IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Oct 10 & 11, 2016

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 require employers to define conditions of employment in their industrial establishments. The item one of the schedule to the Act classifies the workman (a) Permanent (b) Temporary (c) Apprentice (d) Casual (e) Probationer (f) Badlis.
• The list in this schedule is not exhaustive. The nature of industrial establishments may be a factor to decide the classification of the workmen. Example:- a seasonal establishment, intermittent working establishment, work of the establishment.
• Fixed term employment in apparel manufacturing sector will bring these fixed term employees on par with permanent employees in terms of wages and benefits.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• By proposed inclusion of the Fixed Term Workman as one of the category of workman in the classification of workman in the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 , the Ministry intends to make such workman on fixed term employment eligible for all statutory benefits available to permanent workman proportionately accordingly to the period of service rendered by him. Even though his period of employment does not extend to the qualifying period of employment required in the statute.
• This step would ultimately benefit the workers as their working conditions would be at par with the regular permanent employees including social security and other benefits.
• It would, on the one hand provide flexibility for employing workers as per the demands of the market and on the other hand improve the working conditions of the workers already working for some fixed tenure only by way of contracts.
• It would also provide prescribed format of contract for engaging workers on fixed term employment, thereby avoiding any exploitation of such workers.
• The inclusion in the IE (SO) Act would define formally the conditions of employment on which the workman would be engaged for Fixed Term.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• It is one of the measures of the approved Textile package for Textile sector.
• The measures assume significance also due to its potential for social transformation through women empowerment; since 70% of the workforce in the garment industry are women, majority of the new jobs created are likely to go to women.
• Presently, as per Section 2 (bb)(oo) of the ID Act, the workers could be employed on contract basis for some fixed time period and the removal of such workers on termination of contract is not considered as retrenchment.
• Hence they are not eligible for any notice period or retrenchment compensation as per the ID Act.
• This indicates that there is an indirect provision of employment of workers for a fixed term, however the service conditions of workers engaged for definite period is not stipulated leading to different treatment for workers on fixed term employment.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:

• The outcomes of new urban agenda based on sustainable urban planning would include reducing water and electricity use by 50 per cent from that of normal use, enabling over 60 per cent of urban travel by public transport, generating half of power from renewable sources, and promoting walking and cycling for last mile connectivity.
• Promoting natural drainage patterns, reducing waste generation of all kind and promoting greenery are some of the government agenda for sustainable urban development.
• Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister released the India Habitat III-National Report on World Habitat Day today, ahead of the UN Habitat III Conference in Quito, Ecuador later this month where a global new urban agenda for the next 20 years is going to be adopted.
• India’s strategy for urban development intends to give a big push to use growing urbanisation for rapid economic development while at the same time committing itself to address issues of sustainable development and climate change.

ANSWER: Housing

Explanation:

• “Habitat III” is shorthand for a major global summit, formally known as the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development.
• The objectives of the Conference are to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assess accomplishments to date, address poverty and identify and address new and emerging challenges.
• The conference will result in a concise, focused, forward-looking and action-oriented outcome document.
• India has released its ‘India Habitat III-National Report’, which defines its own strategy for sustainable urban development.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Habitat III is the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development to take place in Quito, Ecuador, from 17 – 20 October 2016.
• The UN Conferences on Housing (Habitat) are occurring in the bi-decennial cycle (1976, 1996 and 2016).
• The United Nations General Assembly decided to convene The Habitat III Conference.
• Habitat II, the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, was held in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996. The conference outcomes were integrated in the Istanbul Declaration.
• Habitat I was the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976. Here the governments began to recognize the need for sustainable human settlements and the consequences of rapid urbanization, especially in the developing world. The conference outcomes were integrated the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements

ANSWER: Habitat I

Explanation:

• The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development.
• It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976.
• UN-Habitat maintains its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya.
• It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
• The mandate of UN-Habitat derives from the Habitat Agenda, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• The twin goals of the Habitat Agenda are ‘adequate shelter for all’ and ‘the development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world’.
• The Habitat Agenda was adopted in 1996 during the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). This was held in Istanbul, Turkey, 1996.
• Other commitments include - Enablement and participation; Gender equality; Financing shelter and human settlements; International cooperation; Assessing progress.

ANSWER: Habitat III

Explanation:

• The New Urban Agenda will be the outcome document agreed upon at the Habitat III conference in October 2016.
• In turn, it will guide the efforts around urbanization of a wide range of actors — nation states, city and regional leaders, international development funders, United Nations programmes and civil society — for the next 20 years.
• Inevitably, this agenda will also lay the groundwork for policies and approaches that will extend, and impact, far into the future.
• The United Nations’ current line of thought and action on global urbanization is based on and explained in the Habitat Agenda: Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the outcome document agreed upon in 1996 at the Habitat II conference.
• The twin goals of the Habitat Agenda are ‘adequate shelter for all’ and ‘the development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world’.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• Within the United Nations, the Habitat Agenda’s influence has been wide
• Its main provisions found mention into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 2000 with a target of achieving “cities without slums”.
• The MDGs’ focus on eradicating poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability closely correlated with the Habitat Agenda.
• World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and Rio+20 in 2012, have consistently reaffirmed the main tenets of the Habitat Agenda.
• Current discussions around the Post-2015 Development Agenda, also, draw on the principles of the Habitat Agenda.
• In Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the urban-focused SDG, Goal 11, can also be seen as an extension of an idea first set out by the Habitat Agenda.