Miscellanous Quiz: Revision |28 Mar, 2021

The GHI has been brought out almost every year by Welthungerhilfe (lately in partnerships with Concern Worldwide) since 2000.

· In 2018, India was ranked 103 out of 119 countries. In 2000, the country was ranked 83 out of 113 countries. Now, with 117 countries in the fray, it has dropped to 102.

· India is ranked 102 of 117 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2019, behind its neighbours Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

· It’s GHI score has also decelerated — from 38.9 in 2005 to 32 in 2010 and then from 32 to 30.3 between 2010 and 2019.

· The GHI score is calculated on four indicators — undernourishment; child wasting, the share of children under the age of five who are wasted (that is, who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute under-nutrition); child stunting, children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic under-nutrition; and child mortality, the mortality rate of children under the age of five.

Source: The Hindu

Both Global Economic Prospect Report and Global Financial Development Report are released by World Bank.

NOTE: Global Financial Stability Report is released by International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Source: World Bank

The goal of the Sargent plan was the reorganization of the entire education system of India. The commission under the chairmanship of the John Sargent submitted its report to the Central Advisory Board of Education CABE in (1944). This scheme of post war educational development was mainly focused on the quality enhancement of higher education (ie. university system).

Recommendations-
Pre-primary basic school for 3-6 years age group.

· Compulsory and free education for 6–14-year age group.

· High school education of two types – Academic & Technical and Vocational.

· Refresher courses for teachers and better salary for them.

· Abolition of intermediate courses.

· Standard of the universities must be raised.

· Admission should be restricted so only the capable students can go for the higher education.

Source: Spectrum

The Financial Stability Reports (FSR), published by Reserve Bank of India, after approved by FSDC Sub-Committee since its inception, taking inputs from financial sector regulators i.e. RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, IRDAI including Ministry of Finance, are periodic exercise for reviewing the nature, magnitude and implications of risks that may have a bearing on the macroeconomic environment, financial institutions, markets and infrastructure.

· These reports will also assess the resilience of the financial sector through stress tests.

· FSR is a biannual publication.

Source: ForumIAS factly

In June 2019, the Union government formed two cabinet committees — one on Investment, the other on Employment and Skill Development.

The Prime Minister constitutes Standing Committees of the Cabinet and sets out the specific functions assigned to them. He can add or reduce the number of committees.

Investment: The Cabinet Committee on Investment will “identify key projects required to be implemented on a time-bound basis”, involving investments of Rs 1,000 crore or more, or any other critical projects, as may be specified by it, with regard to infrastructure and manufacturing.

· It will prescribe time limits for giving requisite approvals and clearances by the ministries concerned in identified sectors.

· It will also monitor the progress of such projects.

Employment: The Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development is supposed to provide “direction to all policies, programmes, schemes and initiatives for skill development aimed at increasing the employability of the workforce for effectively meeting the emerging requirements of the rapidly growing economy and mapping the benefits of demographic dividend”.

· It is required to enhance workforce participation, foster employment growth and identification, and work towards removal of gaps between requirement and availability of skills in various sectors.

· The panel will set targets for expeditious implementation of all skill development initiatives by the ministries and to periodically review the progress in this regard.

The addition of the two committees is indicative of the new focus areas for the government. The goal of both is new jobs.

Source: The Hindu

The Dinesh Goswami Committee on Electoral Reforms, the Law Commission of India and the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution has recommended a review of the anti-defection law.

· The issues arising out of the decisions given by different Presiding Officers and the interpretation of the law by various courts were discussed at the Conferences of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India as well.

· In view of the near unanimity among the Presiding Officers for a review of the law, the then Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of the Conference, Shri G.M.C. Balayogi constituted in October 1998 a Committee of Presiding Officers headed by the Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Shri Hashim Abdul Halim, to go into different aspects of the matter.

· The Committee presented its Report in February 2003 recommending inter alia that the provisions relating to splits and mergers be deleted from the Tenth Schedule; the terms ‘voluntarily giving up membership’ and ‘political party’ are definedd; and that a time frame is laid down for decisions on the anti-defection cases.

Source: Laxmikanth

The Supreme Court’s constitution bench, in its judgment in Public Interest Foundation & Others v Union of India, 2018 explains its limitations in preventing those charged with heinous offences from becoming legislators and finds that Parliament alone is competent to do so.

It satisfies itself by appealing to Parliament to make a law for this purpose on priority and issues a few directions to the Election Commission and the political parties to make the disclosure of the criminal antecedents of candidates contesting elections sufficient and clear to the voters, so that the latter could be warned not to vote the candidates, charged with serious offences.

Source: Laxmikanth

The crucial link between the founding of a military academy and the attainment of independence was acutely realized by a section of Indian leadership in the days of struggle for independence, whose concerted efforts resulted in the recommendations of the Montague Chelmsford Reforms Committee that enabled ten Indians for receiving training at Sandhurst for induction as commissioned officers;

· Setting up of the Skeen Committee in 1925 and later holding of Round Table Conference in London in 1930, which recommended the establishment of the Indian Sandhurst.

· As a follow up action, a committee was set up under the chairmanship of Field Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode, the then Commander-in-Chief of India, to work out modalities for establishment of an Indian Sandhurst.

· In Jul 1931, the committee recommended establishment of a military academy for induction of 40 Gentlemen Cadets (GC) in each term comprising 15 as Direct Entries, 15 from the ranks through Kitchner College, Nowgaon and 10 from princely states.

· The training span was initially envisaged for three years but later reduced to two and a half years.

Source: Spectrum

Important acts were passed during the period of Indira Gandhi.

· Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971 (MISA): A controversial law which gave the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and law enforcement gave absolute power to search and seize properties without a warrant, put individuals under preventive detention and use wiretapping.

· Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP): The objective of the Act was to restrict monopolistic trade activities and to maintain the economy of the country in balance. In short, the law was to make sure that the wealth of the country does not remain concentrated in the hands of the rich.

· Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FERA): What is now popularly known as FEMA, the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 was called FERA back in 1973. The Act aimed to regulate foreign payments and investments and the conversion of foreign exchange.

· The Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973: Acquisition, transfer of right, title and interest of the owners of coal mines was covered under the law.

Source: NCERT

The B.D. Kumar Committee, which submitted its report in 1975, recommended for setting up of an export-import Bank type institution to finance and promote exports of engineering goods and turnkey projects.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) at the insistence of the Government of India, constituted a Committee to Review the Arrangements For Institutional Credit for Agriculture and Rural Development (CRAFICARD) to look into these very critical aspects.

· The Committee was formed on 30 March 1979, under the Chairmanship of Shri B. Sivaraman, former member of Planning Commission, Government of India.

· Its recommendation was formation of a unique development financial institution which would address these aspirations and formation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was approved by the Parliament through Act 61 of 1981.

Source: ForumIAS