Minority status of religious, linguistic communities is State-dependent: SC

• A Marathi can be a minority outside his home State e.g. Maharashtra. Similarly, a Kannada-speaking person may be in minority in States other than Karnataka.
• The court was hearing a petition complaining that followers of Judaism, Bahaism and Hinduism, who are the real minorities in Ladakh, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Manipur, cannot establish and administer educational institutions of their choice because of non-identification of ‘minority’ at the State level.
• But the court indicated that a religious or linguistic community which is a minority in a particular State, can inherently claim protection and the right to administer and run its own educational institutions under Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution.
• The petition has argued that the recognition of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis nationally by the Centre as ‘minorities’ ignored the fact that religious communities such as Hindus were “socially, economically, politically non-dominant and numerically inferior” in several States.

220 children admitted in Kendriya Vidyalayas under PM Cares for Children Scheme in the country

• The PM Cares for Children Scheme provides comprehensive care and protection of children who have lost their parent(s) to the Covid pandemic.
• In a written reply in Lok Sabha today, Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan said under this scheme, such children have been provided support in a sustained manner to empower them through education and equip them for self-sufficient existence with financial support on reaching 23 years of age.

812 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras allocated in 707 districts across the country

• In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar said out of total 818 allocated PMKKs, 722 PMKKs have been established covering 707 districts in 36 States and Union Territories.
• He said over 71 lakh candidates have been trained during the last three years under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana in the country.

NAMASTE scheme for cleaning of sewers and septic tank.

• The scheme is a joint venture of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• It aims to achieve outcomes like zero fatalities in sanitation work in India, no sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter and all Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods.
• The Ministry has shortlisted type of machineries and core equipments required for maintenance works, safety gear for Safai Mitras. The same is also available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for ease of their procurement by States and Urban Local Bodies.
• Mr Kaushal Kishore said that Skill Development and trainings of Safai Mitras is being taken up with the support of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the National Safai Karamchari Finance Development Corporation.

RBI wants govt to prohibit cryptocurrencies

• This was informed by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
• She said that according to the RBI, Crypto currencies are not a currency because every modern currency needs to be issued by the Central Bank or government.
• The Finance Minister said that in view of the concerns expressed by RBI on the destabilising effect of cryptocurrencies on the monetary and fiscal stability of the country, RBI has recommended framing of legislation on this sector. She said that the RBI is of the view that cryptocurrencies should be prohibited.
• The Finance Minister said that RBI has been cautioning users, holders and traders of virtual currencies that dealing in these currencies is associated with potential economic, financial and operational, legal, customer protection and security-related risks.

Govt informs around 60 lakh beneficiaries benefited through one lakh 50 thousand establishments under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana

• In a written reply in Lok Sabha the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Rameshwar Teli said Aatmanirbhar Bharat Yojana has been launched with effect from 1st October 2020 to incentivize employers for creation of new employment and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic.
• 31st March of this year was the last date for registration of beneficiaries.
• He said under this package, the government is providing fiscal stimulus of more than twenty-seven lakh crore rupees.
• This package comprises of various long term schemes, programmes, policies for making the country self-reliant and to create employment opportunities.

MARBURG VIRUS DISEASE (MVD)

• Marburg virus disease (MVD), earlier known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal hemorrhagic fever.
• Marburg, like Ebola, is a filovirus; and both diseases are clinically similar.
• Rousettus fruit-bats are considered the natural hosts for Marburg virus. However, African green monkeys imported from Uganda were the source of the first human infection.
• It was first detected in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany; and in Belgrade, Serbia.
• After the onset of symptoms, which can begin anytime between 2 to 21 days, MVD can manifest itself in the form of high fever, muscle aches and severe headache. The disease has an average fatality rate of around 50%.
• There is no approved antiviral treatment or vaccine for MVD as of now.
• It can be managed with supportive care. According to the WHO, rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids, and treatment of specific symptoms can help prevent death.

Niti Aayog, WFP to launch initiative on mainstreaming millets in Asia and Africa

• NITI and WFP will prepare a compendium of good practices for scaling up the production and consumption of millets in India and abroad.
• Representatives from ICAR, Central and state government departments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, industry, Central and state agriculture universities, FPOs, NGOs, start-ups, academic and research institutions, and international organizations such as the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), etc., will also participate in the event.

PM Modi unveils ''SPRINT challenges'' for Indian Navy

• In a bid to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, NIIO, in conjunction with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), aims to induct at least 75 new indigenous technologies/products into the Indian Navy.
• This collaborative project is named SPRINT {Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), NIIO and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC)}.

The government said around 28 crore unorganised workers have been registered on e-Shram Portal.

• In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Rameswar Teli said the government had launched e-Shram portal in August last year with an objective to create a national Database of unorganised workers.
• It also facilitates delivery of Social Security Schemes and Welfare schemes to the unorganised workers.
• He said the Centre is also implementing Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi Scheme) since 1st June 2020 to facilitate collateral-free working capital loan to street vendors to restart their businesses, which were adversely impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Mr Teli said over 33 lakh loans amounting to above three thousand six hundred crore rupees have been disbursed to over 30 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme till 11th of this month.