Sakshi Education
- AuditOnline Application for Local Bodies
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has decided to conduct an online audit of accounts of about 50,000 Gram Panchayats (GPs) through its application AuditOnline during the current financial year (2020-21). This will be the first such exercise.
Key Points
Online Audit of Accounts: 50,000 GPs’ books of accounts for 2019-20 will be audited with a focus on how they used Finance Commission (FC) grants.
50,000 is equivalent to the 20% of the estimated 2.5 lakh GPs across the country.
In the next financial year (2021-22), the exercise will be scaled up to cover all the GPs.
The 15th FC recommended an allocation of Rs. 60,750 crore for rural local bodies during 2020-21, almost the same as last year under the 14th FC.
AuditOnline:
It is an application developed as a part of Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES) under e-panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) initiated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
It facilitates the financial audit of accounts at all the three levels of Panchayats viz District, Block and Village Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and Line department by Auditors.
It not only facilitates the online and offline audit of accounts but also serves the purpose of maintaining the past audit records of the auditee with associated list of the auditors and audit team involved in the audit.
Also the information remains available in public domain and for usage by other PES applications.
Benefits of Online Audit:
Online audit with the option of physical verification assumes greater relevance given the pandemic and the lockdown.
As some works (done under other schemes) are geo-tagged, auditors can do a sample check by visiting the site.
Further, it ensures accountability in the utilisation of funds at the ground level.
In the offline system, timely availability of records is a major issue. However, in the online system, the auditors will be able to see online all documents related to work approval and payments. They can even ask for additional documents such as photographs as a proof of work done.
Moreover, an online audit can be monitored at all levels: district-state-centre.
Challenge:
More than 15% of Panchayats in several states have not completed their books of accounts for the year 2019-20.
Completing and closing the accounts is a prerequisite for the online audit.
While 100% of Panchayats in Maharashtra and Haryana have closed their 2019-20 accounts, no Panchayat has done this in Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar. States like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are also low performers.
Panchayat Enterprise Suite
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has undertaken e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (e-Panchayat MMP) with a view to introduce and strengthen e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the country and build associated capacities of the PRIs for effective adoption of the e-Governance initiative.
Under e-Panchayat, a suite of 11 Core Common Applications has been deployed that address nearly the entire spectrum of Panchayats' functioning viz. from internal core functions such as Planning, Monitoring, Budgeting, Accounting, Social Audit etc. to citizen service delivery operations like issue of certificates, licenses etc.
- Refusal of Rajasthan Speaker’s Plea by Supreme Court
Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has refused Rajasthan Assembly Speaker’s plea to stop the State’s High Court from deciding the validity of the anti-defection notices.
Earlier, the Speaker had issued notice to the 19 dissident Congress MLAs of the ruling Party on the ground of plotting conspiracy to bring down the government.
Key Points
Background:
The 19 rebel MLAs of Rajasthan's ruling party (Congress) have filed a petition before the High Court challenging the disqualification notices issued to them by the Assembly Speaker under Anti Defection Law.
High Court’s Stand:
The High Court directed the speaker to defer action on the disqualification notices by stating that he cannot decide the matter.
It also directed him to extend the time to file replies to disqualification notices.
Speaker’s Argument:
Unconstitutional: Seeking a stay on the High Court’s direction, the speaker stated that it is unconstitutional and in derogation of the powers of the Speaker under the Constitution.
Non Intervention of HC: Giving the reference to the KihotoHollohan versus Zachillu and Others, 1992 he argued that his decision is totally in the domain of the Speaker to decide on disqualification of members, and no court can intervene in between.
He also stated that HC has no jurisdiction to ask him to defer the proceedings.
The proceedings under the Tenth Schedule before the Speaker are proceedings of the Legislature and as such cannot be interfered with, as envisaged under Article 212 which has been read with para 6(2) of the Tenth Schedule.
Show Cause Notice: He said he had only issued show cause notices to the MLAs on a complaint filed by the Congress chief.
Show cause notice means an order that requires a party to explain why a certain course of action should not be taken against it. If the party cannot convince or fails to appear, that course of action is taken.
The notice was an opportunity for the MLAs to explain their conduct.
Supreme Court's Argument:
Voice of Dissent: SC has questioned about shutting down a legislator’s “voice of dissent” with the threat of disqualification in a democracy.
It asked whether expressing dissent amounts to voluntarily giving up the party membership under Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and inviting anti-defection proceedings.
Speaker as a Tribunal: It further stated that the Speaker is like a tribunal and he must not have acted with political intentions.
- GoI launched online system to issue transit permits for timber, forest produce
The Ministry of Environment launched the National Transit Pass System (NTPS), an online system for issuing transit permits for timber, bamboo, and other forest produce. It was virtually inaugurated by the Union Minister of Environment Prakash Javadekar.
The System will make the process of getting permits faster and without physically going to forest department offices. The pilot project will function in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Telangana fro now.
National Transit Pass System (NTPS):
The NTPS will enhance the seamless movement of forest produce.
NTPS is a role-based and work-flow based application that is available on computers and mobile devices.
The system will make the process of getting permits faster and without physically going to get the pass. It will save time and energy.
Under NTPS, through mobile application e-pass will be issued for transit of forest produce.
NTPS is aimed to bring ease of business and expedite issuance of transit permits for timber, bamboo and other minor forest produce without physically going to forest offices.
NTPS will replace the manual paper-based transit system by online transit system and will bring in one permit for whole India for transit of timber, bamboo and other minor forest produce for ease of doing business.
- Union Minister inaugurated World Class State of the Art Honey Testing Lab
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the ‘World Class State of Art Honey Testing Laboratory’ in Anand, Gujarat through Video Conference.
The laboratory was established by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) with support of the National Bee Board (NBB). The move is in line with PM Narendra Modi's vision to bring sweet revolution in India.
Highlights:
The establishment of Laboratory will encourage large number of famers for production and marketing of Honey and earn more profit in agriculture.
NDDB has set-up this world-class lab based on the parameters notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) with all the facilities and developed the test methods/protocols, which have been accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Now, FSSAI has notified new standards of Honey, Bee Wax and Royal Jelly.
Centre aims to increase the income of farmers and the Bee-keeping enterprise has to play a major role in supplementing the income of farmers.
Government of India is taking several activities to promote beekeeping under Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Mission for Beekeeping being implemented through the National Bee Board and the States.
GoI also aims to increase bee colonies, honey bee production, processing, marketing and export, which will significantly contribute in GDP and boosting the rural economy.
- Cabinet decision binding on Governor
Political turmoil in the state of Rajasthan.
Background:
There has been a deadlock between Rajasthan Governor and Rajasthan Chief Minister over the summoning of an Assembly session for a floor test.
While the Chief Minister has been demanding the summoning of an Assembly session at the earliest, the Governor has not been receptive of the demand.
Details:
The article discusses a key Supreme Court judgment which could act as a guiding light during the current deadlock.
NabamRebia versus Deputy Speaker, 2016:
In the NabamRebia versus Deputy Speaker case of 2016, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had held that a Governor is bound to convene a meeting of the Assembly for a floor test on the recommendation of the Cabinet.
It held that the Governor cannot employ his/her discretion in this matter and should strictly abide by the aid and advice of the Cabinet.
- Maratha Quota
The Supreme Court (SC) is set to commence the final hearing on the batch of Special Leave Petitions (SLPs-Article 136) against Maratha reservation in Maharashtra on a daily basis through video-conferencing.
The apex court will also hear a petition challenging admission to postgraduate medical and dental courses under the quota in the state.
Key Points
The SLPs challenged the Bombay High Court (HC) decision, which upheld the constitutional validity of the Maratha quota under the state’s Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018.
The SEBC Act provides for reservation of seats for admission in educational institutions in the state and for reservation of posts for appointments in public services and posts under the state.
Maharashtra is one of the few states which have more than 50% reservation.
Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Telangana also exceed the reservation cap.
Indra Sawhney case 1992 ruled that the total reservation for backward classes cannot go beyond the 50% mark.
Background:
A group of aspiring medical students challenged the constitutional validity of an amendment to the SEBC Act, 2018 allowing Maratha reservation for 2019-2020 admissions to MBBS courses.
In July 2019, the Bombay HC dismissed the petition.
The SC refused to stay the judgement and have, time and again, refused to put an interim stay on the quota.
Recently, the SC refused to grant interim stay on a plea by medical students, seeking a direction that the 12% quota not be made applicable for admissions in postgraduate medical and dental courses for the academic year 2020-21.
Marathas:
It is a politically dominant community in Maharashtra comprising mainly peasants and landowners and forms nearly one-third of the population of the state.
Majority of the Chief Ministers of the state have been from this community since the formation of the state in 1960.
Marathas are mostly Marathi-speaking but not all Marathi-speaking people belong to the Maratha community.
Historically, they have been identified as a ‘warrior’ caste with large land-holdings.
While the division of land and agrarian problems over the years have led to a decline of prosperity among the middle class and lower-middle-class Marathas, the community still plays an important role in the rural economy.
Bombay High Court Ruling:
In July 2019, it ruled that the 16% quota granted by the state was not ‘justifiable’ and reduced it to 12% in education and 13% in government jobs, as recommended by the 11-member Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC).
The limit of the reservation should not exceed 50% but in exceptional circumstances and extraordinary situations, this limit can be crossed subject to availability of quantifiable and contemporary data reflecting backwardness, the inadequacy of representation and without affecting the efficiency in administration.
While the backwardness of the community was not comparable with Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), it was comparable with several other backward classes, which find a place in the list of Other Backward Classes (OBC) pursuant to the Mandal Commission.
Findings of Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission:
It surveyed about 45,000 families from two villages from each of 355 talukas with more than 50% Maratha population.
Social Backwardness:
76.86% of Maratha families are engaged in agriculture and agricultural labour for their livelihood.
Nearly 70% reside in Kachha dwellings.
Only 35-39% have personal tap water connections.
During 2013-2018, total 13,368 farmers committed suicides and 23.56% of them were Marathas.
88.81% of Maratha women are involved in physical labour for earning a livelihood, besides their physical domestic work.
- Contempt of Court
Recently, the Supreme Court of India suo moto initiated the proceedings for criminal contempt of court against lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan for his tweet criticising the current Chief Justice of India and the role of some Chief Justices of India in the last six years.
Key Points
Constitutional Provisions:
Article 129: Grants Supreme Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.
Article 142(2): Enables the Supreme Court to investigate and punish any person for its contempt.
Article 215: Grants every High Court the power to punish for contempt of itself.
However, the expression ‘contempt of court’ has not been defined by the Constitution.
Contempt of Courts:
As per the Contempt of Courts Act 1971, contempt refers to the offence of showing disrespect to the dignity or authority of a court. The Act divides contempt into civil and criminal contempt.
Civil contempt: It is willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other processes of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to the court.
Criminal contempt: It is any act which may result in:
Scandalising the court by lowering its authority.
Interference in the due course of a judicial proceeding.
An obstruction in the administration of justice.
The Contempt of Courts Act 1971 was amended in 2006 to include the defence of truth under Section 13 of the original legislation. Implying that the court must permit justification by truth as a valid defence if it is satisfied that it is in the public interest.
Further, innocent publication and distribution of some matter, fair and reasonable criticism of judicial acts and comment on the administrative side of the judiciary do not amount to contempt of court.
Punishment for Contempt of Court:
The Supreme Court and High Courts have the power to punish for contempt of court, either with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months or with fine up to Rs. 2,000 or with both.
In 1991, the Supreme Court ruled that it has the power to punish for contempt not only of itself but also of high courts, subordinate courts and tribunals functioning in the entire country.
On the other hand, High Courts have been given special powers to punish contempt of subordinate courts, as per Section 10 of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971.
Need for Contempt Law:
To insulate the judiciary from unfair attacks and prevent a sudden fall in the judiciary’s reputation in the public eye.
It helps judges to do their duties of deciding cases without fear, favour, affection or ill will.
Issues with Contempt Law
Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution gives the right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens, while “contempt provisions” curb people’s freedom to speak against the court’s functioning.
The law is very subjective which might be used by the judiciary arbitrarily to suppress their criticism by the public.
For example, the assessment of the ground of scandalizing the court, depends, to a great degree, on the temperament and preference of the judge. What could be contempt to Judge A may not be contempt to Judge B.
- Seismicity Study of Arunachal Himalaya
Recently, a study by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), pertaining to the exploration of the elastic properties of rocks and seismicity in Arunachal Himalaya, has revealed that the area is generating moderate earthquakes at two different crustal depths.
WIHG is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.
The region has been placed into Seismic Zone V, thus most vulnerable to earthquakes.
Key Points
The Study:
WIHG has installed 11 broadband seismic stations (connected through the Global Positioning System) along the Lohit River Valley of Arunachal Himalaya to understand the elastic properties of rocks and seismicity in the easternmost part of India.
It used both teleseismic (earthquakes that occur more than 1000 km from the measurement site) and local earthquake data with the help of seismometers.
A seismometer is an instrument that responds to ground motions, such as caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions.
Latest Findings:
Two Different Crustal Depths: Low magnitude earthquakes are concentrated at 1-15 km depth, whereas slightly higher than 4.0 magnitude earthquakes are mostly generated from 25-35 km depth.
The intermediate-depth is devoid of seismicity and coincides with the zone of fluid/partial melts.
High Poisson’s Ratio: Extremely high Poisson’s ratio was also obtained in the higher parts of the Lohit Valley, indicating the presence of fluid or partial melt at crustal depths.
Poisson's ratio is a measure of the Poisson effect that describes the expansion or contraction of a material in directions perpendicular to the direction of loading.
A high Poisson’s ratio denotes that the material exhibits large elastic deformation, even when exposed to small amounts of strain.
Significance:
Under thrusting of the Indian Plate:
Himalaya is a result of collision between the Indian and the Eurasian plates about 50-60 million years ago. Due to continuous under thrusting of Indian plate beneath the Eurasian plate, stresses are increasing and accumulating progressively in the Himalayas.
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia), with the exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia.
This process keeps modifying the drainage patterns and landforms and is the pivotal reason for causing an immense seismic hazard in the Himalayan mountain belt and adjoining regions, necessitating assessment and characterization of earthquakes in terms of cause, depth and intensity.
The Tuting-Tidding Suture Zone: TTSZ is a major part of the Eastern Himalaya, where the Himalaya takes a sharp southward bend and connects with the Indo-Burma Range.
This part has gained importance in recent times due to the growing need of constructing roads and hydropower projects, therefore emphasising the need for understanding the pattern of seismicity in this region.
Crustal Thickness: The crustal thickness in this area varies from 46.7 km beneath the Brahmaputra Valley to about 55 km in the higher elevations of Arunachal, with a marginal uplift of the contact.
This marginal uplift defines the boundary between crust and the mantle, technically called the Moho discontinuity.
The Moho discontinuity has been defined by the distinct change in velocity of seismological waves as they pass through changing densities of rock.
- Regulation of Government Advertising: CCRGA
Recently, the Supreme Court-mandated Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA) issued a notice to the Delhi government, seeking clarifications on a recent advertisement placed by it in Mumbai editions of prominent newspapers.
However, according to the Delhi government, CCRGA doesn’t have jurisdiction over the Delhi government. The advertisement content of Delhi government is regulated by its own State-level committee.
Key Points
CCRGA:
As per the directions of Supreme Court in 2015, the Government of India had set up a three member body in 2016 to look into content regulation of government funded advertisements in all media platforms.
It is empowered to address complaints from the general public and can also take suo-moto cognizance of any violation of the Supreme Court guidelines and recommend corrective actions.
Supreme Court Guidelines:
The content of government advertisements should be relevant to the government’s constitutional and legal obligations as well as the citizen’s rights and entitlements.
The advertisement materials should be designed to meet the objectives of the campaign and to ensure maximum reach in a cost effective way.
It should be accurate and not presenting pre existing policies and products as new. The advertisement content should also not promote the political interests of the ruling party.
- HRD Minister launched 2020 India Report on Digital Education
Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ virtually launched "India Report on Digital Education, 2020".
The report elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by Ministry of HRD, Education Departments of States and Union Territories (UT) to ensure accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps.
India Report on Digital Education 2020:
The report highlights the central Initiatives State/UT Governments that managed the critical task of providing digital education at the doorstep of the students.
The report include the initiatives that were taken to facilitate remote learning and education for all by taking schools to the students.
The report stated the quality digital education that has acquired the new urgency in the present context of globalization.
To improve Digital education, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has initiated many projects to assist teachers, scholars, and students including:
DIKSHA platform
Swayam Prabha TV Channel
Online MOOC courses
On Air – Shiksha Vani
DAISY by NIOS for differently-abled
e-PathShala
National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) to develop e-content and energized books
Telecast through TV channels
E-learning portals
Webinars, chat groups
Distribution of books and other digital initiatives along with State/ UT Governments
- Governor’s Power to Summon the House
The recent Rajasthan government crisis has brought into the spotlight the role of the Governor in summoning the House of the State Assembly.
Key Points
The Rajasthan’s Case:
The Rajasthan Governor has returned the proposal by the State Cabinet, seeking to convene a session of the Assembly, for the second time, which would have allowed the Rajasthan chief minister to prove his strength on the floor of the House.
This has raised legal questions on the powers of the Governor to summon a House.
Powers to Summon the House:
Article 174 of the Constitution authorizes the Governor to summon, dissolve and prorogue the state legislative assembly.
However, the Governor can exercise the above only as per Article 163 of the Constitution which says that the Governor acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister. In 2016, the Supreme Court in NabamRebia and Bamang Felix vs Deputy Speaker case (the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly case) said that the power to summon the House is not solely vested in the Governor and should be exercised with aid and advice of Council of Ministers and not at his own. The Court highlighted the facts that the Governor is not an elected authority and is a mere nominee of the President, such a nominee cannot have an overriding authority over the representatives of the people, who constitute the House or Houses of the State Legislature.
Allowing the Governor to overrule the State Legislature or the State executive would not harmoniously augur with the strong democratic principles enshrined in the provisions of the Constitution. Specially so, because the Constitution is founded on the principle of ministerial responsibility.
Governor’s Discretionary Power:
Article 163 (1) essentially limits any discretionary power of the Governor only to cases where the Constitution expressly specifies that the Governor must act on his own and apply an independent mind.
The Governor can exercise his discretionary power under Article 174, when the chief minister has lost the support of the House and his strength is debatable.
Generally, when doubts are cast on the chief minister that he has lost the majority, the opposition and the Governor would rally for a floor test.
On numerous occasions, the courts have also clarified that when the majority of the ruling party is in question, a floor test must be conducted at the earliest available opportunity.
However in Rajasthan’s case, despite requests from the chief minister, who is enjoying the majority, the Governor has used discretionary power twice and returned requests to call for a session.
- Dare to Dream 2.0
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched an innovation contest 'Dare to Dream 2.0' on the 5th death anniversary of former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
Key Points
The 'Dare to Dream 2.0' is an open challenge to promote the innovators and startups of the country, for innovation in defence and aerospace technologies in the country after the call of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Award money, up to Rs.10 lakh for startup and Rs. 5 lakh to individual category, will be given to the winners.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is known as the missile man as he was part of many successful projects for development of ballistic missiles and satellite launch vehicle technologies during his lifetime. He was the 11th President of India (from 2002-2007).
- Induction of French Rafale Aircrafts in IAF
Recently, Indian Air Force (IAF) has received its first batch (5 out of 36) of French Rafale aviation combat aircraft at Ambala Air base (Haryana).
The Rafales are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.
All the 36 jets will be delivered to India by the end of 2021.
Key Points
Significance for India:
Joint Strategic Vision: The Rafale would be an aid to the Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region to curb over-flights and the threat of weapons of mass destruction in the area.
Upgradation of Air Combat Capabilities: It will significantly bolster India's air combat capabilities especially when it is facing hostile neighbours like Pakistan and China.
Unmatched Capabilities: The aircraft proved its unmatched capabilities in air combat missions in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria in the last few years.
India is the fourth country to have the strategic platform with Rafale after France, Egypt and Qatar.
The Indian Air Force is also in the process of procuring a new generation medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon system Hammer to integrate with the Rafale jets. The Hammer (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a precision-guided missile developed by French defence major Safran.
Game Changer: Rafales could be a game-changer for India after all the 36 jets join the Indian Air Force as no aircraft in possession of any country in the neighbourhood will be able to match their superior kinematic performance and powerful electronic warfare systems.
The Rafale jet is often compared with the USA stealth F-35 aircraft and F-22.
Border Clash with China: It is much more advanced and lethal than the current fighter aircraft available with China i.e.jet J-20. Therefore, it is definitely a boost to India's defence preparedness especially at the times of border clash with China.
Related Concerns: The induction of Rafale aircraft will be a game changer in many ways, however, it may not make up for the challenges faced by the Indian Air Force in near future:
IAF’s Depleting Strength of Fighter Jets: The emergency acquisition was made primarily to check the depleting combat capability of the IAF as the number of its fighter squadrons had come down to a worrying 31 against the authorised strength of at least 42.
At present, its fleet comprises 30 squadrons of fighter jets.
Therefore, one of main focus areas is to build up the authorised strength of fighter squadrons at the earliest.
Increasing Potential of Hostile Neighbours: By 2023 the Pakistan Air Force will have 27 fighter squadrons while China’s PLA Air Force is assessed to have the capacity to bear at least 42 squadrons against India.
Hence, India can not lose sight of the developments in the North and West, with both the adversaries i.e. China and Pakistan are continuously increasing and upgrading their inventories.
Two Front Challenge: Even though the IAF desires a strength of 45 fighter squadrons for a two-front challenge ( War with China and Pakistan), the last time it had its authorised complement of 42 squadrons was in 2002 after the terror attack on Parliament.
Since then, the numbers have steadily fallen, and the trend will continue with five squadrons of old Russian MiG aircraft getting decommissioned subsequently.
Delay of Supplies: The IAF has planned to procure Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk I and MK II from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). However, the supplies from HAL are behind the scheduled induction plan.
Similarly, IAF issued a request for information for 114 multirole fighters in June 2018 to foreign manufacturers i.e. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus Defence and Space, Russian Aircraft Corporation and Sukhoi Company. It plans to induct the aircraft within 12 years of the contract. However a request for proposal is awaited.
Issues with Russia: The 12 Su-30MKIs, lost in accidents, are also being replenished by HAL through a contract with Russia, which has been approved by the government.
However, the Russian connection is also limited as the IAF had earlier pulled out of the collaborative venture with Sukhoi to develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) after 11 years, citing disagreements over cost sharing plans, technology transfers and the test aircraft’s technological capabilities.
- National Education Policy, 2020
Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 with an aim to introduce several changes in the Indian education system - from the school to college level.
The NEP 2020 aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower”.
The Cabinet has also approved the renaming of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the Ministry of Education.
The NEP cleared by the Cabinet is only the third major revamp of the framework of education in India since independence.
The two earlier education policies were brought in 1968 and 1986.
Key Points
School Education:
Universalization of education from preschool to secondary level with 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030.
To bring 2 crore out of school children back into the mainstream through an open schooling system.
The current 10+2 system to be replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively.
It will bring the uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child.
It will also have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre schooling.
Class 10 and 12 board examinations to be made easier, to test core competencies rather than memorised facts, with all students allowed to take the exam twice.
School governance is set to change, with a new accreditation framework and an independent authority to regulate both public and private schools.
Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, no rigid separation between academic streams, extracurricular, vocational streams in schools.
Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with Internships.
Teaching up to at least Grade 5 to be in mother tongue/regional language. No language will be imposed on any student.
Assessment reforms with 360 degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes
A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) 2021, will be formulated by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) in consultation with National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree.
Higher Education:
Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to be raised to 50% by 2035. Also, 3.5 crore seats to be added in higher education.
The current Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is 26.3%.
Holistic Undergraduate education with a flexible curriculum can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period.
M.Phil courses will be discontinued and all the courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level will now be interdisciplinary.
Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate Transfer of Credits.
Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.
The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.
Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards. Also, HECI will be having four independent verticals namely,
National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation,
General Education Council (GEC) for standard setting,
Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding,
National Accreditation Council (NAC) for accreditation.
Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges.
Over a period of time, every college is expected to develop into either an autonomous degree-granting College, or a constituent college of a university.
