Q1. What is an Electronic Voting machine? In what way its functioning is different from the conventional system of voting?

Ans. An Electronic Voting Machine consists of two Units – a Control Unit and a Balloting Unit – joined by a five-meter cable. The Control Unit is with the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer and the Balloting Unit is placed inside the voting compartment. Instead of issuing a ballot paper, the Polling Officer in-charge of the Control Unit will press the Ballot Button. This will enable the voter to cast his vote by pressing the blue button on the Balloting Unit against the candidate and symbol of his choice.

Current Affairs Foreign Affairs

Union Minister of Power, Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, and the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr Greg Barker, met today in New Delhi for bilateral discussions.  Among other issues of mutual interest, they discussed the question of industrial energy efficiency, and considered areas where bilateral collaboration could help inform analysis and future work on both sides.  They agreed that officials from their respective ministries should take forward enhanced cooperation in the following areas:

Current Affairs Social Issues

The National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP), 1999 envisages State support to ensure financial and food security, health care, shelter and protection of life and property of senior citizens.

The Government also enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 which provides for maintenances of parents/senior citizens by children/relatives, establishment of old age homes for indigent senior citizens, adequate medical facilities and protection of life and property of senior citizens.

Current Affairs Security Issues

Data on violent incidents in North Eastern States, State-wise, for the period January to June, 2010 and comparative data for the same period during previous two years, as given below do not show that there is an increase in militant activities. Government is aware that the normal life of common people do get affected due to activities of certain militant groups who indulge in various insurgent activities including kidnapping for ransom, extortion, etc.

Current Affairs security issues

‘Self-reliance’ has been a significant goal in defence production. Towards this end the Government has so far taken the following steps:

(i)                    The defence manufacturing sector was earlier reserved for the public sector only. In May, 2001 the Central Government opened it for participation by the private sector to the extent of 100%, with Foreign Direct Investment permissible upto 26% both subject to licensing. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has notified detailed guidelines for licensing production of arms and ammunition. So far 135 licenses have been issued to 75 companies in the private sector.

Current Affairs diffence

Indian armed forces have been grappling with instances of fragging and suicide cases every year. The details of suicide and fratricide (fragging) cases for the last three years are as under:-

The main reasons for attrition are superannuation, retirement, removal from service on account of disciplinary proceedings, death or disability, resignation and voluntary retirement. However, the main reasons for leaving of their job by Force personnel are:-

i)   Family/Personal/Domestic problems.

ii)  Separation from family for long duration.

The Government is considering extending the benefits of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to the domestic workers in the country. In their first report, the Task Force on Domestic Workers has, inter-alia, made following recommendations:

(i)  Extension of the welfare schemes to the domestic workers including Health and Maternity benefit, Death and Disability benefit and old age benefits.

The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Murli Deora has said that the price increase of sensitive petroleum products recently have been marginal.  Making a SuoMoto statement in the Lok Sabha , Shri Deora said “while making the decision, we have been quite conscious of the need to protect the common man. Only the bare minimal burden has been passed on to the consumers”.   He added that average expenses on LPG because of price hike  increase by less than Re. 1/day per family considering annual consumption of  8 cylinders by a household.  Similarly, average  daily increase in expenditure because of the price hike on PDS kerosene comes to less than 50 paise per rural household.

The following schemes are being implemented by the Government for the welfare of the persons with disabilities:-

(i) Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS):- Under the scheme, funds for the welfare of persons with disabilities are provided to the non-governmental organizations for projects like special schools for disabled, Vocational Training Centres, Half Way Homes, Community Based Rehabilitation Centres, Early Intervention Centres for Disabled and Rehabilitation of Leprosy Cured Persons etc.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is involved in development of defence technologies and now focusing on customization of certain technologies already developed for military operations to these new emerging security threats and development of new technologies and devices as projected by security forces, both military and para military, during recent interactions with them.

Based on security forces’ needs and DRDO capabilities, the requirements have been grouped in various technology heads, like technologies and devices for surveillance and Reconnaissance; Enhancing Day and Night Vision capability; Incapacitation; Arms and Ammunitions; Detection and Diffusion of Explosive and IEDs; Communication and Jamming; Personnel Protection and Support Systems. A comprehensive mission mode programme with participation of many DRDO labs, security forces and industries is being formulated. Some of the weapons developed by DRDO which are quite useful for LIC Operations are as Under:-

The total number of National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets enrolled in the country at present is 12,36,792. The details of funds allocated to NCC and utilized for the purpose during the last three years are as under:-

The Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers  (SRMS) was approved as a successor to National Scheme for Liberation of Rehabilitation of Seavengers (NSLRS)  during 2006.  A table showing the number of beneficiaries who have been provided loan under the Scheme and funds allocated to the State Channelising Agencies of the concerned States given below :-

The Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities was announced in June, 2006. The progress of implementation of the programme is regularly reviewed on half yearly basis by the Government. The details of the results of review for 2009-10 are as follows:

1.         Physical achievements under schemes included in the 15 Point Programme considered amenable to earmarking where targets for minorities were fixed for 2009-10 are given below:

Union Minister Of State for Rural Development  Shri  Pradeep  Jain  Aditya informed RajyaSabha  in a written response to a question that irrespective of the method used (whether the old method or the new methods are used), the percentage of the population below poverty line has declined by about the same magnitude.

Tripura stands at the top in implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) during the 2009-10 financial year, the state has achieved 82 mandays of job creation which is more than that of national average of 54 days. Sikkim also excelled  by creating 80 mandays in NREGA in the last financial year.

This has been possible due to people’s participation in the national flagship programme. There is a need to create immovable assets to boost the rural economy. Rural Development ministry had sanctioned an outlay of Rs 957 crore for 2009-10 but the state has received only Rs 725 crore. A total of Rs 232 crore is yet to be cleared.

The MTA points out that productivity per hectare can be doubled with existing varieties, provided we can adopt improved cultivation practices. We need to do more to manage our water resources and also to increase efficiency of water-use. We also need to focus on soil quality and the use of micro-nutrients, better seeds, improved extension and modernization of agricultural markets and also the development of a distribution network linking farms with consumers.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, addressed the closing session of 55th National Development Council meeting in New Delhi . Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address on the occasion:

“This has been a very fruitful discussion on Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) of the Eleventh Five Year Plan, in general, and in particular the five important issues that were identified, in particular. The sense of the discussions revealed a broad measure of agreement with the assessment and policy corrections suggested in the MTA. It is a suitable basis for initiating preparatory work on the Twelfth Five Year Plan.

The controversy over leasing of bayyaram mines leading to its cancellation in Andhra Pradesh, the disquieting  political developments in Karnataka havebrought the issue of illegal mining and export of iron ore to the fore. This problem is not confined to Karnataka but widespread in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Goa. Powerful mafias engaged in illegal mining are operating across states looting mineral resources in the most reckless manner and causing thousands of crores of losses to the state exchequer. By penetrating State Governments and political parties, this mining mafia is also subverting the democratic process and making a mockery of public administration and law enforcement. These entities cannot be checked only by piecemeal measures initiated by individual State Governments. The issue has to be seen as a national problem demanding a solution at the national level.

The Panchayat Empowerment & Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) is a Central Sector Plan Scheme which is being implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj since 2005-06. The scheme had an allocation of Rs.5.00 crore for 2005-06, which was raised to Rs.10.00 crore for the subsequent years.  Funds released to the State Governments/UTs on 100% grant basis, after assessing their devolution of the 3Fs (Funds, Functions and Functionaries).  The Scheme has continued in the 11^th Five Year Plan period with annual allocation of Rs.10.00 crore.