Current Affairs Question - 10 October 2019

Explanation :

• Department of Disinvestment was renamed as Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) from 14th April, 2016.
• It is mandated to look in to the matters relating to the management of Central Government investments in equity including disinvestment of equity in Central Public Sector Undertakings and sale of Central Government equity through offer for sale or private placement or any other mode in the erstwhile Central Public Sector Undertakings.
• Public Sector Units (PSUs) for strategic sale were identified by NITI Aayog till now but from now onwards, DIPAM and NITI Aayog will jointly identify PSUs for strategic disinvestment.

Vision

• Promote people’s ownership of Central Public Sector Enterprises to share in their prosperity through disinvestment.
• Efficient management of public investment in CPSEs for accelerating economic development and augmenting Government’s resources for higher expenditure.

Explanation :

• Incorporated in 1958 as a Government of India fully owned public enterprise, NMDC is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel.
• The company has been categorised by the Department of Public Enterprises as " NAVRATNA" Public Sector Enterprise in 2008. In 1998, it was conferred the Mini Ratna status.
• NMDC is India's single largest iron ore producer, producing about 30 million tonnes of iron ore.
• Since inception it has been involved in the exploration of wide range of minerals including iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite, beach sands etc.

Navratna Companies

• Navratna scheme was introduced in 1997, to identify Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) that had comparative advantages and to support them in their drive to become global giants.
• It gives a company enhanced financial and operational autonomy and empowers it to invest up to 1000 crore or 15% of their net worth on a single project without seeking government approval.
• The prime criteria for getting Navratna status is that the renowned company must holds a status of Miniratna category-1 along with few independent directors at Miniratna level.

Explanation :

• The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration of the tribal areas in the four northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram as per Article 244(2).
• It provides provision for creation of the District Councils and regional councils. Each district / regional council is a body corporate which is empowered for administration of the area under its jurisdiction. They are named as “District council of (name of district) and Regional Council of (name of region)
• The Governor is empowered to include any other area, exclude any area, increase, decrease, diminish these areas and alter the names and boundaries of these autonomous districts and regions.
• The sixth schedule to the Constitution includes 10 autonomous district councils in 4 states. These are:

• Assam: Bodoland Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Dima Hasao Autonomous District Council.
• Meghalaya: Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
• Tripura: Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
• Mizoram: Chakma Autonomous District Council, Lai Autonomous District Council, Mara Autonomous District Council.

Tribes to be excluded

• The five minor tribes - Bodo-Kachari, Hajong, Koch, Mann and Rabha are grouped together as ‘unrepresented tribes’ for nomination in Meghalaya’s autonomous tribal councils.
• These minor tribes are indigenous to Meghalaya and have been living in the state much before its creation in 1972.

Explanation :

• The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region extends 3,500 km over all or part of eight countries from Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar in the east.
• It encompasses an area of mountains in the eight countries of Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• The HKH region - part of the Third Pole due to its largest permanent snow cover after the North and South poles, sustains the livelihoods of 240 million people living in the mountains and hills.
• It is the source of ten large Asian river systems - the Amu Darya, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra (Yarlungtsanpo), Irrawaddy, Salween (Nu), Mekong (Lancang), Yangtse (Jinsha), Yellow River (Huanghe), and Tarim (Dayan).