Background
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
It deals with cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources, including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property.
The Tribunal is mandated to make an endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing.
New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting; Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are the other four places of sitting.
It is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but is guided by principles of natural justice; it is vested with the powers of a civil court under that Code for discharging its functions.
Established:
18.10.2010
Parent Act:
National Green Tribunal Act 2010
Disposal norm:
Within 6 months of filing
Principal Place of Sitting:
New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: Establishment date, parent Act, the 6-month disposal norm and the five places of sitting are standard polity and environment-law facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CPC Code of Civil Procedure — The 1908 Code that lays down the procedure for civil cases; the NGT is not bound by its procedure.
Background
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) is a constitutional body established under Article 338 of the Constitution of India, as described on its website.
In July 1978 the Government of India decided to set up a Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, by a Ministry of Home Affairs Resolution dated 21st July, 1978.
A Ministry of Welfare Resolution dated 1.09.1987 modified its functions and renamed it the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The first Commission under the Constitution (65th Amendment) Act was constituted on 12.03.1992, replacing the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the Commission set up under the Ministry of Welfare's Resolution of 1987.
Consequent upon the Constitution (Eighty-Ninth Amendment) Act, 2003, a notification dated 30.09.2003 replaced the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with two bodies: the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
The rules of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes were framed by the NCSC and notified on 20 February, 2004.
Constitutional basis:
Article 338
First Commission under the 65th Amendment Act constituted:
12.03.1992
Replaced by two commissions (89th Amendment):
30.09.2003
Rules notified:
20 February, 2004
Why it matters for exams: The Article 338 link and the 65th and 89th Amendment sequence that produced separate SC and ST commissions are frequently tested.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NCST National Commission for Scheduled Tribes — The separate commission for Scheduled Tribes that came into being with the NCSC after the 2003 split.
Background
The idea of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India in 1956, during the debate on the report of the States Re-organisation Commission; he suggested grouping the States into four or five zones, each with an Advisory Council.
Five Zonal Councils were set up vide Part-III of the States Re-organisation Act, 1956.
As listed on the Ministry of Home Affairs page, the Southern Zonal Council comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each Council; the Chief Ministers of the States in each zone act as Vice-Chairman by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time.
Each Zonal Council has a Standing Committee consisting of the Chief Secretaries of its member States.
The North Eastern States are not included in the Zonal Councils; their special problems are looked after by the North Eastern Council, set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972.
The Councils are advisory bodies.
Number of Zonal Councils:
Five
Set up under:
States Re-organisation Act, 1956 (Part-III)
Chairman:
Union Home Minister
Vice-Chairman term:
One year at a time, by rotation
North Eastern Council set up under:
North Eastern Council Act, 1972
Why it matters for exams: Zonal Councils are a statutory (not constitutional) forum; the parent Act, the chair and rotating vice-chair, and the North Eastern Council exception are classic Centre-State relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NEC North Eastern Council — The body set up under the North Eastern Council Act, 1972 to look after the special problems of the North Eastern States.
Background
In a federation the powers and functions of government are divided between two governments; in India these are the Union Government and the various State Governments.
With the passage of the 73rd and 74th amendment acts of the Constitution of India, in 1993 (as the Ministry of Panchayati Raj's page puts it), the division of powers and functions was further trickled down to Local Self Governments.
These are the Panchayat at village levels and the Municipalities and Municipal Corporations in towns and large cities.
As such, India now has not two but three tiers of governments in its federal set-up.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating to Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions; it was created in May 2004 and is headed by a minister of cabinet rank.
Amendments:
73rd and 74th
Year given on the Ministry page:
1993
Tiers of government:
Three
Ministry of Panchayati Raj created:
May 2004
Why it matters for exams: The 73rd and 74th Amendments created the third tier of government; examiners pair them with Panchayats versus Municipalities and the three-tier federal structure.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PRI Panchayati Raj Institution — A local self-government body at the village level, as described by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Background
DRDO works under the Department of Defence Research and Development of the Ministry of Defence.
