June

15,
2018
UNIFORM CIVIL CODE (UCC)
In June 2018, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board wrote to the Law
Commission of India Chairperson that the introduction of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will
not be a threat to the “Muslim identity.”
About:

• His arguments in favour of UCC:

o UCC would end discrimination against Muslim women.
o There should not be any fear of losing identity when the Article 25 of the constitution
guarantees religious freedom.
o As far as the plea of Muslim identity is concerned, it is nothing but a relic of the two-nation
theory, which was asserted by Muslim leaders to carve out a separate state on the basis of
religion.
• Background: The letter comes even as the Law Commission is enquiring into the viability of the UCC
and whether the atmosphere in the nation is conducive to bring the personal laws of marriage,
divorce, etc, of various religions practised here under a single Code.

UCC?
Article 44 of the Constitution of India states that “The state shall endeavour to secure for the citizens
a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India”.

WATER PRODUCTIVITY MAPPING OF MAJOR INDIAN CROPS

In June 2018, Union Minister for Water Resources released a book ‘Water productivity
mapping of major Indian crops’ published by NABARD.
About:

• The book is based on study of 10 important crops by a team under the leadership of leading
agricultural economist Dr. Ashok Gulati.
• The ten important crops include rice, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton and potato
etc.
• Recommendation: The book suggests to –
o realign cropping pattern keeping in view water scarcity of irrigation,
o ration irrigation supplies in canal irrigation system,
o improve micro-irrigation,
o invest in water harvesting and artificial recharge and
o encourage participatory irrigation management through water user association and farmer’s
producer organisation.

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15,
2018
COMPOSITE WATER MANAGEMENT INDEX (CWMI)
In June 2018, Union Minister for Water Resources released a report on Composite Water
Management Index (CWMI).
About:

• CWMI has been developed by NITI Aayog to assess and improve the performance of States/ Union
Territories in efficient management of water resources.
• Methodology: It comprises 9 broad sectors with 28 different indicators covering various aspects of
ground water, restoration of water bodies, irrigation, farm practices, drinking water, policy and
governance.
• Grouping of states: For the purposes of analysis, the reporting states were divided into two special
groups – ‘North Eastern and Himalayan states’ and ‘Other States’, to account for the different
hydrological conditions across these groups.
• Significance: The index would provide useful information for the States and also for the concerned
Central Ministries/Departments enabling them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for
better management of water resources.

Findings:

• India is facing its “worst” water crisis in history and that the demand for potable water will outstrip
supply by 2030, if steps are not taken.
• Nearly 600 million Indians faced high-to-extreme water stress and about 2,00,000 people died every
year because of inadequate access to safe water.
• Twenty-one cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, will run out of groundwater
by 2020, affecting 100 million people, the study noted.
• If matters are to continue, there will be a 6% loss in the country’s Gross Domestic Product by 2050.
• Critical groundwater resources, which accounted for 40% of the water supply, are being depleted at
“unsustainable” rates and up to 70% of the supply is “contaminated”.

Ranking:

• It ranked 24 States on how well they managed their water.

• It ranked Gujarat as number one in the reference year (2016-17), followed by Madhya Pradesh,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
• In North Eastern and Himalayan States, Tripura has been adjudged number 1 in 2016-17 followed by
Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Assam.
• In terms of incremental change in index (over 2015-16 level), Rajasthan holds number one position
in general States and Tripura ranks at first position amongst North Eastern and Himalayan States.
• NITI Aayog proposes to publish these ranks on an annual basis in future.

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15,
2018
SWAJAL
In June 2018, Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation launched Swajal schemes in
115 Aspirational Districts Of India.
About:

• Swajal schemes in 115 aspirational districts of the country will involve an outlay of Rs. 700 crores
through flexi-funds under the existing National Consultation on the National Rural Drinking Water
Programme (NRDWP) budget.
• These schemes will aim to provide villages with piped water supply powered by solar energy.
• The scheme will train hundreds of rural technicians for operation and maintenance of Swajal units.

Aspirational districts?
• Background: In January 2018, Union Government launched the ‘Transformation of Aspirational
Districts’.
• Objective: To transform some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country.
• 3C Strategy: The broad contours of the programme are
o Convergence (of Central & State Schemes),
o Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and
o Competition (among districts driven by a Mass Movement or a Jan Andolan).
• How many? 115 districts have been identified on the basis of objective criteria such as education,
health, rural road connectivity etc. Of these 35 are affected by Left Wing Violence.
• Prabhari Officers: Senior level Government officers (Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary) have
been nominated as Prabhari officers. Their task is to coordinate the efforts of the Centre and the
states in addressing the needs of the districts.
GAMING ADDICTION
Addiction to digital and video gaming has been classified as a mental health disorder by the
World Health Organisation (WHO) in its 11th edition of International Classification of
Diseases (ICD) released in June 2018.
The classification is aimed at alerting health professionals to the existence of this condition.
About:

• What is it? The agency described the addiction as a “pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming
behaviour” that becomes so extensive it “takes precedence over other life interests”.
• Impact:
o Gaming disorder can lead to disturbed sleep patterns, diet problems and deficiency in
physical activities.
o It is also leading to lack of human interaction and low emotional connection between
children and adults.
• Solution: Psychiatrists are emphasising the need for a digital detox as a cure.

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15,
2018
MOUNT DEOTIBBA
In June 2018, an all women Naval mountaineering team led by Lt Cdr Kokila Sajwan
summited Mount Deotibba.
About:

• Mount DeoTibba is a 6001 Mts. high peak.

• It is the 2nd highest peak in the Pir Panjal Range (Indarasan Peak 6221m being highest) of the
Himalayas in Manali, Himachal Pradesh.

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