PIB Summary- 11th March, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

One Nation One Ration Card system

Context: 17 States implement the One Nation One Ration Card system.

Details

• 17 States have successfully operationalised the “One Nation One Ration Card system” with Uttarakhand being the latest State to complete the reform.
• States completing this reform are eligible for additional borrowing of 0.25 percent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).

Significance

• The One Nation One Ration Card System is an important citizen-centric reform.
• Its implementation ensures the availability of ration to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, especially the migrant workers and their families, at any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country.
• The reform especially empowers the migratory population, mostly labourers, daily wagers, urban poor like rag pickers, street dwellers, temporary workers in organised and unorganised sectors, domestic workers, etc. who frequently change their place of dwelling.
• The reform also enables the States in the better targeting of beneficiaries, elimination of bogus/duplicate/ineligible cardholders resulting in enhanced welfare and reduced leakage.

What is One Nation One Ration Card?

It is a national ration card that will enable migrant workers and their families to access the public distribution system (PDS) benefits from any fair price shops across the country.
The characteristics of the ONORC are:

• Existing ration cards will be turned as one nation one ration card.
• It will be a universal ration card allotted to each beneficiary registered under NFSA.
• Using the ONORC, a beneficiary who migrates from one place to another can buy subsidized food grains from the fair price shop located in the destination city regardless of the origin of the beneficiaries.
• The beneficiaries will be identified through biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices. These devices will be installed at each fair price shop.
• The national portability will work using the:
  • Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) portal – It will provide the technological platform for the ration cards portability.
  • Annavitran portal – It will host the data of the food grains distribution through ePoS devices within a state. This will help a beneficiary to access subsidized food grains within a state (inter-district.)
• Aadhar Cards will be seeded with ration cards which will help beneficiaries get the ration using the same ration card.

Objectives of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme
In simple words, the ONORC will bring the following changes:

• Reforms in the public distribution system.
• Access of food grains to each beneficiary.
• Integrating all the Indian states and UTs in the scheme by March 2021.

Salient Features of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

• It is being implemented under the Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS.)
• 65 crores beneficiaries are being covered under the ONORC scheme.
• 80 percent of beneficiaries registered under NFSA has been covered under the scheme.
• 25 states and UTs have been integrated into the scheme.
• 81 crores beneficiaries are reported to get the benefits of this scheme once all states/UTs will be integrated under the scheme.
• The government will come up with a helpline number to assist beneficiaries.

Benefits of the ONORC
The major benefit of the One Nation One Ration Card is as follows:

• Those agile of the ONORC will receive subsidised food grain from any Fair Price Shop in the country, immensely benefitting migrants staying in different parts of the country.
• With the ONORC, all the beneficiaries in one state can get the same fair rations in other states where the ration card was issued.
• In case of any foul play, a beneficiary can switch to an alternative FPS almost immediately.
• The scheme will be of benefit to women and other poorer sections of the society since social identity will be a strong factor in accessing PDS.
• The ONORC will help in achieving the target of eliminating hunger by 2030, given the fact that it has been ranked 102 out of 17 in the Global Hunger Index.

Challenges regarding the Implementation of the One Nation One Ration Card

• Exclusion Error: Once the PDS processes have been digitised through smart cards and Aadhar linking then leakages could be reduced, but there have been exclusion errors post Aadhar linking as of late.
• Lack of Data: There is a shortage of data on the population moving to other cities to work. As such it becomes a difficult task in identifying the beneficiaries as they move to different locations.

Domicile-Based Social Sector Schemes
Along with the PDS most of the welfare schemes and food security measures were based on historic domicile-based access and restricted welfare and entitlements at their places of origin, thus negating any chance of non-native population from accessing such benefits.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

Context: NCRB celebrates its 36th Inception Day.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) - A Brief Overview

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL). NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) – Formation

• NCRB was set-up in 1986.
• NCRB was formed by merging the Inter-State Criminals Data Branch, Directorate of Coordination and Police Computer (DCPC), and Central Finger Print Bureau of CBI.
• As part of NCRB evolution, the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networking System (CCTNS) was approved in 2009 and Digital Police Portal was launched in 2017.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) – Objectives

• Maintain a national database of fingerprints of all criminals in India.
• Create, lead, and coordinate the development of IT applications for Police.
• Collate information and maintain statistics on crime and criminals at the national level.
• Creation and maintenance of Database at the National level for law enforcement agencies.
• To coordinate, guide and assist the functioning of the State Crime Records Bureaux, along with, providing training facilities to personnel of the Crime Records bureaux
• To function as the National storehouse of fingerprint (FP) records of convicted persons including FP records of foreign criminals
• To keep the central and state governments updated with the official records and findings related to any case

Crime in India 2019 Report– NCRB
The first edition of ‘Crime in India’ pertains to the year 1953 and the latest edition of the report pertains to the year 2019. This is the oldest and the most prestigious publication brought out by NCRB. The data for the report is collected by State Crime Records Bureaux (SCRBx) from the District Crime Records Bureaux (DCRBx). Data on megacities are also collected.

