Comprehensive Current affairs 28 July 2020

A detailed report of Tiger Census released on the eve of Global Tiger Day.

·         Tiger is an incredible part of the nature and the increased number of the big cats in India reflects equilibrium in the nature.”, said the Indian Environment Minister at the release of the detailed report of Tiger Census on the eve of Global Tiger Day in New Delhi.

·         India has eight percent of bio-diversity because it has a culture of saving and preserving the nature, trees and its wild life.

·          India has 70 percent of world’s Tiger population and is working with all 13 tiger range countries towards nurturing the tiger.

·         The detailed report of the 4th All India Tiger Estimation is unique in the following ways;

1.      Abundance index of co-predators and other species has been carried out which hitherto was restricted only to occupancy.

2.       Sex ratio of tigers in all camera trap sites has been carried out for the first time.

3.      Anthropogenic effects on tiger population have been elaborated in a detailed manner.

4.      Tiger abundance within pockets in tiger reserves has been demonstrated for the first time.

·         The Heads of the Governments of Tiger Range countries at St. Petersburg, Russia, had resolved to double tiger numbers across their global range by 2022 by signing the St. Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation and  July 29 was decided to celebrate as Global Tiger Day across the world, in order to spread and generate awareness on tiger conservation.

·         India’s tiger population now stands at 2967 which is 70 percent of the global tiger population. A feather in India’s cap was added with the Guinness World Records .

·         The detailed report released today assesses the status of tigers in terms of spatial occupancy and density of individual populations across India. In addition to the summary report released by the Prime Minister of India on the "Status of Tigers in India" in July 2019, this detailed report compares information obtained from the earlier three surveys (2006, 2010, and 2014) with data obtained from the 2018-19 survey to estimate population trends at country and landscape scales, patch colonization and extinction rates along with information on likely factors responsible for changes in tiger status at the fine spatial resolution of 100 km.

·         The report evaluates the status of habitat corridors connecting major tiger populations and highlights vulnerable areas that require conservation attention for each landscape. The report provides information on major carnivores and ungulates regarding their distribution and relative abundance.

Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) report puts India in third position.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recently released Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) report. According to the report,India ranked third among top 10 countries where forest cover has increased in the last decade.

·         The Food and Agriculture Organization bring out the report once in every five years. The report assesses state of forests in the member countries, their conditions and management.

·         The FRA says that India accounts to 2% of total global forest area. During the decade, India accounted to 0.38% of annual gain in forest cover.This is around 266,000 hectares of forest cover every year.

·         The forest area managed by local, indigenous communities and tribal in India increased from zero in 1990 to about 25 million hectares in 2015. The naturally regenerating forest rate in India was disappointing.

Modi  urges people to use Indian handloom and handicrafts.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the correct and positive approach always goes a long way in transforming distressing times into opportunities, adversities into triggers of development and progress.
Mr Modi highlighted how the youth and women have come up with new experiments on the basis of their talent and skills in the present times of COVID-19. He said many self help groups in Bihar have begun making masks with Madhubani motifs which are very popular.

Poland decided to withdraw from EU treaty on violence against women.

Poland will take steps next week to withdraw from a European treaty on violence against women, which the right-wing Cabinet says violates parents’ rights by requiring schools to teach children about gender, the Justice Minister said on Saturday.

·         ZbigniewZiobro told a news conference his Ministry would submit a request to the Labour and Families Ministry on Monday to begin the process of withdrawing from the treaty, known as the Istanbul Convention.

·         Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and its coalition partners closely align themselves with the Catholic Church and promote a conservative social agenda. Hostility to gay rights was one of the main issues promoted by President Andrej Duda during a successful re-election campaign this month. 

·       “The aim is to legalise domestic violence,” Marta Lempart, one of the protest organisers said on Friday at a march in Warsaw. Some protesters carried banners saying “PiS is the women’s hell”. 

·      PiS has long complained about the Istanbul Convention, which Poland ratified under a previous centrist government in 2015. The government says the treaty is disrespectful towards religion and requires teaching liberal social policies in schools, although in the past it has stopped short of a decision to quit.

Russia to get hypersonic nuclear weapons soon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the Russian Navy would be armed with hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones, which the Defence Ministry said were in their final phase of testing.

The weapons, some of which have yet to be deployed, include the Poseidon underwater nuclear drone, designed to be carried by submarines, and the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile, which can be deployed on surface ships.

The combination of speed, manoeuvrability and altitude of hypersonic missiles, capable of travelling at more than five times the speed of sound, makes them difficult to track and intercept.

RBI cautions on bad loan formation in small bank category

·         With aggregate loan portfolios and gross bad loans declining in the large borrower category, the Reserve Bank of India on Friday indicated that both credit and NPA accretions were occurring in the small borrower category in the last two years.

·         Growth in large borrower stressed advances declined by 8.5% at the end of March 2020, bad loans in this category fell 7%. Large borrowers accounted for 51.3% of loans and 78.3% of gross bad loans for banks in March 2020.

