Why in News Recently, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft departed from asteroid Bennu, and started its two-year long journey back to Earth. OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey its surface and collect a sample from it. Key Points About OSIRIS-REx Mission: It is the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission, aiming to collect and carry a pristine, unaltered sample from an asteroid back to earth for scientific study. The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) spacecraft was launched in 2016 for the journey to Bennu. The mission is essentially a seven-year-long voyage and will conclude when at least 60 grams of samples are delivered back to the Earth (in 2023). As per the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the mission promises to bring the largest amount of extraterrestrial material back to the Earth since the Apollo era. Apollo was the NASA program that resulted in American astronauts’ making a total of 11 space flights and walking on the moon (1968-72). The spacecraft contains five instruments meant to explore Bennu including cameras, a spectrometer and a laser altimeter. Recently, the spacecraft’s robotic arm called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), made an attempt to “TAG” the asteroid at a sample site and collected a sample. Significance: Scientists will use the asteroid samples to study the formation of the solar system and of habitable planets such as Earth. NASA will also distribute a part of the samples to laboratories worldwide and will reserve about 75% of the samples for future generations who can study it with technologies not yet created. Asteroid Bennu: Bennu is an ancient asteroid, currently more than 200 million miles from Earth. It is about as tall as the Empire State Building (US) and is named after an Egyptian deity. The asteroid was discovered by a team from the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research team in 1999. It is known that this asteroid is a B-type asteroid, implying that it contains significant amounts of carbon and various other minerals. Because of its high carbon content, it reflects about 4% of the light that hits it, which is very low when compared with a planet like Venus, which reflects about 65% of the light that hits it. Earth reflects about 30%. Around 20-40% of Bennu’s interior is empty space and scientists believe that it was formed in the first 10 million years of the solar system’s formation, implying that it is roughly 4.5 billion years old. There is a slight possibility that Bennu, which is classified as a Near Earth Object (NEO), might strike the Earth in the next century, between the years 2175 and 2199. NEOs are comets and asteroids nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits which allows them to enter the Earth’s neighbourhood. Bennu is believed to have been born in the Main Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and because of gravitational tugs from other celestial objects and the slight push asteroids get when they release absorbed sunlight, the asteroid is coming closer to Earth. Bennu offers scientists a window into the early solar system as it was first taking shape billions of years ago and tossing ingredients that could have helped seed life on Earth. Significantly, Bennu hasn’t undergone drastic changes since its formation over billions of years ago and therefore it contains chemicals and rocks dating back to the birth of the solar system. It is also relatively close to the Earth. Asteroids These are rocky objects that orbit the Sun, much smaller than planets. They are also called minor planets.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Tribal Affairs, recommending that the Union Territory of Ladakh be declared a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The Sixth Schedule provides for the administration of tribal areas after setting up autonomous district and regional councils in the four northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. RACE IAS www.raceias.com Page 16 of 62 The NCST feels this will help in - 1. Democratic devolution of powers, 2. Preserve and promote the distinct culture of the region, 3. Protect agrarian rights including rights on land and 4. Enhance the transfer of funds for speedy development of the region. Background The NCST’s recommendation comes against the backdrop of growing demand from a predominantly tribal population and political leaders of Ladakh for according “tribal area” status to the region. The total tribal population in Ladakh region is more than 97%. The Home Ministry is the central authority for declaring an area as a “tribal area”. The Commission discussed the issue of including Ladakh under the Fifth or Sixth Schedule of the Constitution at a meeting held in August. The NCST also consulted the Home, Law and Tribal Affairs Ministries in this regard. After discussing the issue in detail, the Commission decided to recommend ‘tribal area’ status for Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. RELATED BILL The Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill The government introduced Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill to increase the financial and executive powers of the 10 Autonomous Councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the northeastern region. The amendment will impact one crore tribal people in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Key Facts: ● The proposed amendments provide for elected village municipal councils, ensuring democracy at the grassroot level. ● The village councils will be empowered to prepare plans for economic development and social justice including those related to agriculture, land improvement, implementation of land reforms, minor irrigation, water management, animal husbandry, rural electrification, small scale industries and social forestry. ● The Finance Commission will be mandated to recommend devolution of financial resources to them. ● The Autonomous Councils now depend on grants from Central ministries and the State government for specific projects. At least one-third of the seats will be reserved for women in the village and municipal councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura after the amendment is approved. Key Provisions: Autonomous Districts RACE IAS www.raceias.com Page 17 of 62 The governor is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. Thus, he can increase or decrease their areas or change their names or define their boundaries and so on. If there are different tribes in an autonomous district, the governor can divide the district into several autonomous regions. Composition: Each autonomous district has a district council consisting of 30 members, of whom four are nominated by the governor and the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise. Term: The elected members hold office for a term of five years (unless the council is dissolved earlier) and nominated members hold office during the pleasure of the governor. Each autonomous region also has a separate regional council. The district and regional councils administer the areas under their jurisdiction. They can make laws on certain specified matters like land, forests, canal water, shifting cultivation, village administration, inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, social customs and so on. But all such laws require the assent of the governor. Village Councils: The district and regional councils within their territorial jurisdictions can constitute village councils or courts for trial of suits and cases between the tribes. They hear appeals from them. The jurisdiction of the high court over these suits and cases is specified by the governor. Powers and Functions: ● The district council can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets, ferries, fisheries, roads and so on in the district. ● It can also make regulations for the control of money lending and trading by non-tribals. But, such regulations require the assent of the governor. ● The district and regional councils are empowered to assess and collect land revenue and to impose certain specified taxes. The acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts and autonomous regions or apply with specified modifications and exceptions. The governor can appoint a commission to examine and report on any matter relating to the administration of the autonomous districts or regions. He may dissolve a district or regional council on the recommendation of the commission.

