G20 Agriculture and Water Ministers’ Meet

Why in NEWS?

• Union Jal Shakti Minister and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare highlighted Indian Government’s priorities in G-20 Agriculture and Water Ministers’ Meet. Number of meetings have been held among member countries to bring synergy and prepare roadmap for holistic water management.

About

• A virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture and Water Ministers held on 12th September 2020, was attended by G-20 Member countries and special invitees.
• As a part of this dialogue, a 3-days meeting was organized by Saudi presidency during 10-12 September, 2020.
• During the Saudi presidency, G-20 discussion held on sustainable and resilient water management, thereby optimizing the impacts of water related activities in G- 20 forum through collaboration, knowledge sharing on different aspects of water.
• The Minister stated that technology plays a critical role in the prevailing pandemic situation and applauded India’s IT expertise which India shares with the whole world.
• The Minister of Jal Shakti reiterated that India believes in the concept of ‘Universal brotherhood & Collective wisdom’ and will continue to play an active role in collaborative groups such as G-20.
• Stating that agriculture is a high priority sector for Government of India, MoS, Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, reiterated India’s resolve to work together in collaboration to enhance the productivity, sustainable use of natural resources, development of agriculture value chain and promotion of trade for the benefit of people.
• It was also emphasized about the progressive reforms and measures taken up by government of India to open up new agricultural market options, development of agricultural infrastructure, food processing enterprises, value chains and logistics for fisheries and animal husbandry, medicinal and herbal plants.
• It was also informed that Government of India has taken several initiatives to improve the quality of life of its 1.37 billion people by implementing a 51 Billion US- Dollar programme, ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ to provide household tap connections to 190 million rural homes, thereby ensuring drinking water security.
• India welcomed the new initiative of Saudi Presidency of sharing successful case studies/ best practices in water sector of G-20 member countries. The Minister offered to share India’s experience on irrigation development and optimal use of water resources to achieve food security.
• India will be part of G-20 Troika from December, 2020 and host G-20 Presidency from December, 2021 to November, 2022 when India celebrates its 75 years of Independence, which will be an excellent opportunity for G-20 member countries to explore the cultural heritage and various aspects of the world’s largest democracy and ancient civilization.

G20 presidency

• It brings together several global leaders, their attending delegations and independent experts.
• This effort is focused on a small, but powerful group which expects good airports, accommodation, conference facilities, and communications infrastructure all year round.
• The president of the G20 is tasked with leading and managing the global economic agenda for the year.
• These are typically undertaken by the finance ministry and foreign ministry of a country, and a special appointee such as G20 Sherpa, and they together act as the secretariat to the G20 Presidency.

हिन्दी दिवस

ज्ञानकोश

• हिन्दी दिवस प्रत्येक वर्ष 14 सितम्बर को मनाया जाता है। 14 सितम्बर 1949 को संविधान सभा ने एक मत से यह निर्णय लिया कि हिन्दी ही भारत की राजभाषा होगी।
• इसी महत्वपूर्ण निर्णय के महत्व को प्रतिपादित करने तथा हिन्दी को हर क्षेत्र में प्रसारित करने के लिये राष्ट्रभाषा प्रचार समिति, वर्धा के अनुरोध पर वर्ष 1953 से पूरे भारत में 14 सितम्बर को प्रतिवर्ष हिन्दी-दिवस के रूप में मनाया जाता है।
• एक तथ्य यह भी है कि 14 सितम्बर 1949 को हिन्दी के पुरोधा व्यौहार राजेन्द्र सिंहा का 50-वां जन्मदिन था, जिन्होंने हिन्दी को राष्ट्रभाषा बनाने के लिए बहुत लंबा संघर्ष किया ।
• स्वतंत्रता प्राप्ति के बाद हिन्दी को राष्ट्रभाषा के रूप में स्थापित करवाने के लिए काका कालेलकर, मैथिलीशरण गुप्त, हजारीप्रसाद द्विवेदी, सेठ गोविन्ददास आदि साहित्यकारों को साथ लेकर व्यौहार राजेन्द्र सिंह ने अथक प्रयास किए।