Its stated mission is self-reliance in critical defence technologies and equipping the armed forces in accordance with requirements laid down by the three Services.
DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the Technical Development Establishments of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production with the Defence Science Organisation.
It was then a small organisation with 10 establishments or laboratories.
Today it is described as a network of around 41 laboratories and 5 DRDO Young Scientist Laboratories.
Its page names Agni and Prithvi missiles, the Tejas light combat aircraft, the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher and the Akash air defence system among its indigenous developments.
Its motto is Balasya Mulam Vigyanam.
Formed:
1958
Establishments at formation:
10
Laboratories today (around):
41
Young Scientist Laboratories:
5
Motto:
Balasya Mulam Vigyanam
Why it matters for exams: DRDO's origin, parent department and flagship systems are standard defence-science questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DYSL DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory — A DRDO laboratory in the category of Young Scientist Laboratories counted separately from the around 41 laboratories.
Pinaka Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher — An indigenously developed multi-barrel rocket launcher named on the DRDO page.
Background
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
It was formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research.
It was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, in pursuance of the report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture.
Its headquarters are at New Delhi.
Its page describes ICAR as the apex body for co-ordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.
Its page counts 113 ICAR institutes and 74 agricultural universities.
Established:
16 July 1929
Legal form:
Registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860
Headquarters:
New Delhi
ICAR institutes (per its page):
113
Agricultural universities (per its page):
74
Why it matters for exams: ICAR's 1929 origin, legal form and parent department are favourite agriculture-institution questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DARE Department of Agricultural Research and Education — The department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under which ICAR functions.
Background
In 1875 the Government of India established the India Meteorological Department, bringing all meteorological work in the country under a central authority.
H. F. Blanford was appointed Meteorological Reporter to the Government of India.
The page records Sir John Eliot as the first Director General of Observatories, appointed in May 1889 at the Calcutta headquarters.
The headquarters later shifted to Shimla, then to Poona (now Pune) and finally to New Delhi.
India had older weather stations: Calcutta in 1785 and Madras in 1796, set up by the British East India Company.
Captain Harry Piddington of Calcutta coined the word cyclone, meaning the coil of a snake.
A disastrous tropical cyclone struck Calcutta in 1864, followed by monsoon failures in 1866 and 1871.
Established:
1875
Meteorological Reporter appointed:
H. F. Blanford
Observatory at Calcutta (earlier station):
1785
Observatory at Madras (earlier station):
1796
Headquarters moves:
Calcutta, Shimla, Poona, New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: IMD's 1875 founding and its history of headquarters are recurring science-institution questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IMD India Meteorological Department — The central authority for meteorological work in India, established in 1875.
Background
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was set up under the direct charge of the Prime Minister through a Presidential Order on August 3, 1954.
By that order, all business of the Government of India related to atomic energy and to the Central Government's functions under the Atomic Energy Act, 1948 (XXIX of 1948) was to be transacted in the Department.
The Atomic Energy Commission, with full executive and financial powers, was set up by a Government resolution dated March 1, 1958, and is responsible for formulating the Department's policy.
The Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Atomic Energy is ex-officio Chairman of the Commission.
DAE's mandate includes uranium exploration and processing, nuclear fuel fabrication, heavy water production, and the construction and operation of nuclear power plants.
It comprises 6 research centres, including BARC (Mumbai) and IGCAR (Kalpakkam), and 5 public sector undertakings, including NPCIL (Mumbai).
DAE set up (Presidential Order):
August 3, 1954
Atomic Energy Commission set up (Government resolution):
March 1, 1958
Act named in the 1954 order:
Atomic Energy Act, 1948
Research centres:
6
Public sector undertakings:
5
Grant-in-aid institutes:
11
Why it matters for exams: DAE's founding instrument, the 1958 Commission and its constituent units are common science-and-governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AEC Atomic Energy Commission — The body set up in 1958 with full executive and financial powers to formulate DAE policy.
