Overall development in North East region is aim of Shri Narendra Modi Government; Budget increased upto 258 %: Shri Amit Shah

Development in the NE region led to decline in terrorism and establishing peace: Union Home Minister Overall development of NE region along with preserving rich cultural identity is priority of Government

Government believes in development work to reach tribals, instead of tribals reaching to the development: Shri Amit Shah Posted On: 19 AUG 2019 6:51PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that overall development of North East region is the priority of the Government. He said that the country is proud of its culture and the aim is to take forward North East while preserving its rich cultural identity, along with its development. The development of the region has curbed terrorism and brought peace in the region. He was addressing at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Karbi Bhawan and Dimasa Bhawan of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Diphu and North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Haflong, at Dwarka, here today.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given maximum time to the people of North East for their development. After 40 years of visit by Shri Morarji Desai, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the North Eastern Council (NEC) meeting in Shillong, as Prime Minister. He added that North East region lagged behind in development for many years, which gained momentum after the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took charge. The north east is now well connected via roads, rail and air, he said. Shri Amit Shah said that this change is due to the love and respect for North East in the heart of our Prime Minister. He said that the practice of Central Ministers visiting North Eastern states every 15 days has been adopted by the Government, where they see the implementation of Central schemes on ground.

Speaking about the enhanced fund allocation for North east, Shri Shah said that there has been 258 % rise in the funds allocated for North East between 13th and 14th Finance Commissions, with amount rising from Rs 87,000 crore to Rs 3,13,375 crore. He mentioned about various schemes for North east such as Skill Development centre, setting up of Medical College and Law College, among others. He further said that DoNER Ministry has started work for setting up of 'Bamboo Industrial Park' in Assam. Emphasising on the rich flora and medicinal value of plants of NE, the Home Minister said that the DoNER Ministry should set up a Research and Development Centre for medicinal plants in these bhawan, which will help in exploring the potential of these values.

Speaking about the Karbi Bhawan and Dimaa Bhawan, Shri Shah said that these two bhawans will be constructed with a cost of Rs 130 crore and they will give an identity to their unique culture on the world map. He said that with this initiative, a long pending work which was initiated in the year 2011, has now been completed. He added that these bhawans will help youth from North East to understand the world which will enable them to compete with the world. The Union Home Minister said that this is the responsibility of the Government to take the development schemes to the tribal population of the country. The aim of the Government is overall development, prosperity and peace in North East.

Who are the BASIC? The BASIC group was formed as the result of an agreement signed by the four countries on November 28, 2009. They are a bloc of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China.

Significance of the grouping: The signatory nations have a broadly common position on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and raising the massive funds that are needed to fight climate change.

The BASIC countries constituted one of the parties in the Copenhagen Accord reached with the US-led grouping; the Accord, was, however, not legally binding. The BASIC group wields considerable heft purely because of the size of the economies and populations of the member countries.

Brazil, South Africa, India and China put together has one-third of the world’s geographical area and nearly 40% of the world’s population, and when they unitedly speak in one voice this shows their determination. BASIC is one of several groups of nations working together to fight climate change and carry out negotiations within the UNFCCC.

Need for this grouping: In light of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C released in October last year, the group took note of its findings that highlight the “high vulnerability of developing countries to climate change effects and high resultant costs of adaptation”.

The findings of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming make it incredibly clear that the impacts of an already warming world are significant, and that impacts at 2°C are catastrophic compared to those of 1.5°C. Yet, the BASIC ministers recalled the Paris goal of limiting the temperature rise to well under 2°C, and aspiring to limit it to 1.5°C, suggesting their continued pursuit of 2°C as the target temperature limit.

The BASIC countries also contend that their nationally determined contributions (NDCs)— voluntary pledges of national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—have demonstrated “a high level of ambition in the context of poverty and sustainable development”.

Way ahead: While developed countries must take the lead to reduce GHG emissions and enable developing countries to scale climate action. It is critical that all countries actively step-up to rapidly reduce global GHG emissions within their own jurisdictions and collectively work with each other to limit warming to 1.5°C.

What are the Legislative Councils, and why are they important? India has a bicameral system i.e., two Houses of Parliament. At the state level, the equivalent of the Lok Sabha is the Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assembly; that of the Rajya Sabha is the Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council.

A second House of legislature is considered important for two reasons: one, to act as a check on hasty actions by the popularly elected House and, two, to ensure that individuals who might not be cut out for the rough-and-tumble of direct elections too are able to contribute to the legislative process.

