75 Years of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
Syllabus: GS2/ Statutory Bodies
In News
- The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) commemorating 75 years since its launch in 1952.
About ESIC
- ESIC operates under the Ministry of Labour & Employment as a statutory body administering the ESI Scheme.
- It stemmed from the 1944 Report on Health Insurance by Prof. B.P. Adarkar (“Chhota Beveridge”), influencing India’s post-independence welfare model.
- Dr. C.L. Katial served as the first Director General of ESIC.
- Contributions 0.75% from employees, 3.25% from employers (total 4%).
Key Benefits and Functions
- Medical Care: Full care from primary to tertiary levels for insured persons (IPs) and families.
- Sickness & Maternity Benefits: Wage replacement (cash) for certified sickness or maternity periods.
- Disablement Benefit: Lifetime pension for permanent disability from employment injury.
- Dependents’ Benefit: Monetary aid to family if insured person dies from work-related injury or occupational disease.
- Preventive Health Measures: Mandatory annual check-ups for insured workers aged 40+ (introduced via new Labour Codes).
Source: PIB
Free HPV Vaccination Drive for Adolescent Girls
Syllabus: GS2/ Health
Context
- The Union government is set to launch a nationwide immunisation drive against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) targeting girls aged 14 years, marking a major preventive step against cervical cancer.
About Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection. Most infections are asymptomatic and self-limiting.
- Nature: HPV is a DNA virus from the Papillomaviridae family.
- Diseases Caused by HPV:
- Cervical cancer (over 95% of cases linked to HPV).
- Other cancers: anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile and oropharyngeal cancers.
- Genital warts (non-cancerous).
- High-Risk and Low-Risk Types: HPV types 16 and 18 are high-risk strains responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases (over 80% in India).
- Types 6 and 11 are low-risk strains that primarily cause genital warts.
- HPV vaccination: It prevents infection from the most dangerous HPV types. Most effective when given before sexual debut (ages 9–14 years).
Cervical Cancer
- Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix.
- The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb). The cervix connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal).
- Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indian women. India reports about 80,000 new cases annually.
Source: BS
New Rules on Coffee–Chicory Labelling in India
Syllabus: GS2/ Health
Context
- India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has mandated new labelling rules for coffee–chicory mixtures to ensure transparency and prevent misleading practices in the packaged food sector.
What Is Chicory?
- Chicory is derived from the roasted root of Cichorium intybus, a herbaceous plant belonging to the daisy family.
- It has a coffee-like flavour but contains no caffeine. When blended with coffee, it enhances colour, thickness, foam, and aroma.
- Although safe for consumption, a higher proportion of chicory reduces caffeine content and alters the characteristic taste of coffee.
- Chicory is native to Europe and Asia and is now cultivated in several parts of the world, including India.
- The root contains inulin, a starchy soluble fibre with prebiotic properties that supports gut health. It has a mild laxative effect and helps reduce inflammation. Chicory is also a rich source of beta-carotene.
Source: LM
Kerala to be named Keralam
Syllabus: GS2/ Polity
Context
- The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to rename Kerala as Keralam.
Formation of the Modern State of Kerala
- Pre-Independence Background: Malayalam-speaking people were historically divided among multiple kingdoms and princely states. Major regions included Malabar (under British rule) and the princely states of Travancore and Kochi.
- In the 1920s, the Aikya (Unified) Kerala Movement demanded a single state for Malayalam speakers.
- On 1 July 1949, Travancore and Kochi merged to form the Travancore–Cochin State.
- State Reorganisation Commission: The Union Government appointed the State Reorganisation Commission (SRC) under Fazl Ali.
- It proposed the creation of a unified Kerala state.
- The state of Kerala was formally created on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act. It brought together:
- Malabar district (from Madras State).
- Travancore–Cochin State (excluding some Tamil-majority areas).
Process to rename a state in India
- Article 3 authorizes the Parliament to:
- form a new state by separation of territory from any state or by uniting two or more states or parts of states or by uniting any territory to a part of any state;
- increase the area of any state;
- diminish the area of any state;
- alter the boundaries of any state; and
- alter the name of any state.
- However, Article 3 lays down two conditions in this regard: a bill contemplating the above changes can be introduced in the Parliament only with the prior recommendation of the President; and before recommending the bill, the President has to refer the same to the state legislature concerned for expressing its views within a specified period.
- The President (or Parliament) is not bound by the views of the state legislature and may either accept or reject them.
- Moreover, the Indian Constitution (Article 4) itself declares that laws made for alteration of names of existing states (under Articles 3) are not to be considered as amendments of the Constitution under Article 368. such laws can be passed by a simple majority and by the ordinary legislative process.
Source: IT
Principle of Just Deserts
Syllabus: GS2/Polity and Governance
Context
- The Supreme Court flagged the trend among high courts of reducing the sentences awarded to the accused persons.
- Considering the seriousness of the situation, the Supreme Court laid down guidelines to be followed by courts while dealing with imposition of sentences.
Guidelines for courts
- Adherence to the principle of “just deserts” ought to be the primary duty of the courts.
