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Special Expenditure Observers

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Special Expenditure Observers

Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed two Special Expenditure Observers for the forthcoming elections to the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra.Consider the following statements regarding the Special Expenditure Observers:

The Special Expenditure Observers are appointed in the exercise of the powers conferred on ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The task of Special Observers will be supervising and monitoring the work being done by the electoral machinery and ensure that stringent and effective enforcement action is undertaken.

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:

	A	Only 1

	B	Only 2

	C	Both 1 and 2

	D	Neither 1 nor 2

Your Ans is

Right ans is C

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

The Special Expenditure Observers are appointed in the exercise of the powers conferred on ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
They are required to <strongstyle="color: #073c75;">watch the conduct of Elections with special emphasis on controlling the abuse of money power, in consultation with the Chief Electoral Officer.
They supervise and monitor the work being done by the electoral machinery based on intelligence inputs and complaints received through C-VIGIL, Voter Helpline 1950 against all persons/entities trying to induce voters by distributing cash, liquor & freebies etc. in order to vitiate the poll process.

Article 324

It empowers the Election Commission of India to issue rules and guidelines for conducting elections of Parliament, President, Vice President and State Legislature Assemblies in the country.

Related Question

Cess And Surcharge

Consider the following statements:

Cess is a form of tax levied or collected by the government for the development or welfare of a particular service or sector.
Surcharge is an additional charge or tax levied on an existing tax.
Unlike a cess, which is meant to raise revenue for a temporary need, surcharge is usually permanent in nature.
Currently, the cess and surcharge collected by the Centre are not part of the tax devolution.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:

	A	1 and 2

	B	2 and 3

	C	3 and 4

	D	1,2 , 3 and 4

Your Ans is

Right ans is D

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

Context: The share of cess and surcharge in the gross tax revenue (GTR) of the Centre has almost doubled to 19.9% in 2020-21 from 10.4% in 2011-12.The 15^thFinance Commission has recommended a higher grant-in-aid and lower tax devolution to the States.

About Cess

It is a form of tax levied or collected by the government for the development or welfare of a particular service or sector.
It is charged over and above direct and indirect taxes.
Cess collected for a particular purpose cannot be used for or diverted to other purposes.
It is not a permanent source of revenue for the government, and it is discontinued when the purpose levying it is fulfilled.
Currently, the cess and surcharge collected by the Centre are not part of the tax devolution.
Examples: Education Cess, Swachh Bharat Cess, Krishi Kalyan Cess etc.

About Surcharge

Surcharge is an additional charge or tax levied on an existing tax.
Unlike a cess, which is meant to raise revenue for a temporary need, surcharge is usually permanent in nature.
It is levied as a percentage on the income tax payable as per normal rates. In case no tax is due for a financial year, then no surcharge is levied.
The revenue earned via surcharge is solely retained by the Centre and, unlike other tax revenues, is not shared with States.
Collections from surcharge flow into the Consolidated Fund of India.

National Food Security Act 2013

Consider the following statements with reference to the National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013:

NFSA defines the joint responsibility of the Centre and State/UT Government.
The Act legally entitles upto 85% of the rural population and 60% of the urban population to receive subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System.
It provides for reforms in the TPDS including schemes such as Cash transfers for provisioning of food entitlements.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

	A	Only 1

	B	2 and 3

	C	1 and 3

	D	Only 2

Your Ans is

Right ans is C

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

Context: Recently, the NITI Aayog has proposed to revise the National Food Security Act 2013.

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was introduced by the Government of India in 2013.

Objective

To provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.

Salient Features

It provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the population.
The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
The existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
The Act also has a special focus on the nutritional support to women and children. Besides meal to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth, such women will also be entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.
Children upto 14 years of age will be entitled to nutritious meals as per the prescribed nutritional standards.
In case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals, the beneficiaries will receive food security allowance.
The Act also contains provisions for setting up of grievance redressal mechanism at the District and State levels.

Responsibilities under NFSA

NFSA defines the joint responsibility of the Centre and State/UT Government.
The Centre is responsible for allocation of required foodgrains to States/UTs, transportation of foodgrains up to designated depots in each State/UT and providing central assistance to States/UTs for delivery of foodgrains from designated FCI godowns to the doorstep of the FPSs.
The States/UTs are responsible for effective implementation of the Act, which inter-alia includes identification of eligible households, issuing ration cards to them, distribution of foodgrain entitlements to eligible households through fair price shops (FPS), issuance of licenses to Fair Price Shop dealers and their monitoring, setting up effective grievance redressal mechanism and necessary strengthening of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)

It provides for reforms in the TPDS including schemes such as Cash transfers for provisioning of food entitlements. In pursuance of enabling provisions under section 12 of NFSA for cash transfer, Govt. notified ‘Cash Transfer of Food Subsidy Rule, 2015’ in Aug 2015.