·      While the top 100 borrowers accounted for 17.5% of gross advances but only 12.6% of gross bad loans.

·         “Both (loans & GNPA) these shares have declined since March 2018 implying that on an incremental basis, credit and NPA accretions are occurring in the small borrower category in the recent period,” the RBI noted in its financial stability report.

·         The regulator also noted that borrowers who were making delayed payments or SMA category loans and restructured advances also declined in the March quarter. Loans due zero to 30 days crashed 54.4%, while those due 30 to 60 days fell by 4.6%. 

·         There was also a steep fall in loans due 60 to 90 days which saw a drop of 20.2% in the March quarter. Restructured standard advances in the large borrower category also dropped 31.7%.

World Bank to support conversion of Chambal ravines to arable land

The Centre, in collaboration with the World Bank, has decided to convert large area of ravines in Gwalior-Chambal belt of Madhya Pradesh into arable land, and a preliminary report for the same will be prepared in a month, Agriculture Minister  of India said on Sunday.

·         After preparation of the initial report, subsequent meetings will be held with the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for further course of action, he said.

·         "More than 3 lakh hectares of rugged land is not cultivable and if this area is improved, then this will help in the integrated development of the Bihad area in Gwalior-Chambal region," the statement quoted Tomar as saying in the virtual meeting.

·         He further said the project will not only help in improving agricultural development and environment but will also create employment opportunities and lead to substantive development of the region.

FOCUS ON MAINS.( GEOGRAPHY)

Heatwaves, Floods, Droughts: Projections for India in Coming Decades.

The first Assessment of Climate Change over Indian Region’ was recently released by the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences.

•The Projections are for the decades leading to the end of the 21st century.
Temperature:
•Surface air temperature over India has risen by 0.6°C per year during 1901-2018.

• Regions of North India have undergone warming more than the South, where warming has been mainly during winters.

• Every decade between 1951-2015 had 7.4 warmer days and 3.1 warmer nights than the annual averages for daily maximum and nightly minimum respectively.

• The frequency of warm days is projected to increase by 55% and that of warm nights by 70%, relative to 1976- 2005.

• In coming decades, the average duration of heatwaves during April-June is projected to double, and their frequency to rise by 3 to 4 times compared to 1976-2005.

• Average temperature over India is projected to rise by 4.4°C, relative to the average temperature during 1976-2005.

• Sea surface temperatures on the tropical Indian Ocean have been rising by an average 1°C annually over 1951-2015.

Monsoon:
• During 1951-2015, annual rainfall over India declined between 1-5 mm over central India, Kerala and the far Northeast regions.

•Contrarily, precipitation increased over J&K and Northwest India.
Droughts and Floods:

• Since the 1950s, the frequency and intensity of both heavy rainfall events and dry days have gone up. These trends are prominent over Central India and South Peninsular regions during the southwest monsoon (June-September) and northeast monsoon (October- December) respectively. Since 1901, India has experienced 22 droughts during monsoon. Central India, Kerala, and some areas in South Peninsular and Eastern India experienced at least two droughts
during 1901-2016.

• Projection: Eastern India could face two more droughts per decade compared to what was experienced during 1976-2005, while the Southern Peninsula is projected to experience
one or two droughts fewer.

• Flood risks are higher over the east coast, West Bengal, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Konkan and cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

• The Himalayan flood basins are projected to greater floods, due to the faster glacial and snow melting.
Sea Level:

• During 1993-2015, the sea level over the North Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal) rose by 3.3 mm per year, which is in tune with the Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) rise.
• By 2030, some 340 million coastal residents of the North Indian Ocean and its islands would be exposed to coastal hazards.

Tropical Cyclones:

• Before the 1950s, 94 severe cyclonic storms formed in the Bay of Bengal, a number that jumped to 140 post the 1950s. For those formed in the Arabian Sea, the number has risen from 29 to 44 in the same period.• Storms in the Arabian Sea are gaining more strength and the trend is projected to continue. The number of extremely severe cyclonic storms formed in the Arabian Sea has increased in the last 20 years.

Himalaya Snow Cover:

• During the last 7 decades, the Hindukush Himalayas have warmed at an average 0.2°C per decade. The Karakoram Himalayas have reported an increase in snowfall during winter.

• By the end of the century, the Hindukush Himalayas are projected to be warmer by 2.6-4.6°C.
Cause & Effect:

• The main contributor to climate change is anthropogenic activities pushing up concentrations of greenhouse gases. This has led to rise in temperature and atmospheric moisture content.

•A higher concentration of water vapour, in turn, leads to intense Rainfall During Monsoon.

• Heating leads to vaporisation, which is directly linked to decreasing soil moisture, resulting in droughts. This can lead to reduction in food production and in availability of potable water, the report says.

• Rising sea levels would make India’s big cities vulnerable to erosion and damage to coastal
projects.
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.
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 Arguments?

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 notwarranted 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. 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.