NPCIL Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited — One of the 5 public sector undertakings of DAE, based at Mumbai.
Background
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 on 12 July 2016.
It functions under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The Aadhaar Act 2016 was amended by the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, with effect from 25.07.2019.
UIDAI was created to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID), named Aadhaar, to all residents of India.
The number had to be robust enough to eliminate duplicate and fake identities and verifiable and authenticable in an easy, cost-effective way.
Under the Act, UIDAI is responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and authentication, including operation and management of all stages of the Aadhaar life cycle.
Its page says it traces its origins to the 2006 UID initiatives.
Established:
12 July 2016
Parent law:
Aadhaar Act 2016
Amendment Act:
Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 (14 of 2019)
Amendment in force from:
25.07.2019
Ministry:
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Why it matters for exams: UIDAI's statutory basis and its mandate over enrolment and authentication are frequent governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UID Unique Identification number — The number issued by UIDAI, named Aadhaar.
Background
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) was established on the 25th May 1998 as an autonomous Research and Development Institution of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (formerly Department of Ocean Development).
The Centre is designated as the nodal organization for the co-ordination and implementation of the Indian Antarctic Programme.
That includes the maintenance of India's permanent station in Antarctica.
NCPOR is located in Goa.
Year-round maintenance of the two Indian stations, Maitri and Bharati, is its primary responsibility.
Maitri was established in 1989 and Bharati in 2011.
NCPOR established:
25th May 1998
Parent ministry:
Ministry of Earth Sciences
Location:
Goa
Maitri station established:
1989
Bharati station established:
2011
Why it matters for exams: NCPOR, its nodal role and the Maitri and Bharati stations are standard questions on India's polar programme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NCPOR National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research — The nodal organization for the Indian Antarctic Programme, located in Goa.
Background
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India was established on 12 October, 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993, as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Section 2(1)(d) of the PHR Act defines human rights as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.
The NHRC is in conformity with the Paris Principles, adopted at the first International workshop on National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Paris in October 1991.
Under Section 3, the Commission has a Chairperson who has been a Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court; one Member who is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court; one Member who is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court; and three Members, at least one of whom shall be a woman, with knowledge of or practical experience in matters relating to human rights.
The Chairpersons of the National Commissions for Backward Classes, Minorities, Protection of Child Rights, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Women, and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, are deemed Members for the functions in clauses (b) to (j) of Section 12.
A Secretary-General is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission.
Established:
12 October, 1993
Statute:
Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
Amended by:
Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019
Definition of human rights:
Section 2(1)(d)
Composition:
Section 3
Why it matters for exams: The parent statute, the Section 2(1)(d) definition, the Section 3 composition and the deemed-Member provision are standard polity questions on statutory bodies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PHRA Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 — The statute under which the NHRC is established.
Background
The National Commission for Women (NCW) was set up as a statutory body in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (Act No. 20 of 1990).
Its purposes include reviewing the Constitutional and legal safeguards for women, recommending remedial legislative measures, facilitating redressal of grievances and advising the Government on all policy matters affecting women.
The Committee on the Status of Women in India (CSWI) recommended the establishment of the Commission.
The Bill received the assent of the President on 30th August 1990, and the First Commission was constituted on 31st January 1992.
Under Section 3 the Commission consists of a Chairperson, five Members and a Member-Secretary, all nominated by the Central Government; at least one Member each shall be from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively.
Section 10 functions include looking into complaints and taking suo moto notice of matters, and inspecting a jail, remand home, women's institution or other place of custody where women are kept.
Act:
National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (Act No. 20 of 1990)
Presidential assent to the Bill:
30th August 1990
First Commission constituted:
31st January 1992
Members besides Chairperson and Member-Secretary:
Five
Why it matters for exams: The parent Act, the 1992 start, the CSWI origin and the Section 3 composition are common questions on statutory commissions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CSWI Committee on the Status of Women in India — The committee whose recommendation led to the setting up of the Commission.