The DBT experiment aims to-

reduce the need for huge physical movement of foodgrains
provide greater autonomy to beneficiaries to choose their consumption basket
enhance dietary diversity
reduce leakages
facilitate better targeting
promote financial inclusion

India’ First HarGharJal State

Recently, which of the following State become the first “HarGharJal” State in the country by providing tap water connection to every rural household?

	A	Goa

	B	Tamil Nadu

	C	Karnataka

	D	Kerala

Your Ans is

Right ans is A

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

On 9th October, 2020, the Jal Shakti Ministry announced that Goa becomes the first ‘HarGharJal’ state by providing tap water connection to every rural household under JalJeevan Mission (JJM) ahead of its national dead-line.
The state provided tap water connection to 2 lakh 30 thousand rural households in all the 191 Gram Panchayats of the state.
The JalJeevan Mission of the Central Government aims to provide piped water to all the rural households by 2024.

Significance

Goa’s achievement of providing 100 per cent tap water connection is an example for other states to ensure that rural household gets tap water connection, especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Skill Map Of Migrant Workers

Recently, which of the following state released its first skill map of migrant workers who returned to the State during the lockdown?

	A	Tamil Nadu

	B	Uttar Pradesh

	C	Karnataka

	D	West Bengal

Your Ans is

Right ans is B

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

Uttar Pradesh government has completed skill mapping of migrant workers who have returned from other states during lockdown and this mapping will help them getting work near to their places.
The list includes construction workers, painters, carpenters, drivers, electricians and persons associated with electronics, security guards, furniture and fitting workers and auto-repair mechanics.
The government has constituted Migrant Commission which will ensure employment as well as social security for the migrant workers.
It has also decided to offer insurance to secure the lives of migrant labourers and called for a scheme to ensure job security for them in the state.

GOAL (Going Online As Leaders) Programme

Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched a digital programme GOAL (Going Online as Leaders) programme in collaboration with a social media company. What is the the name of the company?

	A	Facebook

	B	Google

	C	Twitter

	D	None of the above

Your Ans is

Right ans is A

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

On 15^th May, 2020, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Friday launched a digital programme to upskill and empower 5000 youths in the country.
The GOAL (Going Online As Leaders) programme has been developed by the tribal affairs ministry in partnership with social media giant Facebook to provide mentorship to tribal youth through digital mode.

Key Points

The program will focus on three core areas – digital literacy, life skills and leadership and entrepreneurship, and on sectors such as agriculture, art & culture, handicrafts & textiles, health, nutrition, among others.
In this program, 5000 scheduled tribe youth (to be called as ‘Mentees’) will get an excellent opportunity to get training by experts from different disciplines and fields (to be called as ‘Mentors’). There will be 1 mentor for 2 mentees.
The mentees and mentors will be selected based on their inputs in such a way that it represents tribal youth from varied professions and has representation from the urban and rural area across India.
All the selected mentees will be provided with smartphones and Internet access for one year by Facebook along with exposure to various external forums that will give the opportunity to the participants to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and leadership abilities.

Significance

The digitally-enabled program envisages to act as a catalyst to explore hidden talents of the tribal youth, which will help in their personal development as well as contribute to all-round upliftment of their society.

Project Monitoring Group

Consider the following statements with reference to the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) Portal:

Project Monitoring Group (PMG) is an institutional mechanism for expedited resolution of issues and regulatory bottlenecks in projects with an investment of INR 500 crores and above in India.
It was set up as a special cell in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India in 2014 and was subsequently brought under the administrative control of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2016.

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:

	A	Only 1

	B	Only 2

	C	Both 1 and 2

	D	Neither 1 nor 2

Your Ans is

Right ans is A

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

The Project Monitoring Group (PMG) is an institutional mechanism for the expedited resolution of issues and regulatory bottlenecks in projects with investments upward Rs. 500 Crores in India.
It aims to facilitate issue resolution in projects that are facing delays or awaiting regulatory clearances with State and/or Central Ministries.
It was set up as a special cell in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India in 2013 and was subsequently brought under the administrative control of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2015.
In February 2019, PMG was merged with Invest India, Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce.
PMG seeks to enlist unresolved project issues of all Public, Private and ‘Public–Private Partnership’ (PPP) Projects and undertakes fast-tracking of approvals, sectoral policy issues and removal of bottlenecks in expeditious commissioning.

Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission

Consider the following statements with reference to the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM):

Launched in 2016, and undertaken by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, the SPMRM focuses on cluster-based integrated development through Spatial Planning.
Substantial part of the works identified for development in the clusters is focused on provision of basic and economic amenities.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

	A	Only 1

	B	Only 2

	C	Both 1 and 2

	D	Neither 1 nor 2

Your Ans is

Right ans is C

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

Launched in 2016, SPMRM follows the vision of - Development of a cluster of villages that preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of "Rurban Villages".
The objective is to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well planned Rurban clusters.
Substantial part of the works identified for development in the clusters is focused on provision of basic and economic amenities.
Provision of basic amenities in a cluster typically comprise; provision of 24/7 Water Supply to all households, Solid and Liquid Waste Management facilities at the household and cluster level, provision of Inter and Intra village roads within the cluster, adequate Street Lights and Public Transport facilities using green technologies.
Provision of Economic Amenities in a cluster comprise various thematic areas in the sectors of Agri Services and Processing, Tourism, and Skill Development to promote Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.

Jal Jeevan Mission

Consider the following statements with reference to the Jal Jeevan Mission:

Announced in August 2018, the chief objective of the Mission is to provide piped water supply (Har Ghar Jal) to all rural households by 2025.
The goal of JJM is to provide functional household tap connection to every household with service level at the rate of 45 litres per capita per day (lpcd).

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:

	A	Only 1

	B	Only 2

	C	Both 1 and 2

	D	Neither 1 nor 2

Your Ans is

Right ans is D

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

Launched in August, 2019, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India.
It subsumed the ongoing National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household i.e., Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ) by 2024.
The goal of JJM is to provide functional household tap connection to every household with service level at the rate of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd).
The fund sharing pattern between Centre and State is 90:10 for Himalayan (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and North-Eastern States, 100:0 for UTs and 50:50 for rest of the States.
JJM will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse would be undertaken in convergence with other Government programmes/ schemes.

Impact

It will significantly improve quality of life, particularly of women and children and assist in ODF-sustainability as water is important to sustain Swachh Bharat Mission’s gains.
Further there will be procurement of various materials for water supply systems. This will generate employment and boost the economy.

Right To Business Bill, 2020

Which of the following states has recently passed the Right to Business Bill, 2020?

	A	Maharashtra

	B	Gujarat

	C	Punjab

	D	None of the above

Your Ans is

Right ans is C

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

On 14^th January, 2020, the Punjab Cabinet gave its approval to a Punjab Right to Business Bill, 2020, a law aimed at ensuring ease of doing business for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
Notably, Punjab is home to approximately two lakh MSME units, which are one of the most important pillars of the industrial growth.
The Act would encompass various regulatory services, including sanction of building plans, issuance of completion/occupation certificate for buildings, registration of new trade license under the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976.

Advantages

The MSMEs in the state will get a big relief from the tedious process of getting regulatory approvals before setting up of the units.

National Broadband Mission

With reference to the National Broadband mission, consider the following statements:

The project involves laying down around 30 Lakhs kilometer route Optical Fiber Cable, increase tower density from 0.42 to 1.0 tower per thousand of population by 2024.
It envisages an investment of Rs.8 lakh crore in next 5 years from both government and industry to connect the country digitally at a faster pace.

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:

	A	Only 1

	B	Only 2

	C	Both 1 and 2

	D	Neither 1 nor 2

Your Ans is

Right ans is A

Your Answer Is Correct

Your Answer Is Wrong

Explanation :

On 17^th December, 2019, the government launched the National Broadband Mission(NBM) which aims to fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge the digital divide and provide affordable and universal access of broadband for all.
The Mission is part of the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.

Objective

To provide broadband access to all villages by 2022.

Key Points of NBM

The ambitious project will involve laying down around 30 Lakhs kilometre route Optical Fiber Cable, increase tower density from 0.42 to 1.0 tower per thousand of population by 2024 and significantly improve quality of services for mobile and internet.
The mission envisages Rs 7 lakh crore investments in next 4 years.
Developing a Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) to measure the availability of digital communications infrastructure and conducive policy ecosystem within a State/UT.
Creation of a Digital Fiber Map of the Digital Communications network and infrastructure, including Optical Fiber Cables and Towers, across the country.

Impact

It will help government to fast-track digital connectivity and bridge the digital divide as well as facilitate digital empowerment and inclusion.
The mission by providing internet connectivity to 1 lakh villages, will push the economy to 5 trillion dollar milestone.

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