Solution (d)

The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Thus it a statutory body.

Six religious communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been notified in Gazette of India as minority communities by the Union Government all over India.

The Commission has the following functions:

• Evaluate the progress of the development of Minorities under the Union and States.
• Monitor the working of the safeguards provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the State Legislatures.
• Make recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of Minorities by the Central Government or the State Governments.
• Look into specific complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Minorities and take up such matters with the appropriate authorities.
• Cause studies to be undertaken into problems arising out of any discrimination against Minorities and recommend measures for their removal.
• Conduct studies, research and analysis on the issues relating to socio-economic and educational development of Minorities.
• Suggest appropriate measures in respect of any Minority to be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Governments.
• Make periodical or special reports to the Central Government on any matter pertaining to Minorities and in particular the difficulties confronted by them.
• Any other matter which may be referred to it by the Central Government.

The Commission has the following powers:

• Summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath.
• Requiring the discovery and production of any document.
• Receiving evidence on affidavit.
• Requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office.
• Issuing commissions for the ex

Article Link: Fill up vacant posts in Minority Commission

Solution (d)

Although the Indian Constitution does not define the word Minority, it has provided constitutional safeguards and fundamental rights to minorities:

Under Fundamental Rights Part III of Indian Constitution:

• Right of ‘any section of the citizens’ to ‘conserve’ its ‘distinct language, script or culture’ (Article 29(1))
• Right of all Religious and Linguistic Minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice (Article 30(1))
• Freedom of Minority-managed educational institutions from discrimination in the matter of receiving aid from the State (Article30(2))

Under Part XVII Official Language of Indian Constitution:

• Rights for any section of population for language spoken by them (Article 347)
• Provision for facilities of instruction in mother tongue (Article 350A)
• Provisioning a special officer for linguistic minorities and defining his duties (Article 350B)

Article 22 of the Indian Constitution provides protection to individual against arrest and detention in certain cases.

Article Link: Minorities have to be treated as ‘weaker sections’: NCM to Supreme Court

Solution (a)

GUAREX is a price based index tracking the price movement in the futures contracts of its underlying i.e. Guar Seed and Guar Gum Refined Splits on a real-time basis. The weightage of Guar Seed and Guar Gum Refined Splits in the index will be 63.43 percent & 36.57 percent, respectively.

It is launched by National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) which is an Indian-based agricultural product exchange a large market share in the agricultural products segment.

Article Link: NCDEX launches futures contract on sectoral index NCDEX GUAREX

Solution (c)

TAPAS (Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services) is the initiative of National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, to provide access to lectures by subject experts, study material and more, but in a manner that it supplements the physical classroom without compromising on the quality of teaching. 

The main objective of introducing the course modules is to impart training and enhance the knowledge and skills for the capacity building of the participants. 

It can be taken up by anyone who wishes to enhance his or her knowledge on the topics and there is no fee for joining. 

The five basic courses are on Drug (Substance) Abuse Prevention, Geriatric/Elderly Care, Care and Management of Dementia, Transgender Issues and on comprehensive course on Social Defence Issues.

Article Link: Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar launches TAPAS

Solution (b)

The gray slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus) is a species of primate in the family Loridae. It is found in India and Sri Lanka. 

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

It is found in south-western India roughly between the Tapti and Godavari Rivers down to the south coast of the subcontinent. The subspecies are separated geographically. In south-western India, the Malabar gray slender loris occurs in the wet forests of the Western Ghats in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu up to an altitude of 1,200 metres.

The Mysore gray slender loris inhabits the tropical dry forests of the Eastern Ghats in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

It can also be found on the dry eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.

It is classified under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Act, 1972.

Article Link: In Karur, a conservation dilemma regarding the slender loris