Daily Quiz – 10th Apr 2024

All statements are correct

Chhota Nagpur Tenancy Act

• The Chota Nagpur Tenancy -CNT Act, 1908, is a land rights legislation that was created to protect the land rights of the tribal population of Jharkhand, instituted by the British.
• A major feature of the CNT Act is that it prohibits the transfer of land to non-tribals to ensure community ownership.
• The areas of North Chota Nagpur, South Chota Nagpur, and Palamau divisions are included in the jurisdiction of the CNT Act.
• So far, the CNT Act has been amended as many as 26 times, latest in 1995.
• It is listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, so the act is beyond judicial review.
• It can only be repealed by the Parliament; the state government can only make amendments to it.
• In 1962 the Bihar government amended the CNT Act to include “economically weaker castes (EWCs)” belonging to the SC and OBC.
• The original Act applied only to the lands of Scheduled tribes (STs) and vested the power of land transfer on the plea of the right owner, with the deputy commissioner (DC).
• It notifi ed a list of backward classes, the sale of whose land would be restricted as per the CNT Act.
• A public interest litigation before the Supreme Court seeks changes in two decades-old laws that restrict the sale of tribal land to non-tribal.

Explanation:

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Malaria is caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. Four species cause disease in humans: P falciparum, P vivax, P ovale and P malariae. Other species of plasmodia infect reptiles, birds and other mammals. Malaria is spread to humans by the bite of female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles.

Diseases and causing agents

• Kala-azar is a slow advancing and naturally occurring disease that is caused by a protozoan parasite of Leishmania genus. In India, the only parasite that causes this disease is Leishmania donovani.
• The parasite mainly infects the reticuloendothelial system and can also be found in abundance in bone marrow, liver and spleen.
• The condition when Leishmania donovani invades skin cells, stays and develops and shows dermal lesions is known as Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL).
• Certain kala-azar cases show PKDL after a few years of treatment. According to recent studies, PKDL may appear without passing through the visceral stage. However, satisfying data is yet to be produced in the course of PKDL.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infectious (STI) disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.

 This bacterium causes infection when it gets into broken skin or mucus membranes, usually of the genitals.

Syphilis is most often transmitted through sexual contact, although it also can be transmitted in other ways.

India registered a 98.7 percent decline in cases of Kala-Azar between 2007 and 2022.

The cases in the country reduced from 44,533 in 2007 to 834 in 2022. 632 endemic blocks have already achieved elimination status which is less than one case per 10,000.

Only one block remains in the endemic category. The country has also revised its goal to eradicate Kala-azar endemic from the year 2030 to 2023.

In a tweet, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya expressed confi dence that the country will eliminatethe disease by the end of this year. He said that the government has intensifi ed the fi ght against Kala Azar.

Aspirational Block Programme

• Aspirational Blocks Development Programme (ABDP) was conceived with an idea to identify the most backward blocks of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir which require special focus and bring them at par with other blocks.
• Therefore, a unique area specific initiative is required with the aim of achieving holistic development of these most backward blocks in the UT of J&K.
• Innovative ways need to be explored, having regard to the unique challenges/constraints in their areas, for improving the socioeconomic status of these backward blocks under the programme.
• The Programme shall improve access of population of these blocks, to various schemes available for development of poor.
• This shall bring improvement in Educational level, Health & wellbeing, living conditions of the people. This will be a move forward towards inclusive development which is long overdue.
• The programme is expected to usher in a new era of development in these blocks. Selection of parameters/ indicators for identifi cation of Aspirational blocks:
• Planning Development & Monitoring Department, J&K, undertook the exercise of identifi cation of the most backward blocks in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir on the directions of the Chief Secretary,J&K, for their socio-economic development. This exercise was taken on the analogy of Aspirational Districts Programme being implemented by NITI Aayog, GoI.
• 21 parameters/ indicators were fi nalized by PD&MD, J&K, for selection of Aspirational Blocks, after studying the methodology adopted by NITI Aayog in detail.
• These 21 indicators cover four major aspects of human development i.e., Poverty (3 indicators), Health & Nutrition (6 indicators), Education (7 indicators) & Basic Infrastructure (5 indicators) aiming for expeditious improvement in the socio– economic status of the selected blocks (most backward blocks).
• A Composite Index was developed in which Poverty was given 20% weightage, Health 30%, Education 20% and Basic Infrastructure 30% and equal weightage was given to all the parameters within the sector.
• The aforesaid sets of parameters were finalized in consultation with with NITI Aayog, GoI.

1. The Prime Minister launched the Aspirational Block Programme (ABP) during the ‘2nd National Conference of Chief Secretaries’, which is aimed at improving the performance of blocks lagging on various development parameters.
2. Transformed from: The aspirational district model will be taken up to the block level in the form of the Aspirational Block Programme.

