Current Affairs Summary-July 2017
SOCIAL AUDIT
Increasingly there is a demand for more transparency and accountability of government in regards to the various policies launched which calls for strengthening social auditing mechanism. What is Social Audit? Social audits refer to a legally mandated process where potential and existing beneficiaries evaluate the implementation of a programme by comparing official records with ground realities. The beneficiaries, implementing agency and the oversight mechanism come together and discuss at length about the implementation and progress of a particular programme.
Following the recommendations of 14th Finance Commission in regards to expansion in the role of PRIs, ULBs and other agencies, social audit becomes crucial as the CAG’s audit jurisdiction over such entities is nebulous.
SC BENCHES
In the early years, all 8 judges including chief justice sat together to hear the cases.
With the increase in workload, Parliament increased the number of judges gradually from 8 in 1950 to the present 31 and the constitution of benches also changed and they sat in smaller benches of two and three
Article 145(3) of constitution: states that any “substantial question of law” relating to the interpretation of the Constitution must be heard by benches of at least five judges
CEC APPOINTMENT ISSUES Issues related to Chief Election Commissioner The appointment of CEC and other ECs according to the Article 324, shall be done as per the law made by the Parliament in this regard. However, no such law has yet been made which leaves a “gap”. Recently, Supreme Court had asked the centre why no enabling law has yet been framed. This leaves the appointment of such a crucial post solely to the executives (President on the advice of PM and Council of Ministers). The constitution has not prescribed the qualifications (legal, educational, administrative, or judicial) of the members of election commission. The constitution has not debarred the retiring Election commissioner from any further appointment by the government. There is also no clarity regarding the power division between the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners.
Constitutional Provisions related to EC As per the Article 324 of the constitution, “The Election Commission shall consist of Chief Election Commissioner and such numbers of other Election Commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix and appointment of CEC and other ECs shall, subject to provisions of any law made in that behalf by the Parliament, be made by the President.”
2nd ARC, in its fourth report on ‘Ethics in Governance’, has said that it would be appropriate to have a collegium headed by the Prime Minister to appoint the chief and members of the EC which has a far reaching importance and critical role in working of the democracy.
LATERAL ENTRY INTO CIVIL SERVICES Why in News Recently Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) has been asked to prepare a proposition on lateral entry into Civil Services. Background The decision has been taken in response to a Central Government Staffing Policy Paper in which a shortage of officers in middle ranks was admitted by DoPT. Presently the numbers to be inducted are approximately 40. However lateral entry to civil services is not a new phenomenon in India. Domain experts have been brought in from outside to head various committees. 1st ARC as early as in 1965 talked about need for specialization. The 10th Report of 2nd ARC has also recommended an institutionalised transparent process for lateral entry at both central and state levels. Other two commitees that followed the suit were Surinder Nath Committee and Hota committee in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
Why we Need Lateral Entry The Basawan Committee (2016) had pointed out that the bigger states like Bihar, MP and Rajasthan have a deficit of over 75 to 100 officers. Lateral induction is, therefore, being seen as a small step towards essential housekeeping in central government staffing.
FINANCING CITIES Why in News? A new credit rating system has been adopted by the government for inviting private investment.. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been the preferred route for infrastructure creation in India. PPPs have not worked as well as they were expected to, owing to the poor rate of return for the private sector and other inefficiencies.
THE CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL 2016 Why in News? The government has recently proposed certain changes in Citizenship Rules through The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016.
It makes illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship. Now they cannot be imprisoned or deported on not having valid papers. The bill, also, widens the ground for the cancellation of an OCI registration by the Central Government, i.e. if a person violates any law in force in the country. The eligibility criteria has been reduced from 12 years to 7 years for citizenship by naturalisation.
INDIA THIRD IN GLOBAL INDEX ON FAITH IN GOVT BY OECD
OECD’s Government at a Glance report states that 73 per cent Indians have faith in their government which is third highest in the world. Highlight of report. Index is topped by Switzerland (80%) while Greece is at the bottom (13%). It would further help in improving India’s ranking in ease of doing business, as report confirms government stability and reliability.
India and Israel have announced to upgrade ties to a strategic partnership. India recognized Israel as a nation in 1950 but it was in 1992 when India finally established full diplomatic relations with Israel but only after taking Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on board.
