Important Topics for UPSC 2017 Exams​ (Amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961)

What is the Act all about?

• Maternity benefit Act 1961 protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her of a 'maternity benefit' - i.e. full paid absence from work - to take care for her child.
  The act is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons.
• The amendments will help 1.8 million women workforce in organised sector.

What are the Amendments?

• Increase Maternity Benefit from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children and 12 weeks for more than two childern.
• 12 weeks Maternity Benefit to a 'Commissioning mother' and 'Adopting mother'.
• Facilitate 'Work from home'.
• Mandatory provision of Creche in respect of establishment having 50 or more employees.
• Obligation to notify: An obligation on employers to inform (in writing and electronically) to every woman newly appointed within the organization about the benefits available under the MB Act.

Government Plan Programme Policies for UPSC Exam

:: Shramev Jayate ::

Key elements

• A dedicated Shram Suvidha Portal: That would allot Labour Identification Number (LIN) to nearly 6 lakhs units and allow them to file online compliance for 16 out of 44 labour laws
• An all-new Random Inspection Scheme: Utilizing technology to eliminate human discretion in selection of units for Inspection, and uploading of Inspection Reports within 72 hours of inspection mandatory
• Universal Account Number: Enables 4.17 crore employees to have their Provident Fund account portable, hassle-free and universally accessible
• Apprentice Protsahan Yojana: Will support manufacturing units mainly and other establishments by reimbursing 50% of the stipend paid to apprentices during first two years of their training
• Revamped Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana: Introducing a Smart Card for the workers in the unorganized sector seeded with details of two more social security schemes

Important Topics for UPSC 2017 Exams​ (100 Million for 100 Million)

What is it?

It is a 5-year campaign that aims to mobilise 100 million youths and children for 100 million underprivileged children across the world to end child labour, child slavery and violence against children and promote the right of every child to be safe, free and educated over next five years.

History

In passing amendments to the child labour (Prohibition and Regulation Act) 1986 instead of banning child labour completely it allowed children to work in family enterprises and reduced the list of banned jobs from 83 to just 3. With India’s wide and lose kinship structure this provision can be easily misused. This has opened the backdoor for children to be forced in the workforce.

Launched by

The campaign has been launched by President Pranab Mukherjee on his 81st birthday and organised by Nobel peace prize winner Kailash Stuart's Children’s Foundation at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Government Plan Programme Policies for UPSC Exam

:: Jan Aushadhi Yojana ::

India face problems related to Infant mortality and Maternal mortality at a large scale. India also receives highest number of deaths in many acute diseases. There are various reasons for these problems but most important among them is that in India expenditure on health in very less percentage of the GDP. While in USA it is close to 14 percent in India it is close to five percent. Among this percentage government spending of health is close to one percentage only. This puts an added burden on the public to spent from their pocket. And in a country where large section of population is poor this burden is unsustainable. In last few decades economic growth of India has been very good but resultant public spending on the health sector has not improved much. The growth of India’s economy now permits this long overdue increase in public financing of health. Good health has implications for development of countryas well.

The Government has launched ‘Jan Aushadhi Scheme’ to make available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all, especially the poor, throughout the country, through outlets known as Jan Aushadhi Stores (JASs). Under the Jan Aushadhi Scheme, the State Governments are required to provide space in Government Hospital premises or any other suitable locations for the running of the Jan Aushadhi Stores (JAS). Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is to provide one-time assistance of Rs.2.50 lakhs as furnishing and establishment costs, start up cost for setting up a Jan Aushadhi Outlet. Any NGO/Charitable Society/Institution/Self Help Group with experience of minimum 3 years of successful operation in welfare activities, can also open the Jan Aushadhi store outside the hospital premises. A margin of 16% on the sale price is built in the MRP of each drug.

