The people of Leh are demanding full statehood for the Union Territory of Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect their land, culture, language, and environment.
Background:
The shutdown unfolded in the two districts of Leh and Kargil in response to a ‘Leh Chalo’ protest (march to Leh) called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — the two influential socio-political groups which have been at the forefront of the agitation for the past three years.Â
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced the date for the second round of a high-powered committee set up to look into the demands for Ladakh.
The reason behind the protests and demand:
Ladakh lost its special privileges and powers under the statehood with the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.Â
Amid several resolutions being passed in the two hill councils, a few have shared a common streak keeping in mind the ground reality in the UT; the demands of people.
On August 5, 2019, the BJP government had rescinded the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh that came into existence on October 31, 2018. Ladakh has since been without an elected legislature.
In the resolution passed by the Leh council, the following demands have been made:Â
Constitutional safeguards for the protection of land.
Employment guarantee.
Protection of culture.
Trade and environment.
Extension of provisions of the Constitution to the hill councils.Â
The Kargil resolution is more categorical and has four demands:Â
Statehood for Ladakh.
Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh.
Two parliamentary seats in Ladakh instead of one.
Job security and early job recruitment.
In the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council election of 2019, which the BJP won in majority, the party had promised to restore the statehood. However, the demands of both the Hill councils have been largely endorsed by the ruling party except that a few leaders have been caught between meeting the popular demand and siding with the Central administrators.
How has the Centre responded?Â
The government has not shown keen interest in granting full Statehood and special status to Ladakh, but rising discontent in the region and a wave of protests forced the Centre to set up a committee in January 2023 to probe the matter.Â
The Ministry of Home Affairs claimed that the UT administration was already taking care of overall socio-economic development, and sufficient funds have been provided for the region’s overall development.Â
However, amid rising unrest in the region, the government set up the panel and assured protesters that it would look for an appropriate solution to issues related to language, culture and land.
The panel was reconstituted following a disagreement over its composition and agenda. The high-powered committee held its first meeting in December, after it was empowered to examine the demand for constitutional safeguards for the region.Â
While representatives of the LHA and KDA sought an early resolution of their issues, the Ministry urged the leaders not to hold protests while the official talks were on.Â
Sixth Schedule
In 1949, the sixth schedule was enacted per article 244 of the Indian constitution.Â
The sixth schedule was designed to protect the indigenous and tribal groups by establishing and functioning autonomous district divisions known as the autonomous district councils or ADCs.Â
Because of the sixth schedule, the indigenous and tribal groups in the north-eastern states have significant autonomy.Â
Assam, Mizoram, and Meghalaya have three autonomous district councils; Tripura only has one.Â
Way forward
The government should ensure that greater efforts are made for inclusive local governance, improved autonomy, and targeted policy actions in order to assist socioeconomic development and cultural preservation in the area.
It is advised that the government hold in-depth conversations with the many groups involved in the protests, including Ladakh local community people, political personalities, and civil society organizations.
Ladakh's position under the Sixth Schedule should be determined with great care and attention due to the complexity of the issue and the wide range of interests involved.
Why did Kosovo face delays in Schengen approval
Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins
Why in news?
Kosovo's recent acquisition of visa-free access to the Schengen zone is expected to boost tourism, trade, and investment, furthering its integration with Europe.
About Schengen Zone
The zone is known after Schengen, the tiny Luxembourg village bordering France and Germany, where the agreement was signed in 1985 among five of the six EU founding members except Italy.Â
Citizens of Kosovo can now enter the Schengen as tourists for 90 days within 180 days.Â
Croatia, a European Union (EU) member since 2013, joined Schengen in 2023, while Romania and Bulgaria, EU members since 2007, will gain partial Schengen entry in March.Â
Kosovo’s application kept pending for years
The case of Kosovo is egregious given that the European Commission had in 2018 cleared Pristina’s preparedness to tackle illegal migration and corruption, preconditions for the entry.
Arguably, the single biggest obstacle to the country’s Schengen visa waiver was strong opposition from several EU members, which do not recognise the 2008 unilateral declaration of independence by the breakaway state from Serbia.Â
Kosovo has not been accorded legal statehood by the UN and denied recognition by Russia and China.
Admission to Schengen mandatory for EU members
When the Schengen agreement took effect in 1995, only seven of the entire 15 member unions at the time joined the passport-free area.Â
Today, 23 of the 27 EU states are part of the passport-free zone, excluding Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria and Ireland.Â
But then, the Schengen area comprises 27 countries, including four non-EU members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway.Â
It is important not to confuse the status of the four countries with the recent entry of Kosovo and the other five western Balkan entrants which are not counted among the Schengen 27 members.
The advantages of the EU’s border-free policy
For nationals of any country, the benefit is the freedom to travel with a single Schengen visa to other European nations within the borderless area.Â
For EU states, the Visa-free borderless travel, alongside the single currency adopted by 20 EU countries, is the most visible symbol of European integration.Â
Smart Gram Panchayat
Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins
Why in news?