INVESTMENT FACILITATION MECHANISM WITH EU The European Union (EU) and India announced the establishment of an Investment Facilitation Mechanism (IFM) for EU investments in India. The mechanism will allow for a close coordination between the European Union and the Government of India with an aim to promote and facilitate EU investment in India. This agreement builds on the Joint Statement of the 13th EU-India Summit held in Brussels in March 2016, where the EU had welcomed India’s readiness to establish such a mechanism. As part of the IFM, the EU Delegation to India and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will hold regular high level meetings to assess and facilitate “ease of doing business” for EU investors in India by creating a single-window entry point. Invest India, the Indian government’s official Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, will also be part of the IFM.
South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program: The SASEC program focuses on road infrastructure to improve regional connectivity between Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India (BBIN). The seven-member SASEC formed in 2001 comprises India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, and aims to increase economic growth by building cross-border connectivity.
MALABAR NAVAL EXERCISE Why in news? The 21st edition of the ‘MALABAR-2017’ naval exercise was held in the Bay of Bengal. About Malabar Malabar is an annual military exercise between the navies of India, Japan and the U.S. held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is a platform to improve interoperability between the navies. It began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the U.S. Then it got permanently expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
Recently government gave a description about reverse charge mechanism under GST where liability to pay tax is of recipient of goods & services rather than the supplier when goods or services have been received from an unregistered person. GST Council has specified 12 categories of services for reverse charge that include radio taxi, services by an individual advocate or firm of advocates etc.
Rural Electrification Corporation’s first green bond has opened up for trading at the London Stock Exchange. More about the Bond It is a Climate Bonds Initiative certified green bond. The proceeds of the bond shall be used to fund environment friendly projects in India such as solar, wind and biomass assets, as well as sustainable water and waste management projects. Through listing at the LSE, the PSU hopes to reach out to a new investor base.
What are Green Bonds? According to SEBI, a bond shall be considered green bond if the funds raised through it will be used for renewable and sustainable energy including wind, solar, bio-energy, other sources of energy which use clean technology. The first ever green bond was issued by multilateral institutions (European Investment Bank and World Bank) in 2007. The first green bond in India was issued by Yes Bank in 2015. Masala green bonds have also been issued by Indian entities. SEBI recently released issuer guidelines for green bonds making it mandatory for issuers to disclose environmental objectives of issuance of such securities and the projects ear-marked for the same. India has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 but also fund other smaller projects like solar roof top. Bonds that fund water infrastructure (bonds that help fund water infrastructure projects are known as “blue bonds”), waste management and biomass projects.
Climate Bonds Initiative It is a non-profit international organisation that mobilizes debt capital markets for climate friendly projects and initiatives. Rural Electrification Corporation Established in 1969, it is a Navratna company under the Ministry of Power. A navratna company is one which can invest up to Rs. 1000 crore without prior government approval. It is also the nodal agency for the implementation of DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana) and contributing agency for rolling out UDAY (Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana).
SOVEREIGN GOLD BOND SCHEME Why in news? The government released the next series of sovereign gold bond. What are Sovereign Gold Bonds? Sovereign Gold Bonds are government securities denominated in physical gold. It was first launched under the gold monetization scheme of 2015 with the objective of luring tonnes of physical gold in the Indian household into the banking system and reducing demand through imports and in the process reduce India’s current account deficit. It is issued by the RBI on behalf of the Government of India These bonds carry sovereign guarantee both on the capital invested and the interest. They carry a fixed interest rate of 2.50% per annum. Only resident Indians can invest in SGBs for a minimum of 1 g and maximum of 500 grams per year. Gold bonds are tradable on the stock exchange and can be held in both physical or demat form. Investments in such bonds by banks will be counted in calculation in SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio).
They are eligible to be used as collateral for loans from banks. The capital gains tax arising on redemption has been exempted.
DRAFT TEMPLATE FOR STAR RATING OF MINOR MINERALS
Minerals have been classified into major and minor according to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. According to the act, minor minerals are building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand other than sand used for prescribed purposes as well as any other minerals notified as minor minerals through Gazette of India notification by the government. There has been no clear classification of major minerals under the act, therefore any mineral not classified as minor is considered a major mineral. The star rating evaluation template for minor minerals like sand and clay has been formulated on the lines of the star rating system of major minerals that was launched in 2016. There are six different categories for assessment. Under each category further differentiation has been done as well.
Criteria for Assessment
Systematic and sustainable mining 28 points
Protection of environment 15 points
Conservation of water and use of renewable energy resources 10 points
Health and safety of workers 20 points
Welfare measures and community engagement 13 points
Statutory compliance 14 points
If the lease area scores more than 75 points in its evaluation, it would be given 5-star rating. If it scores anywhere from 60-75, it would be given 4-star rating while score in between 50-60 would fetch 3-star rating.
