PIB 17th February 2021

Contents

1. PM lays foundation stone for key projects in TN and Kerala
2. Amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

PM LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR KEY PROJECTS IN TN AND KERALA

Context:

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation of key projects of the oil and gas sector in Tamil Nadu and also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of key projects of power and urban sector in Kerala.

Relevance:

GS-III: Industry and Infrastructure

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Cauvery Basin Refinery at Nagapattinam, TN
2. Ramanathapuram – Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline, TN
3. Gasoline Desulphurisation Unit
4. Pugalur – Thrissur Power Transmission Project, KL
5. Kasaragod Solar Power Project, KL
6. Integrated Command and Control Centre at Thiruvananthapuram, KL
7. Smart Roads Project in Thiruvananthapuram, KL
8. Water Treatment Plant at Aruvikkara, KL

Cauvery Basin Refinery at Nagapattinam, TN

• The Cauvery Basin refinery at Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu will have a capacity of 9 million metric tonnes per annum.
• It will produce Motor Spirit and Diesel meeting BS-VI specifications, and Polypropylene as a value-added product.
• The refinery at Nagapattinam anticipates about 80% indigenous sourcing of materials and services.
• The refinery is going to boost development of transport facilities, downstream petrochemical industries and ancillary and small-scale industries in the region.

Ramanathapuram – Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline, TN

• The 144-km-long Ramanathapuram – Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline will transport fuel to a fertilizer manufacturing and petrochemical units near the coastal town from the gas fields in Ramanathapuram.
• The pipeline is part of a mega natural gas pipeline project being implemented in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
• A 1,445-kilometer-long Ennore–Thiruvallur-Bengaluru–Puducherry–Nagapattinam–Madurai–Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline is being established for evacuation of gas from liquified natural gas import terminal of 5 million metric tonnes per annum capacity at Kamarajar Port near Chennai.
• The pipeline will also supply environment-friendly fuel to households in the form of piped natural gas and to vehicles in the form of compressed natural gas (CNG).

Gasoline Desulphurisation Unit

• The Gasoline Desulphurisation Unit at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), Manali will produce low sulphur (less than 8 ppm) environment-friendly gasoline, help reduce emission and contribute towards a cleaner environment.

Pugalur – Thrissur Power Transmission Project, KL

• The Pugalur (Tamil Nadu) – Thrissur (Kerala) power transmission project is a Voltage Source Convertor (VSC) based High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Project.
• It has India’s first HVDC link featuring state-of-the-art VSC technology.
• It will facilitate transfer of 2000 MW power from the western region and help meet the growth in load for the people of Kerala.
• The HVDC link will transmit enough electricity to meet the electricity needs of more than 80 million people in south India.

Kasaragod Solar Power Project, KL

• The 50 MW Kasaragod Solar Power Project has been developed under the National Solar Energy Mission.
• It is set up over 250 acres of land spread across Paivalike, Meenja and Chippar villages of Kasaragod district, Kerala.
• The total capacity of the Solar Park is expected to go up to 105 MW in the near future.

Integrated Command and Control Centre at Thiruvananthapuram, KL

• The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) at Thiruvananthapuram will act as a common point of action during emergency situations to facilitate coordinated action.
• The control rooms or War Room at the ICCC would act as a single point of coordinated action and decision making among various agencies like police, civil supplies, revenue, health and firefighting.

Smart Roads Project in Thiruvananthapuram, KL

• The Smart Roads Project in Thiruvananthapuram envisages converting 37 Kms of existing roads in Thiruvananthapuram to world class smart roads by bringing all overhead utilities underneath and undertaking road and junction improvements.
• The project will provide an overlay design for the existing roads with detailed strip plans, junction designs, cycle track and footpath design.
• There will be landscaping at frequent intervals, loaded with smart components including CCTV, smart poles and variable message boards for real-time management are provided for surveillance and general safety.

Water Treatment Plant at Aruvikkara, KL

• The 75 MLD (million litres per day) Water Treatment Plant at Aruvikkara, Kerala is built under the AMRUT Mission.
• It will boost supply of drinking water to people of Thiruvananthapuram and help avoid disruption of drinking water supply to the city in the event of maintenance work in the existing treatment plants in Aruvikkara.

Click Here to read more about the AMRUT Mission

-Source: PIB

AMENDMENTS TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT, 2015

Context:

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Women and Child Development to amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 to introduce measures for strengthening Child Protection set-up to ensure best interest of children.

Relevance:

GS-II: Polity and Governance

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
2. Recent Amendments that are approved by the Cabinet in 2021

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 replaced the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 to comprehensively address children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.
• The Act changes the nomenclature from ‘juvenile’ to ‘child’ or ‘child in conflict with law’.
• Also, it removes the negative connotation associated with the word “juvenile”.
• It also includes several new and clear definitions such as orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children; and petty, serious and heinous offences committed by children.
• The 2015 law also included special provisions to tackle child offenders committing heinous offences in the age group of 16-18 years.
• It mandates setting up Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees in every district. Both must have at least one-woman member each.
• A separate new chapter on Adoption to streamline adoption procedures for an orphan, abandoned and surrendered children,
• Also, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) was granted the status of a statutory body to enable it to perform its function more effectively.
• All Child Care Institutions, whether run by State Government or by voluntary or non-governmental organisations are to be mandatorily registered under the Act within 6 months from the date of commencement of the Act.

Recent Amendments that are approved by the Cabinet in 2021

• The amendments include authorizing District Magistrate including Additional District Magistrate to issue adoption orders under Section 61 of the JJ Act, in order to ensure speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability.
• The District Magistrates have been further empowered under the Act, to ensure its smooth implementation, as well as garner synergized efforts in favor of children in distress conditions.
• Defining eligibility parameters for appointment of CWC members, and categorizing previously undefined offences as ‘serious offence’ are some of the other aspects of the proposal. Several difficulties faced in implementation of various provisions of the Act have also been addressed.

-Source: PIB