Recently, the pilot project titled ‘Smart Gram Panchayat: Revolution towards Digitization of Gram Panchayat’ was launched.
About Smart Gram Panchayat
It aims to extend PM-WANI (Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) Service in all Gram Panchayats across Begusarai District in Bihar.Â
Begusarai has now become the first District in Bihar to equip all Gram Panchayats with Wi-Fi services under the PM-WANI Scheme.
Objectives
The transformative potential of user-friendly and uninterrupted Wi-Fi services, particularly highlighting their benefits to various segments of rural society including members of women self-help groups, Aajeevika Didis, Banking Correspondent (BC) Sakhi, farmers and students.
The accessibility of Wi-Fi services in rural areas will catalyze growth across new sectors and significantly enhance existing ones.
APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card
Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins
Why in news?
The Union Minister of Education inaugurated the National Conference on APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card.
About APAAR
The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR), known as the ‘One Nation, One Student ID,’ serves as an Education Ecosystem Registry, often referred to as an ‘EduLocker.’
APAAR is a transformative initiative introduced in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF).Â
It aims to provide a unified and accessible academic experience for students across India by assigning a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to every student, consolidating their academic achievements in one place.
The importance of the interconnectivity of APAAR IDs, Academic Bank of Credit, and Digilocker, creating ease of operations. Also connect other important digital assets like Swayam, DIKSHA, etc.
APAAR helps in tracking the vast pool of 260 million students in the country.
APAAR linkage with the Holistic Progress Card, Vidya Samiksha Kendra.
India, Nepal sign pact to link UPI, NPI for faster remittances
Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins
Why in news?
In a move to bolster cross-border trade and financial inclusion, state-owned central banks of India and Nepal signed terms of reference for the integration of their respective fast payment systems - the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the National Payments Interface (NPI).Â
More about news:
The Reserve Bank of India and Nepal Rastra Bank signed the terms of reference.
It facilitates cross-border remittances between India and Nepal by enabling users of the two systems to make instant, low-cost fund transfers.
As per the Terms of Reference exchanged between the two central banks, the necessary systems will be put in place for interlinking of UPI and NPI, whereas the formal launch of the linkage, i.e., the commencement of operations, will be done at a later date.
The collaboration between India and Nepal in linking their fast payment systems through the UPI-NPI linkage will further deepen financial connectivity and reinforce the enduring historical, cultural, and economic ties between the two countries.
New drug to treat chronic kidney disease gets approvalÂ
Time to Read :🕑 3 Mins
Why in news?
Boehringer Ingelheim’s (BI) Jardiance (empagliflozin) has been greenlit by CDSCO for treating chronic kidney disease (CKD) in India.
CKD
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is when the kidneys have become damaged over time (for at least 3 months) and have a hard time doing all their important jobs.Â
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health problem in India, with an alarming rise in recent years, and being amongst the top 10 causes of death in our country.
About Jardiance (empagliflozin)
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), has approved Jardiance (empagliflozin) 10mg tablets to reduce the risk of sustained decline in eGFR (only for patients with eGFR 30-90 ml/min/1.73m2), end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular death and hospitalisation in adults with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression.
The drug was originally approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, and over the last few months, it has been getting approval in other countries as well, for CKD.
The approval has the potential to advance the standard of care for an estimated 33 million adults in India living with CKD and help relieve the burden on healthcare systems by reducing the risk of hospitalisations, as well as delaying progression to kidney failure, for people with CKD.
The approval allows nephrologists and cardiologists to use Jardiance 10mg tablets for the treatment of CKD in eligible patients.
Global Pulses Conference
Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins
Why in news?
The Global Pulses Conference recommended India boost pulse production to meet nutritional needs.
More detail about news
The two-day GPC, jointly organised by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC), is set to take place in new delhi.Â
About Global Pulses Conference
The Global Pulse Confederation (GPC, formerly known as CICILS IPTIC) represents all segments of the pulse industry value chain from growers, researchers, logistics suppliers, traders, exporters and importers to government bodies, multilateral organizations, processors, canners and consumers.Â
Its membership includes 24 national associations and over 500 private sector members.Â
GPC is based in Dubai and licensed by the Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC).
Government measures for pulses production:
The Centre had taken adequate measures to improve pulses cultivation in the country by increasing the minimum support price (MSP) regularly.Â
On MSP, the Centre had assured a price of 50% over the actual cost of production to farmers, thereby providing an attractive return on investment.Â
The MSP is the highest today with increases as high as 117% in masoor, 90% in moong, 75% more in chana dal, 60% more in toor and urad over the amount provided a decade ago.
Over the last decade pulses production had grown by 60% from 171 lakh tonnes in 2014 to 270 lakh tonnes in 2024.
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