Key Findings of NCRB Report 2019:

• A total of 3225071 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes were registered in 2019. In 1980, the number was 1368529.
  • A total of 8,60,960 cognizable crimes comprising 6,04,897 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 2,56,063 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered in 19 metropolitan cities during 2019.
• Crime rate stands at 241.2.
• A total of 5156172 cognizable crimes comprising 3225071 IPC crimes and 1930471 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered in 2019. 
• The rate of registration of crime has increased by 1.6 percent.
• Out of total cognizable crimes, IPC crimes cover 62.6 percent.
• Offence Affecting the Human Body – 51.9 percent of the total offences that hurt the human body (1050945) accounts for hurt. 13.8 percent cases were of death by negligence and 10 percent of kidnapping.
• Murder – There is a marginal decrease in the number of murder cases. 28918 cases of murder have been registered in 2019. Out of 28918 cases, a dispute has been the common reason behind 9516 cases; followed by personal vendetta and gain respectively.
• There is a marginal decrease of 0.7 percent in kidnapping and abduction cases.
  • Kidnapping of women – 84921 cases (55370 children)
  • Kidnapping of men – 23104 cases (15894 children)
  • 96295 persons were recovered out of which 744 were recovered dead.
• Offences against public tranquillity:
  • There is a decrease of 17.6 percent in the cases of offences against public tranquillity in 2019 over 2018.
  • 63359 such cases registered in 2019.
  • 72.9 percent of riot cases registered in 2019.
• Crime Against Women:
  • There is an increase of 7.3 percent in the cases of crime against women in 2019 over 2018.
  • 405861 cases were registered.
  • Majority of the cases of crime against women (30.9 percent) were registered under ‘Cruelty by husband or his relatives’; followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (21.8 percent); ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (17.9 percent) and ‘Rape’ (7.9 percent).
• Crime Against Children:
  • There is an increase of 4.5 percent of cases of crime against children in 2019 over 2018.
  • Kidnapping and abduction accounts for 46.6 percent of 148185 cases.
  • Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 including child rape account for 35.3 percent.
• There is a significant increase of 63.5 percent in the cases of cybercrimes.
• There is a decrease of 0.8 percent in the registered cases of human trafficking in 2019 over 2018.
• The number of missing persons has increased by 9.5 percent in 2019.
• A total of 1,12,413 number of ammunition were also seized during 2019.
• Conviction Rate:
  • Murder – 41.9 percent
  • Rape – 27.8 percent
  • Kidnapping and Abduction – 24.9 percent
  • Rioting – 19.4 percent
  • Hurt – 30.6 percent
• The state-wise percentage share of total cases is mentioned below:
  • Andhra Pradesh – 3.7
  • Arunachal Pradesh – 0.1
  • Assam – 3.8
  • Bihar – 6.1
  • Chhattisgarh – 1.9
  • Goa – 0.1
  • Gujarat – 4.3
  • Haryana – 3.5
  • Himachal Pradesh – 0.4
  • Jharkhand – 1.6
  • Karnataka – 3.7
  • Kerala – 5.5
  • Madhya Pradesh – 7.6
  • Maharashtra – 10.6
  • Manipur – 0.1
  • Meghalaya – 0.1
  • Mizoram – 0.1
  • Nagaland – 0
  • Odisha – 3
  • Punjab – 1.4
  • Rajasthan – 7
  • Sikkim – 0
  • Tamil Nadu – 5.2
  • Telangana – 3.7
  • Tripura – 0.2
  • Uttarakhand – 0.4
  • Uttar Pradesh – 10.9
  • West Bengal – 4.9

Crime in India 2018 Report  – NCRB
Key Findings – 2018

• A total of 50,74,634 cognizable crimes comprising 31,32,954 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 19,41,680 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered in 2018. 
• During 2018, registration of cases under IPC has increased by 2.3% 
• A total of 29,017 cases of murder were registered during 2018, showing an increase of 1.3% over 2017 
• A total of 1,05,734 cases of kidnapping & abduction were registered during 2018, showing an increase of 10.3% over 2017
• In 2017 the crime rate per lakh women population was 57.9, but there has been an increase in 2018, the crime rate stood at 58.8.
• In 2017, the crime rate per lakh children was 2017, however, it has increased to 31.8 per lakh children in 2018. 
• Under Economic offences – forgery, cheating, and fraud accounted for maximum such cases, with 1,34,546 cases
• During 2018, 55.2% of cyber-crime cases registered were for the motive of fraud.
• A total of 3,47,524 persons were reported missing in 2018. 
• A total of 2,57,243 notes worth Rs.17,95,36,992 were seized under Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) during 2018.
• As per Narcotics Control Bureau, a total of 49,450 cases were registered for drugs seizure in which 60,156 persons (including foreigners) were arrested during 2018.

Shramik Kalyan Portal

Context: Indian Railways ensures 100% compliance of payment of minimum wages to contract workers through e-application Shramik Kalyan Portal.

About Shramik Kalyan Portal

• The Shramik Kalyan e-application of the national transporter was launched in October 2018, which ensures the compliance of provisions of the Minimum Wages Act.
• Besides, it also ensures that contractual workers who are working in Indian Railways get their rightful due by enforcing them to upload wage payment data regularly into the e-application.
• This helps the Railways to keep vigil over wages disbursed by contractors to contract workers.
• This e-application is also being used by all PSUs working under the Railway Ministry.
• The Shramik Kalyan Portal allows all the contractors of various Indian Railways units i.e., divisions/PUs/workshops/PSUs to register themselves on the portal and add Work Orders subsequently, that are issued by different units of Indian Railways to them.
• To ensure that wages paid by the contractors conform to Minimum Wages fixed by the government, there are checks in the portal from time to time.

Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav

Context: PM to inaugurate activities related to ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’ in March 2021.

About Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav

• Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav is a series of events to be organised by the Government of India to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence.
• According to the government, the Mahotsav will be celebrated as a Jan-Utsav in the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari.
• A National Implementation Committee headed by the Home Minister has been constituted to chalk out policies and planning of various events to be undertaken under the Commemoration.
• The 75th anniversary of India’s independence falls on 15th August 2022.