singapore to India & Lieutenant General S Harimohan Iyer, Commandant, School of Artillery along with other dignitaries from Singapore & serving officers from both armies.

• National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA India) will break ground on 2nd December 2022 when it hosts an Inclusion Conclave for the first time to sharpen the focus on anti-doping education and processes for athletes with disabilities. Secretary Department Sports Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp and WADA Asia-Oceania Regional Office Manager, Kenny Lee will address the conclave.
• NADA India has already developed comprehensive modules on anti-doping education & awareness in Universal Design of Learning (UDL) for athletes with disabilities. UDL is a multi-modal framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all persons using sign language visual representation, transcribed subtitles and content audio. Some material, usually available in print only, has now been produced in Braille and audio formats as well. Besides, NADA India has conducted sensitisation workshops for Dope Control Officers (DCO) who collect samples from athletes with disabilities and has upgraded the DCO kit for such athletes.
• In a further step towards building an inclusive anti-doping landscape in India, the Conclave will take a holistic view, including sessions on policy landscape and legal framework, challenges faced by such athletes, education of and engagement with such athletes and Doping Control processes for athletes with disabilities.
• Besides Deepa Malik, G Mahanteesh, Kavitha Suresh and Suresh Kumar who head federations for sport for athletes with disabilities, the participation of para-athletes like Singhraj Adhana and Sharad Kumar as well as coach Maha Singh Rao in the discussions will sharpen the focus on anti-doping matters in sport for athletes with disabilities.
• Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations (iNADO) CEO Jorge Leyva, Asian Paralympic Committee, Anti-Doping Sub-Committee Chairman Dr. Badrul Rashid, University of Birmingham’s Prof. Ian Bradley and International Inclusion and Para Sports expert Dr. Halim Jebali headline the panelists from overseas who will join an array of Indian experts.
• The Conclave will be followed by a two-hour long inclusive anti-doping education workshop for Athletes with Disabilities with focus on Therapeutic Use Exemption, Doping Control Process, Anti-Doping Rule Violations as well rights and responsibilities of athletes with disabilities and support personnel.
• National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was set up as registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 on November 24, 2005 with a mandate for Dope free sports in India.

• As part of the ‘Adoption Awareness Month’ , Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) organised 10 State orientation programmes, ran 200 special social media campaigns, held interactive meets with more than 700 Prospective Adoptive Parents and Adoptive Parents in November ,2022.
• The key features of the new Adoption Regulations, 2022 notified by the Central Government on September 23, 2022 were also shared with them. CARA engaged with the adoption community by offering in-depth knowledge and resources for families.
• Adoption Awareness Month was celebrated in the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Daman & Diu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• Adoption Awareness Month is about spreading adoption awareness amongst the stakeholders and the waiting families desiring to adopt.  Through the adoption process, CARA is dedicated to ensuring the long-term rehabilitation of children.
• Following the notification of the Adoption Regulations, 2022, CARA is reviewing all adoption cases, long pending in the courts and ensuring that they are quickly transferred to the office of the District Magistrate and concluded by issuance of Adoption Order by the District Magistrate within two months. New Regulations also stipulate children to be placed in their own socio-cultural environment so that both the child and the family quickly adjust with each other. Children with mental and physical disabilities are now being identified and cared for by the CMO in every district. Revamped Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS) has introduced new online modules for online registration of inter-country adoption cases under Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA), modules for the District Magistrate to issue online Adoption Orders  and for CMO to certify disabilities.
• Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body of the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, mandated to undertake the promotion of in-country adoptions and to facilitate inter-state adoptions in accordance with the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of inter-country adoption.