Other Changes:
An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration.
National Assessment Centre- 'PARAKH' has been created to assess the students.
It also paves the way for foreign universities to set up campuses in India.
It emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund, Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
National Institute for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation to be set up.
It also aims to increase the public investment in the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.
Currently, India spends around 4.6 % of its total GDP on education.
- Study on Higher Food Prices and Nutrition Security
Recently, the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition in New York has conducted a study titled “Pandemic Prices: Covid-19 Price Shocks and their Implications for Nutrition Security in India”.
It analysed prices of cereals (wheat and rice) and non-cereals (onion, tomatoes, potatoes, five pulses and eggs) in 11 tier-1 and tier-2 cities from 1st March-31st May 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Key Points
Following the lockdown, all food groups witnessed a rise in prices, but the rise in prices was higher for non-cereals compared to cereals.
After the lockdown was lifted, prices of cereals and non-cereals stabilised quickly while those of protein-rich pulses continued to remain high.
Data Analysis:
Wheat and Rice: Retail prices were either stable or cheaper than weeks preceding the lockdown and last year.
Potato, Onions and Tomatoes: The prices went high initially but later on stabilised. Onion prices went as high as 200-250%.
Eggs: The prices fell initially (because of fear of coronavirus through poultry) but increased by March-end and then stabilised two months later.
Pulses: The prices rose during the lockdown and continued to remain higher than the pre-Covid-19 levels.
Concerns:
The relative stability in cereal prices and enhanced prices of pulses will most likely distort spending and consumption decisions resulting in a staple-based, protein-deficient diet hampering the food security in the country.
The relatively higher prices of more nutritious food make it difficult for the poor and marginal population to access such nutrient-rich food.
As a result, the proportion of such foods in the diets goes further down and is replaced by less nutritious and calorie-dense foods.
It will worsen the nutritional status of women and children across India, and more so in the impoverished regions of the country.
The study also criticised the amendment to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 which deregulated cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potatoes.
Suggestions:
The government can ensure the provision of supplementary protein by timely interventions to stabilise the increase in prices.
Policies that insulate non-staple supply chains from price shocks and fluctuations are necessary.
Abolishing outdated restrictions to address farm sector bottlenecks is very important.
- Antibiotic Use in Dairy Sector
Recently, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) held an online meeting on antibiotic use in the dairy sector.
The meeting was attended by experts from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying), the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, (CDSCO) etc.
The meeting highlighted that the milk sold directly to consumers and the processed milk sold in packets are not tested and stay largely unchecked for antibiotic residues.
Key Points
India is the world's largest milk producer, and it also forms an integral part of Indian diets, especially of children’s.
It produced 188 million tonnes (MT) of milk in 2018-19.
Urban areas consume 52% of it and the unorganised sector, comprising milkmen and contractors, caters to 60% of this consumer base.
The remaining demand is met by dairy cooperatives and private dairies which represent the organised sector.
Concerns:
Inadequate Focus on Testing: There is an inadequate focus on testing for antibiotic residues in the milk collected by State federations, which process it and sell it as packaged milk.
Extensive Misuse: Antibiotics are extensively misused in the dairy sector. Such chemical-intensive food leads to antibiotic resistance.
No Professional Help: Farmers often inject animals on their own judgment of signs and symptoms of a disease without any veterinary supervision.
Indiscriminate Usage: Dairy farmers indiscriminately use antibiotics for diseases such as mastitis (infection/inflammation of the udder) which is a common ailment in dairy animals.
The antibodies used by them often include Critically Important Antibiotics (CIAs) for humans.
The WHO has warned that the CIAs should be preserved in view of the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance.
Farmers often sell milk while the animal is under treatment, which increases the chances of antibiotic residues.
Easy Availability: The antibiotics are easily available without the prescription of a registered veterinarian and stocked at farms.
- Natesa: Pratihara Style of Rajasthan
Natesa, a rare sandstone idol from the 9th century (Pratihara Style of Rajasthan) has been retrieved after 22 years by Rajasthan police.
Key Points
Description: The Natesa icon, currently at the Indian High Commission, London, was originally from the Ghateswar Temple, Baroli, Rajasthan.
It was smuggled out of the country in 1998.
A few archaeologists behind the ‘India Pride Project’ have also taken consistent efforts for the restitution of the Natesa icon.
India Pride Project: It is a group of art enthusiasts who use social media to identify stolen religious artefacts from Indian temples and secure their return.
Features: The sandstone Natesa figure stands tall at almost 4 ft. in a rare and brilliant depiction of Shiva.
A beautiful depiction of Nandi is shown behind the right leg of the Natesa icon.
Significance: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Ministry of Culture should use this restitution as a much-needed impetus to go after thousands of artefacts stolen since the 1960s.
- India Report on Digital Education, 2020
Recently, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has launched India Report on Digital Education, 2020.
Recently the MHRD has been renamed as the Ministry of Education.
Key Points
The Report:
It has been prepared by the digital education division of MHRD in consultation with education departments of the states and union territories.
It elaborates the innovative methods adopted by the MHRD, for ensuring accessible and inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning gaps during the Covid-19 pandemic.
MHRD Initiatives:
It has initiated many projects to assist teachers, scholars and students in their pursuit of learning like DIKSHA platform, Swayam Prabha TV Channel, On Air - Shiksha Vani, e-PathShala and telecast through TV channels.
It also released guidelines on digital education called 'PRAGYATA'.
State Initiatives:
States and Union Territories have provided digital education at the doorstep of the students. Some of them are:
Social Media Interface for Learning Engagement (SMILE) in Rajasthan.
Project Home Classes in Jammu.
PadhaiTunharDuvaar (Education at your doorstep) in Chhattisgarh.
Unnayan Initiatives in Bihar.
Mission Buniyaad in NCT of Delhi.
Kerala’s own educational TV channel (KITE VICTERS).
E-scholar portal as well as free online courses for teachers in Meghalaya.
They used social media tools like WhatsApp Group, Online classes through YouTube channel and Google meet to connect to the students.
Some of the states/UTs like Lakshadweep, Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir have also distributed tablets, DVDs and pendrives, equipped with e-contents to students.
They have also distributed textbooks at children’s doorsteps to ensure inclusive learning in remote areas where internet connectivity and electricity is poor.
Several states have also focussed on the mental well-being of the children e.g Delhi conducted happiness classes.
MHRD has also launched the 'Manodarpan' initiative, which aims to provide psychosocial support to students, family members and teachers for their mental health and well-being during the times of Covid-19.
- Lokmanya Tilak’s 100th death anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today remembered Lokmanya Tilak on his 100th Punya Tithi.
About Lokmanya Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (or Lokmanya Tilak, About this soundpronunciation (help•info); 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence activist. He was one third of the Lal Bal Pal triumvirate.
Tilak was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "The father of the Indian unrest." He was also conferred with the title of "Lokmanya", which means "accepted by the people (as their leader)".
Mahatma Gandhi called him "The Maker of Modern India".
Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of Swaraj ("self-rule") and a strong radical in Indian consciousness. He is known for his quote in Marathi: "Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it!". He formed a close alliance with many Indian National Congress leaders including Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghose, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
- Continue with Food Security Allowance In lieu of Mid-Day meal: Govt
Government has asked the concerned authorities to continue with the Food Security Allowance comprising food grains, pulses, oil and others to ensure nutrition and health among school-going children even when schools are closed.
The allowance will be equivalent to the cooking cost.
Union Education Minister Ramesh PokhriyalNishank said it will be given to all eligible children in lieu of hot cooked meals under Mid Day Meal Scheme.
The regular Mid Day Meal will resume when the schools reopen.
- Concern Over Imports of Small Arms
Recently, the domestic small arms manufacturers have expressed their concern over continuing imports of small arms by the Government of India.
Key Points
No Big Orders for Domestic Manufactures:
In the last few years, several Indian companies have invested in the small arms segment. The government also opened up the ammunition sector to the private sector, given the large requirement of small arms.
The Government of India has opened up the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 74% and on a case to case basis it is even 100%.
The Indian companies are capable of making small arms with over 50% indigenous content and can also match the price and timelines.
However, in dearth of any major order, the Indian companies are now looking for smaller orders from police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
Further, Indian companies are also not considered for deals through Fast Track Procurement (FTP), which is limited to foreign vendors currently.
Small Arms Import:
Recently, the Indian Army has ordered 72,400 SIG-716 assault rifles from Sig Sauer of the U.S.A for the second time.
The Army has been attempting to replace the indigenous Indian National Small Arms System (INSAS) rifles with a modern rifle.
Earlier, in February 2019, the Defence Ministry procured 72,400 SIG-716 assault rifles from Sig Sauer of the U.S.A through Fast Track Procurement (FTP), most of which were for the Army.
The remaining demand of over 7 lakh rifles was to be met through the licensed manufacture of Russian AK-203 rifles in India through a joint venture with the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). However, the final deal has been stuck over the issue of pricing.
Demand of Domestic Manufactures:
They are asking to give domestic companies the same level playing field as foreign companies to showcase their products and support Make in India.
- Govt announces norms for contributions by individuals, institutions to NDRF
The Central Government has allowed contributions from any person or institution in the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) as per Section 46(1)(b) of the Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005.
Key Points
Formation:
National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) was renamed as National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) with the enactment of the Disaster Management Act in 2005.
It is defined in Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM Act).
It is placed in the “Public Account” of Government of India under “reserve funds not bearing interest“.
Public Accounts: It was constituted under Article 266 (2) of the Constitution. It accounts for flows for those transactions where the government is merely acting as a banker eg. provident funds, small savings etc. These funds do not belong to the government and have to be paid back at some time.
Expenditures from it are not required to be approved by the Parliament.
Role:
It is managed by the Central Government for meeting the expenses for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation due to any threatening disaster situation or disaster.
It supplements the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in case of a disaster of severe nature, provided adequate funds are not available in the SDRF.
SDRF is the primary fund available with the State governments for responses to notified disasters to meet expenditure for providing immediate relief.
The Centre contributes 75% of the SDRF allocation for general category States and Union Territories, and 90% for special category States/UTs (northeast States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir).
Financing: Financed through the levy of a cess on certain items, chargeable to excise and customs duty, and approved annually through the Finance Bill.
Currently, a National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) is levied to finance the NDRF and additional budgetary support is provided as and when necessary.
NCCD is levied in the case of goods specified in the Seventh Schedule (goods manufactured or produced).
Monitoring: Department of Agriculture and Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare monitors relief activities for calamities associated with drought, hailstorms, pest attacks and cold wave/frost while rest of the natural calamities are monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audits the accounts of NDRF.
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019
The new Consumer Protection Act, 2019 came into force on 20th July 2020 and it will empower consumers and help them in protecting their rights through its various notified rules and provisions.
The new act will be swift and less time consuming compared to the older Consumer Protection Act, 1986 in which single-point access to justice was given making it a time-consuming exercise.
The old act provided for a three-tier consumer dispute redressal machinery at the National (National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission), State and District levels.
Key Points
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 establishes the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) whose primary objective will be to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.
It is empowered to:
Conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute complaints/prosecution.
Order recall of unsafe goods and services.
Order discontinuance of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements.
Impose penalties on manufacturers/endorsers/publishers of misleading advertisements.
Rules on E-commerce and Unfair Trade Practices: The government will notify the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 under the Act whose broad provisions are given below.
E-commerce entities are required to provide information to consumers, relating to return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, modes of payment, grievance redressal mechanism, payment methods, security of payment methods, charge-back options and country of origin.
These are necessary for enabling the consumer to make an informed decision at the pre-purchase stage.
These platforms will have to acknowledge the receipt of any consumer complaint within 48 hours and redress the complaint within one month from the date of receipt. They will also have to appoint a grievance officer for consumer grievance redressal.
The Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 are mandatory and are not advisories.
Sellers cannot refuse to take back goods or withdraw services or refuse refunds, if such goods or services are defective, deficient, delivered late, or if they do not meet the description on the platform.
The rules also prohibit the e-commerce companies from manipulating the price of the goods or services to gain unreasonable profit through unjustified prices.
Product Liability:
A manufacturer or product service provider or product seller will be held responsible to compensate for injury or damage caused by defective product or deficiency in services
Basis for product liability action:
Manufacturing defect.
Design defect.
Deviation from manufacturing specifications.
Not conforming to express warranty.
Failing to contain adequate instructions for correct use.
Service provided-faulty, imperfect or deficient.
Punishment for Manufacture or Sale of Adulterated/Spurious Goods:
In case of the first conviction, a competent court may suspend any licence issued to the person for a period of up to two years and in case of second or subsequent conviction, may cancel the licence permanently.
Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism of Mediation:
A complaint will be referred by a Consumer Commission for mediation, wherever scope for early settlement exists and parties agree for it.
The mediation will be held in the Mediation Cells which will be established under the aegis of the Consumer Commissions.
There will be no appeal against settlement through mediation.
Simplification of the Consumer Dispute Adjudication Process:
Empowering the State and District Commissions to review their own orders.
Enabling a consumer to file complaints electronically and in consumer commissions that have jurisdiction over the place of his residence.
Video-conferencing for hearing and deemed admissibility of complaints if the question of admissibility is not decided within the specified period of 21 days.
Other Rules and Regulations:
As per the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Rules, there will be no fee for filing cases up to Rs. 5 lakh.
The credit of the amount due to unidentifiable consumers will go to the Consumer Welfare Fund (CWF).
State Commissions will furnish information to the Central Government on a quarterly basis on vacancies, disposal, the pendency of cases and other matters.
Apart from these general rules, there are Central Consumer Protection Council Rules, provided for the constitution of the Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC).
It will be an advisory body on consumer issues, headed by the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution with the Minister of State as Vice Chairperson and 34 other members from different fields.
It will have a three-year tenure and will have Minister-in-charge of consumer affairs from two States from each region- North, South, East, West, and North-East Region.
- Non-personal Data data generated in India
Recently, a government committee headed by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan has suggested that non-personal data generated in India be allowed to be harnessed by various domestic companies and entities.
The committee has also suggested a separate national legislation and a separate authority to oversee non-personal data.
It also recommended mandatory sharing of non-personal data, as it may be useful for Indian entrepreneurs to develop new and innovative services or products to benefit citizens.
Key Points
Definition:
Non-personal data is any set of data which does not contain personally identifiable information. This means that no individual or living person can be identified by looking at such data.
For example, order details collected by a food delivery service will have the name, age, gender, and other contact information of an individual, it will become non-personal data if the identifiers such as name and contact information are taken out.
The government committee, which submitted its report has classified non-personal data into three main categories, namely public non-personal data, community non-personal data and private non-personal data.
Public, Community, and Private Non-personal Data:
Public non-personal data: It involves all the data collected by the government and its agencies during execution of all publicly funded works.
E.g. census, data collected by municipal corporations on the total tax receipts.
Community non-personal data: It involves any data identifiers about a set of people who have either the same geographic location, religion, job, or other common social interests.
E.g. The metadata collected by ride-hailing apps, telecom companies, electricity distribution companies.
Private non-personal data: It can be defined as those which are produced by individuals which can be derived from application of proprietary software or knowledge. E.g data generated by companies like Google, Amazon etc.
Importance of Non-personal Data:
These data sets will help to map consumer biases and ensure targeted delivery of services. It will unlock the doors of economic value and innovation in the country.
Sensitivity of Non-personal Data:
Unlike personal data, non-personal data is more likely to be in an anonymised (without particulars or details) form.
However, in certain categories such as data related to national security or strategic interests such as locations of government laboratories or research facilities, even if the data provided in anonymised form can be dangerous.
Possibilities of such harm are obviously much higher if the original personal data is of a sensitive nature.
Therefore, the non-personal data arising from sensitive personal data may be considered as sensitive non-personal data.
Issues Involved:
The data sets will heavily favour big tech companies.
Only big tech companies possess the capital and infrastructure to create such large volumes of data. Others will find it difficult to match the capabilities of these technology giants.
As a signatory to Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), India extended copyright protection to computer databases in 1999.
In such a scenario, there is a challenge of demarcation between non-personal data that cannot be shared, and non-copyright non-personal data that can be used as a public resource.
There is no clarity over the grievance redressal mechanism in the committee’s report.
- Zoram Mega Food Park: Mizoram
Recently, the government has operationalized the first Mega Food Park (MFP) of Mizoram i.e. Zoram Mega Food Park.
It has been set up under the ‘Mega Food Park Scheme’.
Key Points
Zoram MFP:
It is located in Khamrang village in Kolasib District, Mizoram.
It is spread over 55 acres of land and is set up at a cost of Rs. 75. 20 crores.
It is not only expected to benefit the people of Mizoram but also that of adjoining districts in Assam.
Assam already has a MFP in its Nalbari district- North East Mega Food Park.
It will boost the North-East Region’s potential to become the organic destination of the world due to its rich agricultural and horticultural produce.
Sikkim has already been declared as an organic state.
Mega Food Park Scheme:
Launched in: 2008-09 under the purview of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Aim: To provide a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers income and creating employment opportunities particularly in the rural sector.
Components:
The Scheme is based on the “Cluster” approach and envisages creation of state of art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri/horticultural zone for setting up of modern food processing units in the industrial plots provided in the park with a well-established supply chain.
A Mega food Park typically consists of supply chain infrastructure including collection centers (cc), primary processing centers (ppc) central processing centers (cpc), cold chain and around 25-30 fully developed plots for entrepreneurs to set up food processing units.
Financial Assistance:
The central government provides financial assistance upto Rs. 50 Crore per Mega Food Park (MFP) project.
The MFP project is implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is a Body Corporate registered under the Companies Act, 2013.
Status:
Presently, 18 MFP Projects are under implementation in various states and 19 Mega Food Parks have already become functional in the States.
It is in line with the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar’ vision of the Government of India.
- No Postal Ballots for Above 65 in Bihar
Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided against extending postal ballots to electors above 65 years of age in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections due to logistical challenges.
Key Points
Background:
Earlier in June 2020, the Law Ministry, on the recommendation of ECI, had extended the postal ballot facility to electors over 65 years (being most vulnerable to Covid-19), Covid-19 patients and those suspected to have it by notifying a change to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
Earlier, postal ballots were extended to Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and electors over 80 years in November 2019 ahead of the Jharkhand and Delhi elections.
Working Mechanism:
The postal ballot facility for electors above 65 years is different from the conventional postal service.
Usually, ballot papers are distributed electronically to electors and are returned to the election officers via post.
For above 65 and Covid-19 patients, it works as a polling station on the move, with the polling staff visiting the homes of such electors, having them fill out their ballots, sealing them in envelopes and taking it back.
It was done to minimize vulnerability and exposure at the polling stations for above 65 and to not deprive the Covid-19 patients and people under quarantine of their voting rights.
Challenges:
After reviewing the preparations for the Bihar polls, the ECI has made this decision keeping in mind the logistical, staff and safety protocol related constraints.
For collecting votes of so many electors, additional staff and security will be required and would not be possible to arrange the facility for about 72 lakh electors, about 10% of the total 7.19 crore electors in the state.
State authorities are already preparing 34,000 additional polling stations in order to limit electors to 1,000 at each location. It also requires additional polling personnel which is an administrative challenge in itself.
- Ravana’s Aviation Route: Sri Lanka
Recently, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka has sought relevant documents and literature from the public to study the mythological character Ravana’s “aviation routes”.
Key Points
Description: The Civil Aviation Authority will lead a research project titled “King Ravana and the ancient domination of aerial routes now lost”.
The project aims to bring out an authoritative narrative about King Ravana as there are many stories about Ravana flying aircrafts and covering these aerial routes.
Significance:
According to the civil aviation authority, it was Ravana who used a flying machine called “Dandu monara” to fly not only within the country, but also in the South East Asia region.
Tourism: Sri Lanka’s tourism sector promotes the ‘Ramayana trail’ for visitors from India — one of Sri Lanka’s largest tourism markets.
Sinhala-Buddhists Community: The majority Sinhala-Buddhists community hail the King Ravana.
The group calls itself RavanaBalaya.
Linkages with India: Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu acknowledge Ravana as “the brave king” similar to the Buddhists community of Sri Lanka.
Satellite: Sri Lanka named its first satellite Ravana-1 launched in June 2019.
- NFRA constitutes technical advisory committee
Recently, the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) has constituted a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to aid and advise the executive body of the NFRA on issues relating to drafts of accounting standards and auditing standards.
The TAC comprises seven members including the chairman - R. Narayanaswamy.
Key Points
Constitution: NFRA was constituted in 2018 by the Government of India under section 132 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013. It is an audit regulator.
Background: The decision to constitute the NFRA was taken after the role of auditors and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India came under the scanner for alleged lapses in various corporate scams including that at the Punjab National Bank.
Composition: It consists of a chairperson, who shall be a person of eminence and having expertise in accountancy, auditing, finance or law, appointed by the Central Government and such other members not exceeding 15.
Functions and Duties:
Recommend accounting and auditing policies and standards to be adopted by companies for approval by the Central Government.
Monitor and enforce compliance with accounting standards and auditing standards.
Oversee the quality of service of the professions associated with ensuring compliance with such standards and suggest measures for improvement in the quality of service.
Protect the public interest.
Powers:
It can undertake investigation related to the following class of companies and bodies corporate, namely:-
Companies whose securities are listed on any stock exchange in India or outside India.
Unlisted public companies having paid-up capital of not less than Rs. 500 crores or having annual turnover of not less than Rs. 1,000 crores or having, in aggregate, outstanding loans, debentures and deposits of not less than Rs. 500 crores as on the 31st March of immediately preceding financial year.
Insurance companies, banking companies, companies engaged in the generation or supply of electricity.
Where professional or other misconduct is proved, it has the power to make order for imposing penalty of—
not less than one lakh rupees, but which may extend to five times of the fees received, in case of individuals; and
not less than ten lakh rupees, but which may extend to ten times of the fees received, in case of firms.
Its account is monitored by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.
It is headquartered in New Delhi.
Mine Ploughs on T-90 Tanks
Recently, the Ministry of Defence has signed Rs. 557 crore contract with the BEML Limited (formerly known as the Bharat Earth Movers Limited) for the procurement of 1,512 mine ploughs for T-90 Tanks.
The induction is expected to be completed by 2027.
Key Points
T-90 Tanks:
These Russian-origin tanks are the Indian Army’s main battle tanks.
Indian Army recently deployed them in the Galwan Valley sector of Ladakh amid the face-off with Chinese troops.
Mine Ploughs:
Mine ploughs help tanks to clear minefields and minimize risks to men and machines.
After being fitted on T-90 Tanks, they will facilitate individual mobility to the tanks while negotiating a minefield.
Advantages:
The mobility of the tank fleet will enhance manifolds which in turn would extend the reach of the armoured formations deep into enemy territory without becoming a mine casualty.
The decision is expected to boost the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
As per the procedure, the contract has Buy and Make (Indian) categorisation with a minimum of 50% indigenous content in the Make portion.
- Union Minister inaugurated India’s first of its kind public EV Charging Plaza
Union Minister for Power, New & Renewable Energy, Shri R.K Singh, inaugurated India’s first public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging plaza at Chelmsford Club in New Delhi on 20 July 2020.
The move is focused on enhancing energy efficiency and promoting e-mobility. The Minister also launched Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE). The two initiatives focus on energy efficiency, promoting e-mobility, and improving indoor air quality.
Highlights:
Charging plaza:
EESL, in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), has established India’s first of its kind public EV Charging Plaza in Central Delhi.
The plaza will host 5 EV Chargers of different specifications.
The charging plaza is compatible with a wide range of EVs. It will greatly spur e-mobility adoption.
The charging plaza is expected to make EV charging hassle-free and convenient for the consumers, thereby making e-mobility adoption an attractive proposition.
RAISE:
RAISE (Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency) is a joint initiative of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) MAITREE programme.
The project focuses on improving indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, and energy efficiency (EE) in the EESL office’s air conditioning system.
The pilot project showed about 80% improvement in Air Quality parameters with almost no implementation hassles.
Note:
Both Charging plaza & RAISE reaffirm the pledge for ecological preservation and building a resilient energy sector, undertaken by EESL and other key stakeholders during the “#iCommit” campaign held on World Environment Day, 5th June 2020.