INDIA SET TO BE A PART OF GFXC
India will soon get a seat in the newly constituted Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC). Global Foreign Exchange Committee It is forum of central bankers and experts working towards promotion of a robust and transparent forex market. It has been established under the aegis of BIS. The committee comprises of public and private sector representatives from the foreign exchange committees of 16 international forex trading centres. One of the major tasks of the committee is to maintain and update the “Global Code of Conduct for the Foreign Exchange Markets”.
TRADEMARK ACT Why in news? Recently the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel of Mumbai has received the trademark making it the first structure in India to get this status.
Trademark refers to graphical representation of goods or services to make it distinguishable from the others. Trademark can be words, symbols, sound, colours, shape of goods, graphics representation or packaging etc. In India, trademarks are governed under Trademarks Act, 1999, under aegis of DIPP. The implementing body is the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks. Recently government has also issued the Trademark rules, 2017 to make the process of obtaining Trademark easier and hassle free.
STATE INVESTMENT POTENTIAL INDEX Why in News? Gujarat has retained the top position in the list of 21 states and UTs, according to a report by economic think-tank NCAER which ranks states on their competitiveness in business and their investment climate. About NCAER and the index Established in 1956, National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) is India’s oldest and largest independent, non-profit, economic policy research institute. It is based on six pillars — labour, infrastructure, economic climate, governance and political stability, 32 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS perceptions and land — and 51 sub-indicators. As per the report, “corruption” followed by “Getting approvals for starting a business” continue to be the top two constraints faced by businesses.
PRADHAN MANTRI VAYA VANDANA YOJANA Why in News? Recently government launched Senior citizens’ pension scheme called the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) for senior citizens aged 60 or above. It is solely operated by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) Benefits under the scheme Assured annual return of 8% for 10 years with government subsidizing LIC for any shortfall in actual return. The ceiling of maximum pension is for entire family including pensioner, his/her spouse and dependants. Pension is payable at the end of each period, during the policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency of monthly/ quarterly/ half-yearly/ yearly as chosen at the time of purchase. Premature withdrawal is possible if required for the treatment of terminal or critical illness of the person or spouse. In this case, 98 per cent of the amount invested will be refunded. In order to meet liquidity, loan up to 75% of purchase price can be availed after 3 policy years. Interest on loan can be paid from the pension installments.
Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (CRIJAF) developed a microbial called SONA under Jute-ICARE project. Highlights Microbial will enhance the quantity of fibre yield by 20% as well as its quality in terms of grade by at least 1 ½ grades. Jute Cultivation in India Natural Fibre crop known as golden fibre. 95% of world jute is grown in India and Bangladesh. Cultivated extensively in Eastern and North East India Under National Food Security Mission- Commercial Crops (NFSM-CC). Condition: Grow in March-May season with hot and humid Climate, Temperature: 24°C to 35°C, Rainfall: 120 to 150 cm, Soil: loamy and sandy loam.
ADVANCED MRSAM Why in news? The Indian Army has signed a MoU with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to raise one regiment of the advanced Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (MRSAM)
About MRSAM It is an advanced, all weather, mobile, land-based air defence system. It is capable of engaging multiple aerial targets at ranges of more than 50 km. The system will be jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and DRDO with the involvement of private sectors and DPSUs. The system will have majority indigenous content, giving boost to the Make-in- India initiative. The MRSAM is a land-based variant of the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) or Barak-8 naval air defence system, which is designed to operate from naval vessels.
DEEP SEA TRAWLING Why in news? Sri Lankan Parliament passed amendment to Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, which will ban trawling in Palk Bay and imposes a fine of 50,000 Sri Lankan Rupees for violations. Background Deep sea trawling refers to a practice in which fishing nets are trawled or dragged along the sea floor specifically to catch the seafloor animals such as shrimps, cod, sole and flounder. This practice is mainly used for commercial fishing to maximise the fish catch in temperate regions.