• 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.
About Gram Panchayat:

• These are the part of the Panchayati Raj System which has been granted constitutional status by the 73rd Amendment act.

• This scheme of the PRI system increases cooperation among people, democratic participation and decentralization.

• The 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country have been entrusted to provide basic services in the villages and plan for local economic development and good governance.

• The Gram Sabha (GS) discusses the development work plans of the GP called Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and the elected representatives execute the plans.
About Gram Sabha:

• Gram Sabha is a body consisting of all persons whose names are included in the electoral rolls for the Panchayat at the village level.

• The term is defined in the Constitution of India under Article 243(b).

• All eligible voters of the village can participate in the Gram Sabha.

• The decisions taken by the Gram Sabha cannot be annulled by any other body except itself.

 

comprehensive current affairs 27 july 2020

Naidu urges people to learn more languages and foster unity of mankind.

Vice President  of India Venkaiah Naidu has highlighted the virtues of learning and mastering one's mother tongue even as he urged the people to learn other languages to the extent possible for a wider understanding of cultural diversities and value systems. He further said that learning other languages also fosters wider bonding of humankind besides enhancing opportunities of various kinds.
Addressing online the participants in the 'World Telugu Cultural Fest' being organized in San Francisco, the USA, Mr. Naidu stressed that language is more than a mere instrument of expression. He elaborated that language is manifestation of culture and a system of values over a long period of time and it epitomizes the personality types typical to respective cultures. 

Noting that a common language fosters unity and community development, Vice President urged the people to learn as many languages as possible for a broader understanding of the diverse cultures. He has called for extensive cultural and linguistic exchanges for transforming the mindsets and perspectives.

Mr. Naidu also urged the people to always be mindful and respectful of four 'M's i.e. Mother, Motherland, Mother Tongue and Mentor.

Average completion time of PMAY-G houses comes down.

India's Ministry of Rural Development has said that the average completion time for houses under restructured PradhanMantriAwaasYojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) has come down to 114 days as compared to 314 days earlier.

P.M Modi had launched the this scheme on 20th November, 2016 by replacing Indra Awas Yojna to achieve the objective of Housing for all by the year 2022. The target is to construct 2.95 crore houses with all basic amenities by the year 2022.

The Ministry said, the measures taken in this regard  ensured increased pace for construction of houses resulting in completion of one crore 10 lakh houses which includes houses to 1.46 lakh landless beneficiaries under the scheme.

Indian External Affairs Ministry claims abiding by LAC as basis of peace & tranquillity in border.

Ministry has said respecting and strictly abiding by the LAC is the basis of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

Briefing media in New Delhi on External Affairs Ministry  official said, several agreements concluded by India and China since 1993 firmly acknowledge this.

He said the conduct of Chinese forces this year, including the deployment of large body of troops and changes in behaviour, accompanied by unjustified and untenable claims, has been in complete disregard of all the mutual agreements.

He said Indian side has made it clear that India is fully committed to observing and respecting the LAC and country will not accept any unilateral attempts to change the status quo along the LAC.

The two sides have agreed during the conversation of the Special Representatives to work towards complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity.

The 4th round of the meeting of the Senior Commanders was held on 14th July, where they also discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement.

The official said another meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs is also expected to be scheduled soon.

 

India claimed that they along with ASEAN to play lead role in Post-COVID World Economic Recovery.

Indian minister Jitendra Singh today said that India and ASEAN will play a lead role in the Post-COVID World Economic Recovery and the future belongs to them due to common traits of grit, courage and determination to scale newer heights.

Singh said, due to close business and cultural ties between India and ASEAN, the region will take a lead in the economic recovery in the post-Corona era. The Minister said that North Eastern Region has a special role to play in the promotion of trade and business relations with ASEAN as it is the gateway to the growing economies of South East Asian Nations.

Referring to the connectivity issues, Mr Singh said, in the last six years, there has been a significant development in terms of Road, Rail and Air connectivity. He recalled that the Indo-Bangladesh treaty for exchange of enclaves, which they claim,was accomplished in their government  has cleared the decks for ease of business, ease of movement and ease of commuting.

Pakistan Air Force carries out exercises at base Qadri in Gilgit.

Pakistan is carrying out military exercises at its air force base at Qadri in Skardu area of Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan administered Kashmir.

News gathering agency Indo-Asia News Service quoting unnamed officials reported that Pakistan’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan visited the base on Friday to hold some important meetings and oversee the military exercises.

His visit comes at a time when China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops remain in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Indian soldiers along the LAC in Ladakh.

Speculations are rife in Pakistan and China that the two allies may attack from two fronts – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, respectively, however, Radio Pakistan claimed that Khan visited PAF Base Qadri at Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday and not Friday. “The Air Chief witnessed various operational activities at the base including rapid deployment of fighter aircraft and combat support elements. He was also briefed about the ongoing development works at the base,” Radio Pakistan said.