- Delhi Sero-Survey for Covid
Recently, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) conducted a sero-surveillance study for Covid-19 in New Delhi.
NCDC is under administrative control of the Directorate General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Key Points
Sero-surveillance:
Detects Specific Antibodies: It seeks to assess the prevalence of disease in a population by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against the virus.
Immunity Check: It can also be conducted to check if a person has developed immunity to certain diseases.
Past Infections: It indicates past infections (and which triggered an immune response), and is not used to detect active infections.
Tested Immunoglobulin G Using ELISA: The Sera (a part of blood) of samples were tested for IgG antibodies and Covid-19 infection using CovidKavach ELISA kits approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
IgG (Immunoglobulin G) is a type of antibody which develops in most Covid-19 patients (infections) at around two weeks after infection and remains in the blood even after recovery.
ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) is a test that detects and measures antibodies in blood
Coverage of the Latest Study:
Coverage Period: It was conducted from 27th June - 10th July 2020. It was done when the city was reporting over 3,000 cases a day.
Coverage Groups: A total 21,387 samples were randomly collected across the 11 districts of the capital, which were then divided into two groups, of less than 18 years and older.
Result:
23.48% of the people surveyed had developed IgG antibodies, indicating they had been exposed to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes Covid-19, with a large number showing no symptoms (asymptomatic).
Government's Response:
Impact of Proactive Efforts: Only 23.48% were found to be infected in a study carried out in a city with several pockets of dense population, shows that the proactive efforts by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including prompt lockdown, effective containment and surveillance measures, contact tracing and tracking, as well as citizens’ compliance had yielded benefits.
Challenges: The remaining proportion of the population (about 77%) is still vulnerable to contracting the novel coronavirus infection.
Containment measures need to continue with the same rigour.
Non-pharmacological interventions such as physical distancing, use of face mask/cover, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and avoidance of crowded places etc. must be followed strictly.
Concerns:
The 23.48% rate of seropositivity cannot be extrapolated over Delhi’s entire population.
Further, currently there isn’t enough scientific data available about the level and duration of immunity that the body will develop after a person tests Covid-positive.
Sero-surveillance in the Past:
ICMR had conducted a pilot sero-survey in April 2020 across 83 districts in 21 states.
The initial results, which are being peer-reviewed, suggested that the percentage of the general population that could have been infected was 0.73, with urban areas showing a higher prevalence of about 1.09%.
- Idea of Social Security Number for Migrants
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour has recommended that the government introduce a social security number for migrant workers, especially those working in the unorganised sectors which are beyond the purview of the labour laws.
Key Points
Background:
The Ministry of Labour and Employment was unable to give any concrete figures on the number of migrant workers.
However, the officials quoted data from the Railway Ministry. About 1.08 crore migrant workers had travelled on Special Shramik express trains initiated by the government to ferry migrant workers.
It was pointed out that students and family members of the workers too used these trains and thus this figure doesn’t accurately record the number of migrant workers.
Social Security Number:
Instead of making Aadhar the basis for providing government benefits to migrants, they should be given a social security number which is a more effective way of covering them for insurance, health and other welfare programmes.
A social security number is essential to avert situations like the one during the extended lockdown when several lakh workers had to walk back to their homes as they were shut out of employment overnight.
The number will not only help in mapping the number of migrant workers but also their migration patterns.
Other Suggestions:
Both the State of origin and State where the worker has migrated to should have a record.
The migrant workers may or may not have access to the Internet, therefore the smallest arm of administration — the gram sabhas — should be roped in. The same work can be done by municipality workers in the urban areas.
Concerns Raised:
It flagged issues related to the social security fund stated under the Social Security Code Bill 2019. There are no specific details in the legislation as to who will contribute to the fund and how it will be utilised.
It also discussed changes in labour laws by some states in the wake of pandemic and impact on workers.
Most of the beneficiaries under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana were local workers and not migrants.
Social Security Code Bill, 2019
The central government has been working to concise 44 central labour laws into four broad codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational health & safety.
The Social Security Code Bill seeks to amend and consolidate nine laws related to social security, including the Employees’ Provident Fund Act, 1952, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008.
Social security refers to measures to ensure access to health care and provision of income security to workers.
It proposes setting up a social security fund. This fund will provide welfare benefits such as pension, medical cover, and death and disablement benefits to all workers, including gig workers.
Gig workers refer to workers outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship (e.g., freelancers).
The Code provides for the establishment of several bodies to administer the social security schemes notified by the government.
It provides that every woman shall be entitled to, and her employer shall be liable for, the payment of maternity benefit at the rate of the average daily wage for the period of her actual absence, i.e. the period immediately preceding the day of her delivery, and any period immediately following that day.
The Code specifies penalties for various offences, such as falsification of reports, punishable with imprisonment of up to six months.
- MANODARPAN: Mental Health Initiative
Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has launched the 'Manodarpan' initiative under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
It is aimed to provide psychosocial support to students, family members and teachers for their mental health and well-being during the times of Covid-19.
Key Points
Description: The platform includes a national toll free helpline for students of schools, universities and colleges, which will be manned by a pool of experienced counsellors, psychologists and mental health professionals.
It also has a website, a national database of counsellors which will host an interactive online chat platform, advisories and tips through webinars and other resources.
Significance: It would act as an element of strengthening human capital and increasing productivity for the education sector in the wake of covid-19.
Covid 19 lockdown had led to forced close down of schools and colleges.
Therefore, it would help children as well as their parents in facing tense situations and its effects on academics.
- India successfully test fires Dhruvastra anti-guided missiles
The Indian armed forces successfully test-fired the helicopter-launched Nag Missile Dhruvastra anti-tank guided missile, erstwhile called Helina, indirect and top attack mode. The flight test trials were done without a helicopter on 15th and 16th July at ITR Balasore, Odisha.
HELINA:
HELINA is a third-generation fire and forget class anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system. It is mounted on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
The missile has all-weather day and night capability and can defeat battle tanks with a conventional armour and explosive reactive armour. The HELINA missile can engage targets both in direct hit mode as well as top attack mode.
HELINA Weapon Systems is being inducted into the Indian Army.
Dhruvastra:
A variant of HELINA Weapon System called Dhruvastra.
The Dhruvastra missile system is being inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The missile has a maximum range capability of 7 km in Lock On Before Launch (LOBL) mode. 8 such missiles can be attached to the Helicopter with the help of 4 twin launchers.
It can be fired in two modes namely Direct and Top attack.
It has a warhead penetration capability of 800 mm, the missile can defeat futuristic armour and inflict maximum damage to the tank and crippling its crew.
The fire and forget capability has been imparted by an indigenously developed Imaging Infra Red seeker.
- Appointment of Government Servants as Gram Panchayat Administrator
Recently, the Bombay High Court passed an interim order directing that a government servant of the local authority be appointed as an administrator of gram panchayats in Maharashtra.
It is for the 15,000 panchayats where the terms of these officers have ended or would be ending.
These administrators include sarpanch, secretary of the panchayats and gram sevaks.
Key Points
Petition Against Recent Decisions: The order came after petitions were filed against a recent Government Resolutions (GR) issued by the State Rural Development Department and Maharashtra Village Panchayat (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
Through these, the Maharashtra government ordered appointment of administrators to all gram panchayats by zilla parishad chief executive officers (CEO) in consultation with their respective district ministers.
The resolution and ordinance were challenged on various grounds related to the appointment of private individuals as administrators of gram panchayats.
It also challenged the section 151 of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act by allowing appointment of administrators in case the State Election Commission (SEC) could not hold elections due to a natural calamity, pandemic, financial emergency or administrative emergency.
High Court's Argument:
Questioned Private Appointments: The Court ordered that the administrator to be appointed, should be a government servant or an officer from the local authority.
If not available and the appointment of a private individual is to be made, then each such order shall record the reasons because of which such officer was not available.
The criteria that administrators have to be “a resident of the village and on the voters’ list'' is directory, not mandatory in nature.
Local Authority Officers: The court emphasised that local authority offices should be the first choice for appointment as an administrator.
Impact on Local Governance: The Court admitted that working of the gram panchayat will be affected if the administrator is not appointed, however it also emphasised the need to address the concerns regarding the appointment of the private individual.
According to the court private individuals appointment is not warranted in law and such mass appointments will have a lasting adverse impact on the local governance in terms of efficiency, impartiality and effectiveness of the work.
State Government’s Argument:
Urgent Need: It stated that there is an urgent need for administrators to run the panchayats as pandemic has halted the election process.
Overburdened Officers: There are a large number of gram panchayats in the State and the government servants are already overburdened. So, it is difficult to appoint them as administrators.
- Stubble Burning and Pollution
According to a recent study, Delhi’s meteorology and the quantity of chaff (crop residue or stubble) burnt in Punjab and Haryana play a more important role in worsening air quality than the time chosen by farmers to start stubble burning.
Key Points
Crop Burning:
It is a traditional practice in Punjab and Haryana to clean off the rice chaff to prepare the fields for winter sowing.
It begins around October and peaks in November, coinciding with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.
The pollutants and the particulate matter (PM) from the chaff, along with other sources of pollution in Delhi, get stuck in the lower atmosphere worsening the winter pollution.
Reasons:
Subsidies and assured procurement of rice have led to a rise in the rice acreage.
Increased and modernised farm mechanisation extract the rice grains only and leave large quantities of rice stubble behind.
Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act 2009:
This mandated farmers to delay sowing of paddy to late June to discourage groundwater extraction.
This led to a delay of an average of 10 days compared to 2002-2008 and now due to the delayed harvesting, rice chaff burning coincides perfectly with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.
Findings of the Study:
Crop burning contributed nearly 40% of the near-surface PM 2.5 in Delhi in 2016, which saw one of Delhi’s severest pollution episodes.
The study largely relies on mathematical modelling.
Data on the number of crop burning episodes and levels of PM were plugged into a mathematical model.
In results, it emerged that crop residue contribution to PM over Delhi in 2016, increased only marginally (1%) when compared to a hypothetical scenario of crops being burned 10 days earlier.
Early burning while reducing PM burning by 20g/m3, did not reduce the number of days of significant PM exposure in Delhi, which hovered around 55 days.
However, the study showed that delaying rice burning 10 days beyond what is currently practised could be harmful leading to an increase in peak PM emissions as well as increase the number of pollution days.
- Madhubani Paintings
Recently, artists from Madhubani district of Bihar became famous for making masks with hand-painted Madhubani motifs.
Motif is a decorative image or design, especially a repeated one forming a pattern.
Key Points
Origin:Madhubani painting has its origins in Mithila region of Bihar.
The painting is one of the oldest and most famous Indian art forms which is also practised in Nepal.
Traces of Madhubani art can also be noticed in the Ramayana, the Indian epic.
It is also known as Mithila or Madhubani art.
Characteristics: These paintings are popular because of their tribal motifs and use of bright earthy colours.
Traditionally the women of the village drew these paintings on the walls of their dwelling, as a demonstration of their feelings, hopes, and ideas.
Today men are also involved to meet the demand.
Style: It includes geometrical patterns, floral, animal and bird motifs.
Colours: The colours used in paintings comprise natural extracts from plants and other natural sources. E.g.: Black colour is obtained by mixing soot with cow dung; blue from indigo; white from rice powder; orange from palasha flowers, etc.
The colours are applied flat with no shading and no empty space is left.
These are usually dark and bright with pigments like lampblack (obtained from coal) and ochre (earthy yellow pigment).
These paintings are not made with modern brushes but rather with twigs, matchsticks, and fingers.
But now artists use brushes, nib-pens and synthetic colours as well to paint.
Themes: It is based on the mythological characters which depict the life of Hindu deities like Krishna, Rama, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, and Saraswati.
The designs widely painted are of Tulasi plant, court scenes, wedding scenes, social happenings etc.
Also, heavenly bodies like the Sun and the Moon often form the centrepiece of paintings.
Eminent Artists:Karpuri Devi, Mahalaxmi and Dulari.
- National Broadcasting Day is observed on 23 July
National Broadcasting Day was observed on 23 July. The first-ever radio broadcast in India went on air from the Bombay Station on 23 July 1927.
The broadcasting was done under the then private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC).
Radio Broadcasting:
Radio broadcasting began in the year 1923. It is under the radio club of the Bombay initiative. All India Radio is officially known as AkashVani since 1956. It is a division of Prasar Bharati.
It was established in the year 1930. On 8 June 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS) became All India Radio (AIR). Currently, AIR is one of the largest public broadcasting organisations in the world. It is owned by Prasar Bharati.
Prasar Bharati:
Prasar Bharati is India’s largest public broadcasting agency. It is a statutory autonomous body set up by an Act of parliament and compromises the Doordarshan Television Network which was earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- Government Order for PC of Women in Army
Recently, the Ministry of Defence has issued the formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to Women Officers in the Indian Army.
Key Points
The order specifies grant of PC to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) Women Officers in the remaining 8 streams of the Indian Army.
These 10 streams include Army Air Defence (AAD), Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), Intelligence Corps, Judge and Advocate General (JAG) and Army Educational Corps (AEC).
Before the order, women officers are allowed a PC in the JAG and AEC.
In anticipation, the Army Headquarters had set in motion a series of preparatory actions for the conduct of the Permanent Commission Selection Board (PCSB) for the eligible women officers.
The Selection Board will be scheduled as soon as all eligible SSC Women Officers exercise their option and complete requisite documentation.
Issue:
Under the SSC scheme, women were commissioned into the Army for a period of 10 years, extendable up to 14 years.
Women were, however, restricted to roles in specified streams such as Army Education Corps, Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps and Corps of Engineers. These specified streams excluded combat arms such as infantry and armoured corps.
While male SSC officers could opt for permanent commission at the end of 10 years of service, this option was not available to women officers. Women officers were kept out of any command appointment and could not qualify for a government pension, which starts only after 20 years of service as an officer.
Background:
The case was first filed in the Delhi High Court by women officers in 2003 and had received a favourable order in 2010.
However, the order was never implemented and was challenged in the Supreme Court by the government.
In its appeal, the government cited “physical” and “physiological limitations” in granting command positions to women.
In the February 2019 policy statement, the Government endorsed the PC for SSC women officers in 10 streams of the ‘Combat Support Arms’ and ‘Services’ sections.
However, it was said that the women officers would not be offered any command appointments, and would serve only in staff posts.
In February 2020, the SC held that there is a need for an administrative will and ‘change of mindset’ and directed the government to grant PC and command postings in all services other than combat to women Army officers.
Permanent Commission for Women
The Ministry of Defence has taken steps to ensure implementation of the grant of PC to women officers and all three services have allowed permanent recruitment of women in select streams including medical, education, legal, signals, logistics and engineering.
Indian Air Force: Women Officers recruited through the SSC in the IAF have the option of seeking PC in all streams except the flying branch.
Indian Navy: In March 2020, the SC cleared the way for PC to women in Indian Navy as well.
The Navy has allowed PC of women in a host of departments such as logistics, naval designing, air traffic control, engineering and legal.
Indian Army: Women officers are granted PC in the Indian Army in all the ten branches where women are inducted for SSC.
- Rajya Sabha Members Facing Criminal Charges
According to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), about 24% of the sitting Rajya Sabha members have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Key Points
Data Analysis: Analysis of 229 of the 233 Rajya Sabha seats showed that 54 MPs had declared criminal cases.
Among the newly-elected representatives 28 or 12% had declared serious criminal cases.
It also found out from their self-sworn affidavits that 89% have declared assets estimated at over Rs. 1 crore.
17th Lok Sabha: According to the finding of Association of Democratic Reforms, about 43% of members elected to 17th Lok Sabha are facing criminal charges in court of law, while 84% have self-declared assets worth more than Rs. 1 crore.
This is the highest number of members of parliament facing serious criminal charges like rape, murder and kidnapping, since 2004.
ADR is an Indian non-governmental organization established in 1999 situated in New Delhi.
With National Election Watch (NEW), ADR is striving to bring transparency and accountability in Indian politics and reduce the influence of money and muscle power in elections.
Reasons:
Lack of Political Will: Section 8 of the Ac the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act, 1951 disqualifies a person convicted with a sentence of two years or more from contesting elections. But those under trial continued to be eligible to contest elections.
Therefore, in order to curb criminalisation of politics, Parliament needs to bring an amendment in the Act.
Use of Muscle and Money Power: Candidates with serious criminal records seem to do well despite their bad public image, largely due to their ability to finance their own elections and further fund their respective parties for different election activities.
Vote Bank: Criminals are being wooed by political parties and given cabinet posts because their muscle and money fetches crucial votes.
Narrow Self-interests of Voters: Some voters tend to view such candidates through a narrow prism of being able to represent their community interests by hook or by crook.
Lack of Choices: Sometimes voters are left with no options, as all competing candidates have criminal records.
Consequences:
Ineffective Democracy: It affects the efficacy of the democratic process in delivering good governance as law breakers become law makers.
Culture of Violence: It introduces a culture of violence in society and sets a bad precedent for the youth to follow.
Black Money: It also leads to increased circulation of black money during and after elections, diluting probity in public life.
Election Commission's Recommendations:
In 1997, Election Commission directed all the Returning Officers (ROs) to reject the nomination papers of any candidate who stands convicted on the day of filing the nomination papers even if his sentence is suspended.
It recommended that if a person is found guilty by a commission of Inquiry then he shall be disqualified from contesting elections.
The First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system shall be replaced by the 2-ballot system under which a candidate is declared elected from a territorial constituency on the basis of majority principle.
If no one wins 50 percent of the vote, all candidates except the top two are excluded and voters are asked to vote a second time. In the second round, the candidate who wins the most votes is elected.
The 2-ballot system will make winning elections very difficult for criminals as they will have to garner the widest possible support from the voters to get the majority votes.
Along with the 2-ballot system, the negative vote shall also be introduced.
Other Measures:
Right to recall: It confers the power on the registered voters in a constituency to recall their elected representatives from the house on the ground of non-performance. It could empower the people at grassroot level. The elected representative could be made truly accountable to the people.
State Funding of Elections: It means the government would extend financial assistance to the political parties to contest elections in part or in full, in kind or in cash.
Various committees (Dinesh Goswami, Inderjeet Committee) on the electoral reforms have recommended for state funding of elections.
State funding of elections will curb use of black money to a large extent and thereby will have a significant impact on limiting criminalization of politics.
Plea Bargaining
Several citizens of various countries, who were accused of violating visa conditions and government guidelines following the Covid-19 pandemic, have obtained release from court cases in recent days by means of plea bargaining.
Key Points
Plea Bargaining:
It refers to a person charged with a criminal offence (accused) negotiating with the prosecution for a lesser punishment than what is provided in law by pleading guilty to a less serious offence.
It primarily involves pretrial negotiations between the accused and the prosecutor. It may involve bargaining on the charge or in the quantum of sentence.
Provision in India:
Plead Guilty: There has always been a provision in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for an accused to plead ‘guilty’ instead of claiming the right to a full trial, but it is not the same as plea bargaining.
Plea Bargaining: Plea bargaining was introduced in 2006 as part of a set of amendments to the CrPC as Chapter XXI-A, containing Sections 265A to 265L.
Cases for which the plea bargaining is allowed are limited.
Only someone who has been charged for an offence that does not attract the death sentence, life sentence or a prison term above seven years can make use of the scheme under Chapter XXI-A. It is also applicable to private complaints of which a criminal court has taken cognisance.
Other categories of cases that cannot be disposed of through plea bargaining are those that involve offences affecting the “socio-economic conditions” of the country, or committed against a woman or a child below the age of 14.
Procedure in India:
The plea bargaining process can be initiated only by the accused. This provision is different from the one in other countries like the USA where the prosecutor plays a key role in bargaining with the suspected offender.
The accused will have to apply to the court for invoking the benefit of bargaining.
Thereafter, the court may permit the prosecutor, the investigating officer and the victim (if any) to hold a meeting for a “satisfactory disposition of the case”.
Once mutual satisfaction is reached, the court formalises the arrangement by way of a report signed by all the parties and the presiding officer.
The accused may be sentenced to a prison term that is half the minimum period fixed for the offence. If there is no minimum term prescribed, the sentence should run up to one-fourth of the maximum sentence stipulated in law.
The outcome may also involve payment of compensation and other expenses to the victim by the accused.
Arguments in Favour:
As per the Justice Malimath Committee on reforms of the criminal justice system (formed in 2000):
This ensures speedy trial, ends uncertainty over the outcome of criminal cases, saves litigation costs and relieves the parties of anxiety.
It would also have a dramatic impact on conviction rates.
It is common in the USA, and has been a successful method of avoiding protracted and complicated trials. As a result, conviction rates are significantly high there.
Prolonged imprisonment of undertrials without any progress in the case for years and overcrowding of prisons are also other factors that may be cited in support of reducing pendency of cases and decongesting prisons through plea bargaining.
It may help offenders make a fresh start in life.
Arguments Against:
People who are pushed to plea bargain are those who do not have the wherewithal to arrange for bail.
Even courts are also very particular about the voluntary nature of the exercise, as poverty, ignorance and prosecution pressure should not lead to someone pleading guilty of offences that may not have been committed.
The Judiciary in its earlier verdicts (especially before the introduction of the process) had disapproved of bargaining with offenders, and pointed out that lenient sentences could be considered as part of the circumstances of the case after a regular trial. Mere acceptance or admission of the guilt should not be a ground for reduction of sentence.
Further, it may hamper the victim’s right to fair trial, involvement of coercion by the investigating agencies and corruption in the process.
Some argue that it is against Article 20 (3) of the Constitution which provides immunity to an accused against self-incrimination.
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak birth anniversary on 23rd July
On 23rd July, India paid tribute to the freedom fighter and educationist Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his birth anniversary.
Key Points
Birth: He was born on 23rd July 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
Freedom fighter and lawyer, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is also known as Lokmanya Tilak.
Educationist:
Founder of the Deccan Education Society (1884) along with his associate Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and others.
One of the founders of the Fergusson College (1885) in Pune through the Deccan Education Society.
Ideology:
He was a devout Hindu and used Hindu scriptures to rouse people to fight oppression.
Stressed on the need for self-rule and believed that without self-rule or swarajya, no progress was possible.
Slogan: “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!”
A book ‘Indian Unrest’ written by Valentine Chirol, an English journalist, stated Tilak the ‘father of Indian unrest’.
Emphasised the importance of a cultural and religious revival to go with the political movements.
Popularised the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the Maharashtra region.
Propounded the celebration of Shiv Jayanti on the birth anniversary of the monarch Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Political Life: He was one of the earliest and the most vocal proponents of complete independence or swarajya (self-rule).
Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal, he was part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio of leaders with extremist outlooks.
Joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1890.
Surat Split: It was the splitting of the INC into two groups - the Extremists and the Moderates - at the Surat session in 1907.
Reason: The extremists wanted either Tilak or Lajpat Rai to be president, so when Rasbehari Ghose was announced as president, the extremist resorted to violence. Hence Surat Split happened.
While extremists wanted to end the tyranny rule of British through protest, Moderates were aimed at administrative and constitutional reforms.
The Extremist camp was led by Lal Bal and Pal and the moderate camp was led by Gopal Krishna Gokhle.
Contribution to Freedom Movement:
Propagated swadeshi movements and encouraged people to boycott foreign goods.
Indian Home Rule Movement:
It was a movement in British India on the lines of Irish Home Rule movement.
Started in 1916, it is believed to have set the stage for the independence movement under the leadership of Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak for the educated English speaking upper class Indians.
All India Home Rule League: Founded by Tilak in April 1916 at Belgaum.
It worked in Maharashtra (except Bombay), the Central Provinces, Karnataka and Berar.
Lucknow Pact (1916): Between the INC headed by Tilak and All-India Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah for hindu-muslim unity in nationalist struggle.
Jail: Between 1908 and 1914, he spent 6 years in Mandalay Prison for defending the actions of revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki.
Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki had tried to assassinate the District Judge, Mr. Kingsford by throwing bombs at the carriage in which he was supposed to travel.
Newspapers: Weeklies Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English)
Books: Gita Rhasya and Arctic Home of the Vedas.
Death: He died on 1st August 1920.
- Chandra Shekhar Azad birth anniversary on 23rd July
On 23rd July, India paid tribute to the freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad on his birth anniversary.
