Topic covered-Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System
Context
Election Commission of India made a success story of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) in recently concluded Lok Sabha Election 2019.
About ETPBS
- Electronically transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) is developed by Election Commission of India with the help of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), for the use of the Service Voters.
- This system enables the entitled service voters to cast their vote using an electronically received postal ballot from anywhere outside their constituency.
- The voters who make such a choice will be entitled for Postal Ballot delivered through Electronic Media for a particular election.
- Postal Ballot will be transmitted through Electronic Means to the voters It enables the voters to cast their vote on an electronically received postal ballot from their preferred location, which is outside their originally assigned voting constituency.
- E-postal ballot recorded 60.14% turnout in 2019.
Who are eligible for ETPBS
- Service Voters, other than those who opt for proxy voting (Classified Service Voters)
- The wife of a Service Voter who ordinarily resides with him
- Overseas Voters
Who are service voters?
- Persons working in Central Forces under Arms Act and Government officials deployed in Embassies outside the country are classified as Service Voters and are provisioned for online enrolment.
Features of ETPBS
- Service voters can avail this service from anywhere outside their constituency.
- System facilitates creation of service voter electoral roll data.
- Easy, Efficient and Hassle free.
- It is a secure system, having two layer security.
- OTP is required to download encrypted Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot file.
- Secrecy is maintained and no duplicate of casted ETPB is possible due to QR code.
- PIN is required to decrypt, print and deliver ETPB.
Significance
- With the motto of “no voter to be left behind”, Election Commission of India’s ETPBS has empowered and ensured all eligible service electors with their constitutional power to vote while performing their duty for the nation.
Topics covered- Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country.
Economic impact of organic farming
Context
Government of India has been encouraging/ promoting organic farming under two dedicated Schemes, namely, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) and Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY).
Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER)
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched this Central Sector Scheme named “Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region” (MOVCDNER).
- MOVCDNER is a Central Sector Scheme that seeks to capitalise on the organic farming potential of North-East India. It is working since 2015.
- It covers the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
- The scheme aims at development of certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers.
- It support the development of entire value chain starting from inputs, seeds, certification and creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing and brand building initiative.
- It supports the development of entire value chain, covering Value Chain Production, Processing, Marketing and Support Agencies.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana is an elaborated component of Soil Health Management (SHM) of major project National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
- Under PKVY Organic farming is promoted through the adoption of the organic village by cluster approach and PGS certification.
- Fifty or more farmers will form a cluster having 50-acre land to take up the organic farming under the scheme.
- The produce will be pesticide residue free and will contribute to improving the health of the consumer.
Significance of Organic Farming
- Organic cultivation doesn’t involve the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and thus helps to maintain a harmonious balance among the various complex ecosystems.
- It improves the quality of the soil which further improves the standards of the crops produced there. In the long term, organic farming leads in subsistence of agriculture, bio-diversity conservation and environmental protection.
- It help in building the soil health resulting in sustainable increased crop production.
For prelims-
11th DefExpo
- The 11th biennial edition of DefExpo India- 2020 is scheduled to be held for the first time in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.
Theme of the DefExpo India- 2020
- Main theme of the DefExpo India- 2020 will be ‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ and focus will be on ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’.
Key Highlights
- The shows are conducted at an international level, which not only facilitates Business-to-Business (B2B) interaction with senior foreign delegations but also Government-to-Government (G2G) meetings and signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
- The northern state has a strong defence industrial infrastructure.
- It has four units of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd at Lucknow, Kanpur, Korwa and Naini (Prayagraj), nine ordnance factory units, including Kanpur, Korwa, Shahjahanpur, Firozabad and one unit of Bharat Electronics Limited at Ghaziabad.
- One of the two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) of India is also planned in Uttar Pradesh.
- The Corridor will encourage Defence Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), including our Indian defence industry and promote Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
- The other DIC is proposed in Tamil Nadu.
