CONTENTS
- G7 SUMMIT
- PENCIL PORTAL
- DEVIKA RIVER PROJECT
G7 SUMMIT
Focus: GS II- International groupings
Why in news?
- Prime Minister participated in the first Outreach Session of the G7 Summit.
- The session, titled ‘Building Back Stronger – Health’, focused on global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and on strengthening resilience against future pandemics.
Group of Seven (G7)
- The Group of Seven (G7) is an international intergovernmental economic organization consisting of the seven largest developed economies (International Monetary Fund IMF- advanced economies) in the world.
- G-7 Countries are:
- Canada,
- France,
- Germany,
- Italy,
- Japan,
- The United Kingdom and
- The United States.
- The European Union is sometimes considered an eighth member of the G-7, since it holds all the rights and responsibilities of full members except to chair or host the meeting.
- G7 Summit is an event conducted annually where world leaders from seven powerful economies of the world come together to discuss burning issues happening around the globe.
- The major purpose of the G-7 is to discuss and deliberate on international economic issues.
- G7 is capable of setting the global agenda because decisions taken by these major economic powers have a real impact. Thus, decisions taken at the G7 are not legally binding, but exert strong political influence.
- It sometimes acts in concert to help resolve other global problems, with a special focus on economic issues.
PENCIL PORTAL
Focus: GS II- Vulnerable sections
Why in news?
Union Minister of Women and Child Development and Textiles, has Appealed to Citizens to report the instances of Child Labour on PENCIL Portal or by calling on Childline-1098.
About PENCIL Portal:
- The Union Home Ministry launched the Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal at the National Conference on Child Labour organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
- The PENCIL is an electronic platform that aims at involving Centre, State, District, Governments, civil society and the general public in achieving the target of child labour free society.
- Ministry also launched the Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the enforcement of legal framework against child labour.
- The SOP is aimed at creating a ready reckoner for trainers, practitioners and monitoring agencies to ensure complete prohibition of child labour and protection of adolescents from hazardous labour ultimately leading to Child Labour Free India.
DEVIKA RIVER PROJECT
Focus: GS III – Infrastructure
Why in News?
Recently, the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region has asked for suggestions for the Devika River project in Udhampur, J&K.
About Devika River project
- The work on the project was started in March 2019 under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).
- This project is compared with the Namami Gange Project.
- Under the project,
- Bathing “ghats” (places) on the banks of the Devika River will be developed,
- Encroachments will be removed
- Natural water bodies will be restored
- Catchment areas will be developed along with cremation ground
- Small hydropower plants and three solar power plants shall also be developed.
- The project will lead to reduction in pollution and improvement in water quality.
Devika River
- Devika river originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir.
- It flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan) where it merges with the Ravi river.
- The river holds religious significance as it is revered by Hindus as the sister of river Ganga.
- In June 2020, Devika Bridge was inaugurated in Udhampur.
National River Conservation Plan
- National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) is a centrally funded scheme launched in 1995 aimed at preventing the pollution of rivers.
- Programs for river conservation are being implemented under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) and NGRBA (National Ganga River Basin Authority).
Activities under NRCP:
- Interception and Diversion works to capture the raw sewage flowing into the river through open drains and divert them for treatment.
- Sewage Treatment Plants for treating the diverted sewage.
- Low Cost Sanitation works to prevent open defecation on riverbanks.
- Electric Crematoria and Improved Wood Crematoria to conserve the use of wood and help in ensuring proper cremation of bodies brought to the burning ghats.
- River Front Development works such as improvement of bathing ghats.
- Public awareness and public participation.
- Human Resource Development (HRD), capacity building, training and research in the area of River Conservation.
- Other miscellaneous works depend upon location specific conditions including the interface with human population.