Key Points
Birth: Azad was born on 23rd July 1906 in the Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
Early Life: Chandra Shekhar, then a 15-year-old student, joined a Non-Cooperation Movement in December 1921. As a result, he was arrested.
On being presented before a magistrate, he gave his name as "Azad" (The Free), his father's name as "Swatantrata" (Independence) and his residence as "Jail".
Therefore, he came to be known as Chandra Shekhar Azad.
Contribution to Freedom Movement:
Hindustan Republican Association: After the suspension of the non-cooperation movement in 1922 by Gandhi, Azad joined Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).
HRA was a revolutionary organization of India established in 1924 in East Bengal by Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Narendra Mohan Sen and PratulGanguly as an offshoot of Anushilan Samiti.
Members: Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri.
Kakori Conspiracy: Most of the fund collection for revolutionary activities was done through robberies of government property. In line with the same, Kakori Train Robbery near Kakori, Lucknow was done in 1925 by HRA.
The plan was executed by Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Manmathnath Gupta.
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association: HRA was later reorganised as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA).
It was established in 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi by Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla Khan, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.
HSRA planned the shooting of J. P. Saunders, a British Policeman at Lahore in 1928 to avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai.
Death: He died at Azad Park in Allahabad on 27th February 1931.
- Indian Railways to RFID Tag all wagons by 2022 December
Indian Railways is planning to radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) Tag all wagons by the end of 2022. Indian Railways is expected to complete this process of fitting RFID in all the wagons by December 2022.
Highlights:
The RFID tags will be used to track all wagons.
Around 23,000 wagons have been covered under the RFID project.
The Project is still in progress amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, the Indian Railway is maintaining such data manually that leaves scope for errors.
The RFID devices will be easier for the railways to know the exact position of all the wagons, locomotives, and coaches.
The RFID tag will be fitted in the rolling stock and the trackside readers will be installed at stations and key points along the tracks to read the tag from a distance of about two meters and transmit the wagon identity over a network to a central computer.
The moving wagon can be identified and its movement will be tracked.
The issue of shortage of wagons, coaches, and locomotives is expected to be addressed in a more transparent and expeditious manner by fixing the RFID Tag.
- Karnataka Cabinet approves Karnataka Digital Economy Mission
Karnataka State Government approved the formation of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission. The Mission was aimed to promote over 7,000 start-ups, e-commerce, and other gig economy companies in the State.
Karnataka Digital Economy Mission:
Karnataka Digital Economy Mission or new company will be incorporated under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 with the Government of Karnataka holding 49% and the remaining 51% by the industries and other stakeholders.
Previously, startups, e-commerce, and gig economy companies operated under a previous technology mission. They were governed by three to four government agencies. Now, after the launch of the Mission, it will be under one roof.
Background:
In 2016, the Karnataka government formed a company called ‘Invest Karnataka’ to promote the State as an ideal investment destination. So far, the company has been active in promoting the State globally and is efficiently run jointly by the industry as private partners and the government.
The Industries Minister is the Chairman of Invest Karnataka. Karnataka is the first state to form a company under Section 8 which is led by industrialists. Of the nine directors of the company, six are from the industry. The chief executive officer (CEO) will be a professional from the industry.
- Extra-judicial Killings
Recently, Vikas Dubey, a gangster was killed by the Uttar Pradesh Police in an encounter (extra-judicial killing). However, many experts raised questions on the encounter and demanded a judicial enquiry into the matter.
Key Points
Rights of Police:
The police force has the right to injure or kill the criminal, for the sole and only purpose of self-defense or where it is imminently necessary for the maintenance of peace and order.
Under Section-96 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), every human being has the right to private defense which is a natural and an inherent right.
Section-46 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) authorises the police to use force, extending up to the cause of death, as may be necessary to arrest the person accused of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life.
Reasons behind Increasing Extra-judicial Killing:
Public Support: It emerges out of a lack of faith in the judiciary because many believe that the courts will not provide timely justice.
The fact of getting away with cold-blooded murders is the key reason behind police getting bolder by the day and killing at will.
Political Support: Many leaders project encounter numbers as their achievement in maintaining law and order.
Rewards: The police forces are very often rewarded and awarded for encounters.
The government provides promotion and cash incentives to the teams involved in the encounters.
Ineffective Institutions: The National Human Rights Commission and the state human rights commissions have been redundant for many years.
Though the judiciary is fully empowered to take up such cases suo-moto, however, this has now become a very rare practice.
Hero-worshipping: The police become heroes in the society as many people see them doing the job of cleaning up the Indian society by killing the criminals.
Many times they are also projected as heroes on the silver screen with big budget films made on them and their ‘heroic’ acts.
Amidst all the hero-worshipping, the people, the media and even the judiciary seem to cast aside the fact that all the killings are suspect unless they have been properly investigated and the real story established.
Constitutional Provision:
The Constitution of India intended for India to be a country governed by the rule of law.
As per the rule of law, the Constitution is the supreme power in the land and the legislative and the executive derive their authority from the constitution.
There is a procedure prescribed by the law for criminal investigation which is embedded in the Constitution under Article 21 as the Right to Life and Personal Liberty. It is fundamental, non-derogable and is available to every person. Even the State cannot violate that right.
Hence, it is the responsibility of the police to follow the Constitutional principles and uphold the Right to Life of every individual whether an innocent one or a criminal.
- Faulty Education Guidelines in Rajasthan
Recently, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has criticised the Rajasthan government for its new guidelines on elementary education.
The new guidelines violate the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
They deny children from economically weaker sections the right to free education in nursery classes.
Key Points
Background:
Rajasthan’s Department of School Education issued guidelines stating that admissions to private schools under the RTE Act, 2009 for the 2020-21 academic year would take place only from class 1 or above, excluding pre-schoolers (children in the nursery).
The guidelines recommend the age of admission to be “5 years or above but less than 7 years as of 31st March 2020”.
Violations:
These guidelines are violative of the RTE Act 2009 which states that at least 25% strength of a class in private schools should consist of children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
The guidelines only allow children less than 7 years but the RTE Act allows “male or female child of the age of six to fourteen years” for admission.
NCPCR’s Reaction:
It recommended the state to re-examine the guidelines in light of the Act and make necessary changes so that there is no loss of education to children.
- Draft Aids to Navigation Bill 2020
Recently, the Ministry of Shipping has issued the draft of the Aids to Navigation Bill, 2020 for suggestions from the stakeholders and general public.
It aims to regulate state-of-the-art technologies of marine navigation which was earlier used to tangle in statutory provisions of Lighthouse Act, 1927.
A navigational aid is any kind of marker which aids the traveler in navigation, usually nautical or aviation travel. Common types of such aids include lighthouses, buoys, fog signals, and day beacons.
Key Points
Replacement of Lighthouse Act: It is proposed to replace the nine decades old colonial Lighthouse Act, 1927, to incorporate the global best practices, technological developments and India's International obligations in the field of aids to marine navigation.
It also provides for identification and development of heritage lighthouses.
The Lighthouse Act is an act relating to the provision, maintenance and control of lighthouses. It was enacted by the Brtishers in 1927.
Empowerment of DGLL: It provides for empowering Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) with additional power and functions such as vessel traffic service, wreck flagging, training and certification, implementation of other obligations under International Conventions, where India is a signatory.
Offences: It comprises a new schedule of offences, along with commensurate penalties for obstructing and damaging the aids to navigation, and non-compliance with directives issued by the Central Government and other bodies.
Aids to Navigation Cess: Every ship arriving at or departing from any port in India will have to pay cess at rates notified by the Central government.
Currently, the Central government, as per the provisions of the Lighthouse Act, levies light dues on all the foreign going ships arriving at or departing from any port in India.
Light dues are the charges levied on ships for the maintenance of lighthouses and other aids to navigation.
Significance
Proactive Approach: The draft bill is part of the proactive approach adopted by the Ministry of Shipping by repealing archaic colonial laws and replacing it with modern and contemporary needs of the maritime industry.
Misinterpretation of the Lighthouse Act: It is often seen that the Act is misinterpreted by the custom department under the Customs Act of 1962 and has led to incorrect collection of a huge sum of light dues thereby putting financial & economic burden upon citizens.
Modern Technologies: The role of authorities regulating and operating maritime navigation has changed drastically along with the advent improved aids to maritime navigation.
The new law encompasses a major shift from lighthouses to modern aids of navigation.
Strengthening of the Provisions: The suggestions from the public and stakeholders will strengthen the provisions of the legislation. This is in line with the vision for augmenting people’s participation and transparency in the governance.
- India Cycles4Change Challenge
The Smart Cities Mission (under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) has opened the registration for India Cycles4Change Challenge.
India Cycles4Change Challenge was launched in June 2020.
Key Points
Aim: To inspire Indian cities to implement quick cycling-friendly interventions in the wake of Covid-19 with the support of their citizens and assistance from experts.
Cities would be encouraged to create extensive cycling-networks using low-cost methods like pop-up cycle lanes, non-motorised zones and set up community-led cycle rental schemes.
In the longer term, the Smart Cities Mission encourages cities to convert temporary interventions into permanent.
Coverage:
The Challenge is open to all cities under the Smart Cities Mission, capital cities of States/UTs, and all cities with a population of more than 5 lakh population.
All eligible cities can register and submit their applications on the portal (https://smartnet.niua.org/indiacyclechallenge/).
The portal also has a registration form for citizens, experts, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to express their interest in collaborating with the city for the project.
Functioning: The Challenge will run in two stages.
Stage One will run until October 2020 where cities will focus on piloting quick interventions to promote cycling and developing a scale-up strategy.
In October 2020, 11 cities will be shortlisted and will receive Rs. 1 Crore award and guidance from national and international experts to further scale-up the initiatives in Stage Two, which will be held until May 2021.
Knowledge Partner: The India Programme of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) will be the knowledge partner of the Smart Cities Mission to assist the Mission in conducting this challenge and guiding cities in developing and implementing their proposals.
Need of Such an Initiative:
The need for personalized forms of transport is expected to increase as a response to Covid-19. Some Indian cities have already started working towards promoting cycling as a response to the pandemic.
Kolkata has proposed a dedicated cycle corridor by reclaiming parking spaces.
In Guwahati, the Green lane Foundation, with the support of the Bicycle Mayor of Guwahati and Pedal for a Change, is conducting a survey for citizens to vote for the best routes for bicycle lanes in the city.
A recent survey by the ITDP India Programme shows that cycling would increase by 50-65% as cities come out of lockdown.
Cities around the world are leveraging the opportunity to expand their cycling networks and public bicycle-sharing systems.
Further, increasing cycling can help cities in a green economic recovery.
Investments in cycling infrastructure have economic benefits of up to 5.5 times the initial investment.
Cycling for short distances can result in an annual benefit of Rs. 1.8 trillion to the Indian economy.
- MSDE launched ASEEM Portal
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has launched ‘Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)’ portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The Portal is expected to improve the information flow and bridge the demand-supply gap in the skilled workforce market.
Key Points
Developed and Managed By: National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with Bengaluru-based company ‘Betterplace’.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based Platform:
It will provide real-time data analytics about the demand and supply patterns including - industry requirements, skill gap analysis, demand per district/ state/cluster??, key workforce suppliers, key consumers?, migration patterns? and multiple potential career prospects for candidates.
It will enable policymakers to take a more objective view of various sectors in the economy.
Driven by Prime Minister’s assertion of ‘India as a talent powerhouse’ at the India Global Week 2020 Summit, it will further re-engineer the vocational training landscape in the country ensuring a skilling, up-skilling and reskilling in a more organised set up.
Functioning: Also available as an application (app), it consists of three IT based interfaces:
Employer Portal: Employer onboarding, demand aggregation, candidate selection.
Dashboard: Reports, trends, analytics, and highlight gaps.
Candidate Application: Create & track candidate profile, share job suggestions.
Benefits:
To Skilled Workforce:
It will have provision for registration and data upload for workers across job roles, sectors and geographies.
It will help in strengthening industry-relevant skills and explore emerging job opportunities especially in the post Covid era.
Candidate data coming to Skill India Portal from various state and central skilling schemes will be integrated including that from Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Fee-based Programs, National Urban Livelihoods Mission, DeenDayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, etc.
To Migrants:
Database of labour migrants in Indian states and overseas citizens, who returned to India under the Vande Bharat Mission and filled SWADES Skill Card, has been integrated with the ASEEM portal.
To Employers: They will be able to assess the availability of a skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans.
- Snakebite Deaths in India
Recently, a study conducted by the Centre for Global Health Research (CGHR) at the University of Toronto (Canada), with Indian and United Kingdom as partners, has revealed that India recorded 1.2 million snakebite deaths from 2000 to 2019 (i.e. an average of annual 58,000 deaths).
Earlier, in the largest ever such survey published in 2011 titled ‘Snakebite Mortality in India: A Nationally Representative Mortality Survey’, estimated 46,000 annual snakebite deaths in India.
Key Points
Data Analysis:
Half of all the snakebite deaths occurred during the monsoon period from June to September.
Around 70% of deaths occurred in limited, low altitude, rural areas of the following States — Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The numbers for annual snakebite deaths were highest in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar.
The snakebite deaths occurred mostly in rural areas (97%), were more common in males (59%) than females (41%), and peaked at ages 15-29 years (25%).
The overall lifetime risk of being killed by snakebite is about 1 in 250, but in some areas, the lifetime risk reaches 1 in 100.
It also indicated that most of the envenomation (the process by which venom is injected by the bite or sting of a venomous animal) was by Russell’s vipers followed by Kraits and Cobras.
Solutions:
Immediate Action: As India has tremendous snakebite burden and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognises snakebite as a top-priority Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), there is a need for immediate action.
Snake Safe Harvest Practices: The primary victims of snakebites are rural farmers and their families. Targeting certain areas and educating people with simple methods such as ‘snake-safe’ harvest practices — using rubber boots and gloves, mosquito nets and rechargeable torches (or mobile phone flashlights) — could reduce the risk of snakebites.
Snake Species Database: Habitat details, clear photographs and geographical distribution in the form of snake database would help in the identification of the venomous and nonvenomous snake species.
Anti-Venom: India has sufficient capacity to manufacture large volumes of anti-venom. However, Indian anti-venoms neutralise venom from only spectacled cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper and saw-scaled viper, whereas there are 12 other snake species causing fatal bites that are not covered by current anti-venoms.
Antivenoms are the medicines produced from antibodies made by animals to injected venoms.
It is given to stop snake venom from binding to tissues and causing serious blood, tissue, or nervous system problems.
- India’s Independence in SwabhimanAnchal region
Recently, a passenger bus service was started for the first time after India’s Independence in SwabhimanAnchal region (formerly known as the cut-off area) in Odisha’s Malkangiri district.
Key Points
The bus service was able to start after the construction of the Gurupriya Bridge in 2018, which connected SwabhimanAnchal with the rest of the State.
Till now, motor launches and boats were used to be the only mode of communication to reach ferry points and from there people were taking country boats to reach villages.
People were even using horses to travel in the remote parts of SwabhimanAnchal.
SwabhimanAnchal is situated along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, and had long been a stronghold of left-wing extremists.
The region is covered by water from three sides and another side by inhospitable terrain.
Balimela reservoir is also situated in the region.
Recently, a new police station also started functioning in Jodambo (a gram panchayat in SwabhimanAnchal).
- Powers of Election Commission to Delay Polls
Recently, various political parties have voiced their concerns over holding elections in Bihar amid Covid-19 pandemic and asked to postpone the same.
Key Points
Election Commission Mandate:
The Election Commission (EC) of India is mandated under law to hold elections at any time within six months before the five-year term of the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly expires.
The polls are timed in a way that the new Assembly or Lok Sabha is in place on the day of the dissolution of the outgoing House.
For instance, in the case of Bihar, the EC should normally conduct Legislative Assembly elections before the end of its time on 29th November 2020.
In the case of early dissolution, EC has to ensure a new Lok Sabha or Assembly is in place within six months of the dissolution.
The six months is the constitutionally defined limit between two sessions of the House/Assembly (Article 85(1) and Article 174(1) of the Constitution, respectively).
Postponement of Election:
An election once called usually proceeds as per schedule.
However, in some exceptional cases, the process can be postponed or even scrapped after its announcement under extraordinary circumstances.
Under Section 153 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, read with Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the EC can extend the time for completing an election, but such extension:
Should not go beyond the six months.
Should not go beyond the date of the normal dissolution of the Lok Sabha or the Assembly.
In 1991, the EC postponed the ongoing parliamentary elections for three weeks after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination during his campaign in Tamil Nadu.
Recently, in March 2020 elections to 18 Rajya Sabha seats were postponed by the EC due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Grounds for Election Postponement:
Article 172(1) states that, in case of a state of Emergency, an election can be postponed for one year at a time in addition to a period of six months after the Emergency is lifted.
There is no specific legal provision that specifies the circumstances under which elections can be deferred in non-Emergency situations.
However, law and order, natural calamities like earthquakes and floods, or any other compelling circumstances which are beyond EC’s control can be the grounds for extension.
Legal Issues Involved:
Powers under Section 153 can be exercised only after an election schedule has been notified.
If the EC wants to postpone Bihar elections, it will have to be done through its extraordinary powers under Article 324.
Under Article 324 the EC will have to inform the government of its inability to hold polls on time.
The government can decide the future course — to impose President’s Rule or allow the incumbent Chief Minister to continue for six more months.
- Disabled are Entitled to Same Benefits of SC/ST quota: SC
Recently, the Supreme Court of India observed that persons suffering from disabilities are also socially backward and entitled to the same benefits of relaxation as Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe candidates in public employment and education.
Key Points
Background:
The decision came on a petition filed by Aryan Raj, a special needs person, against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order.
Raj was denied relaxation in minimum qualifying marks in the Painting and Applied Art course in the Government College of Arts, Chandigarh.
The college insisted that disabled persons too need to meet the general qualifying standard of 40% in the aptitude test, whereas SC/ST candidates were given a relaxation to 35%.
Upheld Delhi High Court Judgement:
In the Anmol Bhandari v. Delhi Technological University case (2012), the Delhi High Court held that people suffering from disabilities are also socially backward, and are therefore, at the very least, entitled to the same benefits as given to the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe candidates.
New academic courses should be designed to specifically cater to the needs of intellectually disabled persons.
The Court observed the fact that intellectually/mentally challenged persons have certain limitations, which are not there in physically challenged persons.
Benefits to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe:
Article 15 (4) empowers the State to make special provision for the advancement of the SCs and the STs. E.g. providing fee concession in admission to any educational institution, building hostels for SCs/STs.
Article 15 (5) empowers the State to reserve seats for SCs and the STs in admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State.
However, it excludes minority educational institutions referred to in Article 30 (1).
Article 16 (4) empowers the State to make provisions for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of SCs/STs.
- MoU between NATGRID and NCRB
Recently, the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to access the centralised online database on FIRs and stolen vehicles.
NATGRID which seeks to become the one-stop destination for security and intelligence agencies will be operational by 31st December 2020.
Key Points
Access to CCTNS: The MoU will give NATGRID access to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) database, a platform that links around 14,000 police stations.
All State police are mandated to file First Information Reports (FIR) in the CCTNS.
The MoU enables the NATGRID to get information about details of a suspect as mentioned in the FIR such as his/her father’s name, telephone number and other details.
Concerns:
Infringe on the Federal System of the Constitution: The NCRB under the Union government is only a repository and the data pertaining to FIRs of a particular police station are a State subject.
However, it does not seem to violate any legal provisions as data pertaining to FIRs is shared with all the police stations.
The State police will not be a part of NATGRID and they could directly contact the airlines or railways for information.
Providing Information to Multiple Agencies: Earlier the Civil Aviation Ministry and airline companies had raised concerns in providing information to yet another agency — NATGRID as they already provide information to the Bureau of Immigration and the customs authorities.
Privacy Issues: Many agencies raised their concern regarding the accessibility of Data and privacy.
However, the information accessed by one agency through the grid will not be accessible to any other agency as it will be an automated system and the request will land directly with the concerned department.
Expenditure: The major amount of funds would be required for the expenditure towards the NATGRID software solution and for building infrastructural works of offices, Data Centre etc. at Delhi and Bengaluru.
Technology Intensive Solutions: The solutions provided by the NATGRID would be technology-intensive (e.g. use of Big Data and analytics) involving multiple stakeholders.
- Flood Resistant Paddy: Assam
Recently, farmers from Golaghat district in Assam have cultivated new flood resistant paddy varieties to shift from the traditional ones.
The varieties called Ranjit Sub1, Swarna Sub1 and Bahadur Sub1 have been used by about 60% farmers of the West Brahmaputra area.
Key Points
Farmers in flood-prone areas of Assam have been harvesting the water-resistant Swarna Sub1, developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Manila-based International Rice Research Institute, since 2009.
But the switchover from traditional varieties of paddy has been slow.
The flood-resistant varieties including Ranjit Sub-1 were reintroduced in 2018.
Significance:
Resist Submergence: The new rice varieties can resist submergence for up to two weeks, and significantly do not get damaged by the heavy flood.
However, comparison with the traditional varieties is difficult as they get damaged in the flood.
Greater Yield: Enriched with the ‘submergence’ (sub in short) gene, the varieties can yield up to five tonnes per hectare on an average.
Reduction in Crop Loss: Some 1,500 farmers cultivate on about 950 hectares in crop-yielding areas which have been impacted by the regular flood. Therefore, rice varieties can reduce flood-caused crop loss substantially.
Regeneration: These varieties can get regenerated again in case damaged by the flood, hence ensure maximum productivity.
- FASTag Details for New Vehicle Registration
Recently, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has decided to ensure capturing of FASTag details while registering or issuing fitness certificates to vehicles all over the country.
Besides facilitating smooth commutation/transit, use of electronic medium of FASTag payment, would also help in checking Covid-19 spread as cash payment is avoided.
Key Points
The MoRTH has directed the National Information Centre (NIC) to ensure details of the electronic toll collection device are captured on VAHAN portal.
The full integration of National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) with VAHAN portal has been achieved and the portal is now getting all information on FASTags through Vehicle Identification Number/ Vehicle Registration Number (VIN/VRN).
VAHAN Portal: It acts as an integrated solution for vehicle registration for the State Transport Department. It helps in various processes like fitness, taxes, permits & enforcement to get computerized.
The State Transport Department is governed by both Central Motor Vehicle Regulation (CMVR) and state specific Motor Vehicle Regulation (State MVR).
Consequently, VAHAN was conceptualized as a product that would capture the functionalities mandated by CMVR as well as state MVRs.
National Electronic Toll Collection: It was developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016 for electronic toll collection at toll plazas using FASTag.
- Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited
Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF) has introduced a hand cleansing IsoPropyl Alcohol (IPA) Based Gel ‘RCF SAFEROLA’ to assist the government in its effort to combat Covid -19.
Key Points
The hand cleansing gel is a skin friendly moisturizer-based hand-sanitizer which contains IsoPropyl Alcohol (IPA) and Aloe Vera extract. It is enriched with Vitamin-E and has a fresh lime fragrance.
RCF is a ‘Mini Ratna’ company and is a leading producer of fertilizers and chemicals in the country. It is under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
It manufactures urea, complex fertilizers, bio-fertilizers, micro-nutrients, water soluble fertilizers, soil conditioners and a wide range of Industrial Chemicals.
The company is a household name in rural India with brands ‘Ujjwala’ (Urea) and ‘Suphala’ (Complex Fertilizers).
It has two operating units, one at Trombay in Mumbai and the other at Thal, Raigad district, about 100 km from Mumbai.
- Indian Army to acquire Raven and Spike Firefly
The Indian army is to acquire hand-launched, remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle Raven from the US and state-of-the-art Israeli Spike Firefly.
The aim is to add lethality to its ground infantry apart from long-range precision artillery shells with a range of over 40 kilometres.
Highlights:
The first batch of acquisition comprises 4-6 jets are likely to touch down in India on 27 July.
Indian Army is set to acquire 200 pieces of RQ-11 UAV. RQ-11 UAV can fly up to 10 kilometers at an altitude of 500 feet and speed up to 95 km per hour. It will help infantry troops conduct reconnaissance of the battle theatre ahead and placement of enemy troops.