In addition, the JAS are eligible for incentive linked to sale of medicines @ 10% of monthly sales amount, subject to a ceiling of Rs.10,000/- pm for a period of first 12 months. In case of Stores opened in North Eastern States and other difficult areas i.e., Naxal affected areas/Tribal areas etc., the rate of incentive is15% of monthly sale amount, subject to a ceiling of Rs.15,000/- per month. At present more than 175 Jan Aushadhi Stores have been opened across various States/UTs. JAS are opened on the locations as requested by the entity intending to open. The steps are also taken to open Jan Aushadhi stores in all AIIMS, prominent Hospitals, Medical Colleges under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

(Answer Key) MPPSC (Pre.) Exam - 2017

Exam Name: MPPSC (Pre.) Exam

Year:  2017

Government Plan Programme Policies for UPSC Exam

:: Aadhaar ::

The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, was passed by government of India as a money bill. The Bill intends to provide for targeted delivery of subsidies and services to individuals residing in India by assigning them unique identity numbers, called Aadhaar numbers. Apr 2016 marked another achievement in Aadhaar, UIDAI recently issued 100 crores Aadhaar card. First Aadhaar card was issued in 2010. Aadhaar coverage now is at 93 percent among people above the age of 18 (as per projected population figures of 2015). In thirteen states and union territories (UTs) Aadhaar saturation has crossed 90 percent, while in thirteen other statues and UTs it is between 75-90 percent. Aadhaar bill along with Aadhaar card for more and more people will give a boost to the Government’s initiative of bringing a systemic change in the way services, subsidies and benefits will be directly delivered to the deserving masses. Over the years Aadhaar has seen growth in the number of users. The number of transactions using Aadhaar Authentication has risen to 150.6 crore as on March 31, 2016, compared to 8.82 crore on May 31, 2014. The number of e-KYC transactions has gone up to 8.4 crore as on March 31, 2016 as against 2.7 lakh transaction on May 31, 2014.

Some of the important provisions in the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill are given below:

• Every resident shall be entitled to obtain an Aadhaar number. A resident is a person who has resided in India for 182 days, in the one year preceding the date of application for enrolment for Aadhaar.
• To obtain an Aadhaar number, an individual has to submit his, (i) biometric (photograph, finger print, iris scan) and (ii) demographic (name, date of birth, address) information.
• Individuals needs to informed regarding few important things like manner in which the information will be used, the nature of recipients with whom the information will be shared, and the right to access this information.
• Any public or private entity can accept the Aadhaar number as a proof of identity of the Aadhaar number holder, for any purpose.
• Aadhaar number cannot be a proof of citizenship or domicile.

PARA

India is facing the problem of "twin balance sheet problem", where both the banking and corporate sectors were under stress. Not just a small amount of stress, but one of the highest degrees of stress in the world. At its current level, India's NPA ratio is higher than any other major emerging market (with the exception of Russia), higher even than the peak levels seen in Korea during the East Asian crisis. Typically, countries with a twin balance sheet (TBS) problem follow a standard path. Their corporations over-expand during a boom, leaving them with obligations that they can't repay. So, they default on their debts, leaving bank balance sheets impaired, as well. This combination then proves devastating for growth, since the hobbled corporations are reluctant to invest, while those that remain sound can't invest much either, since fragile banks are not really in a position to lend to them. This model, however, doesn't seem to fit India's case. True, India had boomed during the mid-2000s along with the global economy. But it sailed through the GFC largely unscathed, with only a brief interruption in growth before it resumed at a rapid rate.

For some years, it seemed possible to regard TBS as a minor problem, which would largely be resolved as economy recovery took hold. But more recently it has become clear that this strategy will not work. Growth will not solve the problems of the stressed firms; to the contrary, the problems of the stressed firms might actually imperil growth.

To avoid this outcome, a formal agency may be needed to resolve the large bad debt cases - the same solution the East Asian countries employed after they were hit by severe TBS problems in the 1990s. In short, the time may have arrived to create a 'Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency'.

It has now been eight years since the twin balance sheet problem first materialised, and still no resolution is in sight. And because the financial position of the stressed debtors is deteriorating, the ultimate cost to the government and society is rising - not just financially, but also in terms of foregone economic growth and the risks to future growth.

The Survey shows that our country has been trying to solve its 'Twin Balance Sheet'(TBS) problem - overleveraged companies and bad-loan-encumbered banks, a legacy of the boom years around the Global Financial Crisis. So far, there has been limited success. The problem has consequently continued to fester: Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of the banking system (and especially public sector banks) keep increasing, while credit and investment keep falling. Now it is time to consider a different approach - a centralised Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency (PARA) that could take charge of the largest, most difficult cases, and make politically tough decisions to reduce debt.