Union government kick-starts POSHAN Maah 2019 with a year-long social and mass media campaign on the Eat Right India movement. The new Eat Right India logo that represents a healthy plate, an online eat right quiz and online course for frontline health workers. Why Needed ? The country is in need of a movement on preventive health for all in the backdrop of the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases, widespread deficiencies of vitamins and minerals and rampant food-borne illnesses. RACE IAS www.raceias.com Page 15 of 62 About Eat Right Movement: The Eat Right India movement was launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) which aims to cut down salt/sugar and oil consumption by 30% in three years and to engage and enable citizens to improve their health and well-being by making the right food choices. The Eat Right India movement is a crucial preventive healthcare measure to trigger social and behavioural change through a judicious mix of regulatory measures combined with soft interventions for ensuring awareness and capacity building of food businesses and citizens alike. This movement is aligned with the government’s flagship public health programmes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anemia Mukt Bharat, Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Swachh Bharat Mission. Eat Right India takes a holistic approach to food habits that promote health and sustainability. Launching this movement on this platform with the support of stakeholders such as the World Health Organization (WHO), along with Ministers and delegates from South East Asian countries, is a landmark event. Measures Taken By FSSAI: ● The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also put in place robust regulatory measures under three major pillars: Eat Safe, Eat Healthy and Eat Sustainably for the programme. ● FSSAI has prescribed a limit for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) at 25% in cooking oil to avoid the harmful effects of reused cooking oil. WHO’s Message The Eat Right India movement’s message is close to the heart of what the WHO has been saying all along. There has been a shift in the cause of mortality from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer, not only in India, but also across the world. The four main factors to prevent non-communicable diseases are healthy diet, physical exercise, avoidance of tobacco and alcohol. Therefore, the message of ‘Eat Right’ should be promoted everywhere. Citizens should choose healthy food and the food industry should manufacture healthy food.

Union Government said that a Centralised Technology Vertical (CTV) would be set up under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at a cost of ₹99 crore to facilitate real-time information sharing with investigators across the country. The CTV would be functional by next year which was announced at the 1st national conference on cyber-crime investigation and forensics organised by the CBI. After the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution, “cyber manipulators” were posing risk to the country by circulating fake videos on social media, which needed to be addressed. The Central government had given thrust to the optimum use of technology, quoting examples of Digital India, Government e-Marketplace, Aadhaar and Jandhan schemes and along with that it has highlighted the importance of studying cyber offences, given that India has the second largest users of Internet in the world. Non-government organisations and activists should also join the fight against cyber crime. About Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): ● The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India. ● Operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the CBI is headed by the Director. ● CBI, India’s first agency to investigate corruption, the Special Police Establishment, was set up in 1941, six years before independence from British rule to probe bribery and corruption in the country during World War II. ● In 1946, it was brought under the Home Department and its remit was expanded to investigate corruption in central and state governments under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. ● The special police force became the Central Bureau of Investigation after the Home Ministry, which is in charge of domestic security, decided to expand its powers and change its name in 1963. The CBI having gained a high degree of credibility over the years in terms of the quality of investigations and had helped enhance the credibility of Indian democracy.

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the 'Angikaar campaign', a move aimed at bringing beneficiaries of PMAY (urban) into the fold of other central schemes such as Ujjawala and Ayushman Bharat. The convergence would especially focus on Ujjwala for gas connection and Ayushman Bharat for health insurance to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(U). According to the ministry, around 88 lakh houses have so far been approved against the demand of 1.12 crore. The 'Angikaar' aims at reaching out all the beneficiaries of the PMAY(U) in a phased manner. About PMAY- Urban: Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA), in Mission mode envisions provision of Housing for All by 2022, when the Nation completes 75 years of its Independence. The Mission seeks to address the housing requirement of urban poor including slum dwellers through following programme verticals: ● Slum rehabilitation of Slum Dwellers with participation of private developers using land as a resource. ● Promotion of Affordable Housing for weaker section through credit linked subsidy. ● Affordable Housing in Partnership with Public & Private sectors. ● Subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house construction /enhancement.

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