The Spike Firefly can deliver a precision strike on enemy troops hiding within a range of 1 kilometre. It has the ability to locate a target and will be called back if the target has moved beyond ranger. It is developed under a joint venture (JV) of Israeli company- Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel’s Ministry of Defence.
- 8.9% of the world’s population, went hungry in 2019: UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020
In accordance with the United Nations'(UN) annual report “The state of food security and nutrition in the world- Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets”, nearly 690 million people, or 8.9% of the world’s population, went hungry in 2019, an increase of 10 million since 2018 and of nearly 60 million since 2014. The report warned that the COVID-19 pandemic may add an additional 83 to 132 million people to the ranks of the undernourished in 2020.
The number of hungry people worldwide has been slowly rising and if this trend continues, the number of undernourished people will exceed 840 million by 2030.
The report has been prepared by 5 UN agencies, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO).
Key Points:
The report noted that after steadily declining for decades, chronic hunger slowly began to rise in 2014 and continues to do so. As of now, the world is neither progressing towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 2.1, of ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all people all year round, nor towards target 2.2, of eradicating all forms of malnutrition.
Asia is home to the greatest number of undernourished people, an estimated 381 million.
Africa has the most as a percentage of the population with nearly 20% of the continent’s people undernourished.
3 billion people or more can’t afford to acquire the food needed for a healthy diet.
In 2019, 21.3 percent (144.0 million) of children under 5 years of age were estimated to be stunted, 6.9 percent (47.0 million) wasted and 5.6 percent (38.3 million) overweight, while at least 340 million children suffered from micronutrient deficiencies.
If current food consumption patterns continue, diet-related health costs linked to mortality and diet-related non-communicable diseases are projected to exceed USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2030.
- Pangolin Scale Seizure Jumped 10 times Between 2014 & 2018: UNODC’s World Wildlife Crime Report
On 10th July 2020, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its World Wildlife Crime Report stating that the Seizure of the scales of the Pangolins, the most trafficked wild animal in the world has increased 10 times between the year 2014 and 2018.
The report was prepared by the UNODC Crime Research Section.
World Wildlife Crime Report:
The pangolins fosters a wide range of coronavirus, which shares genetic similarities with the virus that causes COVID-19.
The report states that the number of legally imported pangolin scales went from zero to around 13 tonnes between 2013 and 2017.
19 countries have declared large accumulated stock of pangolin scales to the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The report helps to form the international agenda and increase the support of the government to prevent the crimes against wildlife.
The report also features about the trafficking of rosewood timber, African elephant tusks and rhinoceros’ horns, Live reptiles, Big cats and European glass eels.
The illegal global trade in ivory was shrunk recently.Between 2016 and 2018 ivory trafficking generated annual income of $400 million.
Pangolin Trafficking around the world:
Countries like Congo, Nigeria and Uganda act as transit points for the trafficking of pangolin and other wild animals.
Nigeria was the primary point of export of pangolins in 2019.
The government of China seized around 23 tonnes of pangolin scales in October 2019 which were imported from Nigeria through South Korea.
The illegal sale of wild animals increases the risk of transmission of zoonotic diseases to humans.
Around 75% of the all emerging infectious diseases are Zoonotic diseases including the SARS-CoV-2.
Around 71% of seizures of whole pangolins across the world are destined for China and 19% for Viet Nam.
The Uses of Pangolins:
The meat and scales of these animals are used for various medicinal purposes across the world.
The pangolin parts are used for treating various physical and psychological conditions in Nigeria.
The pangolin scales are used widely in the Chinese medicine for various diseases and china accounts for around 99% of the legal trade of these scales.
- PRAGYATA: Guidelines on Digital Education
Recently, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released guidelines on digital education titled 'PRAGYATA'.
The guidelines have been prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
These are only advisory in nature and state governments can formulate their own rules, based on local needs.
The guidelines include eight steps of online/digital learning i.e. Plan- Review- Arrange- Guide- Yak (talk)- Assign- Track- Appreciate.
Key Points
Digital Access:
Over 25 crore students across the country have been out of school since mid-March 2020. (owing to Covid-19 pandemic). The guidelines acknowledge that these students live in households which fall into different categories:
Those who have computers or smartphones with 4G internet access.
Those with smartphones but limited or no internet access.
Those with television with cable or DTH.
Those with a radio set or a basic mobile phone with FM radio.
And those with no communication devices at all.
It emphasised the aim of digital classrooms is not to try and recreate Face-to-Face (F2F) classrooms over the internet.
Need for Survey: It advises schools to first survey the digital infrastructure available with teachers as well as students, the levels of parental involvement before making decisions about the mode of teaching.
Therefore, schools must also make arrangements to reach students who do not have access to any digital infrastructure at home.
Duration: For kindergarten, nursery and pre-school, only 30 minutes of screen time per day for interacting with parents is recommended.
Schools can hold live online classes for a maximum of 1.5 hours per day for Classes 1-8, and 3 hours per day for Classes 9-12.
Synchronous or Real-time Communication: This is real-time teaching and learning that can happen collaboratively at the same time with a group of online learners or individuals, and teachers allowing instant feedback, e.g. online teaching through video conference, audio conference, using satellite or telecommunication facilities.
However, schools should not assume that teaching-learning through it is the only requirement in order to support effective digital learning.
Asynchronous Learning: Apart from live classes, it offered a number of recommendations for asynchronous learning with tools to allow students to download lessons or listen to radio and TV programmes, communicate through Whatsapp and SMS, study on their own and undertake creative projects.
Health Issues: Children exposed to digital technologies or gadgets for a longer time are prone to severe health issues.
Hence sitting with digital gadgets for longer hours or their excess use can be avoided by designing age appropriate schedules.
Cyber Safety: It also recommends ethical practices including precautions and measures for maintaining cyber safety.
Convergence: It envisages convergence with the government initiatives on digital education e.g. SWAYAM Prabha, SWAYAM, DIKSHA and Radio Vahini, Shiksha Vaani.
- Data on Covid-19 After-effects
Recently, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has started collecting data on post Covid-19 medical complications from leading central government and other hospitals across India.
DGHS is a repository of technical knowledge concerning public health, medical education and health care. It is an attached organisation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Key Points
Leading physicians from across the country have indicated that they are seeing some worrying medical complications among the recovered patients.
Stress on the body associated with Coronavirus could lead to long and short term complications.
Data is being collected on the medical complications including Covid-19-induced diabetes, impaired lung, heart, liver and brain functions along with acute fatigue and dyspnea (shortness of breath).
It would help the Health Ministry to come out with guidelines on further care and treatment of those who had recovered.
Data Highlight:
86% of the Covid-19 cases in the country were reported from 10 states, with Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu accounting for 50%.
The overall recovery rate had climbed from 47.6% (31st May) to 63.02% currently.
Trends in Recovered Patients:
Patients took a long time to fully recover with complaints of feeling lethargic, completely drained out, mentally depressed with the inability to concentrate.
Those who developed pneumonia, lung function improves within some months of recovery but some may not normalise due to the fibrosis (development of fibrous connective tissue as a reparative response to injury or damage).
Possibilities of long-term lung function deterioration and vascular diseases.
Indications of Covid-induced diabetes.
After-effects of Covid-19:
The damage is caused by thrombosis in the small vessels that ultimately damages lung tissues and other organs, including the heart and can lead to fatal pulmonary embolism.
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot, known as a thrombus, within a blood vessel. It prevents blood from flowing normally through the circulatory system.
Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is a condition in which one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked by a blood clot.
- First on-line NISHTHA programme for 1200 Key Resources Persons of Andhra Pradesh
Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriya 'Nishank' and Minister of State for HRD Shri Sanjay Dhotre virtually launched the first on-line NISHTHA programme for 1200 Key Resources Persons of Andhra Pradesh on 16 July.
Highlights:
Around 23,000 Key Resource Persons and 17.5 lakh teachers and school heads have been trained under this NISHTHA face to face mode till date.
For training the remaining 24 lakh teachers and school heads, NISHTHA has been customized for online mode.
NISHTHA is a National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement at the elementary stage under Samagra Shiksha -a flagship programme of MHRD to improve learning outcomes.
About ‘National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement’
NISHTHA is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world.
Objective: To motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.
Teachers will get awareness and develop their skills on various aspects related to:
Learning Outcomes,
Competency-Based learning and Testing,
Learner-centered Pedagogy,
School Safety and Security,
Personal-social qualities,
Inclusive Education,
ICT in teaching-learning including Artificial Intelligence,
Health and well-being including yoga,
Initiatives in School Education including library, eco-club, youth club, kitchen garden,
School Leadership qualities,
Environmental Concerns,
Pre-school, Pre-vocational Education and School-Based assessment.
India’s Population Trends: Lancet
According to a recent analysis by the Lancet, India’s population is forecasted to peak around 1.6 billion in 2048 from 1.38 billion in 2017.
It will be followed by a 32% decline to around 1.09 billion in 2100.
Key Points
For the study, researchers used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.
The Global Burden of Disease Study is a comprehensive regional and global assessment of mortality and disability from major diseases, injuries and risk factors.
The study was initiated in the 1990s as a collaborative effort of hundreds of experts worldwide, including researchers at the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank.
Hampered Economic Growth: The study has predicted dramatic declines in working-age populations in countries such as India and China, which will hamper economic growth and lead to shifts in global powers.
India Specific Data:
India in 2100 will be the world’s most populous country.
The number of working-age adults aged 20-64 in India is projected to fall from around 762 million in 2017 to around 578 million in 2100.
However, India has been forecasted to have the largest working-age population in the world by 2100.
India is also expected to surpass China’s workforce population in the mid-2020s, where the working-age population is estimated to decline from 950 million in 2017 to 357 million in 2100.
From 2017 to 2100, India is projected to rise up the rankings of countries with the largest total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) globally from 7th to 3rd, in terms of nominal GDP.
The country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) declined to below 2.1 in 2019 (data taken from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017) and is projected to have a continued steep fertility decline until about 2040, reaching a TFR of 1.29 in 2100.
TFR indicates the average number of children expected to be born to a woman during her reproductive span of 15-49 years.
India is also forecasted to have the second-largest net immigration in 2100, with an estimated half a million more people immigrating to India in 2100 than emigrating out.
Given the trends of countries like the USA banning work visas and India being a developing country, has the potential to offer a huge manufacturing market to immigrants who want to work here.
Global Data:
The world population is forecasted to peak at around 9.7 billion people in 2064 and fall to 8.8 billion by the century’s end, with 23 countries seeing populations shrink by more than 50%, including Japan, Thailand, Italy and Spain.
By 2100, a total of 183 out of 195 countries will have TFR below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman. The global TFR is predicted to steadily decline from 2.37 in 2017 to 1.66 in 2100, well below the minimum rate of 2.1.
Replacement level fertility is the number of children needed to replace the parents, after accounting for fatalities, skewed sex ratio, infant mortality, etc. The population starts falling below this level.
Huge shifts in the global age structure, with an estimated 2.37 billion individuals over 65 years globally in 2100 compared with the 703 million in 2019.
- Vallarpadam Terminal
Recently, the Ministry of Shipping reviewed the development of the country's first trans-shipment hub - Kochi International Container Trans-shipment Terminal (ICTT).
ICTT is locally known as the Vallarpadam Terminal.
Key Points
Trans-shipment Hub:
It is a terminal at a port which handles containers, stores them temporarily and transfers them to other ships for the onward destination.
It basically acts as a switching point for cargo carried by deep-sea vessels operating on trans-continental trade routes.
Vallarpadam Terminal:
It is a part of the Cochin Port in Kochi, Kerala. It is located on Vallarpadam Island.
It was built with an investment of about Rs. 3,200 crore, shared by the government and the Dubai-government-owned entity (Dubai Ports World).
It was opened in February 2011 and can handle cargo up to one million TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent units) per annum.
It is proposed to be a leading trans-shipment hub of South Asia. This is because of its:
Proximity to International sea routes.
Location with respect to all Indian feeder (secondary/smaller) ports.
Proximity to key hinterland markets of India.
Large infrastructure to manage large ships and capacity to scale it up as per requirement.
Expected Benefits:
It will cut India’s dependence on neighboring hub ports such as Colombo in Sri Lanka, Jebel Ali in Dubai and Port Klang in Malaysia to send and receive container cargo, thus saving time and cost for exporters and importers.
It is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. It will ensure that Indian cargo trans-ship through an Indian Port.
Further, the Indian ocean is one of the most critical maritime transportation links in the world.
It will facilitate the setting up of port based industries and their allied facilities such as Container Freight Station, Island Container Depots, etc. in Kerala which will generate additional employment opportunities.
- India Lifted 271 Million People Out of Poverty
According to India’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) at least 271 million people were lifted out of multi-dimensional poverty between 2005-06 and 2016-17.
The VNR of SDGs has been presented by the NitiAyog at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Key Points
Related Data:
The estimates presented were drawn from the 2019 global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) released in July 2019.
Over 640 million people across India were in multidimensional poverty in 2005-2006.
The number of people living under poverty decreased to around 369.55 million by 2016-2017.
However, 27.9% of India’s population was still poor in 2016-17
Poverty Reduction: In rural areas poverty reduction has outpaced that in urban areas.
- Grant in Aid for Rural Local Bodies
Recently, the Ministry of Finance has released a part of grants-in-aid of Rs. 15187.50 crore for around 2.63 lakh Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) of 28 States.
This has been made on the recommendations of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
This forms part of the Tied Grant as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission (FC) for the Financial Year (FY) 2020-2021.
Key Points
Recommendation of 15th FC: It recommended the grant in aid of Rs. 60,750 crore for (FY 2020-21) the RLBs which is the highest ever allocation made by the Finance Commission in any single year.
Allocation: It will be allocated in two parts, namely Basic Grant and Tied Grant in 50:50% mode.
Basic Grant: These grants are untied and can be used by RLBs for location-specific needs, except for salary or other establishment expenditure
Untied funds are utilised for the works of emergent nature which are normally not covered under the schemes decentralized at the district level.
Tied Grants: These are used for the basic services of:
Sanitation and maintenance of Open-Defecation Free (ODF) status.
Supply of drinking water, rain water harvesting and water recycling.
The RLBs shall, as far as possible, earmark one half of these grants each to these two critical services.
However, if any RLB has fully saturated the needs of one category it can utilize the funds for the other category.
Distribution: The State Governments will be distributing the grants to all the tiers of the Panchayati Raj -village, block and district including the traditional bodies of 5th and 6th Schedule areas based on the accepted recommendations of the latest State Finance Commission (SFC) and in conformity with the recommendations of the 15th FC.
Assistance: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj would support the states in effective utilization of the grants by providing Web/IT enabled platforms for planning, monitoring, accounting / auditing of the works and funds flow at the level of each of the RLBs.
Significance:
Fighting Covid 19: It would help RLBs in providing employment. E.g. migrant laborers who have returned to their native places owing to Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Delivery of Basic Services: Availability of this fund will boost RLBs effectiveness in delivery of basic services to the rural citizens.
Rural Infrastructure: It will augment the rural infrastructure in a constructive way e.g construction of roads, supply of water etc.
- Dichotomy in Animal Sacrifice: SC
Recently, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Kerala government on a plea challenging the Kerala Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1968.
The Act prohibits sacrifice of animals and birds in temples to ‘please’ the deity.
It also criminalises the intent behind the animal sacrifice and not animal sacrifice per se.
If the sacrifice is not for pleasing any deity but for personal consumption even in the precincts of the temple, it is not forbidden.
Key Points
Background:
The plea challenged the 16th June 2020 Kerala High Court order upholding the 1968 Act.
Essential Practice: The petitioners, who are Shakthi worshippers, appealed that animal sacrifice is an integral part of the worship and an essential religious practice.
They are unable to perform “Bali” rituals after the ban which they believe is diminishing the family deity’s power.
Shaktism or Shakthi tantric practice is a major tradition of Hinduism and as per its scriptures and practices, animal sacrifice is essential and unavoidable.
Discriminatory: It was also argued that the Act applies only to Hindus but does not stop other religions from practising it which is arbitrary and violative of Article 14 (Right to Equality before the Law) of the Constitution.
Petitioners referred to bird sacrifice at a Church in Kochi and the festival of Bakrid which have not been banned.
According to the state assembly, killing animals in other religious practices cannot be considered as a sacrifice because the animals are later cooked and consumed.
Enforce Blanket Prohibition: They held that if the killing of animals and birds was to be prohibited, it should be for all purposes, religious or otherwise.
Supreme Court’s Reaction:
The SC highlighted the dichotomy in animal protection law which allows the killing of animals for food but does not permit the killing of animals as an offering to a deity.
The court raised an important question of “Is killing, not cruelty?” and highlighted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 which allows the killing of animals but prohibits cruelty to animals.
According to the SC, there may be a point in saying that taking lives is permissible in certain circumstances but cruelty is not.
- Decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio
Recently, the Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS) has released a special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18.
As per the World Health Organization, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.
The Office of the Registrar General
It is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Apart from conducting the Population Census and monitoring the implementation of the Registration of Births and Deaths in the country, it has been giving estimates on fertility and mortality using the Sample Registration System (SRS).
SRS is the largest demographic sample survey in the country that among other indicators provide direct estimates of maternal mortality through a nationally representative sample.
Verbal Autopsy (VA) instruments are administered for the deaths reported under the SRS on a regular basis to yield a cause-specific mortality profile in the country.
Key Points
Maternal Mortality Ratio of the Country:
MMR has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016.
MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 1,00,000 live births during the same time period.
The target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.
MMR of Various States:
Assam (215), Uttar Pradesh (197), Madhya Pradesh (173), Rajasthan (164), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Bihar (149), and Uttarakhand (99).
The southern States registered a lower MMR — Karnataka (92), Andhra Pradesh (65), Tamil Nadu (60), Telangana (63) and Kerala (43).
Government Initiatives:
Janani Suraksha Yojana under the National Health Mission to link cash assistance to institutional deliveries.
The Pradhan Mantri SurakshitMatritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a fixed day for assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care free of cost to pregnant women on 9th of every month.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and LaQshya Guidelines.
- Delimitation in North-east Illegal: Former EC Expert
Recently, a former legal advisor to the Election Commission (EC) has held that the Centre’s order for setting up a Delimitation Commission for Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Nagaland is “unconstitutional” and “illegal”.
The government constituted a Delimitation Commission to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies of the Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir and the four northeastern states on 6th March 2020.
It is headed by the former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.
Key Points
Background:
Last delimitation exercise (2002-08) kept out Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland because the data used for it from 2001 Census was challenged for being defective.
The tribal communities in the four states feared that the delimitation exercise would change the composition of seats reserved for them, hurting their electoral interests.
The Delimitation Act of 2002 was amended on 14th January 2008, to empower the President to postpone the exercise in these states after violence erupted.
Subsequently, Parliament decided that EC would carry out the delimitation exercise in the four states and introduced the Section 8A of the Representation of the People (RP) Act 1950 for this purpose.
The decision of Parliament was based on earlier precedence of the EC being vested with the authority to redraw boundaries of constituencies including when Delhi was delimited into 70 seats in 1991-92 and Uttarakhand into 70 seats in 2000.
Issue:
The Centre's order for setting up a Delimitation Commission is illegal because it violates the Representation of the People Act 1950.
Section 8A of the RP Act 1950, introduced by Parliament in 2008, states that delimitation in the four northeastern states would fall within the EC’s remit.
Hence, any delimitation exercise by the new Delimitation Commission would be declared void and result in wastage of huge public funds.
- NTPC Enters Pact with NIIF To Explore Business Opportunities in India
Recently, the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC Ltd.) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), acting through the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL).
It will explore opportunities for investments in areas like renewable energy (RE), power distribution among other areas of mutual interest in India.
Key Points
NTPC Ltd. is a central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power.
It is India’s largest energy conglomerate with roots planted way back in 1975 to accelerate power development in India.
Aim: To provide reliable power and related solutions in an economical, efficient and environment-friendly manner, driven by innovation and agility.
It became a Maharatna company in May 2010.
It is located in New Delhi.
Few Recent Initiatives:
Creation of public charging infrastructure in various cities and battery charging and swapping stations for electric 3-wheelers have been commissioned.
Providing electric buses to state/city transport undertakings. For example, e-bus solutions for Andaman and Nicobar Administration are under implementation.
Launch of its new project involving hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) to run in Delhi and Leh.
- ICAR celebrated 92nd foundation day on 16th July 2020
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) celebrated its 92nd foundation day on 16th July 2020.
Key Points
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
It is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
It is headquartered at New Delhi. With 102 ICAR institutes and 71 agricultural universities spread across the country this is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.
It is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.
The ICAR has played a pioneering role in ushering Green Revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture in India through its research and technology development that has enabled the country to increase the production of foodgrains by 5.6 times, horticultural crops by 10.5 times, fish by 16.8 times, milk by 10.4 times and eggs by 52.9 times since 1950-51 to 2017-18.
- DHI launched five platform e-portals to promote innovations and product development
Department of Heavy Industry (DHI), Government of India (GoI), has launched five platform e-portals that are developed by organizations namely BHEL for power sector equipment, HMT for machine tools, CMFTI for manufacturing technology, ICAT and ARAI for the automotive sector.
The portal aims to promote innovation, Research, and development (R&D) and product development in India for various sectors.
The e-portals where such technology development, information exchange, and innovation can be facilitated.
Highlights:
The aim is to create an ecosystem that will bring solution seekers and problem solvers together include, including industry, academia, research institutes, start-ups, professionals, and experts.
ICAT is developing a technology platform for the automotive industry called Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry, Research, and Education (ASPIRE).
The main objective of the e-portal is to facilitate the Indian Automotive Industry to become self-reliant by assisting in innovation and adoption of global technological advancements by bringing together the stakeholders from various associated avenues.
The activities include R&D, Technological Innovations, Technical and Quality Problem Resolution for the industry, Manufacturing and Process Technology Development, hosting Challenges for Technology Development, Product Technology Development, and also conducting Market Research and Technology Surveys for identifying the trends in the Indian auto industry.
The e-portal will help to bring together the various stakeholders from the Indian auto industry, providing the necessary impetus for ushering the industry into the future with combined efforts. It will bring together the automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Tier 1 Tier 2 & Tier 3 companies, R&D institutions, and academia (colleges & universities) on matters involving technology advancements.
- Centre launched PM SVANidhi to bring Microcredit facility for street vendors at their door steps
Secretary Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has launched the Mobile Application of PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) on 17 July 2020.
The aim is to provide a user-friendly digital interface for Lending Institutions (LIs) and their field functionaries for sourcing and processing loan applications of street vendors under the Scheme.
PM SVANidhi Mobile App:
PM SVANidhi Mobile App aims to boost the use of digital technology and will enable field functionaries of LIs including Banking Correspondents (BCs) and Agents of Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)/ Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs), who have proximity with the street vendors, to ensure maximum coverage of the Scheme.
The App is expected to give impetus to the implementation strategy of the Scheme besides promoting paper-less digital access of micro-credit facilities by the Street Vendors.
The App has all the features similar to the Web Portal of PM SVANidhi, which was launched on June 29, 2020, added with the feature of easy portability.
PM SVANidhi:
PM SVANidhi scheme was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), on 1 June 2020, for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that were affected due to COVID-19 pandemic.
This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors in urban areas including those from surrounding peri-urban/ rural areas. Under the scheme, the beneficiaries (vendors) can avail of a working capital loan of up to Rs.10,000.
The loan amount is repayable in monthly installments in the tenure of one year. On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy at 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on a quarterly basis.
- Strength of CoM in Madhya Pradesh
Recently, it has been alleged that the strength of the Council of Ministers (CoM) in Madhya Pradesh exceeds the prescribed Constitutional limit.
Key Points
The recent expansion of the Ministry in Madhya Pradesh has increased the Council of Ministers strength to 34, which is more than 15% of the effective strength of the legislators at 206.
The effective strength of the House is calculated by deducting the vacant seats out of the total strength of the House.
Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution prescribed that the total number of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the Council of Ministers in a State shall not exceed 15% of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly of that State.
Provided that the number of Ministers, including the Chief Minister in a State shall not be less than twelve.
This provision was introduced through the 91st Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2003.
The Assembly strength of 228 dropped to 206 in March 2020, when 22 rebel Congress MLAs resigned, toppling the then government. Two seats fell vacant earlier owing to deaths.