Objective: To enable holistic development in those areas that requires added assistance.

1. The focus area will also be more specific thus ensuring greater attention to detail.
2. The programme will cover 500 districts across 31 states and Union Territories initially.
3. Over half of these blocks are in 6 states— Uttar Pradesh (68 blocks), Bihar (61), Madhya Pradesh (42), Jharkhand (34), Odisha (29) and West Bengal (29).
4. The Aspirational Blocks Programme is on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme that was launched in 2018 and covers 112 districts across the country.

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Article 151 says that the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India relating to the accounts of the Union shall be submitted to the president, who shall cause them to be laid before each House of Parliament.
• Statement 2 is correct: Article 279 (1) – In the foregoing provisions of this Chapter, net proceeds means in relation to any tax or duty the proceeds thereof reduced by the cost of collection, and for the purposes of those provisions the net proceeds of any tax or duty, or of any part of any tax or duty, in or attributable to any area shall be ascertained and certifi ed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, whose certifi cate shall be fi nal

Comptroller and auditor general (CAG)

• CAG is an independent authority under the Constitution of India.
• He is the head of the Indian audit & account department and chief Guardian of Public purse.
• It is the institution through which the accountability of the government and other public authorities (all those who spend public funds) to Parliament and State Legislatures and through them to the people is ensured.
• Article 148 broadly deals with the CAG appointment, oath and conditions of service.
• Article 149 deals with Duties and Powers of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.
• Article 150 says that the accounts of the Union and of the States shall be kept in such form as the President may, on the advice of the CAG, prescribe.
• Article 279 (1) – In the foregoing provisions of this Chapter, net proceeds means in relation to any tax or duty the proceeds thereof reduced by the cost of collection, and for the purposes of those provisions the net proceeds of any tax or duty, or of any part of any tax or duty, in or attributable to any area shall be ascertained and certifi ed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, whose certifi cate shall be fi nal
• Third Schedule – Section IV of the Third Schedule of the Constitution of India prescribes the form of oath or affi rmation to be made by the Judges of the Supreme Court and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India at the time of assumption of offi ce.
• According to Sixth Schedule the accounts of the District Council or Regional Council should be kept in such form as CAG, with the approval of the President, prescribe. In addition these bodies account are audited in such manner as CAG may think fi t, and the reports relating to such accounts shall be
• submitted to the Governor who shall cause them to be laid before the Council.
• The Rajasthan government has set up a Social and Performance Audit Authority (SPAA) to ensure accountability in the delivery of government schemes and programmes.
• The Secretary, Finance (Expenditure) in the state has made the Commissioner of the authority.
• Under SPAA, audits of government schemes will be undertaken on two counts:
• Social Audit: The social audit will be undertaken along the lines of the social audit in MGNREGA. It does not necessarily require high qualifi cations of the resource persons, who will be empanelled as per requirement and paid on a per-day basis.
• Performance Audit: For the performance audit, SPAA will engage personnel from Valuation Wing under the Planning Department as well as the Department of Treasuries and Accounts, with the latter reportedly having excess personnel, among others.

Explanation:

Man and Biosphere reserve programme

(MAB)

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The MAB programme is an intergovernmental scientifi c programme of UNESCO that aims to establish a scientifi c basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments.
• It combines the natural and social sciences with a view to improving human livelihoods and safeguarding natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable.
• UNESCO’s intergovernmental structure provides MAB with a framework to help national governments support the planning and implementation of research and training programmes with technical assistance and scientific advice.
• Participating countries establish MAB National Committees that ensure maximum national participation in the international programme, defi ning and implementing each country’s activities.
• MAB currently operates through 158 National Committees established among the 195 Members States and nine Associate Members States of UNESCO.
• The agenda of the MAB programme is defined by its main governing body, the International Coordinating Council. The MAB Council consists of 34 Member States elected by UNESCO’s General Conference.
• The Council elects a chair and fi ve vice chairperson from each of UNESCO’s geopolitical regions, one of which functions as a rapporteur. These constitute the MAB Bureau.
• The MAB Secretariat is based at UNESCO’s Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, and works closely with the different field offices around the world to coordinate the work of the MAB programme at national and regional levels. Its staff members draw on expertise in many and varied disciplines.
• MAB is funded through the regular budget of UNESCO and mobilizes funds-in-trust granted by Member States, bilateral and multilateral sources, and extra-budgetary funds provided by countries, the private sector and private institutions. MAB-related activities are nationally fi nanced.
• The Programme can grant seed funding to assist countries in developing projects and/or to secure appropriate partnership contributions.
• The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) adopted a landmark roadmap to 2030 which includes area-based targets such as designating 30% of the Earth’s land surface a protected area and restoring 30% of the planet’s degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems by 2030.
• UNESCO will be contributing to implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as the agreement is known, through its own networks of designated areas.