Providing Accommodation at Affordable Rent to Urban Migrants/ Poor
Estimated Amount of Rs. 600 Crore Envisaged as Total Outlay
2.95 Lakh Beneficiaries Envisaged to be Benefitted, Initially
Posted On: 16 SEP 2020 5:18PM by PIB Delhi
Scheme for Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs), a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), for providing accommodation at affordable rent to urban migrants/ poor has been launched on 31.07.2020 after approval of the Union Cabinet. Following steps have been taken to implement the scheme of ARHCs for urban migrants/poor:
Operational Guidelines of ARHCs along with other implementation framework have been circulated to all States/Union Territories (UTs) for planning and implementation. E-copy of the guidelines has been uploaded on the websites of ARHC, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
A draft Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been circulated to all States/UTs to sign with MoHUA.
A model Request for Proposal (RFP) has been shared with States/UTs for selection of Concessionaire to developexisting Government funded vacant housing complexes to be used as ARHCs for a period of 25 years under Repair/Retrofit, Develop, Operate and Transfer (RDOT) on Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode.
Expression of Interest (EoI) has been prepared for shortlisting of Public/Private Entities for construction of ARHCs on their own vacant land.
A sustained and focused Information Education and Communication (IEC) strategy for outreach and off take of ARHCs has been prepared. A whiteboard animation on ARHCs along with various brochures, leaflets and other communication materials have been designed and shared with the stakeholders.
(b): An estimated amount of Rs. 600 crore has been envisaged as total outlay of the Scheme till the Mission period of PMAY-U i.e. March 2022.
(c): A total of 2.95 lakh beneficiaries have been envisaged to be benefitted by this Scheme, initially. Through Model-1, approximately 75,000 existing Government funded vacant housing complexes in various cities are targeted to be converted into ARHCs. In Model-2, new construction of 40,000 single/double bedroom houses and 1,80,000 dormitory beds are targeted to be operationalized using innovative and alternate technologies.
In order to mitigate the hardships to candidates seeking Government jobs by providing the same platform to all candidates, and with a view to set a new standard of equity and inclusiveness in recruitment, Government has set up the National Recruitment Agency (NRA), vide order, dated 28.08.2020.
The NRA will be an independent autonomous organization to conduct the Common Eligibility Test (CET) to screen/shortlist candidates for certain categories of posts in Central Government, for which recruitment is carried out through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection(IBPS).
The existing Central Government recruiting agencies like SSC, RRBs,&IBPS would continue to conduct domain-specific examinations/tests as per their requirement.
The NRA will conduct only the preliminary screening of candidates through the CET. Based on the score obtained in the CET conducted by NRA, candidates may appear in the domain-specific examinations/tests to be conducted by SSC, RRBs & IBPS respectively for the actual recruitment.
Context:
The bill is proposed to be introduced in this Parliament session.
It seeks to amend the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 pertaining to the powers and function of the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor.
Highlights of the proposed Bill:
It proposes to clearly spell out the functions of the Council of Ministers and the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) by giving more discretionary powers to the L-G.
As per a provision, the L-G could act in his discretion in any matter that is beyond the purview of the powers of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi in matters related to the All India (Civil) Services and the Anti Corruption Branch.
It will also give more teeth to the L-G, and the validity of any decision taken as per such discretion shall not be questioned.
How is Delhi administered presently?
The Union Territory of Delhi with a Legislative Assembly came into being in 1991 under Article 239AA of the Constitution inserted by ‘the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991’.
It said that the UT of Delhi shall be called the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and the administrator thereof appointed under Article 239 shall be designated as the Lieutenant-Governor.
According to the existing Act, the Legislative Assembly of Delhi has the power to make laws in all matters except public order, police, and land.
Issues present:
Due to the co-existence of Article 239 and 239AA, there is a jurisdictional conflict between the government of NCT and the Union Government and its representative, the Lieutenant Governor.
According to the Union government, New Delhi being a Union Territory Article 239 empowers the Lieutenant Governor to act independently of his Council of Ministers.
However, the state government of Delhi held that the Article 239AA of the Constitution bestows special status to Delhi of having its own legislatively elected government.
This creates a tussle around the administrative powers of the LG and state government of NCT of Delhi.
Supreme Court judgment:
In 2018, the Supreme Court had unanimously held that the L-G was bound by the “aid and advice” of the Delhi government and both had to work harmoniously with each other.
Unresolved Areas in the Judgement:
Overlapping Areas: Though the court has settled that LG is bound to act on the aid and advice except in respect of ‘Land’, ‘Public Order’ and the ‘Police’. However, Public Order is a very wide connotation, which subsequently leads to overlapping executive powers.
Still No Clarity on Article 239AA (4): The court did not very clearly delineate the issues in respect of which the LG can refer a decision taken by the Council of Ministers to the President in the event of a difference of opinion between the LG and the State government.