Council of Ministers in State
The Council of Ministers in the states is constituted and function in the same way as the Council of Ministers at the Centre.
Article 163 (1) provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions.
However, the Constitution does not specify the size of the State Council of Ministers or the ranking of ministers. They are determined by the chief minister according to the exigencies of the time and requirements of the situation
Article 164 (1) provides that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister.
However, in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, there shall be a Minister in charge of tribal welfare who may in addition be in charge of the welfare of the scheduled castes and backward classes or any other work.
Article 164 (2) provides that the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the State Legislative Assembly.
Article 164 (4) provides that a person can remain as Minister without being a member of the state legislature for a period of six consecutive months.
Article 164 (1B) provides that a member of either House of state legislature who is disqualified on the ground of defection shall also be disqualified to be appointed as a Minister.
- Vice President of India to launch Elyments, First Indian Social Media Super App
Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu is to launch Elyments, the first Indian Social Media Super App, on 5th July 2020. More than 1000 IT professionals jointly created the indigenous first social media super-app.
Elyments:
Elyments was built with an aim to keep the user's privacy in mind, as a primary concern.
The product was designed by India's top privacy professionals.
Data of users will be stored in the app and will never be shared with a third party without the user's explicit consent.
The app is available in more than eight Indian languages.
The app aims to combine the special features of popular social media apps and present it on a single unified app.
The app will allow the users to stay in touch through a vibrant feed, seamless free audio/video calls, and private/group chats.
Elyments also aims to launch:
Audio/ Video conference calls
Secure payments via Elyments Pay
Public profiles who users can Follow/Subscribe
Curated commerce platform to promote Indian brands
Regional voice commands
- Himachal Pradesh is to implement of Jal Jeevan Mission to improve the living standard in the State
Himachal Pradesh is to implement of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with an aim to improve the living standard in the State.
The main objective of JJM is universal coverage and emphasis is on the principle of equity and inclusiveness, that is, every family in the village should get tap water connection in their household and none is left behind.
Highlights:
Himachal Pradesh state has planned to provide 100% coverage by August 2022, ahead of national goal by 2024.
Upon implementing the mission, Himachal Pradesh will be one of the leading states to accomplish the ambitious target of providing a tap connection to each rural household. The state is also taking steps for faster execution of rural drinking water supply works in the State in order to achieve the target in a time-bound manner.
Under the move, all the villages have been directed to prepare Village Action Plan (VAP) which will comprise of development/ augmentation of drinking water sources, water supply, grey-water management, and operation and maintenance components.
Out of 17.04 lakh rural households in Himachal Pradesh, 9.52 lakh (55.87%) are already provided with Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs).
Out of the remaining 7.52 lakh households, Himachal Pradesh plans to provide tap connections in 2.44 lakh households during 2020-21.
In 2020, the State is planning to provide tap connections to all households in 4,313 villages out of total of 17,250 villages.
- Union HRD minister launched Fit Hai to Hit Hai India for school children
Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' and Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju launched the "Fit Hai To Hit Hai India" program under the Fit India campaign.
The Fit India Talks sessions are being organized in association with the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Highlights:
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that it would launch a new series of fitness sessions for school going children in the Fit India Active Day program under this campaign.
So far, 13,868 schools affiliated to CBSE have participated in various Fit India programs and 11,682 schools have also received the Fit India flag
Under Fit India Campaign, 2.5 lakh schools have registered.
The movement was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 with an aim to create a fit nation.
GoI aims to ensure India stands among the top 10 countries at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
- PrerakDauur Samman: Swachh Survekshan 2021
Recently, a new category of awards titled ‘PrerakDauur Samman’ has been announced as part of Swachh Survekshan 2021.
Key Points
PrerakDauur Samman:
The PrerakDauur Samman has a total of five additional subcategories namely, Divya (Platinum), Anupam (Gold), Ujjwal (Silver), Udit (Bronze) and Aarohi (Aspiring).
In Swachh Survekshan 2020, cities are evaluated on the criteria of ‘population category’ but for 2021, they will be categorised on the basis of six select indicator wise performance criteria.
Segregation of waste into Wet, Dry and Hazard categories.
Processing capacity against wet waste generated.
Processing and recycling of wet and dry waste.
Construction and Demolition waste processing.
Percentage of waste going to landfills.
Sanitation status of cities.
Integrated SBM-Urban MIS Portal:
The integrated Management Information System (MIS) portal was also launched.
It aims to bring the numerous digital initiatives on a single platform and ensure a unified and hassle-free experience for states and cities.
- AMC launched DhanvantriRath to take Non-COVID healthcare services to doorsteps in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has launched DhanvantriRath to take Non-COVID healthcare services to peoples’ doorsteps amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The aim is to ensure that non-COVID essential services related to diabetes, blood pressure, heart ailment, etc., are also provisioned to people who cannot visit the hospitals as many of them were not operating the OPDs.
Highlights:
DhanvantriRath is a mobile van that provides non-COVID essential healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people in the city.
These vans have an Ayush Doctor, paramedic, and nursing staff along with a local Medical Officer from the Urban Health Centre of AMC.
So far, AMC has deployed 120 DhanvantriRaths across Ahmedabad and it has successfully conducted over 4.27 lakh OPDs consultations.
The mobile vans carry all essential medicines including ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines, vitamin supplements, basic testing equipment along with pulse Oxymeter.
The deployment of DhanvantriRaths has had a substantial impact on COVID-19 management also, as several hidden cases could be identified in time.
- Meity-NITI launches Digital India AatmaNirbhar Bharat App
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, Niti Aayog launched Digital India AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge for Indian tech entrepreneurs and Startups.
The aim is to build a Digital India and using Digital Technologies for building an AatmaNirbhar Bharat.
Highlights:
The main objective is to support and build a strong ecosystem for Indian Apps.
It will run in 2 tracks namely
Promotion of Existing Apps
Development of New Apps
The focus of the Track 1 App Innovation Challenge is to identify the best Indian Apps that are already being used by citizens and have the potential to scale and become world-class Apps in their respective categories.
Track 1 has the following 8 broad categories:
Office Productivity & Work from Home
Social Networking
E-Learning
Entertainment
Health & Wellness
Business including Agritech and Fin-tech
News
Games
The Innovation Challenge has been made available on innovating.mygov.in/app-challenge from 4th July 2020.
Track 2 of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge is yet to be launched. It aims to seek to identify Indian startups/entrepreneurs/companies and encourage them with ideation, incubation, prototyping, and roll out of applications.
The track will run for a longer course of time, details of which shall be provided separately.
- Non-State Actors in Nagaland
Recently, the Governor of Nagaland R.N. Ravi wrote a letter to the state's Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The letter highlighted that the legitimacy of the constitutionally-established State government is being challenged on a daily basis by armed gangs that question the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.
Mr. Ravi was appointed as the Centre’s interlocutor for the Naga peace process in August 2014 for his hold on the affairs of the northeast.
Key Points
Various Taxes Imposed by Non-State Actors:
The letter pointed out the issue of ‘taxes’ levied by armed gangs or parallel governments as well as the cost escalation of development and infrastructure projects in the state due to the system of handing over a part of the project cost to these armed gangs for the projects to be executed.
The extremist groups have been collecting ‘taxes’ or ‘donations’ from people in their areas of operation before and after the ceasefire agreement with the NSCN (IM) in mid-1997.
Reactions:
The Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs), a conglomerate of seven extremist groups, denied indulging in extortion.
NSCN (IM) insisted that it does not extort people but levies ‘genuine taxes’ which have been the source of sustenance bringing the Naga political movement this far.
It held that it is the inherent right of any sovereign people and nation to collect taxes from the people and commercial establishments and the right was legitimately acknowledged by the earlier interlocutors and Indian authorities.
The Chief Minister objected to the Governor’s reminder of Article 371A (1)(b) of the Constitution. He said that terming the organisations as ‘armed gangs’ may not be congenial to the achievement of lasting peace, which is the desire of both the Central and the state governments.
Chronology
1917: NSCN (IM) mostly comprises the Nagas of Manipur but it has its roots in the conscription of around 2,000 Nagas by the British as labourers and porters for salvage work and road-building in France in 1917 during the times of World War I (1914-18).
1918: The Nagas who returned in May-June 1918 formed the Naga Club, along with some educated locals in October that year. The club aroused a sense of Naga nationalism.
1929: The club submitted a memorandum to the Simon Commission, stating that the Nagas should be left alone to ‘determine for themselves as in ancient times’.
1946: The club metamorphosed into a political organisation called the Naga National Council (NNC), which campaigned for sovereignty and secession of the Naga Hills (then a district of Assam) from India.
1947: Nagas declared independence on 14th August 1947.
1951: A referendum organised by the NNC in May 1951 showed that 99% people had supported an independent Nagaland.
1952: The NNC’s movement intensified after it boycotted the 1952 general election.
1956: In March 1956, it formed a parallel government and hoisted the flag of the republic.
1960: The intensity of the armed movement lessened with the signing of the 16-Point Agreement between the Centre and a group of the people’s representatives in 1960.
1963: Nagaland achieved statehood in December 1963.
Nagaland was formed out of the Naga Hills district of Assam and the then North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) province (now Arunachal Pradesh).
1975: The movement was going on intermittently and hopes of peace were raised when the Centre signed the Shillong Agreement with a moderate faction of the NNC in 1975.
However, a dissident group led by Muivah, Swu and Khaplang, who had been trained in China, rejected the pact outright.
1980: After going underground and spending their time in Myanmar, they formed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in January 1980.
1988: NSCN split into the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K) in April 1988 due to differences over initiating a dialogue process with the Indian government.
1997: NSCN (IM) received a proposal from New Delhi for peace talks and a ceasefire agreement was signed.
2001: NSCN (K) also followed the suit but it unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire in 2015.
However, at least three of its breakaway factions formed the NNPGs to join the peace process in 2017.
- Demand for Greater Nagalim
The NSCN (IM), dominated by the Tankhuls of Manipur, has held more than 100 rounds of peace talks with the Centre within and outside the country.
One of its most contentious demands was the creation of a unified Naga homeland, called ‘Greater Nagalim’ by integrating the Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal with Nagaland.
The other north-eastern States are opposed to the idea of the pan-Naga homeland and are wary of the Framework Agreement the NSCN (IM) leaders signed at the Prime Minister’s residence in August 2015.
The contents of the agreement have not been revealed.
- Friends of Police in Tamil Nadu
Recently, the services of Friends of Police (FOP) has been suspended in Tamil Nadu.
Key Points
The move came after a controversy over FOP volunteers being engaged in beating of P. Jayaraj and his son J. Benicks, which led to their death in custody.
The FOP is a Community Policing initiative that aims to bring police and public closer. It was started in 1993 in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
FOP helps to promote crime awareness among the people and enables prevention of crimes. It imparts fairness, transparency and impartiality in the working of police.
Volunteers can apply for FOP following minimum criteria like no political affiliation or criminal background, etc.
Issues Involved:
The 3rd Tamil Nadu Police Commission Report, 2008 has said that the FOP scheme is not evaluated by an independent body and its usefulness is doubted by a section of people.
It has also mentioned that some undesirable persons enroll themselves under the FOP scheme and misuse the position.
Suggestion: The 2008 police report had recommended that the FOP scheme should be modified as Citizen Volunteers Scheme.
It mentioned that the effort of Police must be to develop such a bond with the public that all citizens are friends of Police, and not only a designated few.
- Demand for Compulsory Licencing of Remdesivir
Recently, the CPI (Marxist) party has suggested that the government shall issue compulsory licences for the manufacturing of a generic version of Remdesivir which is being used to treat Covid-19 patients.
Generic medicines and vaccinations are copies of originally researched drugs, but at much lower prices.
Key Points
Background:
Remdesivir is developed to treat Ebola and related viruses.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the drug helps to prevent Covid-19 viral replication. It has the best potential and can be used in high doses without causing toxicities.
It has been observed that the USA has bought the entire stock of Remdesivir for the next three months. It will therefore not be available for the rest of the world.
Vaccine nationalism occurs when a country manages to secure doses of vaccine for its own citizens or residents before they are made available in other countries.
It is done through pre-purchase agreements between a government and a vaccine manufacturer.
Also, the manufacturing firm of the drug Remdesivir has a patent monopoly and thus charging a price that is hundreds of times its original cost.
Proposals:
With the USA buying up all the stocks of the drug and high cost may cause unavailability of the drug for other countries including India.
Thus, the party has suggested the government invoking Clause 92 of the Patent Act (1970) that allows it to issue compulsory licences.
Clause 92 of the Patent Act states that the Central Government in circumstances of national emergency or in circumstances of extreme urgency can issue the compulsory licenses for any patent in force.
It can be issued at any time after the sealing thereof to work the invention by notification in the Official Gazette.
The issuance of compulsory licences will allow Indian manufacturers to produce a more affordable generic version.
- Rise in Food Grain Offtake by States
The food grain procurement by states has risen sharply due to relief measures being implemented in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The total amount of rice utilised by the States and Union Territories (UTs) from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) under the Centre’s various schemes is 192.34 lakh tonnes in 2020 as compared to 90.71 lakh tonnes in 2019.
Key Points
Reasons:
Increased Entitlements:
After the breakout of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was announced that Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholders in the country would receive free entitlement of 5 kg per person per month, initially for three months (April to June) and now extended up to November 2020.
This was in addition to their entitlement under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013.
The Centre has also announced a scheme for providing wheat and rice to ration cardholders not covered under the NFSA or Non-Priority Household (NPHH) cardholders at the rate of Rs. 21 per kg and Rs. 22 per kg respectively.
This has been used by Tamil Nadu to provide additional entitlement of rice to about 85.99 lakh such cardholders.
Needs of Migrants Labourers: Aimed at addressing the requirements of migrant labourers who were not covered under the NFSA or any scheme of the States, the central government announced one more scheme i.e. distribution of free food grains at 5 kg per person per month for May and June.
Related Data:
The data by FCI has revealed that the seven States i.e. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka availed over 60% of the total quantity of rice during the pandemic.
As for wheat, the rate of increase in offtake was not so high (around 30%). Compared to 59.45 lakh tonnes lifted in the three months of 2019, it was 78.16 lakh tonnes in 2020.
Rajasthan had drawn the highest quantity of 14.84 lakh tonnes of wheat followed by Uttar Pradesh which has drawn14.01 lakh tonnes.
- Article 78 of Constitution of India
Recently, the Prime Minister of India briefed the President on ‘issues of national and international importance’.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of border tensions with China, economic crisis and the Covid-19 situation.
Article 78 of the Constitution deals with the duties of the Prime Minister with respect to the furnishing of information to the President.
Key Points
As per Article 78, following are the duties of the Prime Minister:
To communicate to the President all decisions of the Council of Ministers (CoM - Article 74) relating to the administration of the affairs of the union and proposals for legislation;
To furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation as the President may call for; and
If the President so requires, to submit for the consideration of the CoM, any matter on which a decision has been taken by a Minister but which has not been considered by the CoM.
Article 167 of the Constitution is a corresponding article in the state executive.
- World Bank to provide USD 400 million to enhance support to rejuvenate Ganga
World Bank and the Government of India (GoI) signed a loan agreement to enhance support for the NamamiGange programme that seeks to rejuvenate the Ganga river.
The Second National Ganga River Basin Project aims to help stem pollution in river Ganga. It will also strengthen the management of the river basin, which is home to more than 500 million people.
Highlights:
The $400 million projects comprise a loan of $381 million and a proposed Guarantee of up to $19 million.
The agreement aims to ensure that the river Ganga returns to a pollution-free, ecologically healthy state.
The new project will extend the engagement of India and the World Bank in this critical national programme to make the Ganga a clean, healthy river.
The project will help build infrastructure and institutions that are needed to make the Ganga clean.
- Completion of Annual MGNREGA Work Limit
According to the central scheme database of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), at least 1.4 lakh poor rural households have completed their quota of 100 days of work for the first three months of the year.
Therefore, they will not be eligible for further benefits under the rural employment guarantee scheme for the rest of the year.
Key Points
Related Data:
Overall, 23 lakh households have already completed 60 days of work.
Another seven lakh households have completed 80 days and are on the verge of running out of work.
With almost 60,000 households which have completed 100 days of work, Chhattisgarh has the highest rate among States, followed by Andhra Pradesh with almost 24,500 households in this category.
However, Andhra Pradesh maintains its own database showing that 8.6% of all beneficiary households in the State have already completed 100 days of work.
Related Issues:
Impact of Covid-19 pandemic: Due to Covid-19, the nationwide lockdown has resulted in thousands of unemployed migrant workers returning to their villages and now dependent on MGNREGA wages.
Increase in Demand for Work: The demand for MGNREGA work almost doubled in June as there is no other work available for many people.
Construction sector, which usually absorbs a large number of workers, has also collapsed.
Monsoon Season: In many areas, monsoon is the hungry season and many people are desperate for work and dependent on MGNREGA wages.
It is also expected that in December the situation would be worse especially for women, elderly and disabled and tribals when agriculture work is over and there will be no work from MGNREGA.
Solutions:
Expansion of the Scheme: The MGNREGA scheme contains a provision for an expansion of the scheme to allow for 150 days of work per household for districts affected by drought or other natural disaster.
Given that Covid-19 was declared a national disaster, this provision may be implemented immediately across the country.
Change in limit: The limit should be imposed per adult individual rather than per household.
Increase in Wage: There is a demand for an increase to 200 days per individual at a daily wage rate of ?600.
The current wage rate of Rs. 200 per day does not even match up to minimum wage rates in most States.
Farming: Getting employment from the Agriculture and farms is an option which can be provided to the migrants.Eg. Migrants workers being deployed in the Litchi farms of Bihar.
Government Initiatives: It was announced in March that the workers under the MGNREGA would get a hike of Rs. 2000 each on an average.
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan was started to provide employment to migrant labourers who returned home during the lockdown. The scheme covers six states — Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha.
It has as a provision to grant 125 days of employment to migrants.
- Mahajobs Portal: Maharashtra
The Maharashtra Government has launched a portal named ‘Mahajobs’ for job seekers and employers, owing to the economic situation caused by Covid-19 pandemic.
Key Points
Aim: To make local manpower available to companies and employment opportunities to workers.
Functioning:
The job seekers and providers/industrial units can register themselves on the Portal.
The Portal has identified 17 sectors including engineering, logistics, and chemicals, and provides for selecting jobs across 950 trades mainly for local youth who would need to produce domicile certificates.
There would be regular reviews of the jobs provided. There would be a study on the kind of problems faced by employers as well as youth seeking employment.
Developed by: Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
Corresponding Initiative at the National Level: National Career Service Project, implemented by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, works towards bridging the gap between job seekers and employers.
- Performance Assessment of Highways by NHAI
Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to undertake performance assessment and ranking of the highways in the country.
The assessment activity majorly intended to improve the quality of roads in the country.
Key Points
Parameters for Assessment:
The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads namely, Highway Efficiency (45%), Highway Safety (35%) and User Services (20%).
Additionally, important parameters like operating speed, time taken at toll plaza, road signages, road markings, accident rate, illumination, availability of Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), functionality of structures, cleanliness, plantation, wayside amenities and customer satisfaction will also be considered while conducting the assessment.
Apart from overall ranking of all the corridors, separate ranking for Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects will also be done..
BOT is a conventional PPP model in which a private partner is responsible to design, build, operate (during the contracted period) and transfer back the facility to the public sector.
In the case of HAM, the central government bears 40% of the project cost and the remaining amount is arranged by the developer.
Under the EPC model, the cost is completely borne by the government.
The ranking of the corridors will be dynamic and the operators will get the opportunity to improve upon their ranking by improving the services on that corridor.
Significance:
The score obtained by each Corridor in each of the parameters will provide feedback and corrective recourse for higher standards of operation, better safety and user experience to improve existing highways.
It will also help in identifying and filling gaps of design, standards, practices, guidelines and contract agreements for other NHAI projects.
The ranking for BOT, HAM and EPC projects is expected to bring out operational efficiency and ensure high quality maintenance of roads.
On the basis of outcome of the assessment, the authority will undertake a comprehensive analysis and decide on the level of intervention required to enhance the overall service quality.
- G4 Virus and Disease Surveillance
Recently, scientists have identified a new strain of Swine Flu (H1N1) virus namely, G4 EA H1N1. It has started infecting Chinese pigs and also has the potential of triggering a pandemic.
Key Points
Risk Involved:
G4 EA H1N (also known as G4) replicates efficiently in human airway paths and so far, has infected a few people without actually making them ill.
Thus, greater vigilance in monitoring people is needed because humans have no inbuilt immunity against this new strain of the virus, much like SARS-CoV-2.
Regional Disease Surveillance:
Most countries have their own disease surveillance mechanisms in place to monitor and track emerging diseases. It helps to evaluate the risk of a particular pathogen on the community, based on the cases occurring, and warn of potential risks from that pathogen.
India has the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) to strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based and IT enabled disease surveillance systems for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends.
It was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in assistance with the World Bank, in 2004.
Closely studying a pathogen yields valuable information on transmission, and behaviour of the organism.
Global Level Surveillance:
Countrywise alerts need to be shared on the global network so that other nations at equal risk might be warned before the outbreak hits their shores.
The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) is one of the initiatives which makes scientific predictions based on global data about diseases.
GOARN is a global technical partnership aimed to engage the resources of technical agencies beyond the United Nations for rapid identification, confirmation and response to public health emergencies of international importance.
It currently comprises over 250 technical institutions and networks (and their members) across the globe including medical and surveillance initiatives, regional technical networks, networks of laboratories, United Nations organizations (e.g. UNICEF, UNHCR), etc.
GOARN’s regional office for South East Asia Region is located at New Delhi, India.
The main objective of the network is to provide technical support to WHO Member States experiencing a human health emergency due to various threats including disease outbreaks, food safety, chemical toxins, zoonosis, natural and manmade disasters etc.
- Centre released Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input, food products in India
Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar released the ‘Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input and food products in India' on 7 July 2020.
The Guidelines are aimed to help the policymakers and regulators to frame effective provisions for future novel nano-based products in the agri-input and food sectors of India.
Guidelines for Evaluation of Nano-based Agri-input and food products in India:
The guidelines will encourage the Indian innovators and industries to develop and commercialize new nano-based formulations and products in these sectors.
It is expected that when compared to the bulk form of chemical inputs in crops, the use of nano-nutrients can reduce nutrient run-off into ground and surface water. This will in turn can reduce environmental pollution.
The formulation of these Guidelines is one of the most important steps for delineating quality, safety, and efficacy assessment of the novel nano-formulations which can be commercialized.
These guidelines are also aimed to provide transparent, consistent, and predictable regulatory pathways for nano-based agri-input and food products in the country.
The initiative has been brought on board all the Departments and Ministries that deal with Nanotechnology, and nano-based products.
It will also pave the way for significant benefits for the mission on Doubling Farming Income by 2022 and the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture.
- Shri Prahlad Singh Patel plants trees to commemorate Sankalp Parva
In order to commemorate SankalpParv, Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel planted trees in Qila Rai Pithora and the National Archives of India in Delhi.
The move comes as the Ministry of Culture is celebrating Sankalp Parva from 28th June to 12th July 2020.
Highlights:
The Ministry expects all its Subordinate Offices, Academies, attached Institutions, and affiliated Institutions to plant trees on its campus or in the surroundings wherever it is possible.
Ministry of Culture has recommended people to plant five trees that have been identified and represent the herbal heritage of the country.
These trees are
Bargad
Awla
Pepal
Ashok
Bel
The organizations are directed to ensure that each employee should plant at least one tree of his/her choice and over and above these five trees which should be planted under Sankalp Parva.
The Institutions must also ensure that the employee to take care of plant planted by them during the year so that it survives and flourish.
- DCGI approves Itolizumab for restricted emergency use on COVID-19 patients
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Itolizumab for restricted emergency use on COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Drugs Controller General of India has approved Itolizumab injection for the treatment of 'cytokine' release syndrome in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients due to COVID-19. After satisfactory result from clinical trials, the drug was approved.
Itolizumab injection is already an approved drug of Biocon Limited used for the treatment of patients with active moderate to severe psoriasis.
