QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 19 February 2019

Solution: c)

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) was constituted on 12th August, 1994 as a statutory body by an Act of Parliament viz. ‘National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993’, for a period of three years i.e. up to 31st March, 1997. As per sub-section (4) of Section 1 of the Act, it was to cease to exist after 31.3.1997. However, validity of the Act was extended up to March, 2002, and then up to February, 2004 vide Amendment Acts passed in 1997 and 2001 respectively.

With the lapsing of the “The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993” w.e.f. 29.2.2004, the Commission is acting as a Non-Statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment whose tenure is extended from time to time through Government Resolutions.

Functions:

• Recommend to the Central Government specific programmes of action towards elimination of inequalities in status, facilities and opportunities for Safai Karamcharis.
• Study and evaluate the implementation of the programmes and schemes relating to the social and economic rehabilitation of Safai Karamcharis; and scavengers, in particular.
• Investigate specific grievances and take suo-motu notice of matters relating to non-implementation of: –

1. 1. programmes or schemes in respect of any group of Safai Karamcharis
   2. decisions, guidelines or instructions, aimed at mitigating the hardships of Safai Karamcharis
   3. measures for the social and economic upliftment of Safai Karamcharis
   4. the provisions of any law in its application to Safai Karamcharis; and take up such matters with the concerned authorities or with the Central or State Governments

• To study and monitor the working conditions, including those relating to health, safety and wages of Safai Karamcharis working under various kinds of employers including Government, Municipalities and Panchayats, and to make recommendations in this regard.
• Make reports to the Central or State Governments on any matter concerning Safai Karamcharis, taking into account any difficulties or disabilities being encountered by Safai Karamcharis
• Any other matter which may be referred to it by the Central Government.

However, with the enactment of “The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013”, the mandate and scope of the Commission has also been enlarged. The Commission shall perform the following functions, namely:-

1. To monitor the implementation of the Act.
2. To enquire into complaints regarding contravention of the provisions of the Act, and to convey its findings to the concerned authorities with recommendations requiring further action.
3. To advise the Central and the State Governments for effective implementation of the provisions of the Act.
4. To take suo motu notice of matter relating to non-implementation of the Act.

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            Solution: c)

• It is India’s first indigenously built engineless semi-high speed train. Earlier, it was known by the name Train 18.
• It runs between Delhi and Varanasi at a maximum speed of 160 kmph.
• It has been built by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, in a record time of 20 months.
• The train is a 100% ‘Make in India’ project and is claimed to be built at half the cost of a similar train set that is imported.

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Solution: c)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that its Mars Mission, Opportunity has come to an end.

This marked the conclusion of the 15-year saga. The decision to end the mission was made after all the efforts to restore contact with the Opportunity Mars rover didn’t yield desired results.

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Solution: b)

India emerged as the third largest solar market in the world in 2017 behind China and the US.

World’s largest solar park named ‘Shakti Sthala’ was launched in Karnataka in March 2018 with an investment of Rs 16,500 crore.

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Solution: d)

e-AUSHADHI portal for Online Licensing System of AYUSH Medicine: Ministry of State (IC) for AYUSH launched the e-AUSHADHI portal, for online licensing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and related matters. Portal is intended for increased transparency, improved information management facility, improved data usability and increased accountability.

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