Higher Education Commission

• Setting the ball rolling for major reforms in higher education, the Centre has placed in the public domain a draft Bill for a Higher Education Commission of India – aimed at replacing the University Grants Commission – for eliciting suggestions from educationists
• The draft Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Act, 2018, takes away funding powers from the proposed regulator and gives it powers to ensure academic quality and even close down bogus institutions.
• There is no plan to merge all higher education regulators, as was proposed through a planned agency called HEERA, which was supposed to be put in place as a super regulator.

Salient features of the bill

• The new regime separates the academic and funding aspects of higher education. While HECI will be in charge of ensuring academic quality in universities and colleges, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) – or another mechanism that will be put in place later – will be responsible for funding universities and colleges
• Another key feature of the draft legislation is that “the Regulator will have powers to enforce compliance to the academic quality standards and will have the power to order closure of sub-standard and bogus institutions”.
• Moreover, non-compliance could result in fines or even a jail sentence.Till now, the UGC had no such powers. All it could do was to release a list of bogus institutions and not recognise their degrees.
• HECI is tasked with the mandate of improving academic standards with specific focus on learning outcomes, evaluation of academic performance by institutions, mentoring of institutions, training of teachers, promote use of educational technology, etc.
• It will develop norms for setting standards for opening and closure of institutions, provide for greater flexibility and autonomy to institutions, lay standards for appointments to critical leadership positions at the institutional level irrespective of university started under any law (including state list).

UGC (University Grants Commission)

• The University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) is a statutory body set up by the Indian Union government in accordance to the UGC Act 1956 under Ministry of Human Resource Development, and is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education.
• It provides recognition to universities in India, and disburses funds to such recognised universities and colleges. Its headquarters is in New Delhi
• The UGC was first formed in 1945 to oversee the work of the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras and Delhi. Its responsibility was extended in 1947 to cover all Indian universities.

Kabir Mahotsav

•  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a two-day ‘Kabir Mahotsav’ at Maghar in Sant Kabir district of Uttar Pradesh to mark the 500th death anniversary of Kabir Das.
• The festival, organised by the Ministry of Culture, will feature folk music, dance performances, and musical theatre, artistes from all over the country will participate.

2+1 dialogue mechanism

•  Nepali officials are mulling over China’s proposal of a “two-plus-one” mechanism, where Beijing and New Delhi can jointly hold a dialogue with a third country in South Asia.
• The Chinese side has been emphatic that its relations with the Nepal will be conducted according to the five principles of peaceful coexistence — the basis for a foreign policy among equals.

Five principles of peaceful coexistence:

1. Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
2. Mutual non-aggression.
3. Mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
4. Equality and cooperation for mutual benefit.
5. Peaceful co-existence.

Dam Safety Bill

• The Union Cabinet,in its meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal for introduction of Dam Safety Bill, 2018 in the Parliament. The objective of this Bill is to help develop uniform, countrywide procedures for ensuring the safety of dams.
• While dams have played a key role in fostering rapid and sustained agricultural growth and development in India, there has been a long felt need for a uniform law and administrative structure in the country for ensuring dam safety.
• The Central Water Commission, through the National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS), Central Dam Safety Organization (CDSO) and State Dam Safety Organizations (SDSO) has been making constant endeavours in this direction, but these organizations do not have any statutory powers and are only advisory in nature.

Concern

This can be a matter of concern, especially since   about 75 percent of the large dams in India are more than 25 years old and about 164 dams are more than 100 years old.A badly maintained, unsafe dam can be a hazard to human life, flora and fauna, public and private assets and the environment.

Salient features

• The provisions of the Dam Safety Bill 2018 will empower the dam safety institutional set-ups in both the Centre and States and will also help in standardizing and improving dam safety practices across the country.
• The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 addresses all issues concerning dam safety including regular inspection of dams, Emergency Action Plan, comprehensive dam safety review, adequate repair and maintenance funds for dam safety, Instrumentation and Safety Manuals. It lays the onus of dam safety on the dam owner and provides for penal provisions for commission and omission of certain acts.

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

The institutional framework for dam safety as provided under the dam safety bill 2018 includes the following:

National Committee on Dam Safety(NCDS)

The Bill provides for constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety which shall evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations as may be required for the purpose.

National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA)

The Bill provides for establishment of National Dam Safety Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the policy, guidelines and standards for dam safety in the country.

• It shall maintain liaison with the State Dam Safety Organisations and the owners of dams for standardisation of dam safety related data and practices;
• It shall provide the technical and managerial assistance to the States and State Dam Safety Organisations;
• It shall maintain a national level data-base of all dams in the country and the records of major dam failures;
• It shall examine the cause of any major dam failure;
• It shall publish and update the standard guidelines and check-lists for the routine inspection and detailed investigations of dams and appurtenances;
• It shall accord recognition or accreditations to the organisations that can be entrusted with the works of investigation, design or construction of new dams;
• It will also look into unresolved points of issue between the State Dam Safety Organisation of two states, or between the State Dam Safety Organisation of a State and the owner of a dam in that State, for proper solution;
• Further, in certain cases, such as dams of one State falling under the territory of another State, the National Authority shall also perform the role of State Dam Safety Organization thereby eliminating potential causes for inter-state conflicts.

State Committee on Dam Safety (SCDS)

• The Bill provides for constitution of a State Committee on Dam Safety by State Government. It will ensure proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams in that State and ensure their safe functioning.
• It further provides that every State shall establish a “State Dam Safety Organisation”, which will be manned by officers from the field dam safety preferably from the areas of dam-designs, hydro-mechanical engineering, hydrology, geo-technical investigation, instrumentation and dam-rehabilitation.

State Dam Safety Organization (SDSO)

The Bill provides that every state having specified number of dams will establish a State Dam Safety Organization which will be manned by officials with sufficient experience in the field of dam safety.

Functions

• The Bill lays down that all specified dams will fall under jurisdiction of the SDSO of the State in which the dam is situated; For specified dams owned by CPSUs or where a dam is extended in two or more states or where a dam owned by one state is situated in other state, NDSA shall be construed as SDSO.
• For all dams under their jurisdiction, the State Dam Safety Organizations will be required to Keep perpetual surveillance Carry out inspections; and Monitor the operation and maintenance.
• make such investigations & gather such data as may be required.
• classify each dam as per vulnerability and hazard classification criteria laid down by NCDS.
• Maintain a Log Book/ Data-base recording activities of surveillance/ inspection and important events.
• maintain records of major dam incidents.
• render its advice to the concerned dam owner on the safety or remedial measures.

The dam owners are required to:-

• Earmark sufficient funds for maintenance & repairs, and to implement the recommendations of SDSO.
• Compile all technical documentations related to dam safety, along with information on resources/ facilities to be affected by dam failure.
• have state-of-the-art data management tools.

EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN & DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• Establish hydro-meteorological network and inflow forecasting system;
• Establish an emergency flood warning system;
• Test periodically for the aptness of above systems;
• Make available information on anticipated inflows, outflows, flood warnings & adverse impacts to authorities and public domain;
• Render cooperation to NDSA in running of early warning system.
• The Bill provides for punishment / penalty if the dam safety provisions are not followed.