June 3rd Current Affairs

1. Memorandum of Understanding between India and Maldives.

IN NEWS:

Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding between India and Maldives on cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.

KEY POINTS:

• The MoU was signed in February, 2021.
• A Joint Working Group (JWG) will be constituted to strategize and implement programmes on cooperation under the framework of the MoU.
• The Joint Working Group will meet once in a year, alternately in Maldives and in India.

Benefits:

• The MoU will promote strong, deep and long-term bilateral cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development between the two countries.
• The MoU is expected to create employment in the areas of sustainable urban development including Urban Planning, Smart Cities Development, Solid waste management, Affordable housing, Urban Green Mobility, Urban Mass Rapid Transport, Smart Cities Development.

OBJECTIVE:

The objectives of the MoU are to facilitate and strengthen India-Maldives technical cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development including Urban Planning, Smart Cities Development, Solid waste management, Affordable housing, Urban Green Mobility, Urban Mass Rapid Transport, smart cities development and any other related area mutually agreed by contracting parties.

SOURCE:PIB

2. Cooperation in the field of Mass Media.

IN NEWS:

Cabinet approves Signing and Ratification of an Agreement on “Cooperation in the field of Mass Media” between all the Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

KEY POINTS:

• The Agreement was signed in June, 2019.
• The Agreement shall promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among associations in the field of Mass Media. 
• Each Side shall, on the basis of reciprocity, facilitate the activities thereby ensuring equity.  The Agreement would provide an opportunity for the Member States to share best practices and new innovations in the field of Mass Media.

Features:

The main areas of cooperation are following:

1. creation of favorable conditions for wide and mutual distribution of information through the Mass Media in order to further deepen the knowledge about the lives of the peoples of their States.;
2. cooperation among the Editorial Offices of the Mass Media of their States, as well as among the relevant Ministries, Agencies and Organizations working in the field of the Mass Media, specific conditions and forms of which shall be determined by the participants themselves, including through conclusion of separate agreements;
3. promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among professional associations of journalists of the States of the Sides in order to study the available professional experience, as well as to hold meetings, seminars and conferences in the field of Mass Media;
4. assist in broadcasting of television and radio programs and programs, distributed legally within the territory of the State of the other Side, the legal broadcasting by Editorial Offices of materials and information, if their distribution meets the requirements of the legislation of the States of the Sides;
5. encourage the exchange of experience and specialists in the field of Mass Media, provide mutual assistance in training media professionals and encourage cooperation among the educational and scientific-research institutions and Organizations operating in this field.

Important Information:

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation.
• It is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance
• Established in: 2001.
• Supreme decision-making body: Heads of State Council (HSC)
• It meets once a Year .
• Two permanent bodies:
• SCO Secretariat based in Beijing.
• Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent.

SOURCE:PIB

3. Memorandum of Understanding between India and Argentine

IN NEWS:

Cabinet approves Memorandum of Understanding between India and Argentine Republic on cooperation in the field of Mineral Resources.

KEY POINTS:

• The MoU will provide an institutional mechanism for cooperation in the field of Mineral Resources.
• The objectives of the MoU are to strengthen the activities involved like cooperation for encouraging minerals exploration and development, including extraction, mining and beneficiation of lithium;
• Possibilities of forming joint venture in the field of base metals, critical and strategic minerals for mutual benefit; 
• Exchange of technical and scientific information and interchange of ideas and knowledge; training and capacity building;
• Promotion of investment and development in the area of mining activities, would serve the objective of innovation.

SOURCE:TH

4. Model Tenancy Act

IN NEWS:

Cabinet approves Model Tenancy Act for circulation to the States/Union Territories for adoption.

KEY POINTS:

• Act will overhaul the legal framework with respect to rental housing across the country, which would help spur its overall growth.
• The Model Tenancy Act aims at creating a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive rental housing market in the country. 
• It will enable creation of adequate rental housing stock for all the income groups thereby addressing the issue of homelessness. 
• Model Tenancy Act will enable institutionalisation of rental housing by gradually shifting it towards the formal market.
• The Model Tenancy Act will facilitate unlocking of vacant houses for rental housing purposes. 
• It is expected to give a fillip to private participation in rental housing as a business model for addressing the huge housing shortage.

SOURCE:IE

5. India Cycles4Change:

IN NEWS:

The India Cycles4Change challenge is beginning to gain momentum in Indian cities.

KEY POINTS:

• The challenge was launched under the Smart Cities Mission by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 25th June, 2020, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As the COVID-19 pandemic was making inroads across the country, cycling saw a huge rise in demand.
• The lockdown restrictions had significantly affected the commuters of public transport, who saw cycling as a personal and COVID-safe alternative for short and medium distance commute.
• Moreover, cycling was also seen as a means of staying healthy- physically and mentally by the people who were confined to their homes.
• In this backdrop, with the launch of India Cycle4Change challenge, 107 cities registered to be a part of the cycling revolution and 41 cities undertook initiatives vis. surveys, discussions, pop-up cycle lanes, safer neighbourhoods, open street events, cycle rallies, or online campaigns that were aimed at creating a cycle friendly city.
• The Smart Cities Mission, in association with Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) conducted training modules and other capacity building initiatives to guide 107 cities on various cycling initiatives.

SOURCE:IE