Greater One –horned Rhinos (Indian Rhino) Known by the scientific name of Rhinoceros unicornis, these animals are mega-herbivores. The Indian rhino was moved from its status of endangered (since 1986) to vulnerable in 2008 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are mainly spread across parts of India and Nepal, with India being home to 2,200 rhinos, or over 85 per cent of the population. Rhinos in India today are found in parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam. According to World Wildlife fund data of 2012, Assam has 91 percent of total Rhino population of India which is mainly concentrated in Kaziranga National Park, and a few in Pobitara Wildlife Sanctuary. The Indian rhinoceros is also known to help in seed dispersion, moving large tree seeds from forested areas to grasslands through excreta. The Indian Rhino is poached for its horn. Its poaching reached its peak however it has come down due to various efforts by the government and NGOs.
Indian Rhino Vision 2020 Launched in 2005, Indian Rhino Vision 2020 is an ambitious effort to attain a wild population of at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos spread over seven protected areas in the Indian state of Assam by the year 2020. Indian Rhino Vision aims to translocate Rhinos from Kaziranga National Park and Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary to five other protected areas namely Manas, Laokhowa, Buracharpori-Kochmora, Dibrusaikhowa and Orang. Translocations of Rhinos are being done in order to avert the risks associated with having an entire rhino population concentrated in one specific area.
MICROBES TO CLEAN CONTAMINATION
Why in News?
- A recent study revealed that microbes are increasingly being used to clean contaminated sites all
over world are good for environment.
Benefits of Microbes
- Applications in cleaning up contaminated soils, industrial wastewater, groundwater, mines,
and pesticide accumulated sites and fly ash disposal sites.
- Enzymes are molecules present in these microorganisms that do the job of breaking down pollutants into non-toxic compounds, essentially getting rid of them by eating them.
- Use not limited to bacteria but extended to fungi such as Asper-gillus niger, A terreus, Cladosporium
oxysporum.
- Fungi as a microbes may affect the chemical state of metal pollutants, as well as being very important in the degradation of xenobiotic compounds.
Bioremediation techniques:
Oilzapper
- It is essentially a cocktail of five different bacterial strains that are immobilized and mixed with a carrier material
(powdered or ncob).
- It feeds on hydrocarbon compounds present in crude oil and oily sludge and converts them into harmless CO2 and water.
Oilivorous-S
- It is a tad different from Oilzapper is an additional bacterial strain that makes the former more effective against sludge and crude oil with high-sulphur content.
- Both Oilzapper and Oilivorous-S can be used in situ, thereby eliminating the need to transfer large quantities of
contaminated waste from the site, a process that poses more threats to the environment.
SAGAR VANI
Science and Technology and Earth Sciences ministry launched ‘Sagar Vani’ system. What is Sagar Vani? It is an integrated information dissemination system for the ocean information system using single central server. It will use power of television and cable network for alert information dissemination through voice Call / Audio Advisory, Mobile Apps (User / Admin modules), Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), Email, GTS, Fax, Digital Display Boards, Radio / Television broadcast units, IVRS, Cloud Channels, etc. It will serve the coastal community with advisory in regional languages. ESSO-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) would provide the various facilities under the system.
Established as an autonomous body in 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO). Service coastal population on tsunamis, storm surges, high waves, etc. Information to fisherman about Potential Fishing Zone.
SARASWATI: A SUPERCLUSTER OF GALAXIES Why in News? A team of Indian scientists has reported the discovery of a previously unknown ‘supercluster’ of galaxies, some four billion light years away from Earth, and named it Saraswati. What are Superclusters? Galaxies are like the building blocks of the universe, they contain a huge number of stars. Galaxy clusters have 3-100 galaxies, and super clusters are the clusters of clusters. Within superclusters, clusters are connected by filaments and sheets of dark matter with galaxies embedded in them Sarawati has 42 clusters. Significance of Saraswati supercluster lies in the fact that it is 4000 million light years from earth.
PRADHAN MANTRI MATRU VANDANA YOJANA
Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana was previously known as Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana.
Draft guidelines for implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) have been prepared by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The draft guidelines provide for – Aadhaar linkage – Direct Benefit Transfer of Rs. 5000 in beneficiary’s bank/post office account in three instalments o at the stage of early registration of pregnancy o after six months of pregnancy on at least one antenatal check-up and registration of child birth & o first cycle of immunisation of the child. The PMMVY is Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The cost sharing ratio between – – The Centre and the States & UTs with Legislature is 60:40 – For North-Eastern States & three Himalayan States, it is 90:10, & – 100% Central assistance for Union Territories without Legislature.