- Indian economy returning to normalcy after ease in lockdown: RBI Governor
RBI Governor Shaktikant Das said, that Indian economy is returning to normalcy after the ease in lockdown in the country. He was addressing the 7th SBI Banking and Economics Conclave. He said that Covid 19 was the worst health and economic crisis in the last 100 years with unprecedented negative consequences for output, jobs & well-being. But after the ease in lockdown there are signs of improvement in the economy,he said.
Mr. Das added that Multi-pronged approach of the apex bank has provided a cushion from the immediate impact of the pandemic on the banks. He also cautioned that the medium-term outlook is uncertain and depends on the Covid-19 curve.
- HRD Ministry formulates SOP for conducting University examinations in country
The Human Resource Development Ministry has formulated a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for conducting University examinations in the country. The SOP formulated in association with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health has been devised to ensure students' safety, fairness and equal opportunity amid the global pandemic due to COVID-19.
Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has informed that the UGC has issued a guideline to conduct all the examinations of the terminal semester in the Universities by 30th September this year. He said, these exams will be conducted through offline, online or mixed mode.
HRD Minister informed that in case any student of final year is unable to appear in these examinations, the student will be given an opportunity at a later stage.
Mr. Pokhriyal asserted that ensuring academic credibility, career opportunities and progress of students holds prime importance in the education system. He added that the educational evaluation of students is a very important milestone in any education system.
- National Fish Farmers Day 2020 Observed on 10th July
Every year, India celebrates 10 July as the "National Fish Farmers' Day" to honor fishermen, aquapreneurs and fishermen in appreciation of their achievements in the field and their contribution to the growth of the country's fisheries sector. It was 63rd National Fish Farmer's Day this year.
Background History:
Every year, on 10 July, the National Fish Farmer's Day is celebrated in memory of scientists Dr. K. H. Alikunhi and Dr. H.L. Chaudhury who successfully demonstrated induced breeding (Hypophysation) technology in Indian Major Carps on 10 July 1957 at the former CIFRI Pond Culture Division in Cuttack, Odisha. (presently Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, CIFA, Bhubaneswar).
The event aims to draw attention to changing the way the country manages fisheries resources to ensure sustainable stocks and healthy ecosystems.
The event is celebrated every year by congratulating outstanding farmers, aquapreneurs, and farmers in appreciation of their accomplishments in the field and their contribution to the development of the country's fisheries sector.
Apart from officials, scientists, professionals, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders, fishermen, and fish farmers from across the nation will participate in the event.
- Tripura launched MukhyamantriMatru Pushti Uphaar scheme
Tripura State government announced the MukhyamantriMatru Pushti Uphaar scheme. The scheme aims to provide nutrition kits to pregnant and lactating women.
The scheme is expected to benefit 40,000 women from the state. The initiative was launched as many pregnant women and infants in the state suffer from malnutrition.
MukhyamantriMatru Pushti Uphaar scheme:
Under the scheme, nutrition kits will be provided to the pregnant & lactating women. Each kits cost around Rs.500.
Each kit will have food items and grocery supplies, such as peanuts, soya beans, mixed pulses, jaggery, and ghee.
The state government has estimated to incur an expenditure of Rs.8 crore every year for the initiative.
Under this initiative, the pregnant women will be tested four times at a nearby Primary Health Centers (PHC). After the check-up, the beneficiaries will be given a nutrition kit after each test.
The scheme will be in addition to the Pradhan Mantri Matru Bandana Yojana.
Previously, the state had allocated Rs.5,000 each under the Matru Bandana Yojana to 58,996 beneficiaries.
- DST launches Logo for the celebration of Golden Jubilee Commemoration Year
Secretary Department of Science and Technology (DST) Prof Ashutosh Sharma launched the official Logo for the Golden Jubilee Commemoration Year celebration.
DST under the Ministry of Science & Technology has announced many activities like special lecture series of 15-20 lectures in the form of webinars and short feature films on each Autonomous Institutions for the year.
Highlights:
DST has been directed to use AI to the newly launched 50 Year logo by representing it on banners in conferences held in the institutes.
The institutions will co-brand the lecture series with the DST logo to create greater awareness about 50 years of existence of DST.
Institutes with facilities like museums will make a digital walkthrough or virtual tour that gives a realistic version of the work.
DST will hold lecture series, bringing out publications, documentaries, updating Wikipedia pages of Survey of India, and Autonomous Institutions under DST and events by DST autonomous organizations in India.
DST:
Department of Science & Technology was established on 3 May 1971. DST functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology in India. DST observes Golden Jubilee Commemoration Year during the period 3rd May 2020 to 2nd May 2021 with activities.
The organization aims to promote new areas of Science & Technology. It is the nodal department to organize, coordinate, and promote Scientific and Technological activities in India.
DST also provides funds to various approved scientific projects in India. It supports researchers in India to attend conferences abroad and to go for experimental works.
- Anti-Drug Action Plan for 2020-21
Recently, on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking an annual Anti-Drug Action Plan for 2020-21 for 272 districts was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The plan includes awareness generation programmes, identification of drug-dependent population, focus on treatment facilities and capacity-building for service-providers to curb drug abuse and alcoholism.
Drug abuse or substance abuse is the use of illegal drugs (Heroin, Morphine, Opium etc), or the use of prescription drugs for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used.
Key Points
Action Plan for 2020-21:
De-addiction Facilities: These would be set up in the “most affected” 272 districts identified by the Narcotics Control Bureau focussing on building up treatment and de-addiction facilities and giving emphasis on reaching the youth and high risk population.
The districts mostly belong to Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the North-East.
Drop-in-Centres for Addicts: The focus will be on setting up drop-in-centres for addicts and also on peer-led community based outreach programmes for high risk populations – particularly the youth.
These centres will have provision for screening, assessment and counselling and would provide linkage to treatment and rehabilitation services for drug dependents.
Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCAs): Funded by the Ministry, IRCAS would reach out to communities to help those affected by drug addiction.
Drug-Free India Campaign: The ministry also announced the launch of the ‘NashaMukt Bharat’, or Drug-Free India Campaign which focuses on community outreach programmmes.
To step-up the battle against the severe challenge posed by drug use and alcoholism, the campaign will focus not just on institutional support but also on community outreach programmes in the districts identified in coordination.
Significance:
Awareness and Sensitisation: Apart from celebrity backed ‘Say No to Drugs’ publicity campaigns, national level campaigns are planned across schools and higher education campuses to sensitise youngsters, parents and schools about the issue.
Change in the Strategy: It introduces a new change in the strategy against drugs. So far, India has been focussed on institutions, however the new action plan focuses on work in society at large.
Enhanced Funding: Ministry would ramp up greater funding for institutions to curb the drug abuse.
Background
National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, conducted a National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India through the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi during 2018, which is key to the action plan for 2020-21.
It is estimated that about 850,000 Indians inject drugs, about 460,000 children and 7.7 million Indians require help for opioid dependence.
As per the survey, the prevalence of opioids (a type of drug e.g. Heroin) use in India is three times the global average.
- Amendments in Postal Ballot System
Recently, the Law Ministry has reduced the age limit for senior citizens who opt for postal ballot in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
Key Points
Now, the voters aged above 65 years or a Covid-19 suspect can opt for postal ballot.
Earlier, in 2019, the Law Ministry had amended the Conduct of Election Rules to allow persons with disabilities and those who are 80 years of age or above to opt for postal ballot during Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
Voters of Bihar will be the first to benefit from the amended rules, since Bihar will be the first state to have assembly polls after the coronavirus outbreak in India.
Postal Ballots System
Ballot papers are distributed electronically to electors and are returned to the election officers via post.
Currently, only the following voters are allowed to cast their votes through postal ballot:
Service voters (armed forces, the armed police force of a state and government servants posted abroad),
Voters on election duty,
Voters above 80 years of age or Persons with Disabilities (PwD),
Voters under preventive detention.
The exception to the above-mentioned category of voters is provided under Section 60 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
- President promulgates Banking Regulation Amendment Ordinance 2020 to ensure safety
President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. It is in pursuance with the commitment to ensure the safety of depositors across banks. The Ordinance will amend the Banking Regulation Act 1949 as applicable to Cooperative Banks.
Highlights:
The Ordinance will seek to protect the interests of depositors and strengthen cooperative banks by improving governance and oversight.
The ordinance will extend powers that are already available with RBI in respect of other banks to Co-operative Banks and for sound banking regulation, and by ensuring professionalism and enabling their access to capital.
The amendments do not affect existing powers of the State Registrars of Co-operative Societies under state co-operative laws.
The amendments do not apply to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) or co-operative societies whose primary object and principal business is long-term finance for agricultural development, and which do not use the word “bank” or “banker” or “banking” and do not act as drawees of cheques.
The Ordinance will amend Section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, to enable the making of a scheme of reconstruction or amalgamation of a banking company for protecting the interest of the public, depositors, and the banking system.
The ordinance will also secure its proper management, even without making an order of moratorium, so as to avoid disruption of the financial system.
- BharatNet Project
Recently, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) ordered the scrapping of a Rs 1,950 crore tender for the BharatNet project in Tamil Nadu.
Key Points
BharatNet is a flagship mission implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL).
It is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 1956 with an authorized capital of Rs 1000 crore.
Initially, it was under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which was bifurcated into the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July 2016.
Currently, it is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry of Communications.
National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) was launched in October 2011 and was renamed as Bharat Net Project in 2015.
National Optical Fibre Network:
It was envisaged as an information superhighway through the creation of a robust middle-mile infrastructure for reaching broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats.
The Ministry of Communications has launched the National Broadband Mission that will facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country, especially in rural and remote areas.
Aim:
To facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education, e-banking, Internet and other services to rural India.
To connect all the 2,50,000 Gram panchayats in the country and provide 100 Mbps connectivity to all gram panchayats.
To achieve this, the existing unused fibres (dark fibre) of public sector undertakings (PSUs) (BSNL, Railtel and Power Grid) were utilised and incremental fibre was laid to connect to Gram Panchayats wherever necessary.
Non-discriminatory access to the NOFN was provided to all the service providers like Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), Cable TV operators and content providers to launch various services in rural areas.
The entire project is being funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which was set up for improving telecom services in rural and remote areas of the country.
Implementation:
The project is a Centre-State collaborative project, with the states contributing free Rights of Way for establishing the Optical Fibre Network.
The three-phase implementation of the BharatNet project is as follows:
First Phase: Provide one lakh gram panchayats with broadband connectivity by laying underground optic fibre cable (OFC) lines by December 2017.
Second Phase: Provide connectivity to all the gram panchayats in the country using an optimal mix of underground fibre, fibre over power lines, radio and satellite media. It is to be completed by March 2019.
Third Phase: From 2019 to 2023, a state-of-the-art, future-proof network, including fibre between districts and blocks, with ring topology to provide redundancy would be created.
The participation of states became important in the second phase which involved laying of OFC over electricity poles. This was a new element of the BharatNet strategy as the mode of connectivity by aerial OFC has several advantages, including lower cost, speedier implementation, easy maintenance and utilization of existing power line infrastructure.
- National Statistics Day is observed on 29 June
National Statistics Day is celebrated on 29th June every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
The day aims to create awareness among youth about the role of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation. On this day, the nation pays homage to Professor Mahalanobis. Its main aim of the day is to popularize the use of Statistics in everyday life
History:
The National Statistics Day was first celebrated on 29th June 2007. Indian Government decided to celebrate and honour the outstanding contribution made by Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the field of economic planning and statistical development.
Hence, GoI declared the observation of ‘National Statistics Day’ on the birth anniversary of Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis:
Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis is known as the father of Indian Statistics. He was born on 29 June 1893. He was an Indian statistician and scientist. He was a pioneer in anthropometry studies and in pilot surveys.
He served as a member of the planning commission from 1956-61. He gave two-sector Input-output model for the Second Five Year Plan which later became known as the Nehru-Mahalanobis model.
In December 1931, he established Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata. He was honoured with Padma Vibhushan in 1968, Weldon Memorial Prize from the University of Oxford in 1944, Fellow of the Royal Society, London in 1945.
- HAM (amateur) Radio
Recently HAM (amateur) radio operators have volunteered to help a special task force that has been constituted in Bengaluru to ensure that citizens placed under home quarantine follow the protocol for it.
Key Points
Amateur radio, also called ham radio, is a noncommercial two-way radio communication. They use many frequency bands across the radio spectrum.
HAM radio is a real-time communication network. This is much like wireless communication which is quick and transparent.
Amateur Radio operators set up and operate organized communication networks locally for governmental and emergency officials, as well as non-commercial communication for private citizens affected by the disaster.
Amateur Radio operators are most likely to be active after disasters that damage regular lines of communications due to power outages and destruction of telephone, cellular and other infrastructure-dependent systems.
Indian Scenario
According to the Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Amendment Rules, 1984, ‘Amateur service’ means a service of self training intercommunications and technical investigation carried on by Amateurs that is, by persons duly authorized under these rules interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
It is a non-commercial radio communication service.
Amateur radio operators are commonly known as hams. The term “Ham radio” is used to describe the hobby of Amateur radio and not the equipment.
Similarly the term “Ham” is used to describe a radio amateur enthusiast and not the equipment.
Any citizen of India who is above 12 years of age can become a ham by qualifying in the Amateurs Station Operators’ examination (ASO) and obtaining a valid Amateur wireless telegraph station license.
- World Bank approved USD 500 million loan to improve quality of school education
World Bank has approved a $500 million loan to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states.
The approval is given by the Board of Executive Directors. The board approved a loan for Strengthening the Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS).
Highlights:
It is expected that around 250 million students, between the age of 6 and 17, in 1.5 million schools, and over 10 million teachers will benefit from the program.
The STARS program has built a long partnership between India and the World Bank, since 1994.
STARS aims to support India’s response to the challenges by strengthening implementation at the local level, investing in teacher capacity.
It also aims to ensure that no child of any background is left behind from the right to education.
STARS will enhance the learning assessment systems and strengthen classroom instruction and remediation in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
It will also facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralized management.
- Arjun Munda launched Tribes India products on GEM and new website of TRIFED
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda launched the Trifed Digital Platforms, through Video Conference. He launched the TRIBES India products on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) with a diverse range on display and TRIFED’s new website, https://trifed.tribal.gov.in
The launch comes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the country. The Ministry aims to helo the livelihoods of the poor and marginalized communities have been seriously impacted due to the pandemic. The move aims to ease the burden of the tribal artisans during such troubled times.
Highlights:
Under this, the Team of “Trifed Warriors” will take Tribal Commerce based on forest produce, handlooms & handicrafts to a new high for transforming tribal lives and livelihoods. The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) team is represented by all the heads of departments and senior officials.
The key focus of the webinar was “TRIFED Goes Digital’ and “Be Vocal for Local’ #GoTribal”.
It was organized by TRIFED and was attended by over 200 participants.
TRIFED plays a major role in connecting the tribals to the mainstream.
The TRIFED warriors will focus on extracting and utilizing the wealth of information and knowledge that the tribal communities have, especially with regard to the jungle, and how that can be used to not just benefit their community but also be of greater help to the country and people amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Arunachal Pradesh to provide 100 percent tap connections in the State by 2023 March
Arunachal Pradesh state government is to implement Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the State. The mission aims to improve the lives of rural people by providing safe drinking water to every rural household through household tap connections.
Highlights:
Arunachal Pradesh aims to provide 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to all the households of the State by March 2023.
Government of India has allocated Rs.255 crore for the State under JJM in 2020-21. The state will be given additional funds in the form of performance grants based on their achievement in terms of tangible outputs, that is the household tap connections and commensurate financial progress.
As per the state's official data, 2.18 lakh total rural households, 37,000 households have been already provided with tap connections.
The State is planning to provide 77,000 tap connections in 2020-21.
The state government is to focus on retrofitting and augmentation of piped water supply schemes already existing in the villages/ habitations so that the remaining household could be provided with tap connections easily in the least possible time in campaign mode.
- Maharashtra launches Project Platina, World's Largest Plasma Therapy Trial
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the world's largest plasma therapy trials for the COVID-19 "Project Platina". The project is aimed at creating robust data for treating the disease for which no specific line of treatment exists.
Highlights:
The project will help the country's worst-hit state create infrastructure for this line of treatment.
The project will be free of cost.
Plasma therapy or Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) has been proved to be useful in fighting other corona virus diseases, such as SARS and MERS.
Plasma therapy against COVID-19 has shown encouraging results on patients across the country and the world.
The plasma therapy trials will be conducted in 17 medical colleges across the Maharashtra state. It will account for 1.64 lakh corona virus cases out of the national total of 5.48 lakh.
The entire funding to support this plasma therapy trial will be spent through the CM Relief fund.
So far, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) had first approved only 21 state-run hospitals to conduct plasma therapy.
- Uttrakhand Approves Land Transfer
Recently, the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Advisory Board has permitted proposals on the transfer of forest land in Gangotri National Park for development of road.
The decision comes amid the row between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
Key Points
Under these proposals, a total of 73.36 hectares of forest land at three different sites of Gangotri National Park will be required to be transferred for construction of separate roads, totalling 35.66 km in length.
Gangotri National Park is a protected area and forest land chosen is near the international border with China.
These routes are very important for national security because they will make the movement of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel near the China border far easier.
Now, the proposals regarding the land transfer for these roads will be sent to the National Wildlife Board.
- Custodial Violence
The recent death of a father-son duo from Tamil Nadu, allegedly due to custodial violence, has sparked anger across India.
Custodial violence primarily refers to violence in police and judicial custody. It includes death, rape and torture.
Key Points
Data Related to Violence in Custody:
According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, between 2001 and 2018, only 26 policemen were convicted of custodial violence despite 1,727 such deaths being recorded in India.
Only 4.3% of the 70 deaths in 2018 were attributed to injuries during custody due to physical assault by police.
Except in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, no policeman was convicted for such deaths across the country.
Apart from custodial deaths, more than 2,000 human rights violation cases were also recorded against the police between 2000 and 2018. And only 344 policemen were convicted in those cases.
Reasons for Low Conviction: Most of custodial deaths were attributed to reasons other than custodial torture, which included suicide and death in hospitals during treatment.
Reasons Behind Custodial Violence:
Absence of Strong Legislation: India does not have an anti-torture legislation and is yet to criminalize custodial violence, while action against culpable officials remains illusory.
The Indian state either denies the existence of torture in the country or defends its resistance to enact a law by claiming there are sufficient provisions in the domestic legal framework to prohibit and penalize torture.
These claims however remain superficial and without any such protections.
Institutional Challenges: The entire prison system is inherently opaque giving less room to transparency.
Prison access is not provided without prior permission such as depositing “Rs. 1 lakh in the name of the superintendent of the concerned jail” before entry.
Excessive scrutiny is done of all recorded or documented material in the prison.
India also fails in bringing the much desired Prison Reforms and prisons continue to be affected by poor conditions, overcrowding, acute manpower shortages and minimal safety against harm in prisons.
Excessive Force: The use of excessive force including torture to target marginalized communities and control people participating in movements or propagating ideologies which the state perceives as opposed to its stature.
Not Adhering to International Standard: Although India has signed the United Nations Convention against Torture in 1997 its ratification still remains.
While Signing only indicates the country’s intention to meet the obligations set out in the treaty, Ratification, on the other hand, entails bringing in laws and mechanisms to fulfil the commitments.
Constitutional and Legal Provisions:
Protection from torture is a fundamental right enshrined under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the Indian constitution.
The right to counsel is also a fundamental right under Article 22(1) of the India constitution.
Section 41 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was amended in 2009 to include safeguards under 41A, 41B, 41C and 41D, so that arrests and detentions for interrogation have reasonable grounds and documented procedures, arrests are made transparent to family, friends and public, and there is protection through legal representation.
Suggestions
India should ratify the UN Convention Against Torture: It will mandate a systematic review of colonial rules, methods, practices and arrangements for the custody and treatment of persons subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment.
It will also mean that exclusive mechanisms of redress and compensation will be set up for the victim besides institutions such as the Board of Visitors.
Police Reforms: Guidelines should also be formulated on educating and training officials involved in the cases involving deprivation of liberty because torture cannot be effectively prevented till the senior police wisely anticipate the gravity of such issues and clear reorientation is devised from present practices.
Access to Prison: Unrestricted and regular access to independent and qualified persons to places of detention for inspection should also be allowed.
CCTV cameras should be installed in police stations including in the interrogation rooms.
Surprise inspections by Non-Official Visitors (NOVs) should also be made mandatory which would act as a preventive measures against custodial torture which has also been suggested by Supreme Court in its landmark judgment in the DK Basu Case in 2015.
Implementation of Law Commission of India’s 273rd Report: The report recommends that those accused of committing custodial torture – be it policemen, military and paramilitary personnel – should be criminally prosecuted instead of facing mere administrative action establishing an effective deterrent.
- STARS Programme: World Bank
Recently, the World Bank has approved the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) Programme.
It will improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan through the Samagra Shiksha.
Key Points
Expected Beneficiaries: Around 250 million students (between the age of 6 and 17) in 1.5 million schools and over 10 million teachers will benefit from this USD 500 million programme.
In Line with Previous Assistance: It will strengthen public school education and support the country’s goal of providing ‘Education for All’, for which the Bank had provided total assistance of more than USD 3 billion prior to this plan as well.
Objectives: STARS will help improve learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom instruction and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition and strengthen governance and decentralized management.
STARS will support India’s renewed focus on addressing the learning outcome challenge and help students better prepare for the jobs of the future, through a series of reform initiatives, which include:
Providing Customised Solutions:
Focusing more directly on the delivery of education services at the state, district and sub-district levels by providing customized local-level solutions towards school improvement.
Addressing Specific Demands:
Addressing demands from stakeholders, especially parents, for greater accountability and inclusion by producing better data to assess the quality of learning.
Giving special attention to students from vulnerable sections, with over 52% (as a weighted average) of children in the government-run schools in the six project states belonging to vulnerable sections, such as Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and minority communities.
Delivering a curriculum that keeps pace with the rapidly evolving needs of the job market.
Equipping Teachers:
Equipping teachers to manage this transformation by recognizing that teachers are central to achieving better learning outcomes.
More Investments:
Investing more in developing India’s human capital needs by strengthening foundational learning for children in classes 1 to 3 and preparing them with the cognitive, socio-behavioral and language skills to meet future labour market needs.
- PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme
Recently, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has launched the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme as a part of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’.
The Scheme is expected to generate a total investment of Rs. 35,000 crore and 9 lakh skilled and semi-skilled employment.
Key Points
Features:
One District One Product (ODOP) Approach:
The States would identify food products for districts keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material.
The ODOP could be a perishable produce based or cereal based or a food item widely produced in an area. E.g. mango, potato, pickle, millet based products, fisheries, poultry, etc.
Other Focus Areas:
Waste to wealth products, minor forest products and Aspirational Districts.
Capacity building and research: Academic and research institutions under MoFPI along with State Level Technical Institutions would be provided support for training of units, product development, appropriate packaging and machinery for micro units.
Financial Support:
Existing individual micro food processing units desirous of upgrading their units can avail credit-linked capital subsidy at 35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit.
Support would be provided through credit linked grants at 35% for development of common infrastructure including common processing facility, lab, warehouse, etc. through FPOs/SHGs/cooperatives or state owned agencies or private enterprise.
A seed capital (initial funding) of Rs. 40,000- per Self Help Group (SHG) member would be provided for working capital and purchase of small tools.
Duration: It will be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
Funding Details:
It is a centrally sponsored scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore.
The expenditure under the scheme would be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by Centre for other UTs.
Need:
The unorganized food processing sector comprising nearly 25 lakh units contributes to 74% of employment in the food processing sector.
Nearly 66% of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family-based enterprises supporting livelihood of rural households and minimizing their migration to urban areas. These units largely fall within the category of micro enterprises.
The unorganized food processing sector faces a number of challenges which limit their performance and their growth. The challenges include lack of access to modern technology & equipment, training, access institutional credit, lack of basic awareness on quality control of products; and lack of branding & marketing skills etc.
- Covaxin approved for Human Clinical Trials
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has granted approval to Bharat Biotech to conduct human clinical trials for ‘Covaxin’, making it the first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine candidate to receive this approval.