Open-Ended Terminologies: In the event of referring any matter to the President, the Court enunciated that LG must adhere to the constitutional principles of collaborative federalism, constitutional balance and the concept of constitutional governance. However, these terms are very wide and open- ended. They are subject to different interpretations.
The bill seeks to amend:
The Salary, Allowances, and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954 to reduce the salaries of MPs by 30%.
The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers Act, 1952, to reduce the sumptuary allowance of Ministers by 30%.
Rules notified under the 1954 Act to reduce certain allowances of MPs for one year. These include constituency allowance and office expenses allowance.
These changes have been made for a period of one year effective from April 1, 2020.
Background:
These reductions are being made to supplement the financial resources of the centre to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods for setting salaries, what constitution says?
Article 106 of the Constitution empowers MPs to determine their salaries by enacting laws.
In 1985, Parliament enacted a law that delegated the power to set and revise certain allowances of MPs such as constituency allowance, office allowance, and housing allowance to the central government.
Till 2018, MPs periodically passed laws to revise their salaries.
The Finance Act, 2018 provided that the salary, daily allowance, and pension of MPs will be increased every five years, on the basis of the cost inflation index provided under the Income-tax Act, 1961.
democracies
The Lok Sabha recently passed this bill by a voice vote.
The Bill is meant to replace an ordinance promulgated in June, in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Key provisions:
It proposes to deregulate the production, storage, movement and sale of several foodstuffs, including cereals, pulses, edible oils and onions, except in the case of extraordinary circumstances.
What are the extraordinary circumstances mentioned in the Bill? (i) war, (ii) famine, (iii) extraordinary price rise and (iv) natural calamity of grave nature.
Stock limit: The Ordinance requires that imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce must be based on price rise.
A stock limit may be imposed only if there is: (i) a 100% increase in retail price of horticultural produce; and (ii) a 50% increase in the retail price of non-perishable agricultural food items.
How is it calculated? The increase will be calculated over the price prevailing immediately preceding twelve months, or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is lower.
Powers of Central Government under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955:
The central government can designate certain commodities as essential commodities.
The central government may regulate or prohibit the production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce of such essential commodities.
Benefits:
This will remove fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations.
The freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply will lead to harnessing of economies of scale and attract private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector.
It will help drive up investment in cold storages and modernization of food supply chain.
Context:
RBI has released the draft version of Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2020.
They are aimed at encouraging higher non-resident participation, enhance the role of domestic market makers in the offshore market, improve transparency, and achieve better regulatory oversight.
Key directions:
It seeks to allow foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to undertake exchange-traded rupee interest rate derivatives transactions subject to an overall ceiling of Rs 5,000 crore.
Net short position of an FPI on exchange-traded IRDs should not exceed its long position in government securities and other rupee debt securities.
The purpose of offering Rupee IRD contracts to a user, the market-maker (entities which provide bid and offer prices to users in order to provide liquidity to the market) should classify the user either as a retail user or as a non-retail user.
Non-retail users, as per the draft, are entities regulated by RBI, SEBI, IRDAI or PFRDA; resident companies with a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore; and non-residents, other than individuals.
What are IRDs?
Interest Rate Derivatives (IRD) are contracts whose value is derived from one or more interest rates, prices of interest rate instruments, or interest rate indices.
These may include interest rate futures, options, swaps, swaptions, and FRA’s.
Key points:
To process and use city waste as compost, the Policy on Promotion of City Compost was approved in 2016.
Under the policy, assistance of Rs 1,500 per tonne of city compost will be provided to fertilizer companies for marketing and promotion of city compost.
Announced by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
What’s the issue now?
The lack of an appropriate market and ineffective implementation hasn’t given this much-needed practice the desired popularity.
Besides, the high manufacturing and selling cost of the compost, questionable product quality, no direct incentive/subsidy to farmers and lack of knowledge among other concerns, ensured city compost didn’t become a popular option for farmers.
Potential for city compost:
India currently produces close to 1.5 lakh tonnes of solid waste every day and its biodegradable fraction ranges between 30 per cent and 70 per cent for various Indian cities. This means there is a huge potential for compositing, the most natural form of processing wet waste.
Why this is a serious issue?
Uncontrolled decomposition of organic waste in dumpsites also leads to emission of potent greenhouse gases. So, it is imperative that necessary actions be taken to promote appropriate disposal mechanisms for solid waste management.
A Customized My Stamp on India’s First Anti Satellite Missile (A-SAT) launch was released by the Department of Posts on the occasion of Engineers Day.
Background:
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile test ‘Mission Shakti’ from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on 27th March 2019.
A DRDO developed A-SAT Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a ‘Hit to Kill’ mode.
The interceptor missile was a three-stage missile with two solid rocket boosters.
Significance:
India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised and modern capability, and Entire effort is indigenous.
Till now, only the US, Russia and China had the capability to hit a live target in space.
Does the test create space debris?
The test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris. Whatever debris that is generated will decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks.
What is the international law on weapons in outer space?
