Union Minister Smt Annpurna Devi launches 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2024

7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2024:

• Plantation Drive: "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" at Anganwadi Centre, Gandhinagar.
• Initiatives: Exhibition included Poshan Tracker, Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, and other state programs.
• Vision: Mission Poshan 2.0 aims to combat malnutrition and enhance health among vulnerable groups.

Themes for 2024:

1. Anaemia
2. Growth Monitoring
3. Complementary Feeding
4. Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi
5. Technology for Better Governance
6. Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam

Rashtriya Poshan Maah

• Rashtriya Poshan Maah, or National Nutrition Month in India, is an initiative under the POSHAN Abhiyaan aimed at enhancing nutritional outcomes for vulnerable populations. Celebrated in September, it marks the 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah this year. 

POSHAN Abhiyaan

• Also called as the National Nutrition Mission, it is Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Poshan implies ‘Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition’.
• Launch: It was launched by the Prime Minister on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on 8^th March, 2018 from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.
• Implemented By: Ministry of Women and Child Development

Aim:

• This integration aims to create an integrated nutrition support program that enhances the content, delivery, outreach, and overall outcomes of nutritional services.
• The primary focus is on promoting practices that improve health, wellness, and immunity against diseases and malnutrition.

Target Audience:

• It targets pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under 6 years of age.

Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0

About:

• In FY 2021-22, the government restructured some schemes into Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0.

It includes the following sub-schemes:

1. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
2. POSHAN Abhiyaan
3. Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG)
4. National Creche Scheme

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi releases commemorative postage stamp on 75 Years of Supreme Court

• The commemorative stamp symbolizes the Supreme Court’s invaluable contribution to India’s judicial system and its pivotal role in shaping the legal landscape of the Nation.
• The Supreme Court, established on January 28, 1950, has been at the forefront of upholding the rule of law, safeguarding the rights of citizens, and ensuring the administration of justice across the country.

Supreme Court

• On the 28^thJanuary 1950, two days after India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic, the Supreme Court came into being.
• Constitutional Provisions: The Supreme Court''s powers and jurisdiction are outlined in Articles 124 to 147 of the Indian Constitution.

History of the Supreme Court of India:

• Regulating Act 1773– Supreme Court was established at Calcutta (1774) comprising one chief justice and three other judges.  
• 1800: Supreme Courts established in Madras and Bombay by the British East India Company.
• Act of 1823– The newly established Supreme Courts at Madras and Bombay would have the power to administer, carry out duties, and hold powers of the same magnitude as the Supreme Court at Fort William in Calcutta.
• 1861: India High Courts Act creates High Courts in major provinces, replacing the Supreme Courts.
• 1935: Government of India Act establishes the Federal Court to settle disputes between provinces and hear appeals from High Courts.
• January 28, 1950: Inauguration of the Court with eight judges, led by Chief Justice H.J. Kania.
• Initial Seat: Chamber of Princes in the Parliament building, later moved to the present building in 1958.

Key Features of the Supreme Court of India

• Highest Court of Appeal: The Supreme Court is the highest appeal court is also known as the apex court of India and even the last resort, where the citizens of India can seek justice if they are not satisfied with the judgment of the High Court.
• Advisory Jurisdiction: As per Article 143 of the Constitution, the SC can advise the President of India that is related to the question of law, and the nature of the matter is associated with public importance.
• Adjudicate Federal Disputes: The Court resolves disputes between the Union and the states and between different states (Article 131).
• Judicial Review: The Supreme Court reviews laws and actions of the executive to ensure they comply with the Constitution. 
• Protection of Fundamental Rights: The Court protects the fundamental rights of citizens by issuing writs and orders (Article 32).
• Public Interest Litigation (PIL): The Court can take up cases on its own or on behalf of the public interest. In some matters, the Supreme Court also acts on its own and can pass suo moto.

Major Issues Related to the Supreme Court

• Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint: There''s an ongoing debate surrounding the appropriate role of the judiciary, with discussions on whether the Supreme Court should be more proactive in addressing social and political issues or exercise restraint and limit intervention.
• Concerns of Appointment of Judges: The process of judicial appointments, particularly the role of the Collegium system, has been a topic of contention. There have been discussions on reforms like the National Judicial Appointment Commission to make the appointment process more transparent and accountable.
• Technology and Access to Justice: While initiatives like e-filing and virtual hearings have been implemented to improve access to justice, challenges remain in ensuring equitable access, particularly for marginalised communities with limited access to technology.
• Inadequate Women Representation in SC: At the moment, only three of the Supreme Court''s total judges are women. This reflects the skewed representation of women in the legal system

Way Forward

Splitting the Supreme Court:

• The Tenth Law Commission of India recommended dividing the Supreme Court into two divisions: the Constitutional Division and the Legal Division.
• According to the proposal, only matters related to constitutional law would be heard by the Constitutional Division.
• Similarly, the Eleventh Law Commission reiterated in 1988 that splitting the Supreme Court into divisions would enhance access to justice and reduce litigants'' fees.
• Also, 229th Law Commission Report, 2009 recommended four regional benches to be located in Delhi, Chennai or Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai to hear non-constitutional issues.
• Enhanced Judicial Sitting: The Malimath Committee proposed an increase in the Supreme Court''s working days to 206 days, advocating a reduction of vacation time by 21 days to address the backlog of pending cases.
• Enhancing Gender Diversity in the Judiciary: Implementing a fixed percentage of female judges would foster the development of a gender-inclusive judicial system in India.
• Enhancing Transparency and Accountability: Transparency in the appointment of judges and making judgments more accessible to the public can help improve public trust in the judiciary

Indian Army Launches Project NAMAN to Support Veterans & Families

• In the first phase of Project NAMAN, 14 Common Services Centres have been established at key locations across India, including New Delhi, Jalandhar, Leh, Dehradun, Lucknow, Jodhpur, Bengdubi, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Secunderabad, Saugor, Guntur, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore.
• The project is set to expand significantly and aims to establish approximately 200 centres nationwide over the next 2 to 3 years.