MISUSE OF ANTI-DOWRY LEGISLATION Why in News? Supreme Court has ordered a number of safeguards to prohibit the misuse of the anti-dowry provisions, under section 498a of IPC. Background While charge-sheets were filed in 96% of the cases regarding dowry only 14.4% resulted in convictions. After various judgements witnessing misuse of the anti-dowry provisions by people, in 2015, the government sought to introduce the bill to amend Section 498a of IPC based on the suggestions of Law commission and Justice Malimath Committee on Reforms of criminal Justice.
National Career Services It is an ICT based portal launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The portal facilitates registration of job seekers, job providers, skill providers, career counsellors etc.
National Population Policy 2002 long term objective of achieving a stable population by 2045 To address the unmet needs for contraception, health care infrastructure, and health personnel To provide integrated service delivery for basic reproductive and child health care. Maternal Mortality Rate: below 100 per lakh birth. Infant Mortality Rate: 30 per 1000 live birth.
IMR is per thousand
MMR is per lakh
New Trend in Structure of Family According to the 2001 census, out of 19.31 crore 9 households, 9.98 crore or 51.7% were nuclear households. In the 2011 census, the share grew to 52.1% i.e. 12.97 crore nuclear out of 24.88 crore households. The new trend is contrary to various sociologists’ affirmation that the rise of nuclear families is consistent with rapid urbanisation. Proportional share of nuclear households has dipped in urban areas, with people choosing to live in extended families. § Reason: Expensive urban facilities, lack of housing In rural areas where there are greater signs of fragmentation of families with nuclear families rising and families declining at a faster pace than in urban areas. § Reason: Fragmentation of land, migration and economic opportunities in semi-urban areas.
INDIA RANKED 116 OF 157 COUNTRIES: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTION NETWORK It comprise of 17 Targets divided in to total 169 Sub- Targets to be achieved by 2030. Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Established in 2012 has been operating under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. An independent global network of research centres, universities and technical institutions. It is part of the UN’s response to the outcome of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
Feature of Right to education act, 2009 Free and compulsory education to all children of India in the 6 to 14 age group. 25% reservation for EWS communities in admission from Class I in all private schools is to be done. Financial burden will be shared between the state and the central government. A fixed student and teacher ratio is to be maintained.
As per the provisions of the Andaman and Nicobar Island (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 (PAT), the Andamanese, Jarawas, Onges, Sentinelese, Nicobarese and Shom Pens have been identified as “aboriginal tribes”.
GARIB NAWAZ SKILL DEVELOPMENT CENTRES The Minister of State for Minority Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs said that Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centres will be established in 100 districts of the country. These centres will effectively ensure employment oriented skill development of youth belonging to Minority communities. The courses will be short term( 2 to 6 months) in fields such as mobile and laptop repairing, security guard training, house keeping training, etc.
Other skill development schemes for minorities are: Seekho aur Kamao USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development) Nai Manzil Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS)
INDIA TO BECOME LARGEST PRODUCER OF MILK BY 2026- UN AND OECD
NDDB is instrumental in implementation of various programmes and schemes such as National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development, National Dairy Plan (Phase-I) and Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) It was founded in 1965 to replace exploitation with empowerment, tradition with modernity, transforming dairying into an instrument for the development of India’s rural people. It was instrumental in implementing ‘Operation Flood’ to make India milk-surplus country from milk-deficit country.
AAYKAR SETU Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a department under the Ministry of Finance has launched a new app known as Aaykar Setu. The app is part of the Digital India initiative to help users understand the various nuances of direct taxes, file income tax, apply for PAN, check TDS statement, and even share grievances with the right authorities. It also lets users to link their Aadhaar to their PAN
DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ANALYTICS AND RISK MANAGEMENT Why in news? The Central Board of Excise and Customs has setup Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management (DGARM). What is it? DGARM would provide intelligence inputs and carry out big data analytics and use both external and internal sources for data mining. DGARM has four verticals and will be headed by an official rank of Additional Director General or principal ADG who will report to the Chairman of CBEC. The four verticals are namely: o National Targeting Centre – It is responsible for application of a nationally coordinated approach to risk analysis and targeting of risky goods and passengers crossing the borders of the country. o Centre for Business Intelligence and Analytics – It will be responsible for identification of information requirements of the CBEC. It will utilise internal data fields to do so. o Risk Management Centre for Goods and Services Tax – It will institutionalise mechanism to collect necessary inputs, adopt coordinated approach and share the outcome for risk-based identification for the purpose of scrutiny, audit and enforcement functions. o Risk Management Centre for Customs – It will be responsible for assessment and targeting of risky cargo crossing the borders through sea, air and land.