The principal international Treaty on space is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits only weapons of mass destruction in outer space, not ordinary weapons.
India is a signatory to this treaty, and ratified it in 1982.
space
Why in News?
The Telangana government has resolved to present a strong case against the proposed amendment to the Electricity Act, 2003 by the Central government, terming it as a “unilateral decision and a blatant attempt against the federal spirit aimed at usurping the States’ powers”.
Key points:
The State Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution voicing its strong opposition to the proposed amendment, claiming it was aimed at centralisation of powers, and would impose a huge burden on States.
The resolution demanded that the Centre immediately rescind its moves that were harmful to the interests of the people, farmers and underprivileged sections in particular.
Contentious clauses in the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020:
The Bill seeks to end subsidies.All consumers, including farmers, will have to pay the tariff, and the subsidy will be sent to them through direct benefit transfer.
States are worried about this clause because:
This would mean people would have to pay a huge sum towards electricity charges, while receiving support through direct benefit transfer later.
This would result in defaults leading to penalties and disconnection.
The Bill “divests” the States of their power to fix tariff and hands over the task to a Central government-appointed authority.
This is discriminatory, since the tariff can be tweaked according to the whims and fancies of the Central government.
The Bill also makes it compulsory for the State power companies to buy a minimum percentage of renewable energy fixed by the Centre.
This would be detrimental to the cash- strapped power firms.
Other key provisions in the Bill:
Renewable Energy Policy: It delegates the Central Government with the power to prepare and notify a National Renewable Energy Policy “for promotion of generation of electricity from renewable sources”, in consultation with State Governments.
Cross Border Trade: The Central Government has been delegated with the power to prescribe rules and guidelines to allow and facilitate cross border trade of electricity.
Creation of Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority: It has been proposed to be given sole jurisdiction to adjudicate upon matters on performance of obligations under a contract regarding sale, purchase and transmission of electricity, which exclusion of this specialized authority’s jurisdiction on determination of tariff or any other dispute regarding tariff.
The Act regulates the manufacture, possession, use, operation, sale, import and export of civil aircrafts and licensing of aerodromes.
Key Features of the Bill:
Provides statutory status to regulatory institutions like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
DGCA powers: It will carry out oversight and regulatory functions with respect to matters under the Bill.
Powers of BCAS: It carries out regulatory oversight functions related to civil aviation security.
AAIB carries out investigations related to aircraft accidents and incidents.
Penalty: The Bill proposes to increase the fine amount for violations of rules from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for aviation industry players.
Powers of central government: It may cancel the licences, certificates or approvals granted to a person under the Act if the person contravenes any provision of the Act.
Exemptions: The Act exempted aircrafts belonging to the naval, military, or air forces of the Union.
The Bill expands this exemption to include aircrafts belonging to any other armed forces other than these three.
Context:
Becoming the first to institutionalise snake handling in the country, the Kerala Forest Department has framed guidelines for rescuing snakes from human dominated places and releasing them in uninhabited areas.
Guidelines:
Mandatory certification: It is mandatory for snake handlers, aged between 21 and 65 years, to seek certification.
Selection process: The applications will be screened by the Assistant Conservators of Forest (ACF, Social Forestry) to prepare lists of snake handlers in each district. Various parameters, including experience, age, health as well as track record will be considered during the selection process.
Those short-listed will be required to undergo mandatory training on safe and scientific handling of snakes.
Validity of certificates: While the certification will be valid for five years, the respective ACFs can withdraw or cancel the same if the snake handler is found to be involved in any illegal or unethical practices.
Precautions: Certified snake handlers will be required to wear protective gear and equip themselves with safety equipment while on the task.
Rescued snakes will also have to be released in the presence of forest officials at the earliest. If found injured, the snake can be released only after ascertaining its fitness. Non-native species, however, cannot be released and have to be handed over to the Forest Department.
Need for:
There have been allegations of unscientific approaches by snake catchers that tend to create stress to the animal and pose risk to their and others’ lives.
Kerala has reported 334 deaths and 1,860 other cases of snake-bites during the last three years.
There have also been allegations of snakes being supplied for criminal purposes.
Context:
UP Government has issued a notification for the formation of the Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF).
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on 26 June announced the formation of the force.
What is the UPSSF?
It envisaged as having “high-level professional skills”, which would reduce the burden on the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), which could then focus on law and order.
It will be tasked to protect courts, airports, administrative buildings, metros, banks, among other government offices.
Composition:
It will be led by an Additional Director General-level officer, followed by an Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, Commandant, and Deputy Commandant.
Powers:
Any member of the force may, without any order from a Magistrate and without a warrant, arrest any person, who voluntarily causes hurt or a person against whom there is a “reasonable suspicion”, or any person, who attempts to “commit a cognizable offence.
The force will also have the right to remove trespassers on the premises under its protection.
No suit or prosecution shall lie against any officer or member of the force or against any person on acting under the order or the direction of any officer or member of the force for anything, which is done or intended to be done in good faith.