- Just Deserts is a theory of punishment based on the idea that a person should be punished because they deserve it, and the punishment should be proportionate to the seriousness of the crime.
- It is also known as the Retributive Theory of Punishment
- Due consideration must be given to the facts and circumstances of the case, including the allegations, evidence and the findings of the trial court.
- The sentence should be adequate to maintain the public trust in law and administration; however, the court shall not be swayed by the outrage or emotions of the public and must decide the question independently.
Source: IE
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
Syllabus: GS2/Governance
In News
- The Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by an overseas citizen of India (OCI) seeking to be treated at par with NRIs for the purpose of practising law and obtaining state bar council membership.
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Scheme
- It was Introduced in August 2005 and provides for registration of all Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on January 26, 1950, or thereafter, or were eligible to become citizens of India on the said date.
- An OCI card holder — essentially a foreign passport holder — gets a multiple entry, multi-purpose life-long visa for visiting India, and is exempt from registration with local police authority for any length of stay in the country.
Rules regarding OCI card holders
- In 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs amended rules for OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card holders.
- Key changes include: OCI holders must now obtain permission or permits to visit protected, restricted, or prohibited areas in India, similar to rules for foreign nationals.
- New restrictions require OCIs to get special permits for research, missionary, journalistic, or Tablighi activities.
- OCIs are treated as foreign nationals under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA, 2003) for economic, financial, and educational matters, reversing their earlier parity with NRIs, though prior RBI circulars still apply.
- Eligibility Restrictions for OCI Cards: Applicants cannot have parents or grandparents who were citizens of Pakistan or Bangladesh.
- Foreign military personnel, whether serving or retired, are ineligible.
- Spouses of Indian citizens or OCIs can apply if married for at least two years.
- Rights Limitations for OCI Holders: Cannot vote, become a member of Parliament or state legislatures, or hold constitutional offices (President, Vice President, Supreme Court or High Court judge).
- Generally cannot hold government employment.
Recent observations of court
- It ruled that OCI status, while providing certain privileges, does not equate to Indian citizenship, which remains a mandatory prerequisite for enrolment under Section 24 of the Advocates Act.
- Section 24 of the Advocates Act deals with the persons who may be admitted as advocates on the state roll.
Source : AIR
National Launch of Access Pass for Fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
In News
- Recently, the Government launched the Access Pass for Fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in all 13 coastal states.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
- The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is the ocean area up to 200 nautical miles from a country’s coast where it has sovereign rights to explore and use marine resources.
- Countries can claim additional areas beyond 200 nautical miles if scientifically validated to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) as part of their extended continental shelf, allowing commercial exploitation of minerals, oil, and polymetallic nodules.
- India’s maritime claims include 12 nautical miles of territorial sea and a 200-nautical-mile EEZ from its baselines.
Access Pass
- It is a key instrument under the EEZ Rules to empower Indian fishers to sustainably harvest high-value oceanic resources.
- It is required for mechanized and large-sized motorized vessels, which can be obtained free of cost through the online Registration and Licensing of Fishing Craft (ReALCRaft) portal.
- It aims to support the transition from near‑shore to deep‑sea fishing,
- It aims promote fisher organisation into cooperatives and FFPOs,
- It aims to enhance incomes through higher catch, better prices and export‑compliant practices such as traceability and certification.
ReALCRaft portal
- It is developed as a national online platform by the NIC and Department of Fisheries.
- It provides web-based, citizen-centric services to marine fishers and coastal States/UTs for the registration and licensing of fishing vessels, transfer of ownership, and related processes, thereby promoting ease of doing business.
- It is also integrated with Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and the Export Inspection Council (EIC) for issuance of Fish Catch and Health Certificates, which are key requirements for exporting seafood to premium international markets.
- This integrated digital system ensures end-to-end traceability, sanitary compliance, and eco-labelling, thereby enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian marine products.
Source :PIB
Exercise Dharma Guardian
Syllabus: GS3/Defence
Context
- The 7th edition of the annual India–Japan joint military exercise Dharma Guardian commenced at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.
About
- Exercise Dharma Guardian was initiated in 2018. It is conducted annually and held alternately in India and Japan.
- The primary objective of the exercise is to strengthen military collaboration and enhance the combined operational capabilities of both forces to undertake joint operations in a semi-urban environment.
Do you know?
- Exercise JIMEX is a bilateral naval exercise conducted between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Source: DDNews
Functional Diversity
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
Context
- Study finds land-use change and elevation reshaping spider communities in the north-western Indian Himalayas.
What is functional diversity?
- Functional diversity is mostly about the roles species play in a given ecosystem and physical (morphological) or behavioural (life history) characters that allow them to play these roles.
- Each species performs different ecological functions cumulatively contributing to functional diversity.
- Higher functional diversity makes ecosystems more stable, as if one species becomes locally extinct, another with a similar role can compensate.
- Continued agricultural expansion and other anthropogenic activities may simplify complex natural landscapes, pushing Himalayan biodiversity towards new functional regimes with lower resilience.
Source: DTE
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