Covaxin has been developed by the company Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It is an inactivated vaccine manufactured in the company’s Bio-Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) High Containment facility located in Hyderabad (Telangana).
The permission was granted after the company submitted results from pre-clinical studies of the vaccine that demonstrated its safety and immune response. Phase I and II clinical trials will start across India in July 2020.
Key Points
Clinical trials in humans are classified into three phases: phase I, phase II and phase III and in certain countries formal regulatory approval is required to undertake any of these studies.
The phase I clinical studies carry out initial testing of a vaccine in small numbers (e.g. 20) of healthy adults, to test the properties of a vaccine, its tolerability, and, if appropriate, clinical laboratory and pharmacological parameters. Phase I studies are primarily concerned with safety.
Phase II studies involve larger numbers of subjects and are intended to provide preliminary information about a vaccine’s ability to produce its desired effect (usually immunogenicity) in the target population and its general safety.
Extensive phase III trials are required to fully assess the protective efficacy and safety of a vaccine. The phase III clinical trial is the pivotal study on which the decision on whether to grant the licence is based and sufficient data have to be obtained to demonstrate that a new product is safe and effective for the purpose intended.
An application for market authorization may be submitted to the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) on the basis of the data from phase III testing and if approved, the vaccine then becomes commercially available in that particular country.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), out of 200 Covid-19 vaccine candidates, 15 have entered clinical trials.
AstraZeneca is the world’s leading Covid-19 vaccine candidate and has reached the final stage in terms of development. It is being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford (UK).
US Firm Moderna’s vaccine (MRNA-1273) will go into phase III clinical trials in July.
- SanskritikSadbhav Mandap: PMJVK
Recently, the Minister of Minority Affairs has laid the foundation stone for ‘SanskritikSadbhav Mandap’ (multi-purpose community center) at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.
This community center will be utilized for various socio-economic-cultural activities, skill development training, coaching, different sports activities and relief activities during disasters such as Covid-19.
It is being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK).
Key Points
Restructured: Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) is a restructured and renamed form of the erstwhile Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP).
The scheme was restructured on the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment headed by Ramesh Bais, which submitted its report on ‘Implementation of Scheme of Multi-Sectoral Development Programme/Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram’ on 9th August 2018.
Implementation Period: The restructured scheme is to be implemented during the remaining period of the 14th Finance Commission i.e. 31st March 2020.
Funding: Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Background:
In the year 2008-09, Government conceived the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) as a centrally sponsored scheme.
Initially, the MsDP scheme was launched in the 90 Minority Concentration Districts of the country.
To sharpen the focus on the targeted communities, the scheme was restructured during 2013-14 and the unit of planning for implementation was changed to Minority Concentration Blocks (MCB), Minority Concentration Towns (MCT) and Clusters of Minority Concentration Villages (COV).
Implementation Region: The PMJVK will continue to be implemented in MCBs, MCTs and COVs. A new area for implementation of PMJVK has been included namely Minority Concentration District Headquarters (MCD Hq).
The identified areas namely MCBs, MCTs, MCD Hqs and COVs for implementation of PMJVK are collectively known as Minority Concentration Areas (MCA).
Basis of Selection: On the basis of a substantial population of minority communities i.e. 25% of the minority population in the area and backwardness parameters (literacy rate, female literacy rate, work participation rate and female work participation rate) along with basic amenities indicators in the area concerned which are below the national average based on population data of Census 2011.
As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3% of the total population of the country.
The population of Muslims are 14.2%, Christians 2.3%, Sikhs 1.7%, Buddhists 0.7%, Jain 0.4% and Parsis 0.006%.
Minority Community: As far as PMJVK is concerned, the communities notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 would be taken as Minority Communities.
At present six communities namely Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been notified as Minority Communities.
Other schemes which aim at the inclusive growth of the minority communities:
- SeekhoAurKamao.
- Usttad.
- Garib Nawaz Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
- Nai Manzil.
- Nai Roshni.
- Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls scholarships.
- National Doctors Day is observed on 1 July
National Doctors' Day is celebrated annually on 1 July. The day is observed for honoring the physician and former chief minister of West Bengal, Dr.Bidhan Chandra Roy. It is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of doctors and their vital role in our day-to-day lives.
Dr.Bidhan Chandra Roy:
Dr.Bidhan was an eminent physician and educationist. He was also a renowned freedom fighter. He joined Mahatma Gandhi during the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and later he became Indian National Congress leader.
He was elected twice as West Bengal's Chief Minister and remained in office for up to 14 years until his death in 1962. He was an Alumnus of the University of Calcutta. He played a key role in the formation of the Indian Medical Association and Medical Council of India.
History:
Doctors' Day in India was established in 1991 by the Government of India. The aim was to pay honour and respect Dr.Bidhan Chandra Roy. The day was chosen as it is the birth and death anniversary of Dr.Bidhan.
He was born on 1st July 1882 and died on the same date, that is, 1st July 1962. A year before his death, Dr.Bidhan was honoured with Bharat Ratna on February 4, 1961, which is considered to be the highest civilian award in India.
India has shown extraordinary improvements in the medical field and July 1 pays a tribute to all the doctors who have made unremitting efforts to achieve this goal regardless of the odds.
- Amendments in the Indian Stamp Act come into effect from 1 July
The Amendments in the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 brought through Finance Act 2019 and Rules made thereunder will come into effect from 1 July 2020 as per the notifications dated 30 March 2020.
The amendment will facilitate ease of doing business and to bring in the uniformity of the stamp duty on securities across States.
Highlights:
The amendment will build a pan-India securities market after due deliberations and consultations with the States, through requisite amendments in the Indian Stamp Act, 1899.
The rules made thereunder has created the legal and institutional mechanism to enable states to collect stamp duty on securities market instruments at one place by one agency on one Instrument.
Salient Features:
The amendments will provide the following structural reforms:
The stamp-duty on transfer, sale, and issue of securities will be collected on behalf of the State Government by the collecting agents. The agents will then transfer the collected stamp-duty in the account of the concerned State Government.
The amendment will prevent multiple incidences of taxation, no stamp duty will be collected by the States on any secondary record of transaction associated with a transaction on which the stock exchange/depository has been authorized to collect the stamp duty.
Stamp duty is payable by both seller and buyer in the new system it is levied only on one side.
The collecting agents will be the Stock Exchanges or authorized Clearing Corporations and the Depositories.
All the exchange-based secondary market transactions in securities, Stock Exchanges will collect the stamp duty and for off-market transactions and the initial issue of securities happening in Demat form, and the depositories will collect the stamp duty.
- RRI introduces qkdSim toolkit
Researchers from Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), has launched Quantum Key Distribution or QKD.
The qkdSim simulation toolkit aims to ensure safety in secure quantum communication platforms.
Highlights:
qkdSim is a unique simulation toolkit for end-to-end QKD simulation which is based on modular principles that allow it to be grown to different classes of protocols using various underpinning technologies.
The simulation toolkit will satisfy the recent advisories by the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure online communication via secure platforms. This comes as due to the increasing need for measures to ensure security in the virtual world as the COVID-19 confines most day to day activities to the digital space.
QKD will ensure the security of the key transfer process that lies in using the laws of quantum physics.
RRI team plans to expand the current scope of qkdSim to include entanglement based QKD protocols and experimental comparisons for the same. It will lead to a whole new software that will be highly beneficial to the experimental secure quantum communication community.
This software will be a foundation for the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications developments in the country.
- Central Government extended Attorney General (AG) for one year
The central government has extended the term of K.K. Venugopal as Attorney General (AG) for one year.
Venugopal was appointed the 15th AG of India in 2017. He succeeded Mukul Rohatgi who was AG from 2014-2017.
Key Points
The Attorney General (AG) of India is a part of the Union Executive. AG is the highest law officer in the country.
Article 76 of the Constitution provides for the office of AG of India.
BACKGROUND:
Appointment and Eligibility:
AG is appointed by the President on the advice of the government.
S/he must be a person who is qualified to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court, i.e. s/he must be a citizen of India and must have been a judge of some high court for five years or an advocate of some high court for ten years or an eminent jurist, in the opinion of the President.
Term of the Office: Not fixed by the Constitution
Removal: Procedures and grounds for the removal of AG are not stated in the Constitution. S/he holds office during the pleasure of the President (may be removed by the President at any time).
Duties and Functions:
To give advice to the Government of India (GoI) upon such legal matters, which are referred to her/him by the President.
To perform such other duties of a legal character that are assigned to her/him by the President.
To appear on behalf of the GoI in all cases in the Supreme Court or in any case in any High Court in which the GoI is concerned.
To represent the GoI in any reference made by the President to the Supreme Court under Article 143 (Power of the President to consult the Supreme Court) of the Constitution.
To discharge the functions conferred on her/him by the Constitution or any other law.
Rights and Limitations:
S/he has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament or their joint sitting and any committee of the Parliament of which s/he may be named a member, but without a right to vote.
S/he enjoys all the privileges and immunities that are available to a member of Parliament.
S/he does not fall in the category of government servants. S/he is not debarred from private legal practice.
However, s/he should not advise or hold a brief against the GoI.
Solicitor General of India and Additional Solicitor General of India assist the AG in fulfillment of the official responsibilities.
Corresponding Office in the States: Advocate General (Article 165).
- Committee on Criminal Law Reform
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a national level committee for reform in criminal law.
Key Points
Committee for Reform in Criminal Law:
The committee has been constituted under Ranbir Singh and several other members.
The committee would be gathering opinions online by consulting with experts and collating material for their report to the government.
The consultation exercise would start on 4th July 2020 and go on for the next three months.
Background of Criminal Justice System:
The codification of criminal laws in India was done during the British rule, which more or less remains the same even in the 21st century.
Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay is said to be the chief architect of codifications of criminal laws in India.
Criminal law in India is governed by Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872, etc.
Need for Reforms:
Colonial Era Laws: The criminal justice system is a replica of the British colonial jurisprudence, which was designed with the purpose of ruling the nation and not serving the citizens.
Ineffectiveness: The purpose of the criminal justice system was to protect the rights of the innocents and punish the guilty, but nowadays the system has become a tool of harassment of common people.
Pendency of Cases: According to Economic Survey 2018-19, there are about 3.5 crore cases pending in the judicial system, especially in district and subordinate courts, which leads to actualisation of the maxim “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Huge Undertrials: India has one of the world’s largest number of undertrial prisoners.
According to NCRB -Prison Statistics India (2015), 67.2% of our total prison population comprises undertrial prisoners.
Investigation: Corruption, huge workload and accountability of police is a major hurdle in speedy and transparent delivery of justice.
Madhav Menon Committee: It submitted its report in 2007, suggesting various recommendations on reforms in the CJSI.
Malimath Committee Report: It submitted its report in 2003 on the Criminal Justice System of India (CJSI).
The Committee had opined that the existing system “weighed in favour of the accused and did not adequately focus on justice to the victims of crime.”
It has provided various recommendations to be made in the CJSI, which were not implemented.
Suggestions for Reforms
Criminal law is considered to be the most apparent expression of the relationship between a state and its citizens. Therefore, any revision to the CJSI needs to be done while keeping several principles in mind, which are:
The reason for victimization ought to be given a major thrust in reforming laws to identify the rights of crime victims.
For Example: Launch of victim and witness protection schemes, use of victim impact statements, increased victim participation in criminal trials, enhanced access of victims to compensation and restitution.
The construction of new offences and reworking of the existing classification of offences must be guided by the principles of criminal jurisprudence which have substantially altered in the past four decades.
For Example: Criminal liability could be graded better to assign the degree of punishments. New types of punishments like community service orders, restitution orders, and other aspects of restorative and reformative justice could also be brought in its fold.
The classification of offences must be done in a manner conducive to management of crimes in the future.
Many chapters of the IPC are overloaded at several places. The chapters on offences against public servants, contempt of authority, public tranquility, and trespass can be redefined and narrowed.
Guiding principles need to be developed after sufficient debate before criminalising an act as a crime.
Unprincipled criminalisation not only leads to the creation of new offences on unscientific grounds, but also arbitrariness in the criminal justice system.
The discretion of judges in deciding the quantum and nature of sentence differently for crimes of the same nature should be based on principles of judicial precedent.
- Online Education
Recently, the Central government has proposed long-term measures to address social inequities in online education, as highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The measures include plans to distribute laptops or tablets to 40% of all college and university students over the next five years and to equip all government schools with Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Earlier in April 2020, the Centre had announced to start the 2020-21 academic year virtually.
Key Points
Facilitation of Online Education:
Providing Laptops and Tablets:
Providing these devices to 4.06 crore students (40% of the projected student population) by 2026, at a total cost of Rs. 60,900 crore.
The Centre and States will share the cost in a 60:40 ratio.
Installing ICT Facilities:
The Ministry of Human Resource Development proposes to spend Rs. 2,306 crore on developing and translating digital course content and resources over the next five years.
Different e-learning techniques will be used like YouTube, Google Classroom, SWAYAM Prabha portal, direct-to-home (DTH), etc.
Sanitisation and Quarantine Measures before School Reopenings:
The measures would include ensuring basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, safe drinking water, availability of sanitiser, disinfectant, cleaning material and equipment for temperature checking.
Financial Support:
Under the composite grant for schools, ranging between Rs. 25,000 for small schools with less than 100 students and Rs. 1 lakh for schools with over a thousand students for awareness and community mobilisation to sensitise parents, students and local leaders about pandemics, social distancing and other preventive measures.
Rs. 1,000 per teacher to encourage them to function as first-level counsellors, disseminate basic information about Covid-19 and provide digital/online/mobile education.
Rs. 1 lakh per school for sanitisation and quarantine measures in preparation for the safe reopening of schools.
A proposed budget of Rs. 55,840 crore to equip government schools above the upper primary level, with ICT facilities.
- Delhi government launches Paudhelagao, ParyavaranBachao
The Delhi government will organize a mega tree plantation drive under the campaign 'Paudhelagao, ParyavaranBachao'. The campaign will be held from 10-26 July 2020. The information was passed by Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on 2 July 2020.
Highlights:
The campaign is launched with an aim to reduce air pollution by increasing green cover in the national capital.
It has been planned that during the campaign, in 17 days, 31 lakh of tree saplings will be planted under the campaign.
The campaign will be launched near ITO in National Highway 20 (NH 20).
Out of the 31 lakh saplings, 20 lakh saplings will be of big trees and the remaining 11 lakh saplings will be of shrubs that will be planted on both sides of the road.
- MoD approves purchase of 33 fighter aircraft for IAF, 248 indigenous missiles
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) cleared the purchase of 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft along with 248 indigenous long-range air to air missiles, Astra, among others on 2 July 2020.
The move by the Ministry is to boost the Indian armed forces. It was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
Highlights:
MoD has cleared the purchase of platforms and equipment for the armed forces to the tune of Rs 38,900 crore.
The Ministry also approved the upgrade of the existing 59 MiG-29 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Out of the 248 indigenous Astra missiles, 200 is for IAF, and 48 for the Indian Navy.
The estimated cost of the procurement is Rs.2,700 crore.
Also, the MiG-29 procurement and upgrade from Russia has been estimated to cost around Rs.7,418 crore.
And, the Sukhoi-30 MKI which is to be procured from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been estimated at the cost of Rs.10,730 crore.
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is planning to highlight the work of artists who have been entertaining and boosting the public’s morale during the Covid-19 pandemic (referred as silent Covid warriors).
Key Points
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) was established in 1987 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, as a centre for research, academic pursuit and dissemination in the field of the arts.
The IGNCA has a trust (i.e. Board of Trustees), which meets regularly to give general direction about the Centre’s work. The Executive Committee, drawn from among the Trustees, functions under a Chairman.
It is a research unit under Project Mausam.
Project ‘Mausam’ is a Ministry of Culture project with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi as the nodal agency.
The central themes that hold Project ‘Mausam’ together are those of cultural routes and maritime landscapes that not only linked different parts of the Indian Ocean littoral, but also connected the coastal centres to their hinterlands.
A project on design and development of a Vedic Heritage Portal was initiated at IGNCA, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The portal aims to communicate messages enshrined in the Vedas.
- Introduction of Locally Produced Millets in ICDS, PDS
Recently, Odisha has decided to introduce locally produced millets for the first time into Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme and Public Distribution System (PDS).
The initiatives will be carried out as a part of the Odisha’s Millet Mission (2017).
The State’s millet mission aims to popularise local production of millets among farmers and increase local household consumption for better dietary diversity and nutritional gains.
It is an attempt to develop decentralised infrastructure for processing and re-popularising millets.
Key Points
Aim:
The initiative intends to integrate locally grown millets as part of public food systems such as ICDS and PDS, mid-day meals.
It also aims to build climate resilience among farmers and promote agroecological farming methods for cultivation that draw on chemical-free agriculture practices and locally sustained food systems.
Ideally, the aim is to make the districts self-sufficient with produce, procurement and distribution.
Need:
Odisha has an immense malnutrition burden to address, with about 45% children who are stunted.
The State also has almost 41% women who have a below-normal body mass index, according to the National Family Health Survey, 2015-16.
Features:
The districts will be using their District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds to implement the initiative.
DMF is a trust set up as a non-profit body under the Ministry of Mines through the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, (MMDRA) 2015.
The objective is to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations in those districts affected by the mining works.
The money will be credited in the farmers’ account at the end of the sowing and harvest season based on the report submitted by local implementation agencies and vetted by the district administration.
Additionally, all the districts will provide 1.5 kilogrammes ragi per person (out of the five kg per person entitlement) through PDS.
Complementary to Agricultural Practices:
The millet drive is largely focused on local food diversity and ensuring availability of food to farmers unlike the consumer and urban market-driven approach.
Farmers who have adopted bio-inputs and follow the system of millets intensification will be given incentives for three years.
The state government will also be incentivising agronomic practices including pest and weed management through organic methods. However, it does not exclude farmers who will be using chemical-based fertilisers.
- Privatisation of Indian Railways
Recently, the Ministry of Railways has taken the first step towards privatisation of railways by inviting Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to private players for operation of passenger train services.
Key Points
Privatisation Project:
Under this at least 151 modern trains will be introduced and 109 pairs of routes will be planned out for private train operations.
Train sets have to be brought by private operators and maintained by them.
Fares in private trains will be competitive and prices on other modes of transport like airlines, buses have to be kept in mind while fixing the fares
Private participation in passenger train operations will only be 5% of the total operations of Railways. 95% of trains will still be run by Indian Railways.
The project will bring private sector investment of about Rs. 30,000 crore.
Reason Behind Privatisation:
To develop India’s railway infrastructure to provide travel services to all its passengers.
According to the 2019-20 data, the Railways ferried 8.4 billion (840 crore) passengers in 2019-20, about five crore passengers could not be accommodated, meaning their wait-listed tickets were dropped.
During the busy seasons/summer season nearly 13.3% passengers were not able to get confirmed reservations.
Induction of modern technology and reduction in transit time and the demand-supply deficit in train tickets.
Benefits:
Confirmed tickets and faster trains for passengers.
Trains would run faster and would be safer and provide more facilities.
Reduction in maintenance cost of train coaches.
The train coaches now required maintenance after they ran 4,000 km, but modern coaches would need maintenance after every 40,000 km or once or twice in 30 days.
Reduction in railways loss. Currently, the railways makes losses in passenger services.
Provide revenue to railways for future operations.
The private entity will pay the Railways fixed haulage charges, energy charges as per actual consumption and a share in gross revenue determined through the bidding process.
RFQ had been issued under the Make in India policy. So the coaches would have to be manufactured in India.
This will create jobs and utilisation of local components in manufacturing.
Issues Involved:
There is fear that it will lead to increase in fair prices of rail travel and job losses.
It will harm the interest of marginalised communities (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes), who get reservation under the government jobs.
Currently there is no reservation in private sector employment.
- New Defence Weapons Approved
Recently, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved several proposals that will boost the combat capabilities of all three services—Army, Navy and the Air Force.
Key Points
Proposals: It includes buying of missile systems and additional fighter jets.
The government will buy 33 aircrafts, which include 21 MiG-29s from Russia, 12 new Sukhoi-30 fighters from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
It also includes upgradation of 59 MiG-29 jets.
Under the missile system, the government will buy Pinaka ammunition, Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missile (LACM) systems with a range of 1,000 km among others.
Cost of Proposal: It will cost around Rs. 39000 crore. The acquisitions from Indian Industry will cost around Rs. 31,130 crore and rest acquisitions will be done from Russia.
Pinaka Ammunition:
It is an all-weather, indirect fire, free flight artillery rocket system developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Pinaka weapon system consists of Rocket, Multi Barrel Rocket launcher, Battery Command Post, Loader cum Replenishment Vehicle, Replenishment Vehicle and Digicora MET Radar.
Astra Missiles:
Astra missile is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
It is a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) class of Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) system designed to be mounted on fighter aircraft. It has capability to destroy the enemy targets which are beyond their visual range.
The missile has all weather day and night capability and will serve as a force multiplier and immensely add to the strike capability of the Navy and Air Force.
Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile Systems:
It is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
It is aimed at enhancing the firing range of the Brahmos missile from 400-500 km to 1000 km.
Its features include aerodynamic configuration, vertical launch using solid booster, thrust vector control system, booster separation, in-flight wing deployment, in-flight engine start and long range way-point navigation system”.
The proposed development of fully indigenous long-range land attack cruise missiles can greatly enhance the operational capability of services.
MIG 29 Fighter jets:
It is a twin-engine, multirole fighter jet, developed by the Soviet Russia in the 1970s. It has been upgraded since.
Su-30 MKI Fighter jets:
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation.
It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep prohibition missions.
- Under-Reporting of Diseases due to Pandemic
According to information on weekly outbreaks available on the website of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), there have been unusually fewer instances of diseases other than Covid-19 due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
The IDSP issues weekly reports on disease outbreaks across the country based on its surveillance network that spans at least 600 districts.
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme
The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) portal is a one stop portal which has facilities for data entry, view reports, outbreak reporting, data analysis, training modules and resources related to disease surveillance.
It was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in assistance with the World Bank, in 2004.
Key Points
Current Scenario:
The latest weekly report available on the IDSP website from Week 12 (March 16-22) of 2020 records a mere 6 disease alerts across the country.
An alert is when a sizable number of cases from a region are reported.
The six alerts include a case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, three cases of chickenpox and a case each of dengue and food poisoning.
In Week 11 of 2020, there were 28 alerts, 12 of which were for Covid-19.
However, after 3rd May 2020, there is again an increase in reports of other diseases but the latest data suggests that it hasn’t completely normalised as compared to previous years
Past Scenario:
In the same week in 2019, there were 17 alerts; in 2018, there were 28; and in 2017, there were 45.
However there are no records in 2020 after week 12, that is after March 22.
Reasons for Under-Reporting:
Lockdown and the behavioural change due to Covid-19..
Presence of only testing and treatment for Covid-19 available at government healthcare facilities.
IDSP faces a manpower crunch in the middle of a pandemic.
- Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020
Recently, the government has launched Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 (DDH2020), a first of its kind national initiative for supporting the drug discovery process.
The objective is to identify drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) by in-silico drug discovery.
In-Silico Drug Discovery
In-Silico is an expression used to mean “performed on computer or via computer simulation.”
In-Silico drug discovery process is thus the identification of the drug target molecule by employing bioinformatics tools.
Drug target molecules generally include DNA, RNA and proteins such as receptors, enzymes etc.
Identification of drug target molecules help in knowing their pharmacological relevance to the disease under investigation.
Bioinformatics is the application of computational technology (such as Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning) to handle the rapidly growing repository of information related to molecular biology.
Key Points
Joint Initiative: DDH2020 is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and supported by partners like Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), MyGov and private players.
Participants: Researchers/Faculty across the world, students studying in India and abroad.
Functioning:
It will primarily focus on computational aspects of drug discovery and will have three Tracks.
Track-1 will deal with computational modelling for drug design or identifying ‘lead’ compounds from existing databases that may have the potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2.
Track-2 will encourage participants to develop new tools and algorithms using data analytics and AI/ML approach for predicting drug-like compounds with minimal toxicity and maximal specificity and selectivity.
Track 3 will only deal with novel and out-of-the-box ideas in this field.
Participants will submit their ideas online after which the CSIR and other labs will work towards executing them.
Published date : 17 Jul 2020 02:35PM
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