Talking to air force personnel, Khan said that Pakistan was watching the geo-strategic developments in the region. The air chief claimed that India was making massive military procurements.
Official sources in New Delhi said that India is fully cognizant of Pakistan’s military exercises in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

Kashmir Discussed By Pak, Bangladesh and Reports Raise Eyebrows In India.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's phone call to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and a press release from Islamabad saying Mr Khan shared his concerns about Jammu and Kashmir has raised buzz in view of the shifting dynamics in India's neighbourhood and the clashes with China along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

As ties with Nepal turned prickly over the last months, Islamabad's successful overtures to Dhaka have given rise to conjecture about a possible dilution of Bangladesh's staunch pro- India stand.

There are concerns that China, already a strong influencer in Bangladesh, may have had a role in the phone call, which comes after months of strained relations.

On Kashmir, contrasting statements have emerged from the two countries.

Pakistan's eight-paragraph statement said Prime Minister Imran Khan "shared Pakistan's perspective" on Kashmir and "stressed the importance of peaceful resolution".

Hanna becomes hurricane as it heads toward virus-weary Texas

HOUSTON: Tropical Storm Hanna was upgraded to a hurricane on Saturday, moving toward the Texas coast and threatening to bring heavy rain, storm surge and possible tornadoes to a part of the country trying to cope with a surge in coronavirus cases.

The storm, which is the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, was expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon or evening south of Corpus Christi, the US National Hurricane Center said on Saturday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was centered about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east-southeast of Corpus Christi and was moving west at 9 mph (15 kph).

The main hazard from Hanna was expected to be flash flooding, Chris Birchfield, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Brownsville, said on Friday. Forecasters said Hanna could bring 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain through Sunday night - with isolated totals of 18 inches (46 centimeters) - in addition to coastal swells that could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

In the Mexican city of Matamoros, located across the border from Brownsville, volunteers worried whether the tropical storm would affect a makeshift migrant camp near the Rio Grande where about 1,300 asylum seekers, including newborn babies and elderly residents, are waiting under the US immigration policy informally known as "Remain in Mexico."

Global Warming May Unleash Asian Monsoon Fury: Study.

As the world braces itself for the multitude of impacts of climate change, a significant amount of research has indicated that global warming means more rain for Asian monsoon regions, which can be devastating for countries like India in the form of more floods.

Even this year, the over-a-month long devastating flood in Assam has continued to remain grim, with nearly 100 deaths and 26.37 lakh people being affected. Nearly 10 lakh people are left distressed in Bihar.

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University simulated 30 years of global warming to show significantly elevated levels of precipitation in the monsoon "trough," a zone spanning across northern India, the Indo-China peninsula, and the western parts of the North Pacific, with tropical disturbances such as typhoons and concentrated water vapour playing key roles.

The effects of increased precipitation during the monsoon season in Asia can be devastating. Examples include the 2018 and 2020 floods in western Japan and the East Asian countries. The region is home to a large population, and the monsoons are a major driver of global water cycles.

The researchers added that, home to a large proportion of the world population, detailed local predictions for the scale and nature of monsoons and tropical disturbances such as typhoons/cyclones have the potential to inform disaster mitigation strategies and key policymaking" .the study found that it was not clear whether "monsoon westerlies" were enhanced, but it did find more cyclones in the trough, enough to account for the increased precipitation. Concurrent with the increased precipitation, they also found distinct trends in water vapour over the monsoon region.

Saudi Arabia to hold downsized Hajj from Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia will start hosting pilgrims for Hajj on Wednesday, in a dramatically downscaled pilgrimage due to the coronavirus pandemic that has barred millions from taking part in the ritual for the first time in modern history.

Up to 10,000 people residing in the kingdom will participate in the Muslim ritual, a tiny fraction of the 2.5 million that attended last year, after what many saw as an opaque selection process that left a wave of applicants rejected.

The foreign press are barred from this year's hajj, usually a huge global media event, as the government tightens access to the holy city of Makkah and puts in place strict health restrictions to prevent a virus outbreak during the five-day pilgrimage — a key pillar of Islam.

Pilgrims were given elaborate amenity kits that include sterilised pebbles for a stoning ritual, disinfectants, masks, a prayer rug and the ihram, a seamless white garment worn by pilgrims, according to a Hajj ministry programme document.

They are required to be tested for coronavirus before arriving in Makkah and will also have to quarantine after the pilgrimage.

The ministry said it has set up multiple health facilities, mobile clinics and ambulances to cater to the pilgrims, who will be required to observe social distancing.

Golden ticket'

Saudi authorities initially said only around 1,000 pilgrims residing in the kingdom would be permitted for Hajj but local media reports say as many as 10,000 will be allowed.
The Hajj ministry has fielded a deluge of anguished queries on Twitter from rejected applicants.

But Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten insisted the process was transparent, telling the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television that "health determinants" formed the basis of selection.

The ministry said non-Saudi residents of the kingdom from around 160 countries competed in the online selection process.