Why do we need a second house? They can be used to park leaders who have not been able to win an election. They can be used to delay progressive legislation. They would strain state finances. Having a second chamber would allow for more debate and sharing of work between the Houses.

Criticism: Rather than fulfilling the lofty objective of getting intellectuals into the legislature, the forum is likely to be used to accommodate party functionaries who fail to get elected.

It is also an unnecessary drain on the exchequer. Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack the constitutional mandate to do so. Legislative Assemblies have the power to override suggestions/amendments made to a legislation by the Council.

While Rajya Sabha MPs can vote in the election of the President and Vice-President, members of Legislative Councils can’t. MLCs also can’t vote in the elections of Rajya Sabha members. As regards Money bills, only fourteen days’ delay can be caused by the Council, which is more or less a formality rather than a barrier in the way of Money Bill passed by the Assembly.

Creation of a legislative council: Under Article 169 of the constitution, Parliament may by law create or abolish the second chamber in a state if the Legislative Assembly of that state passes a resolution to that effect by a special majority.

Currently, six states have Legislative Councils. Jammu and Kashmir too had one, until the state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Strength of the house: As per article 171 clause (1) of the Indian Constitution, the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall not exceed one third of the total number of the members in the legislative Assembly of that state and the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall in no case be less than 40.

How are members of the Council elected? 1/3rd of members are elected by members of the Assembly. 1/3rd by electorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards and other local authorities in the state. 1/12th by an electorate consisting of teachers. 1/12th by registered graduates.

The remaining members are nominated by the Governor from among those who have distinguished themselves in literature, science, art, the cooperative movement, and social service. Legislative Councils are permanent Houses, and like Rajya Sabha, one-third of their members retire every two years.

Do Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishads have similar powers? Not really. The constitution gives Councils limited legislative powers. Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape non-financial legislation, Legislative Councils lack the constitutional mandate to do so. Legislative Assemblies have the power to override suggestions/amendments made to a legislation by the Council.

Way ahead: There is need of a National Policy on having Upper House in State Legislatures. The provision of the law for Councils to have seats for graduates and teachers should also be reviewed.

There is a need for wide range of debates and public and intellectual opinion to have an Upper House in all state legislatures. Legislative councils should be a responsible body that can also form their part in policies and programmes for the development of states.

The probe seeks to gather information about the Sun’s atmosphere and NASA says that it “will revolutionise our understanding of the Sun”. It is also the closest a human-made object has ever gone to the Sun.

About the mission: What is it? NASA’s historic Parker Solar Probe mission will revolutionize our understanding of the sun, where changing conditions can propagate out into the solar system, affecting Earth and other worlds. Parker Solar Probe will travel through the sun’s atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it, facing brutal heat and radiation conditions — and ultimately providing humanity with the closest-ever observations of a star.

Journey: In order to unlock the mysteries of the sun’s atmosphere, Parker Solar Probe will use Venus’ gravity during seven flybys over nearly seven years to gradually bring its orbit closer to the sun. The spacecraft will fly through the sun’s atmosphere as close as 3.9 million miles to our star’s surface, well within the orbit of Mercury and more than seven times closer than any spacecraft has come before.

Goals: The primary science goals for the mission are to trace how energy and heat move through the solar corona and to explore what accelerates the solar wind as well as solar energetic particles.

Parker Solar Probe has three detailed science objectives: Trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind. Determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind. Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles.

Why study corona? The corona is hotter than the surface of the sun. The corona gives rise to the solar wind, a continuous flow of charged particles that permeates the solar system. Unpredictable solar winds cause disturbances in our planet’s magnetic field and can play havoc with communications technology on Earth. Nasa hopes the findings will enable scientists to forecast changes in Earth’s space environment.

Why do we study the sun and the solar wind? The sun is the only star we can study up close. By studying this star we live with, we learn more about stars throughout the universe.

The sun is a source of light and heat for life on Earth. The more we know about it, the more we can understand how life on Earth developed. The sun also affects Earth in less familiar ways. It is the source of the solar wind; a flow of ionized gases from the sun that streams past Earth at speeds of more than 500 km per second (a million miles per hour).

Disturbances in the solar wind shake Earth’s magnetic field and pump energy into the radiation belts, part of a set of changes in near-Earth space known as space weather.

Space weather can change the orbits of satellites, shorten their lifetimes, or interfere with onboard electronics. The more we learn about what causes space weather – and how to predict it – the more we can protect the satellites we depend on.

The solar wind dominates the space environment. As we send spacecraft and astronauts further and further from home, we must understand this space environment just as early seafarers needed to understand the ocean.