राजभाषा सप्ताह

• इसका मुख्य उद्देश्य वर्ष में एक दिन इस बात से लोगों को रूबरू कराना है कि जब तक वे हिन्दी का उपयोग पूरी तरह से नहीं करेंगे तब तक हिन्दी भाषा का विकास नहीं हो सकता है।
• इस एक दिन सभी सरकारी कार्यालयों में अंग्रेज़ी के स्थान पर हिन्दी का उपयोग करने की सलाह दी जाती है। इसके अलावा जो वर्ष भर हिन्दी में अच्छे विकास कार्य करता है और अपने कार्य में हिन्दी का अच्छी तरह से उपयोग करता है, उसे पुरस्कार द्वारा सम्मानित किया जाता है। इतिहास
• वर्ष 1918 में गांधी जी ने हिन्दी साहित्य सम्मेलन में हिन्दी भाषा को राष्ट्रभाषा बनाने को कहा था। इसे गांधी जी ने जनमानस की भाषा भी कहा था।
• वर्ष 1949 में स्वतंत्र भारत की राष्ट्रभाषा के प्रश्न पर 14 सितम्बर 1949 को काफी विचार-विमर्श के बाद यह निर्णय लिया गया जो भारतीय संविधान के भाग 17 के अध्याय की अनुच्छेद 343(1) में इस प्रकार वर्णित है: “संघ की राष्ट्रभाषा हिन्दी और लिपि देवनागरी होगी। संघ के राजकीय प्रयोजनों के लिए प्रयोग होने वाले अंकों का रूप अंतर्राष्ट्रीय रूप होगा।“
• यह निर्णय 14 सितम्बर को लिया गया, इसी दिन हिन्दी के मूर्धन्य साहित्यकार व्यौहार राजेन्द्र सिंहा का 50-वां जन्मदिन था, इस कारण हिन्दी दिवस के लिए इस दिन को श्रेष्ठ माना गया था।
• हालांकि जब राष्ट्रभाषा के रूप में इसे चुना गया और लागू किया गया तो गैर-हिन्दी भाषी राज्य के लोग इसका विरोध करने लगे और अंग्रेज़ी को भी राजभाषा का दर्जा देना पड़ा। इस कारण हिन्दी में भी अंग्रेज़ी भाषा का प्रभाव पड़ने लगा।

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act

IN NEWS

• Former JNU student Umar Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell and booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for alleged conspiracy in the riots that had rocked northeast Delhi.

ABOUT

• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India.
• The National Integration Council appointed a Committee on National Integration and Regionalization to look into, the aspect of putting reasonable restrictions in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India. UAPA was passed in 1967.
• Unlawful activity as amended refers to any action taken by an individual or association intended to disrupt the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.
• Under UAPA, both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged. It will be applicable to the offenders in the same manner, even if crime is committed on a foreign land, outside India. It has death penalty and life imprisonment as highest punishments.

CONCERN

• The primary objections to the Amendment are under Section 35, in addition to the categorization of organizations as terrorist organizations, extended the power to include within its scope the categorization of individuals as terrorists
• An individual cannot be called a ‘terrorist’ prior to conviction in a court of law, It subverts the principle of “innocent until proven guilty. A wrongful designation will cause irreparable damage to a person’s reputation, career and livelihood.

CONCLUSION

• Right to Reputation is an intrinsic part of fundamental right to life with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and terming/tagging an individual as ‘terrorist’ even before the commencement of trial or any application of judicial mind over it does not adhere to procedure established by law.
• UAPA being a piece of ‘security legislation’ allows the government to arrest the citizens that might commit crimes mentioned under it. It is problematic legislation for various reasons.
• It does not allow dissent. It criminalizes mere thoughts and political protests that cause “disaffection” with the state. It is an assault of citizens’ right to expression which is also a collective right of groups and unions to disseminate their views and UAPA majorly targets this right. It confers upon the government broad discretionary powers and also authorizes the creation of “special courts with the ability to use secret witnesses and to hold closed-door hearings.

Tulu Language

IN NEWS

• About 2,000 pages of 50 modern short stories in Tulu literature have been translated to the universal language English in past four years.

About

• B. Surendra Rao, a scholar and a retired professor of History at Mangalore University and K. Chinnappa Gowda, a former Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka Folklore University and a scholar, have translated them
• Mangalore University now has shown interest to publish the latest work of the two scholars.
• With their latest work named as ‘Heartbeats’ the two former professors have translated approximately 2,000 pages of Tulu literature to English continuously since 2017.
• The stories selected have addressed the prevailing problems including poverty, untouchability, illiteracy, dowry, drunken bout, exploitation and such other social evils and the ways in which people fought against them.
• Its authors (original writers) have upheld the dignity of women, the need for socio- economic equality, and the dignity of individuals irrespective of their caste and creed, and peaceful co-existence.
• In addition to five short stories selected from the first phase of developments in the 1930s, they have also selected 17 stories by 13 women writers and some stories by four Muslim writers whose stories become important for understanding the cultural uniqueness that exists among the people speaking Tulu and Beary languages.

TULU Language

• Tulu is a Dravidian language whose speakers are concentrated in 2 coastal districts of Karnataka in southwestern India, and in a part of the Kasaragod district of Kerala.
• The native speakers of Tulu are referred to as Tuluva or Tulu people and the geographical area is unofficially called as Tulu Nadu.
• The Indian census report of 2011 reported a total of 1,846,427 native Tulu speakers in India.
• Separated early from Proto-South Dravidian, Tulu has several features not found in Tamil–Kannada. For example, it has the pluperfect and the future perfect, like French or Spanish, but formed without an auxiliary verb.
• Tulu is the primary spoken language in Tulu Nadu consisting of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district of Karnataka and a part of Kasaragod district of Kerala.
• Apart from Tulunadu, a significant emigrant population of Tulu speaking people is found in Maharashtra, Bangalore, Chennai, the English-speaking world, and the Gulf countries.
• The various medieval inscriptions of Tulu from the 15th century are in the Tulu script. Two Tulu epics named Sri Bhagavato and Kaveri from the 17th century were also written in the same script.
• However, in modern times the Tulu language is mostly written using the Kannada script.
• The Tulu language is known for its oral literature in the form of epic poems called Paddana. The Epic of Siri and the legend of Koti and Chennayya belong to this category of Tulu literature