It said foreign residents would make up 70% of all selected pilgrims.

E-symposium on handicrafts brought in by Indian tribal affairs ministry.

Tribal Affairs Minister of India today inaugurated an e-Symposium on Handicrafts organized by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis, Indian Institute of Management, Shillong. The e-symposium was titled 'Emergent North-East India: Strategic and Developmental Imperatives in Handicrafts'.

Speaking on this occasion, minister said that the traditional lifestyle in India is very artistic and creative, but we could not make our due place in global market due to lack of proper marketing management. He cited the example of Agarbatti which is now mostly imported in India.
He opined that the Bamboos in North Eastern India can be used in making better quality of Agarbattis and the burden of import can be lessened. minister said all North Eastern States can very easily be converted in to organic states to produce quality organic agro-products.
Minister emphasized that the trading mindset of our artisans should be replaced by entrepreneurship by upgrading their skills and urged for up-skilling which is now need of the hour.

RBI indicates rise in Gross NPA of scheduled banks

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said stress tests indicated that gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) could worsen to as high as 14.7% by the end of the current financial year, from 8.5% in March 2020, if the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was ‘very severe’.

Bank credit which had considerably weakened during the first half of 2019-20, slid down further to 5.9% by March 2020 and remained muted up to early June 2020. This moderation was broad-based across all bank groups, the central bank said.

In terms of inter-sectoral exposures, asset management companies/mutual funds, followed by insurance companies, were the biggest fund providers in the system, while non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) were the biggest receivers, followed by housing finance companies (HFCs).

The central bank said the near-term economic prospects appear severely impacted by lockdown induced disruptions to both supply and demand side factors, diminished consumer confidence and risk aversion.

“Full restoration in economic activity would be contingent upon the support for robust health infrastructure, recovery in demand conditions and fixing of supply dislocations,” the central bank observed.

Government notifies new rules for e-commerce companies

The government has notified new rules and regulations for e-commerce companies under the Consumer Protection Act 2019. It made it mandatory to display the 'country of origin' on their products stating that any non-compliance will attract penal action.

The 'Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020', notified on 23rd July is part of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.The new norms aim to protect the rights of consumer by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers'

disputes.
The 'Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020' will be applicable to all electronic retailers registered in India or abroad but offering goods and services to Indian consumers. The new rules empower the central government to act against unfair trade practices in e-commerce and direct selling.

comprehensive current affairs 26 july 2020

Lockdown in J&K for over 11 months led to ‘across-the-board human rights violations’.

The lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been in place for over 11 months now, has caused numerous violations of human rights, including “bail, and fair and speedy trial”, a report by the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir said. The members of the forum include former Supreme Court Justice Madan B Lokur as co-chair along with Radha Kumar, the former member of Group of Interlocutors for the erstwhile state.

Counter-insurgency concerns have been given absolute priority over public, civilian and human security, leading to an across-the-board violation of human rights, including the vitiation of protections...” the report, tiled “Jammu and Kashmir: The Impact of Lockdowns on Human Rights” read. “There has been denial of the right to bail and fair and speedy trial, coupled with misuse of draconian legislation, such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), to stifle dissentdissent, even authorities also undermined the right to life and liberty of people.

The lockdown brought on frequent shutdowns, “harassment at barricades and checkpoints”, and restrictions on communication. The report added that these have “enormously impacted, public health, and caused trauma and mental stress amongst the people of Jammu and Kashmir, violating the rights to health and medical care under the Indian, and Jammu and Kashmir, constitutions”.

Chandra Shekhar Azad's Birth anniversary observed on 23rd july.

Azad was an Indian revolutionary who reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA)  under its new name of Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA) .He often used the pseudonym "Balraj" when signing pamphlets issued as the commander in chief of the HSRA .

Azad was Born on July 23, 1906, at Bhavra, Alirajpur District in present-day Madhya Pradesh.

He took part in non-cooperation movement when he was 15.

After the suspension of the non-cooperation movement in 1922 by Gandhi, Azad joined Hindustan Republican Association (HRA).

Azad was involved in the 1925 Kakori Conspiracy.

He died at Azad Park in Allahabad on 27th February 1931.

Other cases Azad was involved in include the 1926 attempt to blow up the viceroy’s train, and the shooting of J P Saunders in 1928. Saunders was assassinated to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai. He was arrested because of his participation in the non-cooperation movement. When produced by the magistrate, he proudly announced his name as ‘Azad’, his father’s name as ‘Swatantrata’ and his place of dwelling as ‘Jail’. It was from then the name ‘Azad’ was associated to him.

India Opens New Routes to strengthen Trade ties with Neighbours.

In a bid to boost its economic and connectivity linkages with its neighbours, two new  routes for trade with Bangladesh and Bhutan have been opened up.

Engagement with Bhutan:

• A new trade route is opened under the Jaigaon Land Station on India - Bhutan Border through Ahllay near Pasakha in southeastern Bhutan.

