PIB Summary- 18th February, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Delimitation Commission

Context: Delimitation Commission holds meeting to seek views on the delimitation process of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

Delimitation Meaning

Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country to represent changes in population.

• As a result of the delimitation process, the number of seats allocated to different states in the Lok Sabha and the total number seats in a Legislative Assembly of a state can also alter.
• The redrawing of boundaries is based on a recent census. 
• The body that does the delimitation exercise is called the Delimitation Commission.

Why is delimitation of constituencies done?
Delimitation is conducted for the following reasons:

• To have equal representation for equal segments of a population.
• To have a fair division of geographical areas so that no political party has an undue advantage over the others.
• To adhere to the principle: “One Vote One Value”.

How is delimitation done?

• After every census, the Parliament will enact a Delimitation Act, as per Article 82.
• As per Article 170, the states also get classified into territorial constituencies after every census, according to the said Act.
• Once the Act is enacted, the Central Government sets up a Delimitation Commission.
• The Commission then exercises the delimitation.

Delimitation Commission

The Delimitation Commission is a high-level body set up by an act of the Parliament.

• It is appointed by the country’s President.
• It works in tandem with the Election Commission of India.
• Delimitation Commission Members:
  • A retired judge of the Supreme Court
  • The Chief Election Commissioner
  • State Election Commissioners (of the respective states)

Functions of Delimitation Commission
The Delimitation Commission is a high power body whose orders have the force of law. Its orders cannot be questioned in a court of law. The copies of the orders are laid before the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies concerned, but no change is permitted in them.

• The Delimitation Commission has to determine the number and boundaries of constituencies in such a manner that the population of all seats is the same, as far as possible practically.
• The Commission also identifies the seats to be reserved for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes communities, in areas where their population is significant.
• If the members of the Commission have differing opinions, then the decision of the majority will be taken into consideration.
• The Commission releases draft proposals to the public through the Gazette of India and the official gazettes of states, and also in regional language newspapers.
• It also conducts public sittings wherein the public’s opinion is heard through written or oral representations.
• If found appropriate, changes are made to the draft proposal.
• The final order is published in the Gazettes and comes into effect by a date specified by the President.

Delimitation Commissions in the Past

The first delimitation exercise was conducted by the Indian President (with the help of the Election Commission) in 1950-51. The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.

There have been four Delimitation Commissions:

• 1952
• 1963
• 1972
• 2002

There were no such commissions after the census in 1991 and 1981.

Delimitation Problems
Because of the delimitation process, states that have not achieved any significant strides in reducing their population could end up with larger numbers of seats in the Parliament. In 2008, delimitation was based on the census of 2001, however, the total number of seats in the Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies fixed as per the census of 1971 was not changed. Another problem is that the Constitution of India has put a cap on the maximum number of seats in the Lok Sabha to 550 and Rajya Sabha to 250. So, because of delimitation, an increasing number of populations are being represented by a single representative. An amendment has postponed the lifting up of the cap on the maximum seats in the parliament to the year 2026, on the grounds that a uniform growth rate of population would be achieved by 2026 throughout India.

Software Defined Radio (SDR) for Indian Army

Context: Software Defined Radio (SDR) for Indian Army under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.

Background: Communication is vital and critical to all military operations.

• The Combat Net Radio (CNR) is the mainstay of communications for the Indian Army in the battlefield.
• The contemporary CNR equipment in the Indian Army supports voice communication only and has limited or no data transmission capability.

What’s in News?

• To arm the soldiers with advantages offered by technology and equip them to fight a war in the net–centric battle space, the existing radios are to be replaced soon by indigenously developed Software Defined Radio (SDR).
• SDR have enhanced data transmission capability, enhanced voice clarity and data transmission accuracy in spectrally noisy environments, support multiple waveforms, greater system security and better communication survivability in clear and secure mode to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Army.
• The Indian Army is in the process of revamping its communication systems by procuring Very/Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF) Manpack SDRs under Make-II category.

India Tourism Mart

Context: India Tourism Mart 2021, the third edition of the event, is being held in online mode.

About India Tourism Mart

• Conducted by the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), the event is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, GOI.
• It is a buyer-seller event and the first such event was held in 2015, although it was named Tourism Mart in 2018.
• The event has seen active attendance from over 250 buyers from 65 countries having B2B interactions from hundreds of tourism exhibitors from India, including most of the state governments, hotel companies, tour operators, travel agents and tourist transporters.

Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge

Context: Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge cohort announced.

Details

• The Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, announced twenty-five shortlisted cities for the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ cohort, in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) and technical partner WRI India.
• The cohort will receive technical assistance, capacity building and scale-up support to experiment, and implement trials and pilots over the next six months to demonstrate early wins, solicit citizen participation, and build consensus around their proposals.

Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge

• It is a 3-year initiative the will support cities to develop, pilot, and scale solutions that enhance the quality of life of young children, their caregivers and families in the public realm.
• The challenge is conducted with the support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Netherlands with technical support from WRI India.
• Through the challenge, selected cities will receive technical assistance and capacity-building to:
  • Reimagine parks and open spaces
  • Improve access to early childhood facilities
  • Adapt public spaces with early childhood-oriented amenities
  • Create accessible, safe, walkable streets for young children and families
• Cities covered under the challenge:
  • All smart cities
  • Cities with a population of more than 5 lakh
  • Capitals of states and UTs