Deepak UPSC Notes

2021-12-20 03:53:13 Karnataka Queer Habba Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 GS-2

RTI (Right to Information)

The Right to Information

Historical Background

The right to information is a fundamental right under Article 19 (1) of the Indian Constitution. In 1976, in the Raj Narain vs the State of Uttar Pradesh case, the Supreme Court ruled that Right to information will be treated as a fundamental right under article 19. The Supreme Court held that in Indian democracy, people are the masters and they have the right to know about the working of the government.

Thus the government enacted the Right to Information act in 2005 which provides machinery for exercising this fundamental right..

The Right to Information Act of 2005

The act is one of the most important acts which empowers ordinary citizens to question the government and its working. This has been widely used by citizens and media to uncover corruption, progress in government work, expenses related information, etc.

All constitutional authorities, agencies, owned and controlled, also those organisations which are substantially financed by the government comes under the purview of the act. The act also mandates public authorities of union government or state government, to provide timely response to the citizens’ request for information.

The act also imposes penalties if the authorities delay in responding to the citizen in the stipulated time.

What type of information can be requested through RTI?

The citizens can seek any information from the government authorities that the government can disclose to the parliament.

Some information that can affect the sovereignty and the integrity of India is exempted from the purview of RTI.

Information relating to internal security, relations with foreign countries, intellectual property rights (IPR), cabinet discussions are exempted from RTI.

Objectives of the RTI Act

Empower citizens to question the government.

The act promotes transparency and accountability in the working of the government.

The act also helps in containing corruption in the government and work for the people in a better way.

The act envisages building better-informed citizens who would keep necessary vigil about the functioning of the government machinery.

Important provisions under the Right to Information Act, 2005

Section 2(h): Public authorities mean all authorities and bodies under the union government, state government or local bodies. The civil societies that are substantially funded, directly or indirectly, by the public funds also fall within the ambit of RTI.

Section 4 1(b): Government has to maintain and proactively disclose information.

Section 6: Prescribes a simple procedure for securing information.

Section 7: Prescribes a time frame for providing information(s) by PIOs.

Section 8: Only minimum information exempted from disclosure.

Section 8 (1) mentions exemptions against furnishing information under the RTI Act.

Section 8 (2) provides for disclosure of information exempted under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 if the larger public interest is served.

Section 19: Two-tier mechanism for appeal.

Section 20: Provides penalties in case of failure to provide information on time, incorrect, incomplete or misleading or distorted information.

Section 23: Lower courts are barred from entertaining suits or applications. However, the writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India and high courts under Articles 32 and 225 of the Constitution remains unaffected.

Significance of the RTI Act

The RTI Act, 2005 empowers the citizen to question the secrecy and abuse of power practised in governance.

It is through the information commissions at the central and state levels that access to such information is provided.

RTI information can be regarded as a public good, for it is relevant to the interests of citizens and is a crucial pillar for the functioning of a transparent and vibrant democracy.

The information obtained not only helps in making government accountable but also useful for other purposes which would serve the Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 Electoral bond Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 National Disaster Response Fund

GS Paper - 2

Government Policies & Interventions

GS Paper - 3

Disaster Management

Formation:

National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) was renamed as National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) with the enactment of the Disaster Management Act in 2005.

It is defined in Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM Act).

It is placed in the “Public Account” of Government of India under “reserve funds not bearing interest“.

Public Accounts: It was constituted under Article 266 (2) of the Constitution. It accounts for flows for those transactions where the government is merely acting as a banker eg. provident funds, small savings etc. These funds do not belong to the government and have to be paid back at some time.

Expenditures from it are not required to be approved by the Parliament.

Role:

It is managed by the Central Government for meeting the expenses for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation due to any threatening disaster situation or disaster.

It supplements the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in case of a disaster of severe nature, provided adequate funds are not available in the SDRF.

Monitoring: Department of Agriculture and Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare monitors relief activities for calamities associated with drought, hailstorms, pest attacks and cold wave/frost while rest of the natural calamities are monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audits the accounts of NDRF

State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF)

SDRF has been constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

It is the primary fund available with the State governments for responses to notified disastersto meet expenditure for providing immediate relief

The Centre contributes 75% of the SDRF allocation for general category States and Union Territories and 90% for special category States and Union Territories (northeastern States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).

The annual Central contribution is released in two equal installments as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission.

Disaster (s) covered under SDRF: Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves.

A State Government may use up to 10% of the funds available under the SDRF for providing immediate relief to the victims of natural disasters that they consider to be ‘disasters’ within the local context in the State and which are not included in the notified list of disasters of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 Persons with Disabilities

GS Paper - 2

Social Empowerment

Welfare Schemes

International Treaties & Agreements

Indian Society


About:

Any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in a manner or within the range considered normal for human beings, resulting from impairment is termed as a disability.

Disability is an important public health problem especially in developing countries like India.

In order to sensitise the matter of disability, 3rd December has been marked as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations.

About 2.2% of India’s population lives with some kind of physical or mental disability, as per the National Statistics Office report on disability released last year.

Issues Related to Persons with Disability:

Discrimination:

Continuous discrimination denies them equal access to education, employment, healthcare and other opportunities.

The stigma attached to persons with disabilities, compounded by a lack of understanding of their rights, makes it difficult for them to attain their valued “functionings’’.

Women and girls with disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing sexual and other forms of gender-based violence.

Health:

A large number of disabilities are preventable, including those arising from medical issues during birth, maternal conditions, malnutrition, as well as accidents and injuries.

However, there is a lack of awareness, lack of care, and lack of good and accessible medical facilities. Further, there is a lack of accessibility, availability, and utilization of rehabilitation services.

Education:

Lack of availability of special schools, access to schools, trained teachers, and educational materials for the disabled.

Employment:

Even though many disabled adults are capable of productive work, disabled adults have far lower employment rates than the general population.

Inadequate data and statistics:

The lack of rigorous and comparable data and statistics further hinders inclusion of persons with disabilities

Constitutional Provisions:

Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) states that State shall make effective provision for securing right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, within the limits of its economic capacity and development.

The subject of ‘relief of the disabled and unemployable’ is specified in the state list of the Seventh schedule of the constitution.


Related Initiatives:

Unique Disability Identification (UDID) Portal

Accessible India Campaign

DeenDayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme

Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP)

National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 Tiger reserves in India Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 Panna Tiger Reserve

GS-3, Environment

Panna National Park was established in 1981. It has a geographical extension in the districts of Panna and Chhatarpur. It is spread over an area of about 543 square kilometers.

This national park was declared a Project Tiger Reserve in the year 1994 by the Central Government.

UNESCO designated the Panna Tiger Reserve as a Biosphere Reserve on August 25, 2011.

Madhya Pradesh is considered not only that of the country, but the world's Tiger Capital. The management of Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves has been recognized as the best in the country. Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 Indian desert cat Ochish/sharhlash

2021-12-20 03:53:12 Central Asia Ochish/sharhlash