• Trade between India and Bhutan through the Jaigaon-Phuentsholing border trade point amounts to approximately Rs. 6,000 crores annually.

• Bhutan’s trade with countries other than India through this border trade point is an additional Rs. 1,400 crores annually.

• The India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit which was last renewed in 2016 allows for free trade and commerce between India and Bhutan.

The pact provides for about 21 entry or exit trade points between India and landlocked Bhutan.

• This includes 10 trade points with Land Customs Stations (LCS) at the Indo-Bhutan border.

• Bhutan uses some of these to trade with Third Countries.

• The route for movement of industrial raw materials and goods destined for Pasakha Industrial Estate will boost bilateral trade and commerce and lead to decongestion of vehicular traffic along the Jaigaon - Phuentsholing route.

• These efforts will further have a positive effect on the trade growth with North Eastern States of India.

• Besides the new trade point, India is also looking at fast tracking a railway link between Mujnai in West Bengal and Nyoenpaling in Bhutan.

Engagement with Bangladesh:

• India recently flagged off the first trial of container ship from Kolkata to Agartala through

Chattogram port of Bangladesh.

• This is the outcome of a pact signed by the two countries on coastal shipping in 2015 and another in October 2018 on the use of Chittagong and Mongla Ports for trans-shipment of

goods to and from India.

• Eight routes have been provided under the 2019 pact which will enable access to India's northeastern region via Bangladesh.

• The routes identified includes -

✓ Chattogram or Mongla Port to Agartala in Tripura via Akhura,

✓ Chattogram or Mongla Port to Dawki in Meghalaya via Tamabil,

✓ Chattogram or Mongla Port to Sutarkandi in Assam via Sheola and

✓ Chattogram or Mongla Port to Srimantpur in Tripura via Bibirbazar.

• For India, the use of the Bangladesh ports would cut the time required for transportation by allowing three landlocked northeastern Indian states access open sea trade routes from

Chattogram and Mongla ports via Indian ports.

• For Bangladesh, the spinoffs come in the form of job creation, boosting prospects for investment in the logistics sector, supply chain integration and promotion of business services like finance, transportation and insurance, says Industry Representatives.

Asian Elephants.

• Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India found that Asian Elephant calves develop handedness (right or left-side bias) in trunk usage quite early.

• Analogous to human infants showing right-handedness or left-handedness soon after birth.

Highlights:

• The study was published recently in the International Journal of Developmental Biology.

• The team of researchers observed 30 unique calves from 11 distinct clans (female social groups) in Kabini Elephant Project in Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks from  December 2015 to  

December 2017 to look at the development of trunk motor control, laterality in trunk usage, and various social and non-social behaviours.

Distribution;

• The Asian elephant is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in the north, Sumatra in the south, and to Borneo in the east.

• In India, Elephants are found in the states of Karnataka, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.

• Their habitat ranges from wet tropical evergreen forests to semi-arid thorn and scrub forests.

• Elephants are mega-herbivores and require vast tracts of forests, rich in food and water to survive.

• Threats: loss of habitat, habitat degradation, fragmentation and poaching.

• IUCN Status: Endangered

Conservation Measures by India:

• The Government of India has declared Indian elephant as National Heritage Animal.

• It is provided with the highest degree of legal protection by listing it in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Project Elephant:

Project Elephant was launched in 1992 to provide financial and technical support of wildlife management efforts by states for wild Asian Elephants.

✓ It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

✓ Presently, the project is being implemented in 22 States/UTs.

 Objectives:

✓ To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors

✓ To address issues of man-animal conflict

✓ The welfare of captive elephants.

India’s relay gold in Asiad ratified.

India’s year-long wait for an official ratification of its 4x400m mixed relay Asian Games gold has finally ended with World Athletics updating the results and rankings on its website.

The Indian quartet of Mohammed Anas Yahiya, M.R. Poovamma, Hima Das and Arokia Rajiv had finished second in 2018.

A four-year dope ban on KemiAdekoya of first-placed Bahrain last year put India on road to gold but there had been no confirmation of the same till now.

Athletics Federation of India president Adille J. Sumariwalla confirmed the updated rankings.​​

General Financial Rules:

Indian government has amended the General Financial Rules, 2017,imposing restrictions on public procurement from bidders of countries that share a land border with India, citing grounds of defence and national security.

The central government has also directed state governments to implement this order for all public procurement Changes.

Novel Changes

➡Bidders from these countries will be eligible only if they are registered with the Registration Committee constituted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

➡They will also be required to take mandatory political and security clearance from the ministries of External Affairs and Home.

Exceptions:

Relaxation will be provided for procurement of Covid medical supplies till December 31.

Also, the order for prior registration will not apply for countries to which the government extends lines of credit or provides development assistance, even if they share a land border with India.

Background:

These measures follow a series of steps that have been taken in recent months to prevent influx of Chinese products and investments into India.

On June 23, the government made it mandatory for sellers on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal to clarify the country of origin of goods when registering new products.