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will inaugurate a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the United Nations on December 14, marking the arrival of the Mahatma at UN’s headquarters during India’s Presidency of the powerful 15-nation Security Council for the month of December.
• India on 1st December 2022 assumed the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council, the second after August 2021 that India is presiding over the Council during its two-year tenure as an elected UNSC member.
• The bust of Mahatma Gandhi will be placed in the “prestigious” North Lawn of the UN building, which is the first time that a sculpture of the Mahatma will be installed in the UNHQ .
• The simple ceremony will take place in the presence of UNSC members, including the five incoming new Council members – Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland.
• The bust, made by renowned Indian sculptor Padma Shri awardee Ram Sutar, who has also designed the ‘Statue of Unity’, will be a gift from India and will be installed in the UN headquarters, which proudly displays gifts and artefacts from around the world.
• India’s 2021-2022 term on the Council ends on December 31, with Ruchira Kamboj, India’s first woman Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, sitting in the President’s seat at the powerful horseshoe table for the month.
• Addressing reporters here on the Indian presidency and the monthly programme of work, Kamboj said that apart from two signature events chaired by Jaishankar in the Council on December 14 and 15 on reformed multilateralism and counter-terrorism, there will also be two side events coinciding with India’s presidency.
• The first will mark the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi at the United Nations,” Kamboj said.

• The government has named 21 uninhabited islands in the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar after recipients of Param Vir Chakra , the country’s highest wartime gallantry award.
• Out of the 21 islands, 16 are located in North and Middle Andaman district, while five islands are in South Andaman.
• The first uninhabited island numbered ‘INAN370’ in North and Middle Andaman was named after Major Somnath Sharma. Now ‘INAN370’ will be known as ‘Somnath Dweep’. He was the first and the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. Sharma lost his life in the line of duty on 3 November 1947 while handling Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport. He was posthumously awarded the highest military award for his gallantry and sacrifice during the Battle of Badgam.
• Subedar and Honorary Captain Karam Singh who fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for saving a forward post at Richmar Gali, south of Tithwal (a small border-village in Jammu and Kashmir) was also honoured after the Andaman administration and the Defence Ministry named another uninhabited island numbered ‘INAN308’ after him as ‘Karam Singh Dweep’.
• Similarly, Major Rama Raghoba Rane, Naik Jadunath Singh, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat, Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa Magar, Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan, Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid, Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran, Captain Bana Singh, Captain Vikram Batra, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar – all recipients of the Param Vir Chakra- were honoured after the islands were named after them.
• Some of the 21 islands fall under reserved forest while some have great potential for water sports, creek tourism and fishing.
• The Andamans in general and the Cellular Jail in particular played a prominent part in the history of our freedom struggle. People who took part in various anti-British movements such as the 1857 revolt, the Wahabi Movement, and the Burmese Rebellion were deported to the Andamans where they lived there under barbaric conditions. Great stalwarts of the freedom struggle were confined in the solitary cells of the Cellular Jail.

• Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar launched seven new schemes for inmates initiated by the Prisons and Correctional Services Department at the Model Central Prison, Kanda.
• The schemes launched today include meditation programme, telemedicine project, financial literacy programme, waste management, free online coaching and audio library. The occasion was also marked by release of a poetry collection ‘Parwaz’.
• The Governor said it was an emotional moment for him to see the skills of the inmates of prison. He appreciated the efforts of Prisons and Correctional Services Additional Director General of Police Satwant Atwal.
• “Whatever may be the reason for coming here, prisoners are here to learn, experiment, get trained and move forward with positive thoughts,” said Arlekar. He said this was a correctional home, so various programmes were being run for prisoners which would not just benefit them but also the society at large.
• Earlier, the Governor launched transcendental meditation programme and training, which will be implemented by the Transcendental Meditation Institute. He also launched a telemedicine programme in prisons through e-Sanjeevani, under which specialist doctors will give online consultation to prisoners.
• The Governor also launched a financial literacy programme for prisoners in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India. Free online coaching for children of prisoners with the help of Smile Foundation was also launched. An audio library was also started for the prisoners, who could not read books due to paucity of time.
• ADGP Atwal gave details about various activities organised by the Prisons and Correctional Services Department. “One barrack in every jail has been declared as a “free prison” where eligible prisoners are earning their livelihood by going out of the jail and taking care of their families,” she revealed.
• She said Himachal was the only state in the country which had provided a facility like “free prison” to eligible women prisoners, which is now being followed by other prisons.

State jails overcrowded

• HP has 14 prisons in which 2,909 inmates are lodged against a capacity of 2,437. The undertrial and conviction rate is 68% and 32% respectively
• The maximum number of 1,187 inmates (40.8%) have been convicted under the NDPS Act while 22.89% have committed crime against women