National Recruitment Agency (NRA)

Why in NEWS ?

• Union Cabinet gives a go ahead to setting up of National Recruitment Agency, to benefit job seeking youth of the country.

About

• The Cabinet has approved the setting up of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to conduct Common Eligibility Test, it as a historic decision which will benefit job seeking youth of the country.
• It fulfils the long-standing demand of the youth of the country.

National Recruitment Agency (NRA)

• It will conduct a Common Eligibility Test to screen and shortlist candidates for the Group B and C (non-technical) posts.
• NRA will have representatives from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance, SSC, RRB and IBPS.
• Special focus on creating examination infrastructure in the 117 Aspirational Districts would go a long way in affording access to candidates at a place nearer to where they reside.
• The CET score of the candidate shall be valid for a period of three years from the date of declaration of the result. The best of the valid scores shall be deemed to be the current score of the candidate.
• There shall be no restriction on the number of attempts to be taken by a candidate to appear in the CET subject to the upper age limit.
• Relaxation in the upper age limit shall be given to candidates of SC/ST/OBC and other categories as per the extant policy of the Government.
• Candidates would have the facility of registering on a common portal and give a choice of Centres.
• Government has sanctioned a sum of 1517.57 crore rupees for the National Recruitment Agency. The expenditure will be undertaken over a period of three years.
• Agency will ensure transparency and ease in recruitment process, both for the candidate and the recruiting organisation.
• CET scores can be shared with Central and State Governments, PSUs, private sector thus reducing recruitment costs of these organisations.
• Initially the NRA will conduct CET twice a year.
• NRA will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources, along with a big boost to transparency.

FSSAI’s Eat Right Challenge Orientation Workshop

IN NEWS

• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare presided over an online orientation workshop organized by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as part of its Eat Right Challenge.

ABOUT

• The ‘Eat Right India’ movement initiated by FSSAI under the aegis of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has been creating awareness amongst the people about safe, healthy and sustainable dietary habits.
• To achieve this end and to convert the program into a people’s movement, FSSAI recently announced the Eat Right Challenge, an annual competition for 197 Districts and Cities in a unique way to strengthen the food safety and regulatory environment, build awareness among the consumers and urge them to make better food choices.
• 196 million are victims of chronic hunger while another 180 million suffer from obesity. 47 million children have stunted growth while another 25 million are wasted. 500 million are deficient in micro-nutrients and 100 million suffer from food-borne diseases.

The strength of the ‘The Eat Right Movement’ lies in its holistic and collaborative approach, with stakeholders on both the demand and supply-side joining to make a difference through some clearly identified steps.

• On the demand side, the Eat Right Movement focuses on empowering citizens to make the right food choices.
• On the supply side, it nudges food businesses to reformulate their products, provide better nutritional information to consumers and make investments in healthy food as responsible food businesses.

‘The Eat Right Movement’ brings together three ongoing initiatives of FSSAI:

• Safe and Nutritious Food Initiative, focused on social and behavioral change around food safety and nutrition at home, school, workplace and on-the-go;
• The Eat Healthy Campaign focused on reduction of high fat, sugar and salt foods in the diet; and
• Food Fortification, focused on promoting five staple foods-wheat flour, rice, oil, milk and salt that are added with key vitamins and minerals to improve their nutritional content

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India
• The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
• The FSSAI has its headquarters at New Delhi. The authority also has 6 regional offices located in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Chennai.

Mali Coup in News

• Military officers have taken charge in Mali after detaining President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at gunpoint and forcing him to resign, in a coup
• African Union (AU) and president of South Africa, condemned the "unconstitutional change of government" in Mali and suspending Mali's membership until constitutional order is restored.

REASON FOR COUP

• The 75-year-old Keita had been the target of weeks of mass protests demanding his resignation over what opponents said were his failure to restore security, address corruption and lift living standards.

MALI

• Republic of Mali achieved its independence from France on 22 September 1960. It is a proclaimed secular state. A landlocked country, Mali is located in West Africa in the southern sub-Sahara region. Almost 60 percent of the country is desert (north-eastern part). The capital city is Bamako.
• The estimated population is 16-18 million; overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims (around 95%). Most of the high density population centers are located in the south which is blessed with two perennially flowing rivers Niger, the lifeline of the country, and the Senegal in the west. Mali is the 8th largest country in Africa and 24th in the world.
• The lingua franca is Bambara (with around 80% speakers). The currency is Communaute Financiere Africaine Franc (CFA Franc or FCFA). One US$ is equivalent to roughly between FCFA 550-590. French is the official language.

INDIA AND MALI

• India and Mali have traditionally maintained friendly relations and have no geo-political conflicts. The Government of India established its Embassy in Bamako in May 2009. Mali followed soon by opening its Embassy in New Delhi in August 2009.
• Mali has been supportive of India’s line on various international issues. Mali supported India’s candidature in the elections held in 2017 for International Court of Justice. Mali ratified the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement on 2 October 2017.

Power Sector

Why in NEWS ?

• Cabinet approves measures to provide liquidity in power sector dues to financial stress caused by COVID-19.

Background

• The outbreak of the global pandemic COVID-19 in the country and the consequent nationwide lockdown has exacerbated the liquidity problems for the power sector.
• Revenues of the power distribution companies have nosedived as people are unable to pay for the electricity consumed while power supplies., being an essential service, have been maintained.
• Energy consumption has decreased substantially and liquidity of the power sector is not expected to improve in the short term, as economic activity and power demand will take some time to pick up.
• There is, thus, an immediate need to infuse liquidity in the power sector for continuation of power supply

About the move

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved a one-time relaxation to Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) for extending loans to Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) above limits of working capital cap of 25% of last year’s revenues under Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY).
• One-time relaxation would help in providing liquidity to the power sector and ensure payments by State Governments to DISCOMs.

Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY)

• Scheme was launched on 20-11-2015 under the Government of India for operational and financial turnaround of the Power Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) owned by any state.
• This scheme was established with a vision to provide affordable and accessible 24×7 Power to all.
• UDAY scheme also aims in providing a solution for revenue-side efficiency as well as cost-side efficiency.