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PIB – January 24 , 2020

General Studies-I

Topic- Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes

Context

Cabinet approves Extension, of tenure of the Commission constituted under Article 340 of the constitution to examine the issue of sub-categorization within Other Backward Classes in the Central List.

About

  • The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) proposed the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) back in 2015.
  • President of India appointed a commission to examine the issue of sub-categorisation of OBCs under the article 340 in 2017.
  • The committee was headed by retired Justice G. Rohini.
  • It was aimed to ensure social justice in an efficient manner by prioritising the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs).

Progress of committee

  • The commission has since interacted with all the Stats/UTs which have subcategorized OBCs, and the State Backward Classes Commissions.
  • The Commission has come to the view that it would require some more time to submit, its report.
  • Hence the Commission has sought extension of its term by six, that is upto 31st July 2020 and also addition in its existing Terms of Reference.
  • The Cabinet has also approved addition of following Term of Reference to the existing Terms of Reference of the “Commission” –

Terms of reference for committee

  1. To examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of Other Backward Classes with reference to such classes included in the Central List;
  2. To work out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation within such Other Backward Classes; and
  3. To take up the exercise of identifying the respective castes or communities or sub-castes or synonyms in the Central List of Other Backward Classes and classifying them into their respective sub-categories.
  4. To study the various Entries in the “Central List of OBCs and recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription.”

Why the need of Sub- Categorization?

  • The Central Government of India classifies some of its citizens based on their social and economic condition as Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC).
  • The OBC list presented by the National Commission for Backward Classes can be modified based on social, educational and economic factors.
  • Sub categorization of the OBCs will ensure that the more backward among the OBC communities can also access the benefits of reservation for educational institutions and government jobs.

Benefits

  • All persons belonging to the castes/communities which are included in the Central List of SEBCs
  • It is said that they have not been able to get any major benefit of the existing scheme of reservation for OBCs in Central Government posts & for admission in Central Government Educational Institutions would be benefitted.
  • At present, there is no sub-categorisation and 27% reservation is a monolithic entity.

General Studies- II

Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

International Seed Treaty

Context

 Eighth Session of Governing Body of Seed Treaty “International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)” was held at FAO Headquarters in Rome.

About

  • The eighth session of the Governing Body of International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) is being held in Rome, Italy
  • The Governing Body ITPGRFA sessions are held biennially.
  • India highlighted the need for conservation of plant genetic resources and the uniqueness of Indian legislation Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act to address the related issues.

About the ITPGRFA

  • The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was adopted by the 31st Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 3 November 2001.
  • Seed Treaty is a comprehensive international agreement for ensuring food security through the conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA).
  • India is a signatory to the treaty.

The Treaty aims at

  • Recognizing the enormous contribution of farmers to the diversity of crops that feed the world;
  • Establishing a global system to provide farmers, plant breeders and scientists with access to plant genetic materials;
  • Ensuring that recipients share benefits they derive from the use of these genetic materials with the countries where they have been originated.

Objectives

Multilateral system- The Treaty’s truly innovative solution to access and benefit sharing,

  • The Multilateral System puts 64 of our most important crops – crops that together account for 80 percent of the food we derive from plants – into an easily accessible global pool of genetic resources that is freely available to potential users in the Treaty’s ratifying nations for some uses.

Access and benefit sharing

  • The Treaty facilitates access to the genetic materials of the 64 crops in the Multilateral System for research, breeding and training for food and agriculture.
  • Those who access the materials must be from the Treaty’s ratifying nations and they must agree to use the materials totally for research, breeding and training for food and agriculture.
  • The Treaty prevents the recipients of genetic resources from claiming intellectual property rights over those resources in the form in which they received them.
  • It ensures that access to genetic resources already protected by international property rights is consistent with international and national laws.
  • Those who access genetic materials through the Multilateral System agree to share any benefits from their use through four benefit-sharing mechanisms established by the Treaty.

 Farmers’ rights

  • The Treaty recognizes the enormous contribution farmers have made to the ongoing development of the world’s wealth of plant genetic resources.
  • It calls for protecting the traditional knowledge of these farmers, increasing their participation in national decision-making processes and ensuring that they share in the benefits from the use of these resources

Sustainable use

  • Most of the world’s food comes from four main crops – rice, wheat, maize and potatoes.
  • However, local crops, not among the main four, are a major food source for hundreds of millions of people and have potential to provide nutrition to countless others.
  • The Treaty helps maximize the use and breeding of all crops and promotes development and maintenance of diverse farming systems.

Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001

  • PPV&FR Act, 2001 aims to protect Farmers’ and breeder’s rights.
  • According to the act, a farmer is entitled to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001 except the brand name.
  • It is in conformity with International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), 1978.

Farmers’ Rights under the Act

  • A farmer who has evolved or developed a new variety is entitled for registration and protection in like manner as a breeder of a variety;
  • Farmers variety can also be registered as an extant variety;
  • A farmer can save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001 in the same manner as he was entitled before the coming into force of this Act provided farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001;
  • Farmers are eligible for recognition and rewards for the conservation of Plant Genetic Resources of land races and wild relatives of economic plants;
  • Farmer shall not be liable to pay any fee in any proceeding before the Authority or Registrar or the Tribunal or the High Court under the Act.

Breeders’ Rights under the Act

  • Breeders will have exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the protected variety.
  • Breeder can appoint agent/ licensee and may exercise for civil remedy in case of infringement of rights.
  • Researcher can use any of the registered variety under the Act for conducting experiment or research.
  • This includes the use of a variety as an initial source of variety for the purpose of developing another variety but repeated use needs prior permission of the registered breeder.

For Prelims

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar

Highlights

  • Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2020 announced
  • The award is constituted In order to recognise the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in India in the field of disaster management.
  • The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
  • For the year 2020, Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre, Uttarakhand (in the institution category), and
  • Shri Kumar Munnan Singh (Individual category) has been selected for their commendable work in Disaster Management.

 

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