In April, the government amended FDI rules mandating prior approval for investment by entities in countries that share land borders with India.

What are GFRs?

➡They are set of rules that deal with matters that involve public finances.

➡They were first issued in 1947bringing together all the existing orders.

➡They are instructions that pertain to financial matters.➡They lay down the general rules applicable to Ministries / Departments, and detailed instructions relating to procurement of goods

are issued by the procuring departments broadly in conformity with the general rules, while maintaining flexibility to deal with varied situations.

UN’s Zero Hunger Challenge by 2030.

Recently, a study titled State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, hunger and malnutrition are increasing around the world. In this scenario, achieving the Sustainable

Development Goal (2) of ‘Zero Hunger’ by 2030 will be very difficult.

• It is the most authoritative global study tracking progress towards ending hunger and malnutrition.

• It is produced jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

• The study estimates that almost 690 million people went hungry in 2019 – up by 10 million from 2018, and by nearly 60 million in five years (2014-2019). It is an uncomfortable or painful physical sensation caused by insufficient consumption of dietary energy.

• For decades, FAO has used the prevalence of undernourishment indicator to estimate the extent of hunger in the world, thus “hunger” may also referred to as undernourishment.

• The Chronic Hunger has been no change in the hunger trend since 2000, After steadily diminishing for decades, chronic hunger slowly began to rise in 2014 and continues to do so. Asia remains home to the greatest number of hunger (381 million). Africa is second

(250 million), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (combined 48 million).

• The Rate of Hunger is the rate of undernourishment (hunger) in Africa is double compared

to Asia and it is expected that by 2030, Africa will be home to more than half of the world’s chronically hungry.

• Impact of Covid-19 could also push over 130 million more people into chronic hunger by the end of 2020. The High costs and low affordability was the main reason behind the hunger.

About Increasing Malnutrition:

• The study estimates that 3 billion people or more cannot afford a healthy diet. In sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, this is the case for 57% of the population.

• The main reason behind malnutrition is the high cost of nutritious foods and the low affordability of healthy diets for vast numbers of families.

• A healthy diet costs far more than USD 1.90/day, which is the international poverty threshold. It puts the price of even the least expensive healthy diet at five times the price of filling stomachs with starch only.

• The Impact on Children in 2019, nearly a third of children under five (191 million) were stunted (too short) or wasted (too thin). Another 38 million under-fives were overweight.

Suggestions:

• A global switch to healthy diets would help check the backslide into hunger while delivering enormous savings. Shift to a healthy diet will reduce the health costs associated with unhealthy diets.

• The diet related social cost of greenhouse gas emissions, estimated at USD 1.7 trillion, could also be cut by up to three-quarters by 2030.

• The transformation of food systems will not only reduce the cost of nutritious foods but also increase the affordability of healthy diets.

The study calls on Governments:

• To mainstream nutrition in their approaches to agriculture.

• Work to cut cost-escalating factors in the production, storage, transport. distribution and marketing of food – including by reducing inefficiencies and food loss and waste.

• Support local small-scale producers to grow and sell more nutritious foods and secure their access to markets.

• The Prioritize children’s nutrition as the category in greatest need. Foster behaviour change through education and communication; Embed nutrition in national social protection systems and investment strategies.

Way Ahead:

 It is the reminder that such a huge percentage of humanity is still going hungry and should be a wakeup call for the government in particular and society in general.The Innovative strategies such as shifting towards Smart Food is the need of the hour, which is highly nutritious and will certainly help to Reduce Hunger.

India develops its first in-orbit space debris monitoring and tracking system.

A Space start up called the Digantara has developed India’s first in-orbit space debris monitoring and tracking system.The system works on LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology.

The system developed by the start up will provide global real-time earth surveillance. This is to be achieved by deploying a constellation of cost-efficient nano satellites in the Low Earth Orbit. A Low Earth Orbit lies at an altitude of less than 1000 km.

The system will help international space agencies to track and map space debris. This will aid to minimize the major threats of future space exploration.

HIL supplied  DDT to South Africa  to support its malaria Control Programme.

HIL (India) Limited was formerly known as Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL).

• It is a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers The company was incorporated in the year 1954 to manufacture and supply  Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)   to Government of India’s Ministry of

Health and Family Welfare for the malaria control programme.

• The company has diversified into agro-inputs to meet the requirements of the agriculture sector.

• HIL (India) is the sole manufacturer of DDT globally.

• The Company will be supplying DDT 75% WP to Zimbabwe (128 MT) and Zambia (113 MT) in the current FY 2020-21.

• The shareholding of the Government of India in the company is 100%.

National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme:

• Launched in 2003-04, the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) is concerned with prevention and control of vector-borne diseases namely Malaria,

Filariasis, Kala-azar, Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis (JE).

• The Directorate of NVBDCP is the nodal agency for implementation. This Directorate provides technical assistance and support in terms of cash and commodity to the various

states/UTs.