Project NAMAN:

• It is designed to provide dedicated support and services to Defence Pensioners, Veterans and their families.
• It involves the establishment of reception and facilitation centres, enabled through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) between the Indian Army’s Directorate of Indian Army Veterans Common Service Centre (CSC) e-Governance India Limited, and HDFC Bank Limited signed last year in September 2023.

Features

1. Project NAMAN is focused on implementing SPARSH (System for Pension Administration Raksha) which is a digital pension system designed to simplify and automate pension-related processes for Defence Pensioners.
2. The project aims to create accessible facilitation points for Veterans and Next of Kin (NOK) across India.
3. Through a tripartite agreement, reception and facilitation centers have been established for Army Veterans, Pensioners, War Widows, and NOKs.
4. Each CSC is managed by a Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE), selected from veterans or NOKs by Local Military Authorities (LMAs). These VLEs are trained by CSC e-Governance India Limited and receive a monthly grant of ₹20,000 from HDFC Bank for the first year to support and sustain the centers.
5. These Common Service Centres (CSCs) provide SPARSH-enabled pension services, along with government-to-citizen (G2C) and business-to-customer (B2C) services, all in one location.

Significance of Project Naman

• Veteran Community Engagement: Project NAMAN reflects the Indian Army’s commitment to the welfare of its veterans and their families,extending services to the entire resident population of military stations and surrounding localities.
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities: The project also creates entrepreneurial opportunities for Veterans and NOKs,empowering them to contribute to their communities.

Government issues notification for 1st set of rules under Telecom Act 2023, known as ‘Digital Bharat Nidhi’

• Digital Bharat Nidhi will fund schemes and projects aimed at providing targeted access to telecommunication services for underserved groups in society.
• These groups include women, persons with disabilities, and economically and socially weaker sections.

Digital Bharat Nidhi: 

• It would replace the erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which is a pool of funds generated by a 5 per cent Universal Service Levy charged upon all the telecom fund operators on their Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR).
• This money would be used to fund the expansion of telecom networks in remote and rural areas.

Aim: 

• Improve internet connectivity, particularly in rural, remote, and economically disadvantaged areas.
• Foster technology innovation, create regulatory sandboxes, and enhance the global presence of India’s telecom sector.
• Promote innovation, indigenous technology development, and standardisation.
• Support startups in the telecom sector and the manufacturing of telecom equipment.
• It replaces the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to ensure better allocation of resources.

Working of the Digital Bharat Nidhi

• As per the Telecom Act, contributions made by telecom companies towards the Digital Bharat Nidhi will first be credited to the Consolidated Fund of India(CFI).
• All revenues that the government receives, including loans raised and all money received in repayment of loans, are credited to the CFI. The government also incurs its expenditures from this fund.
• The Central government will deposit the collected funds to the DBN from time to time.

The funds under DBN is used for

• Funds collected under the DBN will be used to support universal service through promoting access to and delivery of telecommunication services in underserved rural, remote and urban areas; fund research and development of telecommunication services, technologies, and products; support pilot projects, consultancy assistance and advisory support for improving connectivity; and for the introduction of telecommunication services, technologies, and products.
• The DBN shall fund schemes and projects for providing targeted access to telecommunication services for underserved groups of society such as women,persons with disabilities and economically and socially weaker sections, as per the draft rules.

Administration: 

The Centre will appoint an “administrator” who will select “DBN implementers” through “bidding” or invitation of applications from eligible persons.

Need for the DBN (Issues in USOF):

• Underutilization of Funds: USOF has been criticised for significant underutilization of funds allocated to it. Example: Between 2017 and 2022, despite collecting Rs 41,740 crore from telecom operators, only Rs 30,213 crore (72%) was utilised. In some years, utilisation was even lower, indicating inefficiencies in fund deployment.
• Bureaucratic Delays and Red Tape: Projects funded by USOF often face delays due to bureaucratic processes and approvals. This bureaucratic inertia hampers timely deployment of telecom infrastructure in rural and remote areas, defeating the fund''s purpose.
• Lack of Transparency and Accountability: There have been concerns about transparency in how funds are allocated and disbursed. Limited accountability mechanisms make it challenging to track the effectiveness of USOF investments and ensure funds reach intended beneficiaries.
• Complexity in Project Implementation: USOF projects often require extensive planning and coordination with multiple stakeholders, leading to implementation complexities. Deploying telecom infrastructure in remote areas involves technical challenges such as terrain, connectivity issues, and infrastructure maintenance.
• Inadequate Focus on Last-Mile Connectivity: Despite its mandate to enhance connectivity in underserved areas, USOF initiatives sometimes fail to address last-mile connectivity issues effectively.