• The programme implementation is the responsibility of the states/UTs.

Form 26AS the Faceless hand-holding of the Taxpayers.

Form 26AS is a consolidated annual tax statement that includes information on tax deducted/collected at source, advance tax, self-assessment that is available on the Income Tax website against a taxpayer’s Permanent Account Number (PAN).

 The Budget for 2020-21 had announced the revised Form 26AS giving a more comprehensive profile of the taxpayer going beyond the details of tax collected and deducted at source.

 Details in Form 26AS?

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in a statement said the Income Tax Department used to receive information like cash deposit/withdrawal from saving bank accounts,sale/purchase of immovable property, time deposits, credit card payments, purchase of shares, debentures, foreign currency, mutual funds, buyback of shares, cash payment for goods and services, etc. under Section 285BA of Income-tax Act, 1961 from “specified  persons” like banks, mutual funds, institutions issuing bonds and registrars or sub-registrars etc., with regard to individuals having high-value financial transactions since the financial year 2016.

• Now, all such information under different SFTs will be shown in the new Form 26AS

• As per Section 285BA of the Income-tax Act, filers are required to furnish a Statement of Financial Transaction for specified transactions during the financial year to the income-tax authority or such other prescribed authority.

• Banks and other prescribed reporting financial institutions in their SFTs record details of transactions involving cash deposits aggregating to Rs 10 lakh or more in a financial year, in one or more accounts (other than a current account and time deposit), cash payments made by any person totalling over Rs 1 lakh, payments of bills for one or more credit card of Rs 10 lakh or more by a person in a financial year.

• Also, investment in bond/debentures, shares, mutual funds, buyback of shares exceeding Rs 10 lakh in a financial year along with purchase or sale of immovable property for Rs 30 lakh and above by a person will be recorded in the SFTs.

Benefits:

• This would help the honest taxpayers with updated financial transactions while filing their  returns, whereas it will desist those taxpayers who inadvertently conceal financial transactions in their returns.

• The new Form 26AS would also have information of transactions which used to be  received up to Financial Year 2015-16 in the Annual Information Returns (AIR).

 

Focus on UPSC Mains ; Polity

 

Judicial indiscipline: On Rajasthan political crisis.

Context:

The Rajasthan High Court’s order of directing that status quobe maintained in the disqualification proceedings against 19 legislators borders on judicial indiscipline.

It also held a legal challenge to the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker’s notice under the anti-defection law to be maintainable.

The order does not give any reason for admitting the petition and overruling objections to its admissibility, except for saying legal questions have arisen, including one on the validity of a sub-clause in the Tenth Schedule.

It is as if the mere fact that some questions have arisen is enough to disregard the doctrine of precedent.

Doctrine of precedent:

It means two things.

First, that ‘such precedents. Are reported, may be cited and may probably be followed by courts.

Second, that the precedent under certain circumstances must be followed.

Specific provision:

There is a specific prohibition in a Constitution Bench verdict of the Supreme Court on courts intervening in disqualification matters at a stage prior to a presiding officer giving a ruling.

Of the 13 questions the Division Bench has framed, purporting to arise from the Speaker C.P. Joshi’s notices to 19 Congress members in the Sachin Pilot camp, the last one itself shows it cannot entertain the petition.

The question is whether the Supreme Court’s judgment in Kihoto Hollohan (1992) is a bar on the High Court examining the issues.

It is illogical that the Bench holds that the petition is maintainable even while proposing to examine whether a Constitution Bench judgment binds it or not. In other words, a petition has been declared maintainable on the ground that the court proposes to examine its maintainability.

PARA 2:

The 1992 judgment upheld the validity of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution, the anti-defection law.The law also declared that Para 2 — a part of which is now under challenge and is the ostensible reason for the High Court to entertain the petition — does not violate the freedom of speech, vote or conscience of elected members.

Para 2(1)(a) deals with disqualifying lawmakers who “voluntarily give up membership” of their party.

Yet, the High Court is now venturing to find out whether Para 2(1)(a), has been examined by the apex court from the point of view of “intra-party democracy”.

If at all the provision’s validity is to be tested, it can only be done in a case arising out of it.

When no decision has been rendered by the Speaker, it is beyond comprehension how the court entertained arguments on the issuance of the notice and on whether dissidents can be disqualified for questioning the party line.

Para 2(1)(a) has been used by Speakers for years, and many such disqualification orders have been upheld by the Supreme Court, including as recently as November 2019 in a Karnataka case.

Admitting a matter without explaining how the law laid down by the Supreme Court does not bind a High Court raises grave questions of judicial propriety.However, even as the political crisis plays out on the lawns of Raj Bhavan, the top court itself appears to be raising the question whether dissent within a party can attract disqualification proceedings. 

Conclusion:

Whatever the circumstances, the SC should not condoneimproper and premature judicial intervention.Rajasthan HC has disregarded law laid down by SC while admitting plea by Pilot camp.